We report on a survey study of a group of U.S. students studying abroad in 22 different countries... more We report on a survey study of a group of U.S. students studying abroad in 22 different countries in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 (N = 261), as universities around the world began returning to in-person instruction but where a good deal of instruction was still conducted online or in some hybrid modality and where a range of COVID-19 restrictions were still in place. The anonymous online survey asked the students to estimate their concerns about the pandemic and study abroad prior to departure, gauge the level of COVID-19 restrictions in their study-abroad location, and then report on the impact of the pandemic on their learning, academic performance, and social interactions while abroad. Additionally, for those who were abroad for the purpose of improving or learning a language other than English, the survey had respondents share their perceptions of how the pandemic impacted their language learning. The survey also asked the students to elaborate on strategies or resources used to cope with the (negative) effects of the pandemic. The quantitative results show that pandemic-related restrictions were significantly associated with students' learning overall, language learning, academic performance, and social interactions, and that the students reported the greatest impact on social interactions compared with other aspects of the study-abroad experience. The data also suggest that the greater the percentage of instruction the students had in online or hybrid modalities, the greater the impact on their learning overall. The qualitative data triangulated with the quantitative data to show that the respondents reporting greater COVID-19 restrictions and a higher percentage of online or hybrid instruction experienced greater stress, anxiety, and difficulties with learning, socializing, and engaging with the culture abroad. Language learners in online classes reported feeling less motivated and having difficulties focusing; those who were in in-person classes reported comprehension and communication difficulties due to mask rules. That said, some respondents reported reaping benefits from more online and hybrid instruction. And many of the respondents shared strategies that mitigated their difficulties which give reason for optimism about ongoing pandemic-related restrictions and the increasing ubiquity of online and hybrid instructions during study abroad. We then sketch the contours of what appears to be the new normal in study abroad and some implications for study-abroad programs and educators indicated by these findings. Limitations of the study and directions for further research are presented.
Responding to persistent criticisms of post-secondary language education, this article frames the... more Responding to persistent criticisms of post-secondary language education, this article frames the language program in an ecological perspective. The long-discussed curricular and administrative bifurcation of language departments is cast as a symptom rather than cause of tensions and limitations of post-secondary language education. Moving beyond binary categorization and a limited focus on the department, an ecological approach instead views the department as a complex dynamic system and postmodern and postcolonial theory as a macro-level component of the system that can serve as a counterforce to neoliberal pressures that undermine language education in the United States. Implications of an ecological approach are detailed, including proposals for it to become the new normal for pedagogy, language programs, and departments
This chapter addresses the theory and practice of poetry performance in the German language class... more This chapter addresses the theory and practice of poetry performance in the German language classroom, as well as the collaborative development of projects of this sort by the language program director and graduate student instructors. Drawn from scholarly work on the roles of poetry in language learning, the focus is a curriculum component called the Wortkonzert (“Word-Concert”) project, in which the students select and learn to perform a German poem during the academic term. Activities include individual exploration of the sounds and rhythms of the poetic work, one-on-one mentoring with the instructor, consultation with an advanced German speaker in person or through digital media, collaborative work among the students, investigation of the poet’s biography, the epoch and the particular lyric genre, and, of course, performance of the poetry in the classroom. Involving as it does extended, playful use of language in a performance mode, and privileging aesthetic over literary-analyt...
, a part of The Thomson Corporation. Thomson, the Star logo, and Heinle are trademarks used herei... more , a part of The Thomson Corporation. Thomson, the Star logo, and Heinle are trademarks used herein under license. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping,Web distribution, information storage and retrieval systems, or in any other manner-without the written permission of the publisher.
In this chapter the authors take a critical look at two main issues, the relationship of theory t... more In this chapter the authors take a critical look at two main issues, the relationship of theory to language pedagogy, and the place of language pedagogy relative to “the state of the world.” This examination is used to set the tone and introduce the chapters of this volume, showing how language pedagogy, far from being “atheoretical” is in fact deeply infused with theory; it is always theory-driven practice. The contributions of the volume bring the paradigms of language teaching and learning, and the paradigm shifts that have been underway for some time, into focus, linking them concretely with pedagogical practice. It argues that “theory” is not a reified object but embodied in our teaching and learning practices, often in ways that are unassumed and even unrecognized. A step back to think and reflect on our practice and to consider patterns which are emergent in language pedagogy gives us an exciting glimpse of change and new directions, of new embodiments of thinking about teach...
