Generation Study Abroad

“International experience is one of the most important components of a 21st century resume, ” says Dr. Allan E. Goodman, President of The Institute of International Education. Their new initiative is to double the number of students who study abroad by 2019.

Generation Study Abroad^TM seeks to address that shortfall by bringing employers, governments, associations, and others together to build on current best practices and find new ways to extend study abroad opportunities to tens of thousands of college students for whom traditional study abroad programs aren’t working.  

 2 million dollars is being invested in this initiative in order to provide scholarships and grants to students. The Institute recognizes the importance of study abroad in our increasingly globalized world. Our technology has advanced us closer in cyberspace, but too many students are forgoing the unique opportunity to obtain real world experience abroad that will benefit them throughout their life's work.

The site provides pretty convincing arguments for why students should study abroad. Employees are seeking skills such as "critical thinking, problem solving, time management, and communication," all skills fostered by study abroad. The numbers show that students who studied abroad are highly employable: 90% of students who studied abroad found employment within 6 months of graduating, and 97% within 12 months.

It's easy to run the numbers and see why study abroad is a good choice economically (Study abroad students starting salaries are 25% higher), but even more so it is necessary to consider why study abroad is a good choice socially. Students who go abroad will have their minds opened to other cultures and other ways of life. Trends imply that the current generation is becoming more and more accepting of differences between cultures. This is critical for national and global prosperity.

For more information visit:
www.iie.org/Programs/Generation-Study-Abroad

Some things to keep in mind before you go!

13 Mistakes Study Abroad Students Make.

Check this out!

The Numbers Say You Should Study Abroad

So what's your language degree really worth?

Now, this is a particular issue in which I have a lot of stake, given the fact that I'm a French major. 
It would seem a lot of people are worried if learning a language is really worth it. In a Freakonomics episode last month a disgruntled father writes in to say:

I’m very curious how it came to be that teaching students a foreign language has reached the status it has in the U.S. … My oldest daughter is a college freshman, and not only have I paid for her to study Spanish for the last four or more years — they even do it in grade school now! — but her college is requiring her to study EVEN MORE!
What on earth is going on? How did it ever get this far?
In a day and age where schools at every level are complaining about limited resources, why on earth do we continue to force these kids to study a foreign language that few will ever use, and virtually all do not retain?
Or to put it in economics terms, where is the ROI?

The Freakonomics team begins by discussing the psychological benefits of learning a language with some pretty thought provoking research. Participants in a study were more likely to take risks when speaking in a foreign language. Does this mean that thinking in a foreign language in inhibits our reasoning skills? Quite the opposite!

In the study, participants were given $20 and played a game in which each round you are asked whether you want to keep a dollar or bet a dollar. If you bet the dollar, a coin is flipped. Tails: you lose the dollar, heads: you get $2.50. Due to probability, on average the better return on investment is to take the risk. Those participating in a foreign language were 20% more willing to bet the dollar. The researcher, Boaz Keysar, believed that this difference is due to mental processes at play while speaking a foreign language. This led them to research how morality is affected by foreign language, and sure enough, it is!

 Given the age old morality conundrum: "a bus driver is going to run over five people and kill them - so do you go ahead and kill the driver before he can kill the other five?"
Asking people this question in a foreign language makes them twice as likely to say yes. Keysar believes that perhaps thinking in a foreign language prevents the emotional response typically generated by these conundrums from changing their judgement. Physiologically: "you can show that people's arousal is higher when they use their native tongue" when it comes to emotional responses. "When people think in a foreign language, they're more reflective about their choices. They're more likely to engage in cost-benefit analysis, in a way, and less likely to be swayed by all sort of emptional reactions that they might have in general."

Hmm, so it seems there is a benefit to this language thing after all. In addition to this language has been shown to postively affect memory and executive function and could stall the onset of Alzheimer's disease. There's certainly a cultural benefit, put so well by a fourth grader interviewed in the episode: "I think a good thing that comes from learning a foreign language is that you can speak to more people." Bringing the world together, one language student at a time! But we're talking economics here. Is there an actual return on investment for the cost of learning a foreign language?

