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Multilingua-Culturality For All?

Multilingua-Culturality For All?. The History and Prospects of Languages in American Higher Education H Stephen Straight, Binghamton U, State University of New York Keynote Speech Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum University of Iowa, 2005-11-05. H Stephen Straight: Biodata.

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Multilingua-Culturality For All?

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  1. Multilingua-Culturality For All? The History and Prospects of Languages in American Higher Education H Stephen Straight, Binghamton U, State University of New York Keynote Speech Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum University of Iowa, 2005-11-05

  2. H Stephen Straight: Biodata • Professor of Anthropology and of Linguistics • Vice Provost for UG Ed & International Affairs • BA in English Language & Literature, U Michigan; MA & PhD in Linguistics, U Chicago • Developmental psycholinguist, Mayanist, language program innovator, international educator • NDEA Fellow/NSF Grantee, research in Yucatán • Fulbright Senior Lecturer, U of Bucharest, Romania • Founding Dir, Lgs Across the Curriculum, Bing U • Mellon Fellow, National Foreign Language Center • Senior Associate, American Council on Education H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  3. What I’m Going to Say Today • The status of languages other than English (LOTEs) in US institutions of higher education (IHEs) has waxed and waned in interesting ways over the past 45 years. • Even before 9/11 various factors created an upturn in college study of LOTEs, though huge gaps persisted. • Ending a long history of antipathy and neglect, 9/11 brought urgent calls for study of languages and cultures. • In partnership with K-12 schools and universities abroad, perhaps US IHEs will at long last begin to offer two-way immersive English/LOTE undergraduate and graduate programs in a wide array of LOTE/discipline pairs. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  4. Report from the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages • Foreign Language Enrollments in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2002 • Elizabeth B. Welles • ADFL Bulletin, Vol. 35, Nos. 2–3, Winter-Spring 2004 • http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  5. http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  6. http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

