Vanishing Voices

More students are going abroad than ever before—yet fewer are learning the languages of the places they visit. As foreign language enrollments fall and AI translation tools promise to dissolve every barrier, a quiet but profound shift is reshaping international education. Vanishing Voices confronts this tension head-on. This volume asks a question too often left unspoken: if language is what allows students to move beyond observation into genuine participation, what is lost when it disappears from the experience?

Across four sections, the contributors explore the history behind today's enrollment declines, the disruptive arrival of artificial intelligence, practical strategies for weaving language into modern program models, and the deeply personal ways that learning a language abroad shapes identity, belonging, and growth. Grounded in real student stories and decades of on-the-ground experience, this book offers educators, administrators, and researchers both a clear-eyed assessment of where we are and a hopeful, actionable vision for where language learning in education abroad can go next.

Contributing Editors

María Teresa Alonso, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of the Spanish Institute for Global Education, and she has been a professor of Anthropology at the University of Seville and Vice Dean of the School of Education at the Loyola Andalusia University.  Her major research interests include language learning, teacher training, and innovative methodology.

Anthony C. Ogden, Ph.D., is the Founder and Managing Director of Gateway International Group, a consultancy specializing in international higher education. He is a respected educator with over 25 years of experience and has held senior leadership roles at Pennsylvania State University, the University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, and the University of Wyoming. With more than 60 publications, Dr. Ogden is also a prolific author whose work demonstrates his expertise and influence in international higher education.

Heidi M. Soneson, Ph.D., has worked in international education since 1983, holding leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and the University of Minnesota. She has led institution-wide initiatives in international student services and education abroad, served in leadership positions with NAFSA and The Forum on Education Abroad, and published extensively on education abroad policy and practice.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ..... i
The Pillars of Hercules ..... ii
Introduction of the Spanish Institute for Global Education   ...... 1
Introduction Vanishing Voices: The Future of Language Learning in Education Abroad ..... 15

SECTION ONE Historical Foundations and Shifting Contexts of Language Learning

Engagement in Practice: Immersion, Independence, and Language Learning ..... 23
Chapter 1: Language Learning in U.S. Higher Education: Trends and Tensions ......27
Chapter 2: Language Learning in U.S. Education Abroad: Shifting Realities and Institutional Responses ....... 37

SECTION TWO Artificial Intelligence and Language Learning

Engagement in Practice: Technology, Mediation, and Language in an AI-Enabled World ..... 49
Chapter 3: The Introduction of AI and Its Broader Impact on Higher Education..... 53
Chapter 4: Harnessing AI to Enhance Language Learning: Vocabulary Acquisition, Pre-Departure Preparation, and In-Country Engagement.....63

SECTION THREE Program Modalities and Curricular Strategies for Language Integration

Engagement in Practice: Program Design, Structured Learning, and Language Integration ..... 77
Chapter 5: Integrating Language through Program Design and Curricular Innovation ...... 81
Chapter 6: Redesigning Advising, Orientation and Co-Curricular Learning .....95

SECTION FOUR Language and Identity in Education Abroad

Engagement in Practice: Identity, Belonging, and the Personal Dimensions of Language ...... 109
Chapter 7: Language, Power and the Dynamics of Belonging ..... 113
Chapter 8: Language, Emotion and Vulnerability of Learning Abroad ..... 123
Partnerships in Practice: Community Engagement and Internships ...... 135

Contributing Editors ..... 141
Contributing Authors ..... 142