PROJECT PROPOSAL – Abstract

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM (Major)

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

The International Studies Program (major in International Studies) is part of the International Academy. It offers four major areas of specialization: China; the Arab World; the Slavic World; the Hispanic World.  It is a unique program in that its requirements include a high level of proficiency in a foreign language relevant to the geographical/cultural area of study. Linguistic proficiency is defined as per the evaluative criteria of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACFTL – actfl.org).

Admission to the program requires a proficiency rating  – written and oral – of Intermediate High. Requirement for graduation is a proficiency rating of Advanced Mid.

The program appeals to Heritage Speakers (aka non-native speakers of English; bilingual speakers; Generation 1.5 speakers.) This proposal uses the term Heritage Speakers, abbreviated in HS.

HS at our institution currently lack the opportunities to leverage their linguistic skills to pursue a degree and a professional career where those skills will be highly valued.  At present, in our and in most other similar institutions, HS can use their polyglottal assets only in the pursuit of a degree as teachers of a foreign language (in our institution, only French and Spanish.) The cohorts of HS of Chinese-Mandarin, Arabic, and Slavic Languages, among others, are excluded even from this professional outlet.

Other students (“Second Language Learners,” abbreviated in  “SLL”) who lack a linguistic background in the language areas contemplated in the major in International Studies, will be able to attain the same degree of proficiency by following a rigorous course of studies that will include attending a one-year study program abroad.

The program will prepare students for:

- graduate work in all the disciplines contemplated in the curriculum; law; development economics and public policy and others.

-  professional careers in diplomacy, international business, marketing and finance, domestic multicultural marketing,  international media, corporate communication, non-governmental organizations.

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ARTICULATION WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The program will cooperate with community colleges in the CUNY system to provide information and encourage HS to start their course of study at the freshman and sophomore level. CC will offer prerequisite courses and introductory courses, including writing courses for HS who are technically illiterate in the heritage language.

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

We envision a scenario whereby the courses available to International Studies majors will also attract students from other disciplines with a global/international outlook: business, economics, foreign languages, health; human development; education. The International Academy will function as a clearinghouse of resources for international programs within the college, will foster interdisciplinary cooperation among faculty and will support development of new courses with new modalities and innovative approaches.

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