The CSU Consortium
for the Strategic Language Initiative
CSU San Bernardino – Arabic
CSU Long Beach – Mandarin
CSU Los Angeles – Korean
CSU Fullerton – Persian
CSU Northridge – Russian
SLI Director:
KimOanh Nguyen-Lam, Ph.D.
Language Faculty Program Specialists:
Jutta Birmele, Ph.D.
Frank Fata, Ph.D.
1
MISSION
To contribute to the development of a
national workforce of professionals
who possess multilingual and
cross-cultural competency,
especially in languages where critical
shortage exists.
2
GOALS
1.
To increase the number of CSU graduates who
possess advanced proficiency in selected languages
2.
To create an effective language program model (or
features) that could be replicated and expanded to
other CSU campuses
3.
To build partnerships with businesses, industries,
and governmental offices that seek graduates with
language skills
To achieve program sustainability through
continual successes
3
CSU San
Bernardino
Arabic
4
Opportunities: Southern
CSU Consortium
The Students:
• 100,000+ students
• most linguistically diverse population in the U.S.
• large population of heritage speakers
– various proficiency levels (upper intermediate and advanced)
– different academic majors
The Communities:
• many heritage language communities near each campus
location
• vibrant ethnic/linguistic/cultural communities and
businesses
5
Opportunities
The CSUs
• Broad range of language, cultural, international and area studies
programs
• Excellent academic programs in numerous disciplines potentially
enhanced by language expertise
• Innovative technology to increase/enhance language instruction
capacity
• Faculty who are native speakers of many languages including
those currently selected
• Existing collaborative partnerships
– CSU academic programs and the heritage language communities
– Between CSUs
– CSUs – International/Study Abroad programs
6
Strengths
• Strong commitment and shared vision at all levels of
SCCSU: Chancellor’s Office, Consortium Leadership, individual
campus leadership, language faculty and language communities.
• More than 40 faculty and administrators are on board
• Current funding to put in place needed infrastructure
and pilot programs.
• A determination to streamline intra-campus processes
& procedures to allow for more seamless sharing of
education resources
• Plan to expand the Southern CSU Consortium into a
CSU system wide Consortium
7
8
9
SLI Program – 3 Modules
A. Residential/Intensive Language Immersion
(6-week during the First Summer)
B. Individualized Language Development
(During the Academic Year)
C. Study Abroad Language Immersion
(Second Summer)
Summer 2008:
(Cohort 1:
Study Abroad
Cohort 2: Intensive/ Residential Program)
10
Recruitment
• Campus/faculty networks
• Professional language teaching/learning
associations
• Community newspapers
• Ethnic language media
• Community language school networks
• Other traditional campus outreach
mechanisms
11
Selection
• Heritage language speakers - intermediatehigh level
• Non-Heritage speakers - intermediate-low
level (Persian program accepts novice levels)
• Potential K-12 teacher candidates of strategic
languages
• Study majors:
– All academic majors where language expertise is
essential or offers vital enhancement
– Teacher candidates
12
Summer Intensive 2007
Language
Campus
Heritage Non-H Total
Arabic
CSU SB
4
15
19
Korean
CSU LA
7
5
12
Mandarin
CSU Long
Beach
1
11
12
Persian
CSU
Fullerton
5
12
17
13
Result of 6-week Immersion:
6 m. – 1 yr. language gain!
