Although the study abroad homestay context is commonly considered the ideal environment for language learning, host‐student interactions may be limited. The present study explored how language development of students of Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian related to student and host family perspectives on the homestay experience. The study used pretest and posttest Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews to investigate student oral proficiency gains and surveys to examine beliefs of these students (n = 152) and their hosts (n = 87). Students and families were generally positive about the homestay, with significant variation based on language. A significant relationship was found between students' oral proficiency gains and their being glad to have lived with a host family. Significant correlations were also found between students' language learning satisfaction and their satisfaction with the homestay.

Examining speech samples from 75 American university students learning 1 of 3 languages (Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish), this article reports on a study of second language (L2) learners’ oral fluency development and its relationship with their gains in holistic proficiency ratings during a semester abroad. In study abroad research, there is a need for large‐scale studies that systematically investigate learners’ L2 development (Kinginger, ; Rees & Klapper, ). To address this need, the project used a quantitative design involving learners of 3 languages from multiple cohorts and diverse sending and destination institutions. Results from an analysis of 600 speech samples from 150 pretest and posttest Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews (SOPIs) showed significant increases in speech rate as well as differences between the 3 language groups. The study also investigated the relationship between holistic oral proficiency ratings and fine‐tuned fluency measures and found some limited relationships between them. These findings can provide methodological suggestions for researchers interested in L2 fluency development among study abroad students and implications for foreign language educators and policy makers to promote study abroad and language learning.

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The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the application of research on language and culture to educational and societal concerns. Through its work in research, information dissemination, development of instructional materials and language tests, and professional development and technical assistance to schools, districts, and states, CAL serves as a liaison between the academic world of research and the practical world of language education and language-related concerns. CAL plays a leading role in articulating language-and culture-related issues that affect policy decisions; conducting research on language use, language learning, and effective teaching methods; and translating research into practical applications that help language learners succeed.CAL is involved in a variety of research areas related to language, ranging across age, language background, and educational settings for language teaching and learning. Research studies are funded by the US government, private foundations, and state education agencies. The following summaries represent a selection of recent and ongoing research projects related to K-12 (elementary and secondary) English as a second language (ESL) education, and elementary through adult foreign language instruction. Within these two areas of language education research, CAL's work covers such topics as instructional methodology, language assessment, effective program models, and national trends in language learning. (For more information on CAL, visit www.cal.org.)