multilingua-culturality for all?

Multilingua-Culturality For All?

The History and Prospects of Languagesin American Higher Education

H Stephen Straight, Binghamton U,State University of New York

Keynote SpeechCultures and Languages Across the Curriculum

University of Iowa, 2005-11-05

H Stephen Straight, C/LAC, U 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


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.


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


5



6



7


8


9


10


11

Secondary School Enrollments, Fall 2000: A Similar Pattern

Draper & Hicks, May 2002, http://www.actfl.org/files/public/Enroll2000.pdf


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


13

Ratio of Introductory Enrollments to Majors, By Institutional Type


14

Ratio of Advanced Enrollments to Majors, By Institutional Type


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.


16

Graduate Enrollments, Fall 2003: Bad News for Languages

http://www.cgsnet.org/pdf/2003GEDRep.pdf

Syverson & Brown, Council of Graduate Schools


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


18

Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs

With regard to all four of the “missions” of language study in higher education*:

General EducationLanguage SpecialistHeritage LanguagesApplied Language (LSP)

*Richard Brecht & Ronald Walton, NFLC


19


General Education: Globalization & globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism


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.


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


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.


23

Language Requirements, By Institutional Type, in 1999

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

AA BA MA PhD

Entrance

Graduation


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.


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


26



Language Specialist: Proficiency-oriented & content-based pedagogy


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


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.


29

Standards for Foreign Language Learning

Communication Cultures


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.


31


Communication Cultures Connections


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.


33


Communication Cultures Connections Comparisons


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.


35


Communication Cultures Connections Comparisons Communities


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.


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/


38

Literary Emphasis Persists in HE


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


40

Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs General Education: Globalization &

globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism


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


41


42




Heritage Languages: Language as a civil right rather than as a civic problem

Applied Language: Language as a valued societal resource


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.


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.


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.


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?


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


48

Pre-9/11 Upturn in LOTEs: Recapitulation General Education: Globalization &

globalism, cultural diversity & internationalism


Heritage Languages: Language as a civil right rather than as a civic problem

Applied Language: Language as a valued societal resource


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.


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.”


51

Richard Lambert, 1989 Recommendations for the improvement of

language teaching in the US Diversify language uses [cf. “cultures,

connections, comparisons, communities”] Prolong: Begin earlier, continue through college Target most promising students (e.g. heritage

learners, area studies majors, …) Offer options in timing (intersession) and mode

(classroom, brief immersion, video gaming, …) Support maintenance beyond formal ed Develop emergency capability


52

The Post-9/11 Imperative

“Devout monolingualism” has left US vulnerable to attack from (and unable to deal effectively with) LOTE speakers.

Department of Defense has joined the Departments of State and Education in support of new initiatives in LOTEs.

Military, Congress, and populace in general (finally) see the need for multi-lingua-culturality in the 21st century.


53

Devout US Monolingualism

“I consider it the paramount duty of public schools … to form American citizens of [its pupils] … [by] obliterating … all [their] distinguishing foreign characteristics and traits … as obstructive, warring, and irritating elements.”

Randolph Guggenheimer*, Commissioner of the Common Schools of New York City, 1896

Quoted in Senator Paul Simon, The Tongue-Tied American: Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis, 1980, p. 11

*A member of the Tammany Hall NYC Democratic establishment, who nevertheless “secured the retention of the German language as part of the school curriculum” (Jewish Encyclopedia).


54

One U.S. President’s View

“We have room but for one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house.”

Theodore Roosevelt, 1919 Quoted in Senator Paul Simon, The Tongue-Tied

American: Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis, 1980, p. 91


55

“The Foreign Language Problem” “The United States today carries new

responsibilities in many quarters of the globe, and we are at a serious disadvantage because of the difficulty of finding persons who can deal with the foreign language problem.”

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, 1953 Quoted by Rep. Rush Holt in his talk, “Is American

Security Being Lost in Translation?”, at the first-ever National Language Conference, held on 22 June 2004


56

Another U.S. President’s View “The American people generally are

deficient in foreign languages, particularly those of the emerging nations in Asia, Africa, and the Near East. It is important to our national security that such deficiencies be promptly overcome.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958 Quoted in Senator Paul Simon, The Tongue-Tied

American: Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis, 1980, p. 61


57

Languages and US National Security in the Post-9/11 World

“… unless we soon … establish … better communication with the countries whose names we not now even recognize, those … names will erupt in unhappy headlines … . The alternative to understanding and communicating … is not isolation. It is chaos.”

The late Senator Paul Simon (Dem-IL) In The Tongue-Tied American: Confronting the

Foreign Language Crisis, 1980, p. 9


58

9/11: “A Sputnik Moment”

In 1957 the Soviet Union jolted the US out of its smug superiority in science and engineering with the launch of Sputnik, the first outer-space vehicle. This led to the National Defense Education Act of

1958. Similarly, beginning with the Al Qaeda attacks

on New York and Washington in 2001 and continuing with the US reactions in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2002 and 2003, the US has come to realize that its lack of cultural sensibilities and linguistic abilities has left it vulnerable to attack and unable to respond effectively.


