The effects of study-abroad experiences on EFL learners' willingness to communicate, speaking abilities, and participation in classroom interaction

This study examined the effects of study-abroad (SA) experiences on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' willingness to communicate (WTC), speaking abilities, and participation in interaction in classes taught by the native English-speaking teacher (NEST) in their home country. Sixty Korean university students participated in this study. The results indicated that the EFL learners' WTC, speaking abilities, and participation in interaction in classes taught by the NEST were significantly developed as a result of SA in L1 English-speaking countries. Concerning proficiency dependent differences, the EFL learners in three proficiency level groups were differently influenced by SA experiences in terms of WTC and speaking abilities. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.