@article{oai:kitakyu.repo.nii.ac.jp:00000074,
 author = {Anne CRESCINI and Rodger WILLIAMSON},
 issue = {9},
 journal = {北九州市立大学国際論集, CIEE journal, the University of Kitakyushu},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {40018832321, Although declining in recent years, the number of Japanese students studying in the United States every year is still over 20,000. According to Open Doors International, in 2009, 24,264 Japanese students spent time studying for some length of time at an American university (2009). Many of these students participated in a program of a semester of less. Recent research (Dwyer, 2004) has shown that while perhaps longterm programs (a semester or more) have a more significant impact on language growth, most students studying abroad, regardless of length, report increase in intercultural development and personal growth (quoted in Chieffo and Griffiths 2009, pp. 367-368). All study abroad programs can have an impact on a student's life. In the past few years, the University of Kitakyushu (UKK) has been putting a stronger emphasis on English-language learning in an effort to produce more globallyminded citizens. One result of that emphasis has been the implementation of a regular semester-long study abroad program at Tacoma Community College (TCC) in the United States. This program, and the effect on students' lives is the focus of this paper. First, a brief history of the Kitakyushu-Tacoma sister city relationship will be given, along with a description of mutual exchange programs; next, the University of Kitakyushu-Tacoma Community College study abroad program will be covered in detail. This will be followed by student comments on the good points and bad points of this program, as well as reflections on how this program changed them. Lastly, the authors will reflect on the usefulness of this program, and how it can be made better and have a more lasting language and cultural impact on UKK students' lives, helping to shape them into more confident global citizens.},
 pages = {9--25},
 title = {The University of Kitakyushu-Tacoma Community College Semester Study Abroad Program: Overview, Goals and Reflections},
 year = {2011}
}