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The CSU Consortiumfor the Strategic Language

InitiativeCSU San Bernardino – Arabic

CSU Long Beach – MandarinCSU 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.

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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.

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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

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CSU San Bernardino

Arabic

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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Recruitment

• Campus/faculty networks• Professional language

teaching/learning associations• Community newspapers• Ethnic language media• Community language school

networks• Other traditional campus outreach

mechanisms

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Selection• Heritage language speakers - intermediate-

high 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

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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

Summer Intensive 2007

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Result of 6-week Immersion: 6 m. – 1 yr. language gain!

Campus Language

Gain Assessment

CSU SB Arabic 2 – 3 sub-levels

OPI

CSU LB Mandarin

100 pts.

SAT II

CSU LA Korean 1.5 – 2 sub-levels

ACTFL

CSU F Persian 1 – 1.5levels

UCLA

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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

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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)

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ALL 4 PROGRAMS - SUMMER 2007

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0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

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Questions

Ave

rag

e S

core

Average

Average 4.57 4.24 4.21 3.7 4.7

A B C D E

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

The People

19 Students …4 Instructional faculty …2 Calligraphy and dance experts …6 Mentors …50+ Language experts, administrators and support staffStrong community involvement and support

CSU San Bernardino – Arabic Language Program’s

HighlightsThe Organization

Fully residential100+ ethnic meals prepared (4,100+ servings)Reception at start Banquet in the endFive daylong fieldtrips (12-18 hours each)20+ guest speakers10+ educational moviesOPI testingCareer opportunity counseling

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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 - Persian18 Students (chosen from 90 applicants) 8 Graduates 11 Undergrads2 tracks: Beginners and Heritage Residential2 Instructional Faculty 4 Graduate Assistants Integration of linguistics & ancient history studiesMajors: 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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Gender Diversity• Chinese American

(1)• Cantonese (2)• Vietnamese (2)• Indonesian (1)• African American

(2)• White (2)• Iranian (1)• Japanese (1)

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Male Female

3-D Column 1

OUR MANDARIN OUR MANDARIN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE

SLI STUDENTSSLI STUDENTS

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Academic StatusMajors • Anthropology• Architecture• Business • Business

administration• Chinese Studies• Economics• History• Hospitality• Interior design• International

business

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Graduate Undergrad

3-D Column 1

OUR SLI STUDENTSOUR SLI STUDENTS