Frequent language exposure and use are among the most important conditions for successful language learning, whether in classrooms, during study abroad, or in other informal contexts. Research probing exposure and usage often relies on one-off self-report questionnaires in which participants estimate their typical level of language exposure over extended periods of time, often long after it occurred. This may negatively affect the validity of the resulting data. This article instead explores the potential of methods used in medical and psychological research, variably known as the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), or diary methods. These methods are often combined with electronic and mobile survey applications to elicit self-report assessments at frequent, sometimes randomized intervals. We consider the possibilities of these methods for strengthening research into language exposure and use, second language acquisition more broadly, and study abroad research specifically. The methods have the potential to drastically reduce biases associated with summative recall. Additionally, they enable researchers to collect richer data about how individuals engage with language differently over time, and the contexts in which they do so, thus ultimately contributing to our understanding of individual differences in language acquisition.

频繁接触和使用语言是成功学习语言的最重要条件之一，无论是在课堂上、出国留学期间还是在其他非正式环境中。探索接触和使用的研究通常依赖于一次性的自我报告问卷，参与者在其中估计他们在很长一段时间内的典型语言接触水平，通常是在它发生很久之后。这可能会对结果数据的有效性产生负面影响。相反，本文探讨了医学和心理学研究中使用的方法的潜力，这些方法又称为经验抽样法 (ESM)、生态瞬时评估 (EMA) 或日记法。这些方法通常与电子和移动调查应用程序相结合，以频繁、有时是随机的间隔引发自我报告评估。我们考虑这些方法在加强对语言接触和使用、更广泛的第二语言习得以及专门的留学研究方面的研究的可能性。这些方法有可能大大减少与总结性召回相关的偏差。此外，它们使研究人员能够收集更丰富的数据，了解个人如何随着时间的推移以不同的方式使用语言，以及他们这样做的环境，从而最终有助于我们理解语言习得的个体差异。