2021-22 Unit Plan
Foreign Languages Department

Mission Statement

The World Languages Department of Butte College offers a variety of courses in several different languages with instruction rooted in grammar, vocabulary and culture to enhance students� global perspective. Students can acquire foreign language communication skills through courses that are transferable and applicable to the AA-T in Spanish and the AA degree in Language Arts, AA in Liberal Studies: Bilingual Option. They are also applicable to Certificates of Completion such as the Peace and Global Studies Certificate. Additionally, of course these classes serve as the basis and foundation for learning a foreign language, an essential skill in practically any profession or occupation.

The department strives to meet the needs of a wide variety of students and is therefore committed to a flexible, expanding curriculum, including study abroad. Upon successful completion of a course in World Languages, the student is able to demonstrate an awareness of the ways in which people of that culture respond to each other and the world around them and also demonstrate an ability to communicate orally as well as in writing in the target language.

Program Description

The Department of World Languages offers courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Latin and American Sign Language; by offering a diverse array of languages this department expands its educational range and maintains its integrity. Faculty members continually respond to the call for innovative, creative approaches, especially in times of budgetary constraints and limited resources.

The department is determined to meet community needs and interests. In addition to university-bound students, the courses appeal to travelers, professionals such as health-care and social service providers, teachers, business professionals, heritage speakers and life-long learners wishing to achieve fluency and a deeper cultural awareness of their neighbors. In addition to the courses offered at Butte, there is interest in expanding our international programs to offer total immersion experiences. Interdisciplinary approaches have also been implemented, especially in the study abroad programs such as Integrated Studies in Costa Rica, incorporating the Spanish language, intercultural communication, cultural topics and service learning.

With the Spanish ADT now officially in the catalogue, our current curriculum projects focus on the development and addition of heritage speaker classes and composition, grammar and culture courses. Another project related to the Spanish ADT is the semester-long total immersion program, in which students will complete the equivalent of 3 semesters of Spanish at Butte College. Successful students in the immersion program would then be encouraged to continue their studies by participating in the Study Abroad program in Costa Rica. These integrated projects are meant to create more cohesion in the course offerings in Spanish with the purpose of providing a clear and effective educational pathway. Students would greatly benefit from completing this intentional sequence of courses/programs that will combine instructional diversity with unique and dynamic learning environments.

The department continues to be involved in the project with Hanban Institute in China which brings Chinese instructors to Butte College. Chinese is one of the most important languages in today�s world, and we are pleased to offer it at Butte.

There are eight languages involved and the Chair must rely on the expertise of part-time instructors to collaborate in curriculum development and review, textbook selection and many other aspects of planning and decision making. In an effort to establish collaboration and cohesiveness, there are frequent department meetings, an annual retreat and generally good communication among department members. As noted by many people on our campus, the world language faculty have a unique bond, excellent collegiality and common goals. This is the result of team-work, mentoring and guidance.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

The FTES trends in World Languages indicate that Spanish, Japanese and ASL are the most popular programs. There is an increasing need to serve Latinx students by providing Spanish for Heritage Learners as well as the other languages. Bilingual students are frequently the ones who register for a third language.

The only degree currently offered in WL is the AA-T in Spanish. Currently there is also increased interest in promoting WL courses for the fulfillment of requirements in areas like Global Studies and Ethnic Studies.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

Strategic Direction

The World Languages Department supports the college in meeting its Strategic Direction and Priorities by:

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement

AA-T in Spanish; required courses in GE

Supporting Student, Faculty, and Staff Success

Cohesive, collaborative group of dedicated faculty; productive interaction with students

Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

The WL department exemplifies Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Through the study of another language students:

1. access and evaluate information and diverse perspectives that are available through the language and its cultures;

2. use the language to investigate, explain and reflect on the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own;

3. use the language both within and beyond the classroom to interact and collaborate in their community and the globalized world;

4. participate in anti-racist work and contribute to a more equitable society.

Meeting Enrollment Targets

Indisciplinary approaches and collaborations can result in meeting enrollment targets.

Closing Equity Gaps

By providing the study of other languages and cultures the WL department attracts many students who are on the "Dashboard," namely Latinx, Foster youth and other groups.