59

A New Day May Be Near

“We need a national commitment to languages on a scale of the NDEA commitment to science, including improved curriculum, teaching technology and methods, teacher development, and a systemic cultural commitment.”

Rush Holt, New Jersey member of the US House of Representatives, June 2004


60

US Federal Support for Language Education 1958: National Defense Education Act identified

“critical languages” for purposes of national defense

1988: Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) to seed elementary and secondary language programs across the country as a response to the newly emerging needs of globalization

1991: National Security Education Program, charged with responding to the expanding federal needs for linguistically competent professionals brought about by the fall of the Soviet Union


61

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

“We simply must develop a greater capacity for languages that reflect the demands of this century. No technology delivers this capability; it is a truly human skill that our forces must have to win, and that we must have to keep the peace.”


62

Post-9/11 Moves By the US Department of Defense

Increased Defense Language Institute’s budget by more than $50 million

Raised the Language Proficiency bonus for soldiers from $300 to $1000 per month

Established the National Flagship Language Initiative for advanced training in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian

Sponsored a National Language Policy Conference (June 2004) to discuss the needs of government, industry, and academia,

and develop a comprehensive strategy to meet them 2005-03-31: Defense Language Transformation Roadmap,

establishing a Defense Language Office in the Pentagon and recommending new initiatives to increase language readiness

2005-10-07: Senate defense spending bill includes $1.5M for a pilot “Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps” (now in joint committee)


63


64

Gail McGinn, DepUndSecDef

“This is really more than just finding linguists and people with ability to speak languages. It’s a transformation in the way language is viewed in the Department of Defense – how it is valued, how it is developed, and how it is employed.” Integrating language and cultural expertise into the military mindset will have far-reaching implications, “affecting the way we conduct operations and the way we conduct ourselves in the world.”


65

2005 Congressional Bills 2005-02-17 & 2005-03-08: US Senate

(S.Res.28) & House of Representatives (H.Res.122) Resolutions designating 2005 as the “Year of Foreign Language Study” “studying other languages has been shown

to contribute to increased cognitive skills, better academic performance, and a greater understanding of others, while also providing life-long learning opportunities”;

and that “the study of languages contributes to the intellectual and social development of a student and the economy and security of the United States”.


66


67

2005 Congressional Bills

2005-03-16: House Resolution (H.Con.Res.100) calling for a new international education policy, including the objective to “Ensure that every United States

college graduate has knowledge of a second language and of a foreign area, as well as a broad understanding of the world.”


68

2005 Congressional Bills

2005-06-16: H.R. 2949: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 On 2005-08-10 this bill was referred

to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness – it would authorize $200M in FY 2006

“with an emphasis on high-need subjects such as math, science, foreign languages, and teaching the English language to students with limited English proficiency”


69

Bilingual University Education: A New Day Dawning? How about two-way bilingual (English + LOTE)

baccalaureate degrees? As follows: In selected language/discipline pairs Offered jointly to incoming freshmen by pairs of

institutions of higher education one in the US and the other where LOTE is the (or

a) national or local language Provided that both languages are known at a

college-ready level of proficiency by sufficient numbers of qualified applicants to each partner Unfortunately, NCLB (2001) devalues bilingual ed


70

Bilingual, Jointly Delivered Degrees in Various Fields Enroll bilingual (LOTE + Eng) students from 2-

way K-12 immersion programs & non-US IHEs Target disciplines with adequate stream of

disciplinary resources in both languages (no English- or LOTE-specific fields allowed) With growing bodies of original scholarship in both

Alternate years of study in US & abroad E.g. years 1&3 “at home”, years 2&4 “abroad”

Design each degree jointly with faculty from both IHEs and award a diploma from each

Support faculty exchange to ensure high-level bilingual/bicultural instruction at both sites


71

Sources of Support for Joint Bilingual Dual-Diploma Degrees

US and EU initiatives for language learning E.g. Nat Flagship Lg Init in US, TNP3 in Europe

Heritage and national language communities Programs preserve LOTE while mastering English.

Global internationalization of higher education Programs increase study abroad and international

enrollment, internationalize curricula at both IHEs. English as a lingua academica to the world

Potential partners exist in every corner of the globe.

Global wish to curb hegemony of English Programs preserve and maintain traditions of

scholarship in languages other than English.


72

What I Said 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, will US institutions of higher education devise two-way immersive English/LOTE undergraduate and graduate programs in a wide array of LOTE/discipline pairs?

Multilingua-Culturality For All?

The History and Prospects of LanguagesIn 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

multilingua-culturality for all?

Documents

u iowa

binghamton u

u of bucharest

curriculumuniversity

u michigan ma phd

english language literature

language program innovator

study of languages