Vanishing Voices: The Future of Language Learning in Education Abroad

Vanishing Voices: The Future of Language Learning in Education Abroad examines one of the most pressing questions facing international education today: What happens when students study abroad without learning the language of the communities that host them? As foreign language enrollments decline and education abroad increasingly shifts toward English-taught, short-term programming, this volume explores the implications for intercultural learning, student engagement, and global understanding. Drawing on research, professional practice, and lived experience, the contributors examine the historical, institutional, and technological forces reshaping language learning in education abroad. Editors María Teresa Alonso, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of the Spanish Institute for Global Education, and she has been a professor of Anthropology at the University of Seville and Vice Dean of the School of Education at the Loyola Andalusia University. Her major research interests include language learning, teacher training, and innovative methodology. Anthony C. Ogden, Ph.D., is the Founder and Managing Director of Gateway International Group, a consultancy specializing in international higher education. He is a respected educator with over 25 years of experience and has held senior leadership roles at Pennsylvania State University, the University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, and the University of Wyoming. With more than 60 publications, Dr. Ogden is also a prolific author whose work demonstrates his expertise and influence in international higher education. Heidi M. Soneson, Ph.D., has worked in international education since 1983, holding leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and the University of Minnesota. She has led institution-wide initiatives in international student services and education abroad, served in leadership positions with NAFSA and The Forum on Education Abroad, and published extensively on education abroad policy and practice. Contents The Pillars of Hercules ..... ii Introduction of the Spanish Institute for Global Education ...... 1 Introduction Vanishing Voices: The Future of Language Learning in Education Abroad ..... 15 Chapter 1: Language Learning in U.S. Higher Education: Trends and Tensions ......27 Chapter 2: Language Learning in U.S. Education Abroad: Shifting Realities and Institutional Responses ....... 37 Chapter 3: The Introduction of AI and Its Broader Impact on Higher Education..... 53 Chapter 4: Harnessing AI to Enhance Language Learning: Vocabulary Acquisition, Pre-Departure Preparation, and In-Country Engagement.....63 Chapter 5: Integrating Language through Program Design and Curricular Innovation ...... 81 Chapter 6: Redesigning Advising, Orientation and Co-Curricular Learning .....95 Chapter 7: Language, Power and the Dynamics of Belonging ..... 113 Chapter 8: Language, Emotion and Vulnerability of Learning Abroad ..... 123 Partnerships in Practice: Community Engagement and Internships ...... 135 Contributing Authors David Becerra Alonso, Ph.D. Carlos Aguasaco, Ph.D. Giselda Beaudin, M.A. Dan P. Dewey, Ph.D. James Eckler, M.Arch., M.Sc. Timothy Lynn Elliott, Ph.D. Chrissie Faupel, Ph.D. Bethany Galipeau-Konate, MBA, D.Prof. Erin Hillis, Ph.D. Christina Isabelli, Ph.D. Megan Jones, Ph.D. Dana Lindaman, Ph.D. Myriam Monterrubio Kate Moore, Ed.D. Marcia Morgan, Ph.D. Mary Kate Naatus, Ph.D. Jessica A. Quintana Hess, M.S.Ed. Sarita Rai, Ph.D. Jennifer Rathbun, Ph.D. Mary Alice Soriero, M.S.Ed. Leah Spinosa De Vega, M.A. Therese Tardio, Ph.D. Christina Marie Villarreal, Ph.D.