Profession is a journal of opinion about and for the modern language profession. The editor selec... more Profession is a journal of opinion about and for the modern language profession. The editor selects articles covering a range of topics of professional concern, trying to give a voice to MLA members working in diverse subject areas and situations. Accordingly, the editor invites essays of 1,800 to 5,000 words on current intellectual, curricular, and professional trends and issues that are of importance to the field, essays that can be read with interest and profit by many, if not all, MLA members. Letters to the editor and short comments on ...
The article presents a format for intermediate, university-level German instruction called "... more The article presents a format for intermediate, university-level German instruction called "global simulation" (GS) as the curricular manifestation of several recent trends in the literature on instructed second-language acquisition, in particular interactionist and task-based approaches, ...
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions with employees residing i... more Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions with employees residing in nearly 40 different countries and sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Find your local representative at www.cengage.com. Cengage Learning products are represented in Canada by Nelson Education, Ltd. To learn more about Cengage Learning Solutions, visit www.cengage.com.
This article presents a brief overview of the state of university language education in the Unite... more This article presents a brief overview of the state of university language education in the United States. Despite the impact of the world economic crisis on university language education in the United States, the profession has not yet been impacted to the extent many believe it has. Current scholarly debates allow for both a sober assessment of and an optimistic perspective on the field’s trajectory in recent years. A brief summary is offered of recent enrollments in university courses in languages other than English, which shows that enrollments have indeed remained stable, though even these stable numbers point toward shortcomings in the place of language education in academia overall. The key points of the 2007 Modern Language Association Ad Hoc Committee Report, ‘Foreign languages and higher education: New structures for a changed world’, are then presented, along with some scholarly responses to it. The report, and especially the academic debate it sparked, point toward a per...
Abstract: This paper describes a student-centered, task-based alternative to published, main-stre... more Abstract: This paper describes a student-centered, task-based alternative to published, main-stream curricula for intermediate university-level (second-year) foreign language courses: global simulation. The course format requires students to collaboratively complete a long-term task orga-nized around a single premise or scenario. In the process, they learn about particular aspects of the target culture and language, similarly to a traditional content course. Yet the objective is to make use of the content knowledge in functioning within and completing the simulation. Three example German courses are presented, followed by specific guidelines for designing a global sim-ulation course.
We report on a survey study of a group of U.S. students studying abroad in 22 different countries... more We report on a survey study of a group of U.S. students studying abroad in 22 different countries in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 (N = 261), as universities around the world began returning to in-person instruction but where a good deal of instruction was still conducted online or in some hybrid modality and where a range of COVID-19 restrictions were still in place. The anonymous online survey asked the students to estimate their concerns about the pandemic and study abroad prior to departure, gauge the level of COVID-19 restrictions in their study-abroad location, and then report on the impact of the pandemic on their learning, academic performance, and social interactions while abroad. Additionally, for those who were abroad for the purpose of improving or learning a language other than English, the survey had respondents share their perceptions of how the pandemic impacted their language learning. The survey also asked the students to elaborate on strategies or resources used to cope with the (negative) effects of the pandemic. The quantitative results show that pandemic-related restrictions were significantly associated with students' learning overall, language learning, academic performance, and social interactions, and that the students reported the greatest impact on social interactions compared with other aspects of the study-abroad experience. The data also suggest that the greater the percentage of instruction the students had in online or hybrid modalities, the greater the impact on their learning overall. The qualitative data triangulated with the quantitative data to show that the respondents reporting greater COVID-19 restrictions and a higher percentage of online or hybrid instruction experienced greater stress, anxiety, and difficulties with learning, socializing, and engaging with the culture abroad. Language learners in online classes reported feeling less motivated and having difficulties focusing; those who were in in-person classes reported comprehension and communication difficulties due to mask rules. That said, some respondents reported reaping benefits from more online and hybrid instruction. And many of the respondents shared strategies that mitigated their difficulties which give reason for optimism about ongoing pandemic-related restrictions and the increasing ubiquity of online and hybrid instructions during study abroad. We then sketch the contours of what appears to be the new normal in study abroad and some implications for study-abroad programs and educators indicated by these findings. Limitations of the study and directions for further research are presented.
