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In this paper, we explore the extent to which a stay abroad in a Danish university in which English is a frequent medium of instruction can be a very suitable context for students to increase their language proficiency and to develop both awareness of their communicative skills and their confidence in them. The data analysed come from (i) a pre- and a post-stay focus group with study-abroad students from a university in Catalonia, (ii) two focus groups with teaching and administrative staff of the Danish university, and, finally, (iii) oral tests carried out by the students before and after the stay. The quantitative analysis of the oral tests demonstrates that students returned with increased fluency and accuracy rates in English. In turn, the analysis of the group discussions shows that the ‘global space’ nature of the university environment represents an opportunity for the students to reflect upon their idea of correctness in language use and consider instead language use in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. The analysis also shows that the lecturers’ teaching approach is an important element to take into account in order to understand the increase in self-confidence that the students experience.