In order to see what the ROI for learning a foreign language is, Albert Saiz saught how foreign language affected the earnings of 9,000 college graduates. Unfortunately the results on this end aren't quite so positive. As a language student overall, you earn about 2% more.

Interestingly, Saiz also compared languages. The lowest increase is 1.5% for Spanish speakers. French is 2.7% and German 4%. The take-away from this is that languages not typically spoken in the US will earn you more. But the language with the biggest ROI? English. But sorry, you have to be from a non-English speaking country. If so, you could be looking at a 10-20% salary increase.

The panel goes on to discuss how time spent learning a language could perhaps be better used, especially in high school. "There are so many kids who remain barely literate and numerate in their own language."

But wait, The Economist has something to say about this! They imagine that the language student saves that 2% "language bonus" in a retirement account. Thanks to the miracle of compound interest, that 2% means $67,000 after 40 years. $77,000 for French and a whopping $128,000 for German. Did I mention that I'm changing my major now? Guten Tag Deutschland!

So we've talked about the personal benefits of foreign language, now lets talk about national benefits. A study at Cardiff Business School indicates that "lack of foreign-language proficiency in Britain costs the economy $80 billion, 3.5% of GDP, each year." (Britain mirrors the US in foreign language proficiency). More foreign language studies could mean more money for all in a world where international relations and global trade are becoming increasingly important.

Back at Freakonomics, Bryan Caplan says: "If people either are going to get some big career benefit out of it or it enriches their personal life, then foreign language study is great. But if it’s a language that doesn’t help their career, they’re not going to use it, and they’re not happy when they’re there, I really do not see the point, it seems cruel to me."

All in all, I'd say that's fair. I chose French because I was infatuated with the language, the culture, and the idea that I could speak with people in a language other than English. To me, there's something magical about learning a different language from your native-tongue, especially when it's so rare (less than 1% of Americans know a foreign language.) Just like physics isn't for me, language isn't for some, and that type of educational diversity is what keeps things interesting.

It was Ernest Hemingway who said "memory is hunger" in A Moveable Feast, and I have never before understood that sentence more than I do now. I missed Paris when I first arrived home in June. I missed Paris at the 6 month anniversary of returning home. But the pining I felt then cannot compare to the longing I feel now for those times passed exactly one year ago. I'm not sure how long it takes for this languish to fade; it feels like like reminiscing on an old boyfriend. I guess you could say I had a relationship with France. It was a fling that was always exciting, constantly changing and every day pushing me to new bounds. 

This week I've decided to get a little more personal than usual and do a throwback post of a journal entry, almost exactly year ago on our API excursion to Provence.  

