Rebuilding the Language Curriculum from the Back Seat
Subject Area
Afro-Hispanic Studies
Abstract
Plenary Session Presentation: During the last decade, faculty members have found themselves under increasing pressure to recalibrate their courses within the language department curriculum. Ten years after the MLA published the report “Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World” (2007), the traditional two-tier language curriculum continues to evolve. On a regular basis, professors must respond to internal and external realities such as institutional mandates, student demand for career-focused courses, recommendations by professional associations, enrollment trends, and—of course—shrinking resources. Our cultural and political complexities—both marginal and hegemonic—impact what we teach as well. Due to many factors, many instructors experience the sensation of driving from the back seat with little control. At a moment of scant consensus about what comprises the language curriculum, the speaker creatively explores future vectors with the audience.
Brief Bio Note
Dr. Sheri Spaine Long is an accomplished scholar, author, editor, award-winning teacher, and educational leader. She specializes in Spanish language, literature, and culture, as well as emerging trends in language pedagogy and international education. Sheri Spaine Long is Editor of Hispania – the scholarly journal of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. She is currently Executive Director of the Alabama World Languages Association.
Location
Room 111/113
Presentation Year
2017
Start Date
3-24-2017 10:45 AM
End Date
3-24-2017 12:00 PM
Embargo
5-26-2017
Recommended Citation
Long, Sheri Spaine, "Rebuilding the Language Curriculum from the Back Seat" (2017). South East Coastal Conference on Languages & Literatures (SECCLL). 78.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/seccll/2017/2017/78
Rebuilding the Language Curriculum from the Back Seat
Room 111/113
Plenary Session Presentation: During the last decade, faculty members have found themselves under increasing pressure to recalibrate their courses within the language department curriculum. Ten years after the MLA published the report “Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World” (2007), the traditional two-tier language curriculum continues to evolve. On a regular basis, professors must respond to internal and external realities such as institutional mandates, student demand for career-focused courses, recommendations by professional associations, enrollment trends, and—of course—shrinking resources. Our cultural and political complexities—both marginal and hegemonic—impact what we teach as well. Due to many factors, many instructors experience the sensation of driving from the back seat with little control. At a moment of scant consensus about what comprises the language curriculum, the speaker creatively explores future vectors with the audience.
