November 27 1999Word文档下载推荐.docx
《November 27 1999Word文档下载推荐.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《November 27 1999Word文档下载推荐.docx(36页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
Table1:
AmericanCouncils’ExchangeProgramDatabase1976to
Present
Section
Topic
#ofQuestions
A.
BiographicalData
13
B.
RussianProficiencyPre-ProgramScores
10
C.
LeadershipandAdaptabilityPre-ProgramScores
7
D.
RussianProficiencyPost-ProgramScores
3
(SeeAppendices1and2formoredetailedinformationoneachsection.)SomeofthesedatahavebeenanalyzedandtheresultspublishedinDavidsonetal.1993and1995.
In1997,AmericanCouncilsreceivedaresearchgrantfromtheU.S.DepartmentofEducation(InternationalResearchandStudies,TitleVI)tocarryoutasurveyofU.S.alumnioftheACTRoverseasRussianlanguageprograms.Theprimarypurposeofthissurveywastogainaperspectiveonthelong-termimpactoftheexchangeexperienceonbothpersonalandcareerdevelopment.TheOutboundAlumniSurveyProjectwasamulti-stageprocess,detailedinthemethodologysectionbelow,andAmericanCouncilsispleasedtoreportthatthefinaldatasetcontained701completedsurveys.
The172questionOutboundAlumniSurveycoversninemajortopicareas.Theyare:
Table2:
OutboundAlumniSurveySprinttoFall2000
Biographical,EducationalandEmploymentHistory
26
Pre-CollegeRussianLanguageTraining
14
CollegeRussianLanguageTraining
11
U.S.SummerLanguageTraininginRussian
21
E.
GraduateSchoolTraininginRussian
6
F.
RussianLanguageStudyAbroad
42
G.
CurrentRussianLanguageProficiency
H.
CurrentUseofRussian
18
I.
GeneralEmploymentPreferences&
AttitudeTowardsLanguageStudy
20
IncombinationwiththeExchangeProgramDatabase,theOutboundAlumniSurveywasdesignedtoallowanalysisoffivebroadareasofinterest:
1)languagestudy,2)languagelearningandability,3)exchangeexperience,4)languagemaintenance,and5)careerimpactoflanguagestudy.Eachsectionconcentratedonacoresetofresearchquestions.Thechartbelowhighlightsourmainresearchfoci,butdoesnotexhaustallofthepossibletopicsofstudy.
Table3:
OutboundAlumniSurvey
PrimaryResearchQuestions
1)LanguageStudy
WhatfactorspromptpeopletotakeupthestudyofRussianincollege?
DoheritagelearnershavedifferentreasonsforstudyingRussian?
ArepeoplewhotakeupRussianmorelikelytohavepreviouslystudiedaforeign
languagethanpeoplewhotakeupotherlanguages?
DograduatestudentsintheRussianDepartmentenhanceundergraduatetraininginRussian,andifso,how?
2.LanguageLearningandAbility
Whatistherelationshipbetweenpreexchangetrainingand/orproficiencyinRussianandlanguagegainduringtheexchange?
Whatarethefactorsthatpredictlanguagegaininstudyabroadenvironments?
3.ExchangeExperience
Whatfactorspromptedpeopletogoonexchange?
Atwhatstagedostudentsgetthemostoutoftheexchangeintermsoflanguageskilldevelopment?
Atwhatstagedostudentsgetthemostoutoftheexchangeintermsofnon-languagedevelopment(e.g.increasedconfidence,increasedadaptability,etc.)?
Aretheeffectsofthefirstandsubsequentexchangesdifferent?
Howdodifferentin-countrylivingarrangementsinfluenceskilldevelopment?
(Dormversushomestay,forexample.)
IslanguagedevelopmentgreateramongstudentswhomakeRussianfriends?
Ifso,isdevelopmentgreateracrossallmodalities?
Howdopeopleevaluatetheroleofstudyabroadintheiroveralleducationalexperience?
