Integrating Language Study Across the Disciplines:

Crossing Disciplinary and Departmental Borders

Timothy A. Bennett

Wittenberg University

Session 6, Lecture Hall 10

Declining Market

MLA Job Information List by Jobs Posted

Year English Foreign languages

2007-8 1,826 1,680

2008-9 1,380 1,227

2009-10 1,100 1,022

2010-11 1,190 1,095

2011-12 1,235 1,128

2012-13 1,142 1,102

Share of Bachelor’s Degrees

70-71 75-76 80-81 85-86 90-91 95-96 00-01 01 02 02 03 03 04 04 05 05 06 06 07 07 08 08 09 09 10 10 11 11 120

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Lang as % of Total Bachelor's Degrees Conferred

Lang as % of Total Bachelor's Degrees Conferred

Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 February 2011“Traditional Language Programs Have Declined Steadily Over

Decades”, David Glenn

• In the 1970-71 academic year, Romance-language majors were offered by close to 76 percent of American four-year colleges. But by 2005-6, only about 59 percent offered them. German programs saw a similar decline: In 1970-71, about 44 percent of colleges offered the major, but in 2005-6, just under 27 percent did so…Spanish programs have been largely immune…Many institutions have added majors in Chinese and Arabic.

Enrollments rising but still down

• 1965: 16.5 per 100 enrollments were in foreign languages

• 2006: 8.6 per 100 enrollments were in foreign languages

• Only 6.1% of college graduates whose first major is foreign languages…attain a doctoral degree;

• Most students studying abroad do not major in…languages

• But they can be drawn to courses where they continue to develop their language skills and enrich cultural knowledge

• New Structures, MLA

• As advocates for the study of foreign language and literature, we are called on to develop strategies to move forward into this brave new world [of internationalization, interdisciplinarity, and organizational structures transcending departmentalism] and not expect a return to the past. Don’t mourn; reorganize

Russell Berman, Haas Professor in the Humanities and Professor of German Studies and Comp Lit, Stanford, past President of the MLA

THE NEW GLOBALISM ?

William G. Durden, president emeritus of Dickinson College, introduced this term in his plenary speech to The Forum on Education Abroad at their tenth annual conference on 2 April 2014

Characteristics (excerpted from the abstract)

• Transcultural mode of inquiry that moves beyond the traditional conceptual frameworks of culture, language, and academic disciplines;

• Lifestyle or state of mind that can be transported anywhere in the world through travel or via communication over the Internet;

Characteristics continued

A concern with issues and challenges that are shared by all people regardless of nation or culture: • sustainability, • peace, • politics,• ecology, • consumption,• relationships, • community building, • global ethics • and entrepreneurialism.

Remember this?

• Only 6.1% of college graduates whose first major is foreign languages…attain a doctoral degree;

• Most students studying abroad do not major in…languages

• But they can be drawn to courses where they continue to develop their language skills and enrich cultural knowledge

• New Structures, MLA

Old vs. New Globalism

1. Emphasizes Difference

2. Favors Immersion

3. Academic Interest in Culture

4. Language Study inherently rewarding and fluency is a goal

1. Emphasizes Commonality

2. Favors Intercultural Contact

3. Globe-trotting lifestyle

4. Language study peripheral but valuable to facilitate global lifestyle

New vs. Old Globalism in Study Abroad

• Semester or year abroad

• Language study and immersion experience crucial

• Academic growth and host university form the focus

• Short term programs

• English is sufficient (global language) and deep cultural experience is less important

• Benefit lies outside the academy: experiential, problem-focused learning

How do we create a language curriculum for this new species

of student?

Modify Expectations

Wittenberg Revisions (UISFL Grant)

To use intermediate language courses to equip students to make interdisciplinary connections;

To integrate foreign language resources and opportunities into other disciplines;

To provide equal access for students of all languages taught at Wittenberg to these opportunities;

To provide students guidance that allows them to discover connections between language, culture, and disciplinary content.

First Phase:

• Revise Intermediate language courses and foreground interdisciplinarity.

• Eliminated traditional model of composition and conversation courses.

