Language
Resource Center
Final Performance Report
(Second Funding Cycle: 1996-2000)
Report for Year Three (1998 - 1999) and Extension Year (1999 - 2000)
The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota was highly productive during its first three years of funding (1996-1999) and extension year (1999-2000) during its second cycle of Title VI Language Resource Center (LRC) funding. Throughout this period, CARLA continued to expand upon its mission to improve language teaching and learning nationwide by conducting valuable research and action projects, all of which have been disseminated widely through presentations and publications at the regional, national, and international level. A plethora of activities were conducted within following five major project initiatives during the second LRC cycle:
- Second Language Assessment Project
- Less Commonly Taught Languages Project
- Teacher Development: Focus on immersion education
- Teacher Development: Focus on technology training for teachers
- Language in a Cultural Context Project.
Each of the projects was very successful in meeting its proposed
objectives. The extension of this grant through the end of August
2000 allowed for the completion of the battery of computer-based
Minnesota Language Proficiency
Assessments. CARLA's second LRC grant cycle fostered the steady
growth of teacher professional development opportunities through
the CARLA summer institute program,
numerous presentations and workshops delivered at venues around
the world
During the four year reporting period (September 1,1996 - August 31, 2000), CARLA served over 614 teachers in 41 states through the CARLA summer institute program. CARLA also continued its mission to spearhead important conference opportunities for language professionals. The three-year funding cycle was launched in September 1996 with a national summit for fifty less commonly taught language professionals and ended in May 1999 with the first international conference on language teacher education held at the University of Minnesota. The May 1999 conference attracted the participation of over 200 language teacher educators, researchers, and graduate students from 31 states and 14 countries. Using multipliers set by the Language Resource Centers' Council of Directors, it is estimated that this conference impacted over 750,000* students through its audience of language teacher educators.
* The LRC Council of Directors' Group along with the US Department of Education LRC program officers have stated that 1 teacher tainer impacts 25 teachers, who in turn impact 150 students each for a total impact of 3, 750 students.
During the reporting period, CARLA continued to augment its resources for language teachers and learners. At the end of the second cycle of funding, CARLA's resources included an extensive website (visited over 365,000 times per year), a battery of second language assessments in French, German, and Spanish that are now available in a computer-delivered format, and a series of sixteen CARLA working papers. CARLA sponsors a database of where Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) are taught at the postsecondary level throughout North American (visited by over 65,000 people last year) and eight listservs targeted at teachers of Celtic languages, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Scandinavian, and a general listserv for all LCTL teachers. CARLA's impressive list of dissemination activities during its second cycle of LRC funding includes 90 presentations at national conferences and 83 publications in books, refereed journals, and teacher-focused publications. Taken together, the Title VI funded activities at CARLA have impacted a broad national network of foreign language teachers, researchers and teacher educators.
Conclusion
The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota has been an excellent steward of Title VI Language Resource Center funding during its second cycle of funding (1996-1999) and throughout its extension year (1999-2000). The research activities and program initiatives undertaken as part of this grant have forwarded the ultimate goal of the LRC program to "improve language learning and teaching the country." During the center's third cycle of LRC funding (1999-2002), CARLA continues to expand its already established reputation as a resource for language teachers and learners throughout the country and the world.
