ERIC Number: ED298760
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1988-Mar
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
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EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Language and Culture Immersion: A Winning Enterprise.
Cormier, Raymond
A second language program developed at Wilson College (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) with a federal grant uses the Rassias Method of theatrical, dramatic language saturation. In the first application of the program at the college, peer tutors (who would be assistant teachers in the subsequent immersion program) were trained in a three-day workshop. Immediately following the workshop, a ten-day immersion course brought together 15 students of three languages (French, German, and Spanish) in classes taught by master teachers and the peer tutors. Participant evaluations were positive but revealed areas for course improvement, particularly in timing and ability grouping. Business language courses in all three languages were introduced into the college curriculum after the first immersion course. Internships intended to begin after the second offering of the immersion courses were suspended due to international incidents. The third offering of the immersion course was undersubscribed, but the fourth offering was successful, serving college students, teachers, and individuals interested in self-enrichment. A total of nine courses have been added to the college curriculum as a result of the initial immersion effort. Additional results include a program of distance learning in French. Internships have not developed as intended, but graduate credit courses for teachers may become a program by-product. Additional ideas are being pursued. (MSE)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A