1. Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience : Enhancing the Homestay ACTFL - 2004 Barbara Schmidt-Rinehart Ashland University & Susan Knight Central Michigan University

2. The Homestay The Research Project I & II Three Perspectives Research Project III Enhancing the Homestay

3. RESEARCH PROJECT SITES MEXICO Cuernavaca Guadalajara SPAIN Segovia Sevilla

4. *I & II: Three Perspectives: The Host Family The Students The Housing Directors

5. *Las familias Selection process Demographics Placement

6. *Selection of Families for Interviews

7. The Interview In the home 90 minutes Recorded Interview Questions “Question guide” “semi-structured”

8. Data Analysis: Interviews, Questionnaires, Evaluations QUALITATIVE QSR Nud*ist QUANTITATIVE Questionnaires

9. Results ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS THE HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE

10. *ADJUSTMENT What Type of Student Adjusts Best? Adjustment Period/Length of Stay # of Students in Home Facilitating Student Adjustment

11. *TABLE I ADJUSTMENT ( PERCENT/RESPONSE) Not at all a lot QUESTION No ans 12345Mean 1. At first, adapting to family was difficult 4025208.95.6 2.1 2. At first, adapting to the school was difficult 50.027.816.72.23.3 1.8 3. At first adapting to the city/society/culture was difficult 27.832.223.314.42.2 2.3 4. I was well matched with my family 8.96.72015.648.9 3.9 9. How comfortable did you feel with your family at the end of the first week? 2.23.38.93027.8 3.6 10. How comfortable did you feel with your family at the end of experience? 2.35.87.026.758 4.3 12. How open were you to new experiences? 2.2- 4.43061.1 4.4 13. How homesick were you? 3.336.722.217.814.45.5 2.2

12. PROBLEMS: Frequency Most cited problems in literature

13. TABLE 2 PERCENT OF STUDENT ANSWERS FOR QUESTION #15: DID YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE FOLLOW Not at all  -------------  a lot No answer 12345 Mean score Appropriate clothing 361121345.6 1.7 Use of telephone 24518.921.15.66.7 2.0 Interaction w/ opposite sex 54.61418.69.33.5 1.9 Concept of time 356.720108.91.1 1.7 Food 237.827.814.4 3.3 2.1 Meal time and hours 243.324.414.4105.6 2. The way people greet you 262.221.18.93.32.2 1.6 Entertaining at home 40208.622.98.6 2.4 Cultural attitude toward drinking 66.727.85.6 1.4

14. PROBLEMS Lack of communication Lack of independence

15. *THE HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE? Benefits Shortcomings

16. *TABLE 3: HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE? PERCENT OF STUDENTS ANSWERING EACH QUESTION Not at all A lot No answer 12345 Mean 5. How much time did your family spend with you? 4.415.633.328.917.8 3.4 6. How much did your family help you learn Spanish? 3.3 1025.632.225.63.6 7a. How much time daily did you spend speaking Spanish at school? 2.36.93142.317.23.7 7b. How much time daily did you spend speaking Spanish at home? 2.38.119.529.940.24.0 8. Did you learn as much Spanish as you thought you would? 3.36.715.624.427.822.2 3.3 11. How much did the family integrate you into family activities? 3.318.913.315.623.325.63.1 14. Did you make Mexican/Spanish friends? 3.34.423.3 25.6203.2 16. How happy are you that you did this study abroad experience? 3.31.1 5.62068.94.4 17. Do you plan to keep in contact with your family? 5.67.811.1 24.4403.6 20.Would you recommend a homestay to someone? ---1.1915.774.1 4.6

17. Further study: Composition of the family # of students in home Orientation process Other housing options Family/student interaction*

18. *Research Project III: a Task-based Study to Increase Interaction Project Design Results Recommendations

19. *Project Design: Procedures Subjects Tasks

20. *Procedures Pre-experience: on campus orientation In-country: Family Interaction Journal Post-experience: task-group questionnaire & returned packets

21. *Subjects Number Country Selection

22. *SUBJECTS TASK GROUP NO-TASK GROUP totals Mexico7714 Spain7714 N=28

23. *Tasks: Family Interaction Journal: Time log Task-based activities Conversation Project

24. Time log Instructions to students: Document your interaction with the family each day. Jot down how much time you spent with them and the topics you discussed.

