language in the global humanities: a case for hindi sharon ahern fechter, ph.d. chair, department of...
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Language in the Global Humanities:A Case for Hindi
Sharon Ahern Fechter, Ph.D.Chair, Department of World Languages and PhilosophyMontgomery College [email protected]
Maryland Foreign Language Association October 2013
MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
The Global Humanities Institute
The NationalEndowment for the Humanities Grant
The Global Humanities Institute meaningfully integrates the humanities and the study of global issues, to: inspire students to think critically, analyze
their own worldview in contrast to others; engage and retain students; prepare students for the complexities of the
global work arena; support faculty scholarly work; forge deep connections with institutions
abroad and local international communities; create a model program that can be
replicated by other colleges.$490,000 from the National
Endowment for the Humanities, The largest sum, by far, of all community
college awardees.
The Granting Institution
“[We] must foster and support a form of education … designed to make people of all backgrounds … masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants.”
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965
The Humanities
Languages Linguistics LiteratureArt History and
Theory
History Philosophy Ethics Comparative Religion
Archeology JurisprudenceAspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods,
Diverse heritages, traditions, and histories and the current conditions of our national life, studied through a humanities lens.
Goals of the Global Humanities Institute
TransformationOf Humanities
Curricula
Language
Training Spanish Chinese
HindiOversea
sStudy
Technology To Realize
Goals
Internal Global Humanities
Events, External
Conference Presentations
Faculty Summe
r Researc
h Stipend
s
New Global
Humanities
Course
u
Christine has a disk for Mary.Christine has a disk for Mary.
Faculty Training
To Internationalize Humanities
Courses and Curricula
Creation of a Credit-bearing Elementary Offering in Hindi
Elementary Hindi 101-102
A Strong Team
In
External AdvisoryAffiliated Faculty
Internal Advisory
Workgroup
Collegewide 38
Community and International
Support
Globalizing curricula means…
Students will:
Gain a deep, comparative knowledge of the world’s peoples and problems,
Understand how history has created the dynamics and tensions of the world,
Do practical work that affects communities that are not well served by their societies,
Function effectively and ethically in a complex, rapidly changing world that is increasingly interdependent yet full of conflicts and disparities.
Source: American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Global Competencies
Employers say, “two- and four-year colleges should place MORE emphasis on helping students develop”:
45% Foreign language proficiency 52% Civic knowledge, community engagement 57% Knowledge of cultural diversity in the US and the world 57% Understanding of the role of U.S. in the world 65% Understanding of global issues’ implications for the future 67% Understanding of the global context of situations and
decisions 81% Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills 89% Effective spoken and written communication skills
SOURCE: AAC&U study: “Raising the Bar”
Employers’ Expectations of Employees Have Increased
Employers asked, “What would help prepare college students for success?”
50% Expecting students to take courses that explore big challenges facing society, such as environmental sustainability, public health, or human rights
58% Expecting students to learn about the point of view of societies other than those of Western Europe or North America (Latin America, China, India)
73% Expecting students to work through ethical issues and debates to form their own judgments about the issues at stake
SOURCE: AAC&U study: “Raising the Bar”
Employers’ Expectations of Employees Have Increased
The Faculty Development Program
Scholarly Travel
Triple-faceted faculty development Internationalize an individual
humanities course Create an internationalized
interdisciplinary humanities learning community
Infuse service learning into individual course and learning community curriculum
Language training prior to travel
Travel for faculty, staff, administrators to China, India, and El Salvador
Connections abroad and with local communities
The Global Humanities Institute will partner with universities in El Salvador, China, and India in the following areas: Program design Curriculum design Instructional materials, video,
and eLearning modules Visiting professors/instructors Training the trainers workshops Student and faculty exchanges Short- and long-term study
abroad programs Joint programs in other locations
COLLEGEWIDE AVAILABITY OF
MANGO THROUGH MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
LIBRARIES
Language Training Support
Hindi 101-102
Course Description
and Learning Outcomes
Course Description
Beginning language courses focusing on the study of Hindi language and Indian culture. Students begin to develop the ability to communicate in Hindi through the consideration of cultural themes, language functions, and authentic situations as they acquire the structures and lexicon to work with written language, conversation, and composition.
Learning Outcomes:
communicate at an elementary level in Hindi in the skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing
apply grammatical structures supporting communication at the novice level of proficiency
express and appropriately employ language functions in speech and in writing, including greetings, leave-taking, requesting information, talking about self and family, asking for assistance, and giving and receiving directions
demonstrate an understanding of the history of the Hindi language and an appreciation of the Hindi language and its culture
demonstrate an increased mastery of appropriate sociolinguistic behaviors as linguistic ability in Hindi develops
participate in cultural activities outside of class related to Hindi language and culture
produce and present a cultural project as an integral part of the class
Hindi 101-102
Materialsand
Resources
Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) Hindi-Urdu Flagship http://coerll.utexas.edu/coerll/project/first-year-hindi-textbooks
NFLC (National Foreign Language Center) at the University of Maryland http://www.langsource.umd.edu/hindi.php
Texts: Snell, Teach Yourself Hindi, 2003 or later Rupert Snell, Teach Yourself Hindi
Dictionary, 2004.Critical Language Scholarship
(CLS) program for intensive summer institutes. www.CLScholarship.org
AdditionalResources
Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) Hindi-Urdu Flagship http://coerll.utexas.edu/coerll/project/first-year-hindi-textbooks
NFLC (National Foreign Language Center) at the University of Maryland http://www.langsource.umd.edu/hindi.php
Texts: Snell, Teach Yourself Hindi, 2003 or later Rupert Snell, Teach Yourself Hindi
Dictionary, 2004.Critical Language Scholarship
(CLS) program for intensive summer institutes. www.CLScholarship.org
The Global Humanities Promise
We will:Carry out the objectives of the
grant,Maintain a student-centered
trajectory,Build on the rich tradition of global
studies at Montgomery College,Be a permanent feature of
Montgomery College and strive to fulfill the mission of the College,
Form lasting ties with agencies, colleges, and cultural institutions abroad,
Gain national recognition for our work.