Language students’ goals and expectations: do they jibe with the Standards?

This spring and next fall, UC Berkeley will participate in a national study on the goals and expectations of students enrolled in foreign language courses.  The research project, directed by Professor Sally Magnan at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, assesses how the goals described in the U.S. Standards for Foreign Language Learning correspond to students’ goals and expectations.  Because the Standards are used to shape curriculum, it is essential to understand if the goals they are based on match what students desire to learn.  Besides Madison and Berkeley, about nine other universities receiving Title VI funding will be participating in the study, and some 12,000 students will be involved.  For more information about this study, please contact BLC Director Rick Kern, who is the campus liaison for the project.