• Shift of emphasis from treating language as a set of rules to be mastered to regarding language as a tool for discovery and exploration. (Emphasis on Connections, Cultures, Comparisons as outlined by ACTFL)

• Traditional sequence of Culture, Composition, and Conversation replaced with new half semester theme courses in French, German, Russian and Spanish. Chinese and Japanese incorporate the themes into more traditional intermediate courses:

New Arrangement• Introduction to the Art of Translation• Film and Culture• Culture and Natural Environment• Contemporary Issues• History and Historical Sources• National Identity and Cultural Diversity• These revisions respond to the sorts of challenges

issued by the MLA in “Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World” by incorporating multiple media and developing multiple literacies, thus helping students understand how language and “cultural subsystems” create “a particular background reality” (pp. 4-5 of that document).

Current Participation in Program• New courses and courses featured especially for Fall 2014: • Art 340/1W, Modern Art, A. Gimenez-Berger

Biology 114, From Conception to Birth, M. McWhorterBiology 214/1W,  Developmental Biology, M. McWhorterCommunication 190, Public Speaking, S. BrozEconomics 350/1W, Environmental & Natural Resource Economics, D. WishartEducation 103S/2W, Sociological Perspectives in Education, B. YontzEnglish 180A/3W, Demons, Devils, & Hellfire, R. IncorvatiEnglish 308, Anarchy in the U.K.:  Studies in British Romantic Literature, R. IncorvatiEnglish 372A/1W, Women in Literature I:  Bad Girls, C. RichardsEnvironmental Science 100, Global Climate Change, S. FortnerEnvironmental Science 250, Environmental Science Research Methods, S. FortnerGeography 250C/S/2W, Southeast Asia, R. LenzHistory 105C/H/1W, Pre-Modern World, C. RaffenspergerHistory 106, Modern World, J. PaddisonHistory 122H, United States History II, M. WoodHistory 202/1W, Vietnam, M. WoodHistory 240H/1W, Crusades, A. LivingstoneHistory 253C/H/1W, Soviet Russia, C. RaffenspergerHistory 309/1W, Eurasian Nomads:  Ancient & Medieval, C. Raffensperger

Continued

History 309/1W, Eurasian Nomads:  Ancient & Medieval, C. RaffenspergerHistory 312/1W, Age of Cathedrals, A. LivingstoneMarine Science 200N-1M, Oceanography, J. WelchPolitical Science 212R, Modern Political Philosophy, H. WrightPolitical Science 216R, Family Values:  Politics of Virtue, Care, & Equality, H. WrightPolitical Science 222S, Urban Politics, R. BakerPolitical Science 230S, Campaigns and Elections, S. RhinePolitical Science 253, International Political Economy, J. AllanPolitical Science 302/1W, North American Politics, J. AllanPsychology 251/1W, Abnormal Psychology, S. LittlePsychology 280C, Topic:  Psychology & Culture, L. CranePsychology 400/1W, Research:  Abnormal, S. LittleSociology 277C/R/1W, Islam & Islamic Societies, J. PankhurstSociology 360/1W, Sociological Theory, J. Pankhurst

Comprehensive List• Art 280 (Honors 300), Art and Culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Gimenez-Berger• Art 280 (Honors 300), Gender and Genius in Art, Gimenez-Berger• Art 340, Modern Art, Gimenez-Berger• Biology 221, Pharmacology, Pederson• Biology 214, Developmental Biology, McWhorter• Biology 310, Molecular Biology, Goodman• Chemistry 121, Models of Chemical Systems, Finster• Chemistry 302, Organic Chemistry, Hanson• Chemistry 281, Analytical Chemistry, Cline• Chemistry 300/400, Junior and Senior Seminar, Cline• Communication 190, Public Speaking, Broz• Communication 222, Graphic Storytelling, Smith• Communication 290, Media Literacy, Smith• Communication 328, Intercultural Communication, Broz• Communication 329, Nonverbal Communication, Broz• Economics 220, Economics of Developing Areas, Frost• Economics 240, American Economic History• Economics 275, Economies in Transition• Economics 290, Economies of China, Frost

