Western Carolina University
Department of Modern Foreign Languages
College of Arts and Sciences
Annual Assessment Report for 2007-2008
Primary Contact Name/Info:
Santiago García-Castañón, Head of Modern Foreign Languages
Mission statement
The Department of Modern Foreign Languages complements the general mission of the
university by fostering an environment that is conducive to the teaching and learning process,
and by preparing students to become contributing and informed citizens in a global
community. The department offers quality instruction and curricula in the Cherokee, Chinese,
French, German, Japanese, Latin and Spanish languages, along with the cultures and
literatures of these languages. In addition to this liberal arts focus, the department prepares
teachers who staff public schools in western North Carolina and other parts of the state.
Departmental Goals
 To provide opportunities both in and out of the classroom for students to develop
communicative skills in the target language.
 To provide curricula for which an understanding is developed of the target language, its
cultures and literatures.
 To prepare students to be effective teachers in the content areas.
 To provide curricula in service to the Liberal Studies program and the Honors College.
Student Learning Outcomes
 To develop minimal level of language proficiency. For productive language skills, a level
of Intermediate High on the ACTFL guidelines, and 75 on the departmental numerical
system.
 Students will acquire an understanding and awareness of the cultures that are related to the
language(s) studied. This is demonstrated by grades earned in related courses and on
individual projects. Grades of B- and higher suggest minimal mastery of the subject matter.
 Students in the BSEd program in Spanish will acquire the above-mentioned skills and
knowledge but will also be able to demonstrate the ability to use the target language and
teach the content effectively in a classroom setting.
Methods of Assessment
Written Compositions. Students are assigned a written composition in 301 and then during
their last semester of study. Learning Outcome Goal: 78
Praxis Exam - BSEd students take the PRAXIS exam, which assesses speaking, writing,
listening and content knowledge.
Exit Survey – In the last semester of study, students will be asked to complete an exit survey.
To encourage frankness, exit surveys will not be read until after the students have graduated.
Students will be asked which courses proved most helpful, and they will be asked to evaluate
themselves with regard to the development of their skills.
Results of Assessment
Scores ranged between 98% and 60%, with an average of 83.57%. The increasing number of
native speakers in our programs has caused the scores to be somewhat higher than in previous
years. Also, as more students study abroad, scores tend to increase.
Implementation Plan
Recommended Actions:
 In keeping with the QEP and the UNC-Tomorrow initiative, the Department of Modern
Foreign Languages has discussed various ways to expand its experiential learning
opportunities. With the arrival of two new faculty members (one tenure-track in German
and one fixed-term in Spanish), MFL is getting better prepared to be able to implement new
and exciting service learning programs.
 To enhance the international exposure of MFL students by promoting student participation
in study abroad programs and travel courses; to develop more study opportunities overseas.
 To encourage more students to pursue the B.S.Ed. track. We have had great success placing
our teachers in jobs, yet the demand for qualified teachers, especially of Spanish, continues
to outweigh the supply.