This presentation discusses some of the findings of a case study about a compulsory study abroad program for students majoring in global communication in a Japanese university. It focuses on the effect of the study abroad experience on students’ English language proficiency and personal growth. As it is a required component of the undergraduate program, about 120 global communication major students participated in a five-month English language study abroad program in American universities in the first half of their second year undergraduate study. Before and after the study abroad program, all participating students took a standardized English proficiency test and GROW, a test which assesses their intercultural adaption ability and their global awareness. While results indicate a rewarding intercultural learning experience for most of the participating students, the educational decision to implement a compulsory study abroad program for all students also raises some serious concerns in terms of policy making and curriculum design.
In the presentation, both pros and cons of the study abroad program will be discussed and suggestions for further study will be made.
 

English education reform, study abroad, language, identity, laguage proficiency