Wait, there’s more!• Education 103, Sociological Perspectives in Education, Yontz• Education 150, Phonics for Reading & Writing, Calabrese• Education 150, Phonics for Reading & Writing, Linder• English 180, Film noir, Hinson• English 290, American Literary Traditions, Askeland• English 290, American Gothic, Hinson• English 180, “By Any Means Necessary”: Radical Politics and African American Literature, Askeland• English 180, Social Justice – Gay and Lesbian Literature, Incorvati• English 180, Sense of Wonder, Science Fiction Literature, McClelland• Honors 300, Orphans and Adoption in History and Literature, Askeland• English 308, Study of Romantic Literature, Incorvati• English 318, Bad Girls, Richards• English 380, Mobility in American Autobiography, Askeland• Geography 120, Human Ecology, Scholl• Geography 250, China’s Geography, Lenz• Geology 111, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Bladh• History 106, Modern World, Wood • History 111, Medieval Civilization, Livingstone• History 203, Fact and Fiction in The DaVinci Code, Livingstone• History 227, U.S. since 1945, Wood• History 240, The Crusades, Livingstone• History 251, Russia to 1796, Raffensperger

Even more!• Marine Science 200, Oceanography, Welch• Mathematics 210, Fundamentals of Analysis, Parker• Mathematics 215, Differential Equations, Parker• Philosophy 200, Race, Gender, Science and Medicine, McHugh• Philosophy 204, Philosophy of Women’s Lives, McHugh• Philosophy 304, Knowing Bodies, McHugh• Philosophy 311, Modern Philosophy, McHugh• Physics 102B, Physics Through Experimentation , George• Physics 107, Astronomy, Fleisch• Physics 220, Modern Physics, George• Physics 360/ 460, Junior & Senior Seminar, George • Political Science 205, Chinese Politics, Yu• Political Science 210, East Asian Politics, Yu• Political Science 224, American Presidency, Hasecke• Political Science 259, International Political Economy, Allan• Political Science 305, European Politics, Allan• Political Science 350, American Foreign Policy, Yu• Political Science 354, Chinese Foreign Policy, Yu• Psychology 150, Proseminar V—Abnormal, Little• Psychology 251, Abnormal Psychology, Little• Psychology 280, Psychology and Culture, Crane• Psychology 280, Child Abnormal Psychology, Little• Psychology 400, Research Abnormal

Last, but not least• Religion 134, Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions, Oldstone-Moore• Religion 177, Religious Perspectives on Contemporary Moral Issues,  Nelson• Religion 200, Pilgrimage, Oldstone-Moore• Religion 241, Christian Tradition, Nelson• Religion 336, Religious Daoism and Chinese Popular Religion• Religion 339, Monkeys, Samurai, and Gods, Oldstone-Moore• Honors 300, Bioethics, Nelson• Sociology 277, Islam and Islamic Societies, Pankhurst• Sociology 340, Sociology of Religion, Pankhurst• Sociology 390, Russian and Central Eurasian Societies and Cultures, Pankhurst•  

Project Focused – Clarity of Purpose

Language Faculty Must Make Transcultural Learning a Priority• Emphasis on Discovery in the Discipline• Not a language Course• Language Faculty Work with each student

and with disciplinary FacultyLanguage• Skills will and do improve as a result of

students’ motivation to make progress in their understanding of the discipline.

Reaching the Globe-Trotters

Principle Challenge Opportunity

Allow students to use the skills they bring

Developing resources to match skill levels

Development of a varied resource bank that can serve other courses/ disciplines

Understanding desired learning outcomes in the disciplines

Identifying resources that provide authentic supplements or complements to the disciplines

Increased conversation among the disciplines and an increased focus on understanding student learning -- creation of an interdisciplinary community

Encourage the use of resources that reflect contemporary culture

Expanding the concept of research beyond traditional scholarship

Integrating film, cartoons, news media, biography, oral history, and other diverse sources into disciplines and language instruction.

Sustainability Grow the program based on the core while managing the work load for faculty in the disciplines

Continued vitality in language programs and increased opportunities for students to pursue international experiences

Questions?

• Can language become more important for every student on campus?

• How do we model language as language of discovery for our students?

• Do colleagues outside our departments integrate language as they do writing, speaking, or math skills? If not, why not?

• Does a leavening of students majoring in other fields see language skills as an advantage?How much importance do we place on the student whose immediate goal is not working toward fluency?

• Do our programs hold significant potential for that student?