ERIC Number: ED262579
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1984-Oct
Pages: 7
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Languages Through Immersion.
Urbanski, Henry
In response to rapidly falling foreign language enrollments, the State University of New York College at New Paltz designed and actively promoted a language immersion program in the summer of 1981. The program consisted of instruction in twelve languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish) at four levels. Students could enroll in any one course or in a sequential combination of two-week sessions of five-day-a-week, five-hour-a-day instruction. Emphasis was on development of conversational ability in practical situations. Class size rarely exceeded twelve. Practice with recorded materials in the language laboratory or at home supplemented classroom work. In 1981-1984, almost 1500 students enrolled, coming from in-state, other states, and foreign countries. In 1981-82, in response to expressed student interest, a series of 12 weekend sessions was begun, each offering 15 hours of intensive language instruction. Student motivation for the short programs was found to be high, and many of the students have enrolled in regular session courses. One major problem in program development has been a scarcity of suitable instructional materials. (MSE)
Descriptors: Arabic, Chinese, College Second Language Programs, Communicative Competence (Languages), English (Second Language), French, German, Hebrew, Higher Education, Immersion Programs, Intensive Language Courses, Intercultural Communication, Italian, Japanese, Language Enrollment, Polish, Program Descriptions, Russian, Second Language Instruction, Spanish, State Universities, Student Motivation, Summer Programs, Weekend Programs, Yiddish
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A