Campus
Language Gain
Assessment
CSU SB
Arabic
OPI
2–3
sub-levels
CSU LB
Mandarin
100 pts. SAT II
CSU LA
Korean
1.5 – 2
ACTFL
sub-levels
CSU F
Persian
1 – 1.5
levels
UCLA
14
ACADEMIC YEAR
2007 - 2008
• SLI Program shared goals:
– to connect language development to content in
actual study majors
– to continue to advance target language proficiency
• Campus-specific strategies:
– Content-based language independent study
opportunities with selected faculty
– Periodic intensive language week-end workshops
– On-line advanced language courses
– On-line mentoring
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SUMMER 2008
STUDY ABROAD
• 6-week study abroad in target language country
• One language faculty to accompany each language group
• Opportunity to advance language proficiency
through authentic language immersion experience
tied to a community learning type project within host
country
• Collaboration between host university and SLI language
program
• All students will return with a portfolio/study report
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FALL 2008
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
• SLI student culminating activity:
presentation in
target language of portfolio/study report
• SLI student assessment: language proficiency and
cross-cultural experience –ACTFL
• SLI students receive counsel on careers across
the broadest spectrum with relevance to the
target language
SLI banquet to recognize students, program faculty and
staff - Wide dissemination of SLI results to other CSU
and the public
17
2007 SUMMER INTENSIVE
Participant Survey
•
•
•
Quality of Instruction (instructors,
coursework, content, technology, etc.)
Graduate Assistants
Excursions and other extra curricular activities and
their impact on language development and acquisition
•
•
Dorm Life
Overall Assessment (Would recommend
this program to others)
18
ALL 4 PROGRAMS - SUMMER 2007
5
4.5
4
Average Score
3.5
3
2.5
Average
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Average
A
B
C
D
E
4.57
4.24
4.21
3.7
4.7
Questions
A: Instruction B: G.A. C: Excursion D: Dorm Life E: Overall Assessment
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What’s next?
• Strengthening our existing SLI programs
• Adding new SLI Campuses and
Languages
• Outreach and collaborate with K-12,
Community Colleges, heritage language
schools & centers, and community-based
organizations.
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CSU Los Angeles - Korean
12 Students
7 Heritage 5 Non-Heritage
Non-Residential
Extended Day Program
2 Instructional Faculty
Integration of language & cultural studies
3 Graduate Assistants
Majors: Kinesiology, Public Health, Pschology, Sociology,
International Studies, Biology, Theater, and Languages
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CSU San Bernardino –
Arabic Language Program’s
Highlights
The People
19 Students …
4 Instructional faculty
…
2 Calligraphy and
dance experts …
6 Mentors …
50+ Language experts,
administrators and
support staff
Strong community
involvement and
support
The Organization
Fully residential
100+ ethnic meals prepared
(4,100+ servings)
Reception at start
Banquet in the end
Five daylong fieldtrips (12-18
hours each)
20+ guest speakers
10+ educational movies
OPI testing
Career opportunity
counseling
Our Dedicated & Diverse Students
 From 7 CSUs
 19 carefully selected (out of
75 applicants)
 Ages: 19-53
 8 men, 11 women
 African Americans,
Latino/Latinas, Asian,
Caucasian & Other
 Beliefs: Christians, Muslims,
Jews, Bahai, Atheists
 Pursuing 13 different
academic degrees
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CSU Fullerton - Persian
18 Students (chosen from 90 applicants) 8 Graduates 11 Undergrads
2 tracks: Beginners and Heritage Residential
2 Instructional Faculty
4 Graduate Assistants
Integration of linguistics & ancient history studies
Majors: Pre-med; International Relations - Islamic Studies - Global Economics - Near Eastern Lang. &
Cultures - Business Admin/Accounting - Religious Studies/ Women's Studies - Arabic Studies –
Communications - Middle Eastern Studies - Criminal Justice, 2007 - Political Science - Biology Art History - Linguistics, Anthropology
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OUR MANDARIN
LANGUAGE
SLI STUDENTS
Gender
8
7
6
5
4
3-D Column 1
3
2
1
0
Male
Diversity
• Chinese American (1)
• Cantonese (2)
• Vietnamese (2)
• Indonesian (1)
• African American (2)
• White (2)
• Iranian (1)
• Japanese (1)
Female
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OUR SLI STUDENTS
Majors
• Anthropology
• Architecture
• Business
• Business administration
• Chinese Studies
• Economics
• History
• Hospitality
• Interior design
• International business
Academic Status
9
8
7
6
5
3-D Column 1
4
3
2
1
0
Graduate Undergrad
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