CanweanticipatethatRussianlanguagemajorswillvaluetheexchangefordifferentreasonsthanstudentswithothermajors–sociology,politicalscience,internationalstudies,comparativehistory,etc.?
Didtheexchangeexperienceshapetheperson’sattitudetowardtheUnitedStates?
TowardtheformerSovietUnion?
How?
4.LanguageMaintenance
WhatfactorseffectRussianproficiencyforpeopleatdifferentdistancesfromthe
exchangeexperience?
Arecertaingroupsofpeoplemorelikelytoactivelyworktomaintainlanguageskills?
Whatlife-longlearningstrategiesdopeopleusetomaintaintheirRussian?
Arecertainactivitiesmoreeffectiveinmaintaininglanguageskills?
5.CareerChoice
TowhatextentdoalumniuseRussianintheircareers?
Istherearelationshipbetweenpost-exchangelanguageproficiencyandcareerchoice?
Istherearelationshipbetweenhighestdegreeattained,major,ordegreeinstitutionandcareeruseofRussian?
WhichgroupswithintheexchangepopulationseekoutjobsinvolvingRussian,
knowledgeofRussianhistory,societyandpolitics,orfrequenttraveltothe
formerSovietUnion?
TheOutboundAlumniSurveyProjectisafirstbothintermsofscopeandsize.ThisarticleisthefirstinaseriesofarticlesthatwillexplorethefindingsofthecombinedExchangeProgramandOutboundAlumniSurveyDatabases.Weanticipatethattheseresearchfindingswillcontributetoinformedpolicyformationregardingthefundingofacademicexchangesandoverseasstudy.
OutboundAlumniSurveyMethodology
SurveyDesign
Thesurveywasdevelopedinfourdesignphases.DanDavidson,WilliamRivers,andKimFedchak,thelattertwothenPh.D.candidatesinRussianandSecondLanguageAcquisitionatBrynMawrCollege,designedapilotsurveycontaining145open-endedquestions.Thepilotsurveywasmailedto90selectedalumniin1998.Thirty-fouralumniparticipatedintheinitialpilotsurvey.TheiranswerswereanalyzedbyKimFedchakinareportentitled“TheLong-TermPatternsofLanguageUseafterGraduate:
TheCaseofACTRStudyAbroadAlumni,”presentedatthe1998AATSEELmeetinginSanFrancisco.
Inthespringof1999,aclosedversionofthealumnisurveywasdraftedbyDanDavidsonandSusanLehmann,authorofResearchMethodsinCyberspace:
InternetExercisesforSocialScienceResearchCourses.Thesurveywaspre-testedintheAmericanCouncils’Washington,D.C.office.FifteenWashingtonD.C.-basedAmericanCouncils’employeestookthesurveyandgavewrittenandoralsuggestionsformodifications.Thisgroupwaschosenasatestpopulationbecauseitmirroredinmanyrespectsthealumnipopulationintermsofage,languagestudy,exchangeabroadparticipation,andcareerpatterns.Theemployeesalsohadexperiencewithexchangeprogrammanagement,andthuswereabletosuggestsomelesscommonstudentprofilesthatthefirstdraftofthesurveydidnotadequatelyaccommodate.
Inthesummerof1999,DavidsonandLehmannfurtherrevisedthesurveyfollowingconsultationswithRichardBrechtandMichaelLong,bothofwhomwereinvestigatingprofessionallanguageutilizationandneedsanalysisinseparateprojectsoftheNationalForeignLanguageCenterattheUniversityofMarylandatthattime.Thissetofrevisionsfocusedontheabilityofthesurveytotestcurrenttheoriesconcerninglanguageuseoverthelifecourseandthefactorspredictingsuccessinlanguagegainduringstudyabroadprograms.
AlumniSearch
Simultaneouswiththesurveydesign,AmericanCouncilstookontheseparatelogisticalchallengeoflocatingACTR