Responding to persistent criticisms of post-secondary language education, this article frames the... more Responding to persistent criticisms of post-secondary language education, this article frames the language program in an ecological perspective. The long-discussed curricular and administrative bifurcation of language departments is cast as a symptom rather than cause of tensions and limitations of post-secondary language education. Moving beyond binary categorization and a limited focus on the department, an ecological approach instead views the department as a complex dynamic system and postmodern and postcolonial theory as a macro-level component of the system that can serve as a counterforce to neoliberal pressures that undermine language education in the United States. Implications of an ecological approach are detailed, including proposals for it to become the new normal for pedagogy, language programs, and departments
This chapter addresses the theory and practice of poetry performance in the German language class... more This chapter addresses the theory and practice of poetry performance in the German language classroom, as well as the collaborative development of projects of this sort by the language program director and graduate student instructors. Drawn from scholarly work on the roles of poetry in language learning, the focus is a curriculum component called the Wortkonzert (“Word-Concert”) project, in which the students select and learn to perform a German poem during the academic term. Activities include individual exploration of the sounds and rhythms of the poetic work, one-on-one mentoring with the instructor, consultation with an advanced German speaker in person or through digital media, collaborative work among the students, investigation of the poet’s biography, the epoch and the particular lyric genre, and, of course, performance of the poetry in the classroom. Involving as it does extended, playful use of language in a performance mode, and privileging aesthetic over literary-analyt...
, a part of The Thomson Corporation. Thomson, the Star logo, and Heinle are trademarks used herei... more , a part of The Thomson Corporation. Thomson, the Star logo, and Heinle are trademarks used herein under license. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping,Web distribution, information storage and retrieval systems, or in any other manner-without the written permission of the publisher.
In this chapter the authors take a critical look at two main issues, the relationship of theory t... more In this chapter the authors take a critical look at two main issues, the relationship of theory to language pedagogy, and the place of language pedagogy relative to “the state of the world.” This examination is used to set the tone and introduce the chapters of this volume, showing how language pedagogy, far from being “atheoretical” is in fact deeply infused with theory; it is always theory-driven practice. The contributions of the volume bring the paradigms of language teaching and learning, and the paradigm shifts that have been underway for some time, into focus, linking them concretely with pedagogical practice. It argues that “theory” is not a reified object but embodied in our teaching and learning practices, often in ways that are unassumed and even unrecognized. A step back to think and reflect on our practice and to consider patterns which are emergent in language pedagogy gives us an exciting glimpse of change and new directions, of new embodiments of thinking about teach...
Profession is a journal of opinion about and for the modern language profession. The editor selec... more Profession is a journal of opinion about and for the modern language profession. The editor selects articles covering a range of topics of professional concern, trying to give a voice to MLA members working in diverse subject areas and situations. Accordingly, the editor invites essays of 1,800 to 5,000 words on current intellectual, curricular, and professional trends and issues that are of importance to the field, essays that can be read with interest and profit by many, if not all, MLA members. Letters to the editor and short comments on ...
The article presents a format for intermediate, university-level German instruction called "... more The article presents a format for intermediate, university-level German instruction called "global simulation" (GS) as the curricular manifestation of several recent trends in the literature on instructed second-language acquisition, in particular interactionist and task-based approaches, ...
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions with employees residing i... more Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions with employees residing in nearly 40 different countries and sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Find your local representative at www.cengage.com. Cengage Learning products are represented in Canada by Nelson Education, Ltd. To learn more about Cengage Learning Solutions, visit www.cengage.com.
This article presents a brief overview of the state of university language education in the Unite... more This article presents a brief overview of the state of university language education in the United States. Despite the impact of the world economic crisis on university language education in the United States, the profession has not yet been impacted to the extent many believe it has. Current scholarly debates allow for both a sober assessment of and an optimistic perspective on the field’s trajectory in recent years. A brief summary is offered of recent enrollments in university courses in languages other than English, which shows that enrollments have indeed remained stable, though even these stable numbers point toward shortcomings in the place of language education in academia overall. The key points of the 2007 Modern Language Association Ad Hoc Committee Report, ‘Foreign languages and higher education: New structures for a changed world’, are then presented, along with some scholarly responses to it. The report, and especially the academic debate it sparked, point toward a per...
Abstract: This paper describes a student-centered, task-based alternative to published, main-stre... more Abstract: This paper describes a student-centered, task-based alternative to published, main-stream curricula for intermediate university-level (second-year) foreign language courses: global simulation. The course format requires students to collaboratively complete a long-term task orga-nized around a single premise or scenario. In the process, they learn about particular aspects of the target culture and language, similarly to a traditional content course. Yet the objective is to make use of the content knowledge in functioning within and completing the simulation. Three example German courses are presented, followed by specific guidelines for designing a global sim-ulation course.
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