Predicting the Role of Language in Developing Intercultural Competence: A Comparative Study of Study Abroad Experiences in English-Speaking and Non-English-Speaking Regions

The challenge of globalization is probably the greatest challenge for educators since the last millennium. The concept of studying abroad as a panacea for the complexity of globalism has been challenging for the development of intercultural competence. The world has rapidly become a global village, confronting educational institutions to produce graduates skillful to fit the changing world and marketplace. Therefore, an effective study abroad for U.S. education would be beneficial for both individual and institutional goals. Study abroad is a self-elect program where students elect to participate in the program of their choice leading to the major obstacle to tracking collective effectiveness. This study reveals long held beliefs of study abroad and language as a prime motivator of study abroad. The study reveals that language may not hold much predictable development for intercultural competence due to other variable factors of globalization. In other words, educators would have to reflect more on the potential of study abroad and cultural development to create programs that can transform intercultural learners into global citizens.