Study abroad as a context for spiritual development: Case studies of undergraduates in France
Motyka, M. & Wolcott, T. (2016). Study abroad as a context for spiritual development: Case studies of undergraduates in France. Apples: journal of applied language studies, 10 (1), 27–46. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.201607123572
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In this article, we consider the cases of two American undergraduates, Lola and
Audrey1
, who studied abroad for a semester in France. Drawing on interview data
collected during their sojourn, we consider their accounts of living and learning in
France through the lens of Jesuit spirituality. In doing so, we demonstrate that
although these students’ accounts offer little evidence of linguistic or intercultural
development, their deeply personal reactions to a term abroad in France suggest a
kind of beneficial identity crisis best understood in the spiritual terms of desolation,
consolation, discernment, and election. Following the case studies, we apply our
findings to the outline of a short-term study abroad program in France designed to
maximize linguistic and spiritual development.