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FOREIGN LANGUAGE/FOREIGN CULTURE REQUIREMENT
Percentage of Foreign Language/Foreign Culture Requirement met
by Short-Term Study Abroad Programs
All students seeking the baccalaureate degree must satisfy the
foreign language/foreign culture requirement. The goal of this
requirement is to develop an understanding of the cultural, social,
religious, intellectual, and philosophical aspects of foreign
countries or regions. This requirement can be met in one of three
ways:
(a) demonstrating competency at the 102 level in a foreign language
(b) successfully completing one semester in a study abroad program
(c) completing a minimum of nine credits designated as fulfilling
the foreign culture requirement
Students doing a BA or BM degree in the College of Arts and Sciences MUST choose option A. Short-term study abroad programs can meet one-third or two-thirds
of the FL/FC Requirement, depending upon the length of the program
and how extensively they include the three cultural immersion
criteria listed below.
A) Program Length:
1) Programs of 1-3 weeks can meet 1/3 of the FL/FC Requirement
if they score 5 points or more on the following cultural immersion
criteria. A total of 15 points is possible; 5 in each of three
categories.
2) Programs of 4-6 weeks can meet up to 2/3 of the FL/FC Requirement.
If they score 10 points or more on the cultural criteria, they
meet 2/3 of FL/FC. If they score 5-9 points, they meet 1/3 of
the FL/FC Requirement.
B) Cultural Immersion Criteria
1) Foreign Language: programs earn
1 point if they are in a non-English-speaking country, and
1 point if they have some language instruction, but not for credit,
and
1 point for each academic credit of foreign language instruction
in the
program, up to 3 additional points total.
Total points possible: 5
2) Contact with local culture: programs earn
1 point if they have a homestay for part of the program OR
2 points if they have a homestay for the full program
1 point if students do internships or service projects in the
community
1 point if excursions give students directed interaction with
local people
(ie, not the guide at a museum, but an organized discussion with
a group of local students, etc.)
1 point if classmates are from countries other than the U.S.
Total points possible: 5
3) Instruction by faculty from host country:
programs earn
1 point if local faculty give lectures in course taught by our
faculty
3 points if half of courses are taught for academic credit by
local faculty
5 points if local faculty teach all courses
Total points possible: 5
Programs of 4-8 Weeks
| Program |
Foreign Language |
Community Contact |
Host Country Faculty |
Program Length |
Total Points |
FL/FC Recommendation |
| Costa Rica Nursing |
5 |
3 |
5 |
8 weeks |
13 |
2/3 requirement (6 credits waived) |
| Cuernavaca |
5 |
2 |
4 |
6 weeks |
12 |
2/3 requirement (6 credits waived) |
| South Africa* |
1 |
1 |
5 |
5 weeks |
7 |
1/3 requirement (3 credits waived) |
| South Korea* |
1 |
2 |
5 |
6 weeks |
8 |
1/3 requirement (3 credits waived) |
| Thailand |
2 |
3 |
5 |
5 weeks |
10 |
2/3 requirement (6 credits waived) |
*On the South Africa and South Korea programs, students have the
option of taking a 3 credit language course. Those students who
took that option would fulfill 2/3 of the requirement.
As an example of how this system would work, we considered the
6-week summer program in Cuernavaca, Mexico and the 5-week program
in Thailand.
Cuernavaca
Foreign Language: The Cuernavaca program is in a Spanish-speaking
country and offers academic credit for Spanish-language. It therefore
gets 2 Foreign Language points to begin with. Students on the
program also earn 3-7 credits in Spanish, so the program earns
the total 5 points possible for Foreign Language.
Community Contact: Students live with host families for the duration
of their stay (2 points). They do not have regular opportunities
for other contact with local people.
Host Country Faculty: All students take at least half of their
coursework from Mexican faculty members; many (but not all) students
take all courses from Mexican faculty.
Thailand
Foreign Language: Thailand is non-English-speaking, and students
do have some informal (non-credit) instruction in basic Thai during
their orientation, so the program earns 2 point.
Community Contact: Students do several excursions to various
tribal groups, where they interact with the community in both
structured and informal ways (1 point). They stay with host families
during these field trips (1 point.) Payap University also has
a mentoring program that will connect our students in small groups
to Thai peers. (1 point). The program does not have extended homestays,
internships, or students from other countries in the classes.
Host Country Faculty: The program courses are taught by local
faculty members,(though some may be ex-pat Americans.)
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