2008 Woodie Awards
Foreign language instruction in university's future
Joshua Worthey
Issue date: 10/6/05 Section: Campus News
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The University of Washington, Tacoma will increase foreign language offerings as it changes into a four-year institution, supplementing established programs in international dealings and multiculturalism.
"That's one of the things that I think is exciting about us becoming a four-year school, because it will make it possible for us to offer a range of foreign languages for our students," said Dr. William Richardson, director of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.
The university's upper-division status has limited possible foreign language offerings because language instruction most often begins in lower-division courses, according to Richardson.
As UWT expands, Spanish will most likely remain the primary language offered.
"I think there's no question that, for us, the most important language is going to be Spanish, just because there's such an obvious need for it," said Richardson.
"What I'm seeing right now is that the Spanish-speaking population in this area is growing really fast, and there's going to be a big need in the next ten years for a lot of people who know at least some level of Spanish," said Dr. Cynthia Duncan, associate professor and assistant director of IAS, who teaches the IAS program's Spanish courses.
In July, Dr. Brian Coffey, professor and director of Urban Studies and director of International Programs, met with faculty at two universities in Spain to discuss possible summer study abroad Spanish language programs for UWT students.
The Spain programs may begin as soon as summer of 2006, according to Coffey.
"Now that we're going to be adding freshman and sophomore years, I think that we have an opportunity to start offering Asian languages," said Dr. Mary Hanneman, an IAS assistant professor and coordinator for the Global Studies concentration.
Chinese will most likely be the next language that UWT offers after bolstering its Spanish curriculum, according to Richardson.
"We do feel that, with the growing importance of China, that it will be important for us to offer Chinese on campus," said Richardson. "And, in particular, it's very difficult to do Chinese at community colleges around here."
"That's one of the things that I think is exciting about us becoming a four-year school, because it will make it possible for us to offer a range of foreign languages for our students," said Dr. William Richardson, director of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.
The university's upper-division status has limited possible foreign language offerings because language instruction most often begins in lower-division courses, according to Richardson.
As UWT expands, Spanish will most likely remain the primary language offered.
"I think there's no question that, for us, the most important language is going to be Spanish, just because there's such an obvious need for it," said Richardson.
"What I'm seeing right now is that the Spanish-speaking population in this area is growing really fast, and there's going to be a big need in the next ten years for a lot of people who know at least some level of Spanish," said Dr. Cynthia Duncan, associate professor and assistant director of IAS, who teaches the IAS program's Spanish courses.
In July, Dr. Brian Coffey, professor and director of Urban Studies and director of International Programs, met with faculty at two universities in Spain to discuss possible summer study abroad Spanish language programs for UWT students.
The Spain programs may begin as soon as summer of 2006, according to Coffey.
"Now that we're going to be adding freshman and sophomore years, I think that we have an opportunity to start offering Asian languages," said Dr. Mary Hanneman, an IAS assistant professor and coordinator for the Global Studies concentration.
Chinese will most likely be the next language that UWT offers after bolstering its Spanish curriculum, according to Richardson.
"We do feel that, with the growing importance of China, that it will be important for us to offer Chinese on campus," said Richardson. "And, in particular, it's very difficult to do Chinese at community colleges around here."