Key Components

Faculty, regardless of their individual language proficiency, offer LxC options in their courses to broaden and enliven course content by making room in their syllabus for substitute or extra-credit assignments employing materials in languages other than English. Such assignments typically amount to ten to twenty percent of the grade of an LxC-supported course. Study groups provide intercultural perspectives and foster the improvement of language skills in the students who select the LxC option.

Language Resource Specialists are selected for their linguistic background and disciplinary expertise to prepare LxC assignments utilizing target language resource materials. LRSs locate topically appropriate materials with the advice of the course instructor, and construct class assignments around them, with the assistance of experienced LxC staff. LRSs lead weekly study-group discussions with participating students to help them understand the LxC assignment materials and relate them to the relevant content of the course. LRSs receive an hourly wage for the LxC work, amounting to an average of about $750 per study group.

Participating students need only intermediate reading proficiency in the foreign language in order to perform LxC assignments. LxC assignments substitute for the English-based assignments they would otherwise perform. The extent to which the designated language is spoken in LxC study group is based entirely on the proficiency levels of participating students. English is employed to the extent necessary to allow all participants to understand and contribute to the group discussion.