Supporting ESP students in Virtual Study Abroad
2023-06-04, 09:20–09:50 (Asia/Tokyo), F1-2
Language: English

Out of necessity, many institutions implemented virtual study abroad programs to fill the void created by the pandemic. But what is happening to those programs now, as travel restrictions are being lifted and in-person courses can be resumed? This presentation will introduce a novel virtual study abroad ESP program for AI engineering students and discuss why the coordinators intend to keep the program in its online-only format even as COVID-related restrictions decrease. Furthermore, the presenter will discuss the development of at-home (AH) supplementary lessons designed to support students outside their online classes. Results from quantitative and qualitative analyses of student attitudes toward the online course and supplementary classes, as well as gains in proficiency, will be discussed. This presentation will interest teachers and coordinators of online and in-person study abroad programs.


I will talk about how the virtual study abroad ESP program was created for our AI engineering students and share some findings from research into the program's effectiveness.