Published as: The Modern Language Journal, Volume 92, Monograph, 2008 
Study abroad (SA) has long been understood as a major source of foreign language competence for American students. Based on a large-scale, national assessment project, Carroll (1967) named time spent abroad as one of the most potent variables predicting language proficiency. Based on this solid proof claim, researchers have since investigated language learning in SA using diverse methods and adopting a wide variety of theoretical approaches (e.g., DuFon & Churchill, 2006; Freed, 1995).