Department of Foreign Languages, Spring 2009
A Message from the Chair of the Department, Dr. Craig Christy
The end of Spring Semester marks the close of yet another very productive year in the Department of Foreign Languages. At the outset of the academic year, the Department hosted its second Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Workshop to familiarize the Department’s faculty, as well as area language educators, with this method for assessing students’ proficiency in the target language. The OPI Exam, developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, is recognized and respected in academic, government, and commercial settings as a reliable and accurate indicator of language proficiency. In September, an external review of the Department by Dr. Dieter Jedan of Southeast Missouri State University noted that the Department “…is on solid ground: It excels through strong leadership, dedicated faculty, and imaginative courses.” Among Dr. Jedan’s constructive recommendations were that the Department strive to offer additional study abroad opportunities that would be briefer and more affordable as a means of introducing more students to the world beyond, and perhaps galvanizing additional interest in the Foreign Languages Major and Minor. The possibility of developing new upper-division courses that would be open to majors in all the languages was also discussed. In response to these recommendations, a new trip to Münster, Germany (May 2009) was arranged, and a study abroad trip to Costa Rica is being planned for Spring/Summer 2010. Possible upper-division literature-in-translation courses or a European culture course are also being considered. In addition, and in response to demand both on and off campus, new internet courses in introductory French and Spanish have been developed, and will be offered beginning this summer. A great deal of work was also invested in a thorough overhaul of the Foreign Language Major, the result of which is a newly configured Major which we believe will give students a much more solid preparation. This proposal for a revised Foreign Language Major is currently before the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. This year Dr. Keith Lindley, who in April again ably offered the French Film Festival to the campus and community (sponsored by a grant from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy), was a finalist for the Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Teaching Award! In April, and thanks to the generous support received from Friends of the Department, the Department also awarded its first Department of Foreign Languages Endowed Scholarships to two worthy students. Their achievement was recognized during the annual Foreign Language Honor Society (Phi Sigma Iota) induction ceremony, where Dr. Evan Ward, Professor of History, delivered a fascinating presentation on his recent experiences in China. Looking back on the solid achievements of this past academic year, the faculty of the Department remain optimistic, despite the economic downturn, that 2009-2010 will again be a banner year!
