The German Major in Today’s Fiscal Climate

Pancrazio, James J.

doi:10.1632/adfl.41.3.37

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Recent literature (see Byrnes, Maxim, & Norris, ; Doyle, ; Kym, ; Miñana, ; Pancrazio, ) has also included descriptions of specific curricular reforms that have been undertaken in foreign language departments around the country as a direct result of the MLA reports (2007, 2009), the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (), the National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (), and other scholarship related to foreign language education. For example, Miñana () documented the transformation of one department from the Department of Spanish to the Department of Spanish, Latino/a, and Latin American Studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Undergraduate Spanish Major Curriculum: Faculty, Alumni, and Student Perceptions

Hertel

Dings

2017

Foreign Language Annals

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This article presents the quantitative and qualitative results of a nationwide survey of the perceptions of faculty, alumni, and students regarding the contribution to the undergraduate Spanish major curriculum of various types of courses and experiences. Quantitative results indicated that all participants valued the importance of study abroad as well as advanced composition and grammar courses. Significant differences were found in the relative importance of other components of the undergraduate curriculum. While faculty tended to value traditional offerings such as literature and culture courses, alumni and students rated advanced conversation courses as most important. In addition, students and alumni rated translation and language for specific purposes courses significantly higher than faculty did. Qualitative analysis of the participants’ comments revealed a generalized tension between student and alumni emphasis on the need for courses that promote practical communicative skills vs. faculty emphasis on the development of critical thinking and cultural awareness alongside language skills. Implications are discussed, including the need to incorporate opportunities for speaking in courses at all levels and of all types, and the potential to involve students in discussions of curricular reform.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%