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  11. Secondary School Enrollments, Fall 2000: A Similar Pattern Draper & Hicks, May 2002, http://www.actfl.org/files/public/Enroll2000.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  12. Report from the Modern Language Association • Successful College and University Foreign Language Programs,1995–99, Part 1 • David Goldberg and Elizabeth B. Welles • Profession 2001, pp. 171-210 • http://www.mla.org/pdf/succollege_p1.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  13. Ratio of Introductory Enrollments to Majors, By Institutional Type H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  14. Ratio of Advanced Enrollments to Majors, By Institutional Type H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  15. Double Majors & Minors, 1995-1999 • Most departments (60.3 percent) reported a gain in the number of double majors, 35.3 percent reported a stable number, and 4.5 percent a decline. • For minors, 69.2 percent reported an increase, 25.9 percent stability, and 4.9 percent a loss. • In other words, the majority of departments offering these options reported that the options are increasingly utilized by students. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  16. Graduate Enrollments, Fall 2003: Bad News for Languages Syverson & Brown, Council of Graduate Schools http://www.cgsnet.org/pdf/2003GEDRep.pdf H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  17. Languages in US IHEs: Recapitulation • Decline of “The Big Two” (French and German) • Hegemony of “The Big One” (Spanish) • Despite anti-Spanish “English-Only” politics in US • Rise of “LCTLs”, esp. heritage languages • Continuing shortfalls in LOTEs with respect to: • enrollments, especially in LOTS; • levels of study, both undergrad & grad; • variety of specialized disciplinary expertise • Upshot: The 2000 Census revealed that less than 10 percent of the U.S. population claim to speak a LOTE fluently • In contrast to more than 50 percent of Europeans H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  18. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs • With regard to all four of the “missions” of language study in higher education*: • General Education • Language Specialist • Heritage Languages • Applied Language (LSP) • *Richard Brecht & Ronald Walton, NFLC H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  19. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs • General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  20. Missouri Southern University’s Global Learning Outcomes • Understanding of how cultures and societies around the world are formed, sustained, and evolve. • Empathy for values and perspectives of cultures other than their own, and awareness of international & multicultural influences in their own lives. • Ability to identify and discuss international issues and cultures other than their own. • Communicative competence in a second or third language. • Experience, or desire to experience, a culture other than their own. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  21. California State U-Stanislaus’s Global Learning Outcomes • Multiple Perspectives • Recognize that people in different cultures have profoundly different perceptions of the world. • Interdependence • Understand how the world’s systems are interdependent and how local economic and social patterns have global impact. • Equity/Living Responsibly • Understand how the behavior of individuals, groups, nations affects others, in terms of human rights and economic well being, both within and beyond the U.S. • Sustainability • Understand the cost of individual and national actions to the physical and social environment both within and beyond the U.S. (e.g. population growth, resource use, health issues). • Intercultural Communication • Including required language study – appeared in original, later dropped H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  22. Language Requirements, 1995-1999 (Goldberg & Welles) • Of the responding institutions, 23.7 percent had an entrance requirement and 60.1 percent had a graduation requirement in 1999. • In comparison with the percentages reported in the MLA’s 1995 survey (Brod & Huber), entrance requirements rose from 21 percent in 1995 to 31 percent in 1999, and graduation requirements from 68 percent to 75.4 percent. • In two-year colleges entrance requirements rose from 3 percent to 8.4 percent and from 23 percent to 30.9 percent for graduation. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  23. Language Requirements, By Institutional Type, in 1999 H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  24. A “Language Requirement” • [Harvard College’s “Foreign Cultures” requirement can be met in any one of the following three ways, only the second of which actually requires use or study of a foreign language:] • A one-term course listed under Foreign Cultures devoted to a culture or cultures distinct from that of the United States and [other] anglophone cultures … . This course may be taught in English or in the language of that particular culture, …. Courses on French, German, and Spanish cultures are usually taught in the language of the culture. • A two-term foreign language course listed under Foreign Cultures, in which the substance of the course, in addition to language study, meets the specifications of the Foreign Cultures guidelines. Students choosing this option must complete both semesters to meet the requirement. • A pre-approved summer program of study abroad. Consult the Core Office for details regarding this option. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  25. A “Graduation Requirement” • Foreign Language skills are ensured by requiring that students pass either a 3rd-semester college-level course in one foreign language or a second-semester course in two foreign languages,or satisfactorily complete some other significant activity that requires second-semester foreign language proficiency as a prerequisite, such as study abroad in a non-English environment or an internship serving people who can communicate only in a language other than English. • Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement prior to enrolling in college either by completing four or more units of one high school foreign language with a course grade in the fourth year of 85 or better, or three units each of two high school languages with course grades in each third unit of 85 or better, by passing the Advance Placement examination (or its equivalent) with a score of 3 or better, or by demonstrating equivalent proficiency in some other fashion. • Binghamton University, State University of New York H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  26. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs • General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism • Language Specialist: Proficiency-oriented & content-based pedagogy H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  27. National Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures • Connections • Comparisons • Communities • National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (1996) • a collaborative project of ACTFL, AATF, AATG, AATI, AATSP, ACL/APA, ACTR, CLASS/CLTA, & NCSTJ/ATJ H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  28. Communicate in Languages Other Than English. • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics. • Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  29. Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  30. Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures. • Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied. • Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  31. Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures • Connections H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  32. Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information. • Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. • Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  33. Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures • Connections • Comparisons H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  34. Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture. • Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. • Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  35. Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures • Connections • Comparisons • Communities H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  36. Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World. • Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. • Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  37. Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Communication • Cultures • Connections • Comparisons • Communities • National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (1996) • Executive Summary available in PDF format at: • http://www.actfl.org/ H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  38. Literary Emphasis Persists in HE H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  39. Bad News: Standards May Hurt Postsecondary Language Study • “The long-term result of ignoring [the] Standards [, as most postsecondary faculty are doing,] will be a serious diminishment of student numbers in higher education foreign language courses. That diminishment will come because the content and instruction of such courses will be directly antithetical to students’ preparation, knowledge, experience, and capabilities as developed through [K-12 adherence to the] Standards.” • Dale Lange, ACTFL Newsletter, Vol. XI, No. 1, Summer 1999 H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  40. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs • General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism • Language Specialist: Proficiency-oriented & content-based pedagogy • Heritage Languages: Language as a civil right rather than as a civic problem • 32M people in bilingual households (approximately 70 percent Spanish) • but most college-level heritage learners lack even elementary school literacy H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  41. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  42. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs • General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism • Language Specialist: Proficiency-oriented & content-based pedagogy • Heritage Languages: Language as a civil right rather than as a civic problem • Applied Language: Language as a valued societal resource H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  43. Multilingualism Increasing Worldwide • Despite the spread of English, the world is effectively becoming more rather than less multilingual. • The number of speakers of the top 100 languages is increasing at a rate much faster than that of the world population in general (e.g. Bengali, Indonesian/Malay). • The spread of first languages other than English (LOTEs) exceeds that of English. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  44. English Declining As 1st Language • Despite the accelerating growth of English as the world’s favorite second language, • – there are more speakers of English in India than in Australia, Britain, Canada, and the U.S. put together – • many languages will probably surpass English in number of first-language speakers in the near future. • Mandarin will stay at number one, while Spanish, Hindi/Urdu, and Arabic will overtake English by 2050. • And other languages (e.g. Bengali, Tamil, and Indonesian/Malay) are growing even faster! • Meanwhile the vast majority of the world’s 6,000 languages are dying at a rate of one per week. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  45. Language Skills More Valuable Than Ever, and Employers Know • There are more people to talk to, and more varied tasks to be performed. • Purposes of use extend well beyond communication with cultured élites and other purposes demanding high-level skill. • Widespread knowledge of English makes it easier for intermediate-level users to get help when they need it. • Even low-level skill can be very helpful. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  46. Language “Sells” • If you want to buy something, any language will do, but if you want to sell something – be it a consumer product or a political precept – you must learn the language of your customer. • Is this a contributor to the • US/world trade imbalance? • And perhaps also to some • of our other international • difficulties? H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  47. Languages on the Internet • The growth of LOTEs on the Internet provides access to current, authentic language resources. • A little more than one third of the world’s current Internet users use English. • Another third use other European languages. • Almost a third use Asian languages. • Growth in use implies a reversal of the above ranking in the next decade. • Source: www.glreach.com/globstats H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  48. Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs: Recapitulation • General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism • Language Specialist: Proficiency-oriented & content-based pedagogy • Heritage Languages: Language as a civil right rather than as a civic problem • Applied Language: Language as a valued societal resource H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  49. Despite the Upturn, … • Thirty percent of high school students study a language other than English. • Eight percent of college students do so. • One quarter of these (two percent) study a language for more than two years. • Except for language programs per se, US higher education institutions (IHEs) do not use LOTEs as languages of instruction. • In fact, they only offer very small numbers and low levels of classroom opportunities for meaningful use of students’ existing languages. • Binghamton has high numbers but minimal levels; others have high levels but minimal numbers. H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

  50. Richard Lambert, 1991: • "We expend almost all of our national resources for foreign language learning on first-time, low level language learning among high school and college students, then watch those minimal skills decay and disappear through lack of use or reinforcement...We need a set of institutions that will reinforce and build upon past language learning." • From A National Plan for a Use-Oriented Foreign Language System • Lambert founded the National Foreign Language Center in 1986, “to improve the capacity of the US to communicate in languages other than English.” H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U Iowa, 2005-11-05

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