Provence was very nearly a perfect weekend. I love being in the city but I didn’t realize how nice it would be to get out into some fresh air and open space. It’s a little funny to say, but Provence reminded me a little of home. Many of the clothing boutiques had New England-y type clothes (the whole marine/boating fad: stripes, anchors, etc).
We arrived in Aix at about noon and had a little bit of time for lunch and for wandering around before a guided tour of the town. The thing we noticed first about Aix was how friendly the people were. Unlike Paris (or really any city), people talked slowly, they asked how you were, strangers laughed and joked with you. They talked to you in French even when they realized you were American (in Paris wait-staff frequently speak to you in English as soon as they realize you’re American, it doesn’t matter how proficient your French is).  It was really wonderful.
The south was so much warmer than Paris and the sun was shining (it was a total shame I had forgotten my sunglasses since they do me no good here in cloudy Paris).
Later in the day, we were tired from the travel and walking around so we spent some time hanging out in the Hotel watching TV. We haven’t had any television here in Paris (which is a shame because watching TV is actually a really good way to improve your French comprehension), so we watched EuroSport for some international Track and Field competition.
Aix is very interesting because it’s half sleepy, quiet, retirement town, and half college town. There are a lot of young students, which means there is a pretty significant night life. Obviously Paris is the place for nightlife in France, but what was different about Aix is that the majority of people going out were actually our age, whereas in Paris they tend to be a bit older. The one thing that there is no shortage of anywhere is the “Irish Pub,” they’re everywhere.
Saturday morning our directors gave us a tour of the farmers market that takes place every Saturday and Wednesday. It was amazing. Because Aix is influenced heavily by the roman style, there are many forums (open squares) connected by streets. Each forum had a different part of the market: Fruits and Veggies, Meats and Fish, Flowers, Clothes, Trinkets and Souvenirs, DVDs and Records and CDs, Vendors selling prepared food. Anne-Marie (our beloved director and tour guide) took us to a famous (and expensive) chocolate shop (there’s a picture of the window display in the slideshow) and bought us a few delicious chocolates. For lunch we bought from a vendor these delicious deep fried ravioli, and I bought some cookies from this lovely lady who hand makes all of them herself (probably the best cookies I’ve had in my life.
At about 1 we set out for the drive to Cassis, which I can honestly say is probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life. We had a wonderful day of walking around on the beach, drinking soda and eating ice cream and just enjoying the bright sun (still with out my sunglasses, oops!) and sea breeze. We were given a free tour of this little Parfumerie that hand-makes all of their own soaps and were even given a free soap as a gift from API. They make soaps, perfumes, and candles in an uncountable number of scents. I chose Le Thé (tea), which has honestly become one of my new favorite scents in the world. I wish I could have bought 10! I also wish I had taken a picture of the store, it was so cute!
At the end of the day we returned to Aix. Some friends and I got dinner at this delicious Tapas place (probably one of the best meals I’ve had since being in France). The dinner overall cost 17 euros, including the delicious sangria, but it was well worth it, we were absolutely stuffed and everything was amazing.
Sunday morning we had to be out early for checkout and the bus ride to Marseille, a large city on the Mediterranean, with both Roman and North African influences. It has a reputation among the French for being a little dangerous and creepy. It’s also constantly undergoing a lot of construction. That being said, there were still a lot of really nice things about it. There was a lot of pretty architecture (like in all of France). Most of my pictures are from the top of the tallest hill where there’s a gorgeous cathedral and you can overlook the entire city. It definitely looks the prettiest from up there. At about 4 in the afternoon we took the three hour train from Marseille back to Paris, where it suddenly felt freezing cold again (even though it was still probably in the 40s).
I felt glad to be coming back though. A weekend with 70 other API students was an interesting experience. It was nice to meet a lot of the newer students who arrived at a different time than us, and I definitely made some new friends. I will say that I loved the south of France and Aix is actually a place I could see myself living. 

Mark my words, I will get back to Provence some day. Now, it seems more attractive to me than ever: 70 degrees the first week of March, while here it's still 25 with two feet of snow on the ground. I may wish that I could turn back time and I may feel like the memories of last year leave in me a starved craving for a new adventure, but I will always be happy that I have these experiences to cherish for the rest of my life.

Why Study Abroad Benefits EVERYONE!

Good news for people who get excited for study abroad statistics! (Is that just me?) A 2013 survey shows increases in international travel for students. From 2011 to 2012, the number of American students studying abroad increased 3.4% to 283,332. Not only have popular destinations (like the UK) experienced an increase in students, but also some less popular ones like Latin America and the Caribbean. This indicates that students are seeking less conventional experiences and are more enthusiastic than ever about expanding their comfort zones and connecting with different cultures.

I've always thought of study abroad within the framework of how I personally benefited from it, i.e. greater confidence, a deeper understanding of another culture, a broader outlook on life etc., and I've even written about why I think as many students as possible should experience it. This infographic shows study abroad doesn't just benefit individuals, it benefits entire nations: "819,644 international students and their families contributed $24 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2012-13 academic year, according to a NAFSA: Association of International Educators analysis." This is precisely why we should be glad that not only are more and more American students choosing to study abroad, but more foreign students are too. From 2011 to 2012 the number of international students enrolled in an American university increased 7.2%, at about 819,644 students each year, and it seems likely that those numbers are going to keep going up. 

