An Essay on the Role of Language in Collegiate Foreign Language Programmatic Reform¹

Abstract

This position paper argues that collegiate foreign language (FL) education has lost sight of the central role that language plays in the profession. Regardless of one's sub‐field within foreign language education (i.e., linguistic, literary, or cultural studies), the profession shares the common focus of exploring how to make and interpret meaning in and through language. The paper therefore recommends that an acknowledgement of and re‐commitment to this foundational principle provides common ground to effect the types of change within departments that have long been called: the integration of upper‐ and lower‐level instruction; the reform of graduate student teacher education to foster curricular thinking; the explicit and systematic attention to the development of advanced language abilities; and the establishment of a collaborative departmental culture centered around publicly shared beliefs and concerns.

The Undergraduate Spanish Major Curriculum: Realities and Faculty Perceptions

“…Several authors have also explained what may appear to be the more modest impact of the MLA reports by suggesting the need for more professional development for both faculty and graduate students (Arens, ; Brantmeier, ; Pfeiffer, ). For example, Maxim () and Paesani and Allen () emphasized the need for changes in graduate student education before an “integrated curriculum” can happen: Most graduate programs in Spanish train students to teach language, as well as either literature or linguistics, but few include in‐depth study of other disciplines in the target language or training to teach courses such as translation and Spanish for the professions. Thus, because graduate students are, in fact, the faculty members who will guide curriculum development and instruction in the future, they need to experience content‐based and interdisciplinary classes that are taught in the foreign language, be taught how to integrate language learning into advanced classes, and learn how to incorporate more in‐depth cultural content into lower‐level language courses.…”

“…Few foreign language educators would contest the key role that the undergraduate major curriculum plays in their language program, yet little research has been conducted regarding what courses and experiences institutions around the country require of their Spanish majors, nor have studies been published on the attitudes of Spanish faculty members toward the courses and experiences deemed necessary for a Spanish major. While there have recently been calls to overhaul the undergraduate foreign language curriculum (see Doyle, ; Maxim, ; MLA, , ; Nuessel, ; Porter, ; Sánchez‐López, ), faculty faced with the task of revising their curricula have little data on which to base their decisions, other than that which they collect at their own institutions, their own observations, and other anecdotal evidence. This study aimed to support the curriculum revision process by providing information regarding current curricular requirements and offerings for the undergraduate Spanish language major at a representative selection of institutions of higher education around the United States.…”

“…DOI: 10.1111/flan.12099 major. While there have recently been calls to overhaul the undergraduate foreign language curriculum (see Doyle, 2010;Maxim, 2009;MLA, 2007MLA, , 2009Nuessel, 2010;Porter, 2009;Sánchez-López, 2010), faculty faced with the task of revising their curricula have little data on which to base their decisions, other than that which they collect at their own institutions, their own observations, and other anecdotal evidence. This study aimed to support the curriculum revision process by providing information regarding current curricular requirements and offerings for the undergraduate Spanish language major at a representative selection of institutions of higher education around the United States.…”

Rethinking the role of language study in internationalizing higher education

“…Most university faculty in foreign language departments would take issue both with the insinuation that what we do in our classrooms can be reduced to the learning of grammar and that it does not involve critical thinking; however, it is worth considering to what degree we ourselves may be complicit in advancing reductionist views of foreign language study. There is a tendency even within our own departments to bifurcate our educational endeavors into language and literature, lower-division and upper-division, practical and intellectual (Byrnes, 2002;Carter, 2010;Kramsch, Howell, Wellmon & Warner, 2007;Maxim, 2009;MLA Report, 2007;Seidl, 1998;Walther, 2007Walther, & 2009. v The metaphors governing our language classes are L2 Journal Vol.…”

Beyond the Language‐Content Divide: Research on Advanced Foreign Language Instruction at the Postsecondary Level

“…Enrollment trends, curricular bifurcation, and the long‐term nature of second language acquisition (SLA) point to the importance of investigating advanced FL teaching and learning. Indeed, according to Maxim (), there is a need for systematic research on what advanced language capacities look like, how students reach them, and which pedagogies facilitate their development. Yet as several scholars have pointed out, a definition of “advancedness” and a characterization of the pedagogies and curricular frameworks that contribute to its development remain somewhat elusive (e.g., Pfeiffer, ; Swaffar, ).…”