L2 Journal: An Open Access Refereed Journal for World Language Educators

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought changes to the landscape of education abroad. This paper reviews some of the operational gaps exposed by the pandemic circumstances and then advocates for enhanced notions of communication, collaboration, and community needed to embrace change and close prior gaps. The paper concludes that developing a nuanced appreciation for the academic and personal realities of today’s students will facilitate increased access to the benefits of study abroad, thereby encouraging cross-cultural awareness and second language learning.