This week at the seventh trilateral North American Leaders Summit Meeting, Mexico announced its plan to increase the number of Mexican students in US institutions from 13,800 to 100,000 by 2018, a lofty goal that is sure to be a hot-button topic amongst US residents (as one particular side of the US political spectrum tends to be weary of incomers). Maybe they would change their minds if they saw how much it's contributing to the economy...

While the US has well over 100,000 students studying abroad each year, maybe we should use Mexico as an example and think about how to increase our own numbers. Only 9.4% of Americans study abroad and 60% of those students do a short-term program as opposed to a semester or year long program. American students are burdened by the current cost of higher education and according to this New York Times article, 56% of American Students are interested in studying abroad, but feel they lack "adequate information about options, and [are] also worried about finances, visas and homesickness." European students are more likely to go abroad due to programs that finance their studies abroad like Erasmus. Perhaps the US, which is highly a "receiving nation" (usually nations that import students) would do well to put an Erasmus-like program into the works? It would behoove the US to encourage international studies in our increasingly globalized world.

What Study Abroad Meant to Me

Before I left

Some words that came to mind when I thought of study abroad during the month leading to my departure: unknown, fear, failure. Living in an unknown city for five months, fearing the risk of being alone, struggling and even failing at a new university. Now that’s a pretty negative way to think of a five month sojourn in Paris, but for most of my life I’ve had difficulty dealing with change. Staying where you are is comfortable and safe. I found myself wondering why I had made such a decision to uproot my life for half a year and send myself to almost certain disaster (yes, I was fairly sure that my time abroad was going to be a disaster). Sure I wanted to travel, see the world, experience different cultures, but like this? Boarding a plane all by myself without a clue of what was going to happen when I landed?

While I was there

Thankfully, those thoughts did not last long once I was in Paris. I was still anxious as I arrived; I hadn’t slept at all on the plane, and I had very little idea of how to navigate Charles de Gaulle airport. Eventually I found the API study abroad staff and other students who were in my program, but all I could look forward to was sleep. On the ride from the airport to our hotel where we would stay the first night, I saw Notre Dame for the first time, and at that moment I finally started to feel like I made the right decision. Before the first week in Paris was over, absolutely no doubt remained that I had made the right decision. Suddenly, I was having the time of my life and study abroad took a whole new meaning. It meant friendship, a new family, a new home. It meant I was exactly where I wanted to be and I never wanted to leave. It meant every day I was improving my language skills and realizing that there was a whole world at my disposal.

When I got back

I was devastated to come home. I thought it meant that all the wonder and magic of this experience had to end. That was only partially true. Sure I was returning to Massachusetts, which is certainly no Paris. I was leaving my newest best friends and my resident directors (who were like moms away from home), and I had sincere worries that I would be leaving behind this new person I had become. If I returned back to Massachusetts, wouldn’t I turn back into “Massachusetts me?” Would “Paris me” fit in here? During those 5 months, I felt myself grow and change. Usually, personal growth happens gradually so you don’t notice it all that much, but the change from studying abroad happens in just 5 months and you notice it. I felt more confident and secure, I had a broader idea of what it meant to live life, I was more organized and had new, exciting plans for the future. I liked who I had become. I’m not saying I underwent a full transformation; I was me, but I was a “me” who felt a lot happier about life. That’s a lot to lose but fortunately, those are the changes that come home with you. I can’t bring Paris back to the USA, and I can’t move my friends across land and ocean, but I can bring what I’ve learned about the world and myself. Returning home felt like a struggle at first. The “Paris me” and the “Massachusetts Me” had to learn how to cohabitate; I had to come to terms with not having fresh crepês every day and once again living the small-town life,  but I’d like to think that the “Paris me” takes the drivers seat now with more confidence and a better outlook on life and opportunity.