Language and Study Abroad Across the Curriculum: An Analysis of Course Development

Abstract: Preparing undergraduates and training faculty to succeed in a global society requires colleges to infuse international and intercultural dimensions into the curriculum. A Title VI grant funded the development and pilot of six Integrated Intensive Courses Abroad (IICA). These courses incorporate discipline-specific content studies with foreign language and ground them in a study abroad experience. Content and language instructors were paired and cross-trained in each other's discipline to enable them to design and teach these interdisciplinary courses. This article outlines the purpose, development, essential resources, and preliminary outcomes of integrating IICAs into a college curriculum. Results from a postcourse survey suggest that the IICA model improved students' language proficiency and understanding of the content discipline beyond what would have been expected in a traditional course. Key words: language across the curriculum, study abroad, faculty development, multicultural education Language: Spanish, relevant to all languages Introduction In 2002 Goucher College, a small liberal arts college in suburban Baltimore adopted a new strategic plan, "Transcending Boundaries of the Map and the Mind." At the core of that plan was a commitment to educate students to become global citizens through a curriculum infused with an awareness of the international and intercultural dimensions of every subject. Three years later the plan was expanded to include a required study abroad experience. These new initiatives demanded some revisions in the curriculum; in particular, the role foreign languages would play in the development of these global citizens. Although students were still required to complete at least 12 credit hours in a foreign language, the need to integrate foreign language programs more comprehensively into an intercultural, interdisciplinary, and now international curriculum was very clear. None of these areas was new to Goucher College. However, without opportunities to incorporate cross-cultural immersion experiences and enriched foreign language skills within their chosen fields of study, students often miss the purpose of global studies: to help them develop the skills and perspectives to interpret cultural settings other than their own. What new perspectives on multiculturalism might they acquire after spending time on an indigenous reservation in Costa Rica? What language and content skills would peace studies students need to learn in order to participate firsthand in conversations with the different social groups involved in the peace process in the Basque country? Background According to Open Doors Report, the annual statistical survey published by the Institute of International Education, the number of students from the United States studying in short-term-abroad programs has increased over 75% in the past ten years. Of the total number of students going abroad in 2003-2004 and in 2004-2005, 56% participated in short-term programs and the report concluded that ". . . short-term programs have played an important role in increasing the popularity of study abroad, offering international study abroad opportunities to students who might otherwise have been unable to afford to participate in traditional-length programs" (Institute of International Education, 2005). These figures slightly decreased by 2005-2006 (i.e., 52% participated in short-term programs), with 58% of those students participating in programs in Europe and an increased interest in nontraditional destinations, such as African countries, India, and China. Although these short-term programs have been in existence in some schools for more than a hundred years, data collection on participation is a more recent trend. Since the 1960s extensive research has been conducted to assess the linguistic benefits of study abroad programs (Carroll, 1967; Hadis, 2005; Milton & Meara, 1995). …