Hilbe, Robert

This contribution discusses two case studies that illustrate the experiences of mobility students who were studying abroad during the first outbreak of COVID - 19. The case studies have emerged from a larger longitudinal, mixed - method study, which included a n interview study with six international students planned for spring 2020. Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, all participants had to terminate their stay early. Hence, the original interview study was adapted to focus on the impact of COVID - 19 on students' soc ial contacts, linguistic practices , and emotional well - being in these exceptional circumstances. In the present contribution, we understand study abroad as a rite of passage, an important time in the life of young adults, and we draw on insights from previ ous research on educational travels with transformative potential to make sense of the students' differing reactions to their early return

Our contribution draws on quantitative data from a longitudinal mixed-methods study to uncover different patterns of social contacts of study abroad (SA) students and the relationship of these social contacts with (a) language use, (b) target language development, and (c) contextual variables. Data were obtained by means of online questionnaires pre, during, and post sojourn. English oral proficiency gains were measured using the Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc) test before and after the stay. Latent profile analysis yielded four profiles of social contacts, which differed in terms of the degree of integration into the community of locals or international students. Students with distinct profiles differ significantly with respect to language use but not in terms of language gains. Regression analyses indicate that comparable progress in oral proficiency was made by students across profiles of social contacts and also by those in an English as a lingua franca (ELF) context suggesting that different SA context and networking patterns are conducive to second language (L2) gains.