Overview of AFS Research for AFS & Friends
AFS has a long-standing history of significant contributions to the field of intercultural education, often working in partnership with leading institutions and notable researchers. By exploring a wide range of relevant topics—from the ways that technology affects cultural adaptation processes to the interplay between personality and culture— these research initiatives help identify a variety of factors involved in intercultural learning. This document provides an overview of our research efforts.
AFS Long Term Impact Study
In 2006, AFS conducted a large-scale research to determine the long-term impact of an intercultural learning experience. The study compared AFS alumni to their peers, 20 to 25 years after their participation in an exchange programme. The study found that AFS participants showed significant advantages in language fluency and cultural competence that lasted far beyond the duration of the experience abroad.
The Assessment of the Impact of the AFS Study Abroad Experience
The Assessment of the Impact of the AFS Study Abroad Experience was an independent research study conducted in 2005 by Dr. Mitchell R. Hammer in partnership with AFS. Thousands of students around the world were evaluated before, during and after an experience abroad. Compared to a control group of their peers, AFS exchange students made significant improvements in language fluency, their knowledge of other cultures and their ability to forge intercultural friendships.