Study Abroad: Traditions and New Directions ed. by Miriam Fuchs, Sarita Rai, and Yves Loiseau (review)

Study abroad relates directly to the teaching of language and culture. Instructors should therefore welcome the development of study abroad programs in other disciplines beyond language. As the editors state in their introduction: "Language learning is foundational to study abroad programs. It takes place formally in the classroom and can occur informally in nearly every experience a student has in a host country" (8). As students travel, even if they are not always immersed in another language or taking language courses, they receive some of the cultural education that world language educators understand is so important in today's world. Furthermore, many students will begin to understand that other languages are indispensable to true cultural competence and international development in their fields. With a focus on the university context, this volume demonstrates an understanding of these potential benefits and opportunities for study abroad in three parts—"The Language-Based Curriculum," "Content Courses in English," and "Offices of Study Abroad and University Relations." The "new directions" of the subtitle relate to the importance of study abroad across disciplines, while the "traditions" focus on language and culture, the true core of any study abroad experience. Several essays focus on language pedagogy in the international context and are useful for language educators who take students abroad: "Overcoming Ethnocentrism in Research on Language Learning Abroad" (Celeste Kinginger) or "The City as the Classroom: Maximizing Learning Abroad through Language and Culture Experiential Strategies" (Tania Convertini). Convertini provides a personal description of a study abroad course that she leads in Rome, and she identifies the key to making study abroad worthwhile: "It is only through intentionality and reflection that study abroad becomes transformative learning, changing how students view themselves and the world" (39; emphasis added). Other essays, such as Chad M. Gasta's "Best Practices for Planning, Developing, and Sustaining Interdisciplinary Language-Based Study Abroad Programs," focus on the cultural and linguistic core of the experience, whether for language study abroad or courses in other disciplines. In "Expanding the Study Abroad Curriculum: A Case Study in Mathematics," Monique Chyba provides an excellent example of how disciplines not traditionally associated with study abroad can nonetheless make effective use of the experience. Chyba also mentions many of the secondary, and significant, benefits of study abroad for any discipline, such as professional development for faculty (99), international networking for faculty and by extension for their students (104), and expanded visibility for institutions (105). A closing essay by Sarita Rai, "Emerging Issues in Study Abroad," covers several important topics that university faculty who teach study abroad courses may not always think about but should be aware of, and that study abroad departments need to consider. Rai covers nuts-and-bolts issues, from promoting study abroad to financial aid to safety and security. More information could be provided on risk management, but overall Rai gives an excellent survey of practical considerations and provides a fitting conclusion to the volume.