Study abroad for critical multilingual language awareness development in teacher candidates

This article describes the ways in which study abroad experiences in international settings may help language teachers develop linguistic and cultural consciousness that ideally influence pedagogical practices in their home teaching contexts. Drawing upon the framework of critical multilingual awareness (CMLA; García, 2017), we describe three distinct study abroad programs designed to develop CMLA in pre- and in-service English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual educators. Findings indicate that, overall, participants in the three different programs demonstrated evidence of CMLA development with particular regard to awareness of language practices and sociopolitical contexts of language. We discuss how these projects, taken together, represent a unique focus for TESOL professionals engaged in international teaching experiences, and present considerations for those interested in designing and/or participating in such programs.