| This study is a description of student learning experiences in-country during a semester-long international business internship program in Mexico City. The research question for this study considers what constitutes learning from life-experience for undergraduate business majors in a foreign learning environment during a semester-long internship in a multinational corporation, a semester at a foreign university, and a home stay with a Mexican host family.;The research for this study begins with a theoretical discussion of the role of experience in the curriculum, a review of national mandates for the incorporation of international education in the undergraduate curriculum, a review of current curriculum in international business and foreign language, and a review of previous research concerning students who have participated in study-abroad programs. This study employs a qualitative approach to ascertain the learning experiences of ten students during three separate and consecutive semester-long business internships. This study contains detailed descriptions of corporate, academic, and social site locations; participants in the research process; and the methods of data collection and analysis.;The conclusions in this study present a description of three stages of the learning experience abroad: (1) Postponement of Participation, (2) Confrontation and Effrontery, and (3) Active Participation and Learning. These stages emerge across corporate settings, academic environments, and the social milieu. This study raises issues concerning educational practice in study-abroad programs including preparation in business and foreign language prior to a semester-abroad program, the planning and implementation of the actual internship abroad, and the improvement of curriculum design for semester-abroad programs. Possibilities are suggested for continued investigation of the learning experiences of students who study abroad. |