25. Task-based activities Selection of tasks Procedures in-country Complete tasks Record in journal Description Evaluation of interaction

26. Conversation Tasks Personal History Leisure Time Foods Holidays Driver’s License Dating Practices Educational System Television Government/ Current Events

27. Project Tasks Ask for Directions Invite for Coffee Go to a Movie Go Grocery Shopping Learn Children’s Songs Play a Game Attend a Sporting Event Visit a School Go to Church

28. Sample Conversation Task : Holidays Talk to your family about how your favorite holiday(s) is (are) celebrated in the U.S. As in all of your interactions, be sure to ask your host family similar questions – what is his/her favorite holiday? How is it celebrated? What are the differences/similarities in how we celebrate?

29. Sample Project Task : Play a game Talk to a member of your family about games they play—card games and board games. Show them a game that you play and learn one of their games. Have them help you write down some of the steps for the description section below.

30. *Results: Time log Comments from Family Interaction Journal Questionnaires Post-experience interviews

31. *Time log Time varied greatly Range: 2.1 to 8.7 hours/week Mean: 4.7 hours/week Spain mean = 3.3 hours/week Mexico mean = 5.39 hours/week Both groups spent more time on Conversation tasks than on Project tasks.

32. Journal comments: Greater understanding of each other Increased language learning Increased interaction

33. Journal comments suggesting greater understanding of each other I felt this was a good way to get to know her daughter, who I haven’t really talked to yet Marimar was excited to tell me all about her school and future plans (learning children’s songs) I had fun with this because it was funny to see my host family singing and dancing in the kitchen. This was an excellent task because the whole family was interacting... I think it brought us closer.

34. Journal comments suggesting increased language learning Went much better than last week. Communication beginning to flow better (personal history) This task seemed to go a lot more smoothly because they could actually show us what to do (game) I can’t even believe how smoothly conversations are going now. I rarely have to think in terms of translation anymore and it’s so much fun (holidays)

35. Journal comments suggesting increased interaction Now we watch soap operas together We ended up going back a total of 3 times (grocery shopping) I asked them if we could play some games later (personal history) I think it brought us closer- now we have something in common….now we are invited to family Bible study every Friday

36. *Questionnaire results No significant difference between Task and No-Task groups on questions 19f-19k No significant difference between Task and No-task Groups on questions 21 and 22

37. *Questionnaire # 23-27 (task group only) ? # Mean (5= a lot) 23 conversation tasks project tasks 3.88 3.22 24 3.44 25 3.66 26 2.55 27 3.77

38. *Post-experience interviews Students who did tasks liked them would recommend it again Suggestions: Different tasks for different proficiency levels and for summer vs. semester students Additional project and conversation tasks (e.g., tour around city, going to a family event)

39. Problematic issues with project: Self-removal from study No … Incentive Accountability Consequences Technology availability

40. Conclusions & Recommendations Involvement of sites and families Tasks: Some students did not complete the tasks. Perhaps a time-log would be sufficient. Having tasks may help certain personality types more than others Different tasks for summer and semester groups / different levels of language proficiency

41. Further reading Questionnaire and Power Point on-line: www.chsbs.cmich.edu/Susan_Knight/actfl.htm "The homestay component of study abroad: Three perspectives". Foreign Language Annals, 2004. Schmidt-Rinehart, B.C. & Knight, S.M. “Enhancing the homestay: Study abroad from the host family perspective”. Foreign Language Annals, 2002. Knight, S.M. & Schmidt-Rinehart, B.C.

43. Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience