Short-Term Study Abroad in TESOL: Current State and Prospects

In line with the fiscal, structural, and academic shifts in higher education, a growing number of universities in English-speaking countries develop and deliver short-term study-abroad (STSA) programs that are shorter than a regular academic term, often under contract with sending universities and governments from non-English-speaking countries. Distinct from the well-established scholarship in SA largely focused on American and European university students going abroad to improve their foreign language skills (c.f., Kinginger, 2008; Mitchell, Tracy-Ventura, & McManus, 2017), there is an emerging area of inquiry in which Anglophone institutions of higher education host students and (para) professionals from non-English-speaking countries for academic and cultural enrichment, as well as for English language teaching. To address the nascent transnational trend, broadly related to ESL in higher education, this article provides an overview of the current state and prospects associated with STSA. After laying out the groundwork for SA, this article identifies the unique scope and potential area of inquiry related to STSA hosted by Anglophone institutions of higher education. The overview article then proposes a potential research agenda that encompasses sojourner identity, goals, and practices vis-a-vis institutional goals and practices at the intersection of SA and TESOL.