Program Review

Since our last Program Review was fairly recent, to date there have only been a couple of changes made to fulfill recommendations: 1) We have reinstituted the Spanish and Italian Conversation classes. 2) We have improved our use of the language computer classes by adding online course work with the adoption of a very robust online textbook in both Spanish and French, which utilizes the technology in the mediated classroom. 3) We now offer online classes in three languages: Latin, German and Spanish. OF COURSE, DUE TO COVID ALL OUR CLASSES HAD TO BE CONVERTED TO ONLINE. 4) We offer an AA-T in Spanish.

We are still waiting for the request for 2 new hires to be addressed. It is now even more urgent! With the retirement of Ileana Gantt in May 2021, there will be only 1 full-time faculty member. It is extremely difficult for one person to manage the department as well as to comply with administrative responsibilities. The losses in enrollement and budget due to COVID have impacted the WL department severely.

Department Goals

Participation in Ethnic Studies AA-T development

Create Global Studies AA-T

Review FL component in the Peace and Global Studies Certificate

Develop Spanish for Heritage Learners Curriculum

List all of your goals for the year.

Future Development Strategies

Strategy 1 - Support Intermediate Level Classes

Fortify the World Languages Department by ensuring the consistent offering of intermediate level courses; by avoiding the cancellation of said courses.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement

Supporting Rationale

The department is particularly concerned with providing transfer students the World Language classes required, especially the Spanish students who are pursuing the ADT. Since some UC’s and other universities require four semesters and many students seek proficiency beyond the first year of study the department has focused on strengthening and expanding the intermediate level courses by maintaining a sufficient enrollment in the third and fourth semester courses.

Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 2 - AA in Foreign Languages

Develop an AA or Certificate in World Languages.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement

Supporting Rationale

There is a movement on the Butte College campus and throughout the CCC system to develop AA-T's, following the Transfer Model Curricula provided by the state. Several disciplines have accomplished this significant goal and the World Languages Department is currently offering the ADT in Spanish. This department would love to follow with an AA in World Languages, although a timeline for such a project is hard to determine due to the slow process of curriculum approval coupled with the utter dearth of full-time faculty to develop such a program. The current 2 full-time faculty count on the support of the dean, secretaries and associate faculty which often is not sufficient to accomplish various tasks quickly.

Offering both degrees would further enhance the purpose of the department: to provide excellent foreign language education that results in a degree AND guaranteed CSU transfer students a place at a university. It is logical to assume that the institution of another degree program would also improve enrollment and therefore FTE, since students would then be attracted to the study of foreign languages by having a clear path to follow with an end goal in mind.

With the current emphasis at the community colleges on “globalization” and a multicultural content in the classroom, world language departments are prepared to play a unique role and should be encouraged to expand offerings rather than cut back. It is our hope to have the administrative support necessary to achieve these important goals.

Strategy 3 - Comprehensive Spanish Immersion Program

Spanish immersion at Butte integrated with study abroad program.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

The benefits of studying abroad are extensively documented. Total immersion in a new language and culture is absolutely the best way for students to gain fluency and confidence communicating in the target language. Contingent on receiving additional full-time positions and stipends, we intend to develop a Spanish immersion program on the home campus and abroad. Students who develop a linguistic base in Spanish prior to traveling abroad will be equipped with greater communicative skills in the target language, thereby facilitating more meaningful interactions with the culture where that language is spoken. By the development of a Spanish immersion program at Butte’s campus, degree seeking students will have the opportunity to earn 3 semesters worth of Spanish courses in a single semester which will fast track them to a completion oriented educational pathway. Also students participating in both programs (i.e., the home campus immersion and the study abroad) will increase numbers of enrollment and this will provide a unique learning experience through diversified instruction in dynamic learning enviroments. In addition, the experience provides opportunities to develop a "global" perspective; to "connect the dots" between the lifestyle we choose in the United States and the consequences and/or impact on other peoples across the globe. Students who participate in study abroad are positively affected in many ways; they often refer to the experience as "life-changing." Their minds and hearts are opened; they gain compassion and understanding; their future often appears as a clearer path, with well-defined goals and they often express that they have discovered their purpose and found their voice.

Strategy 4 - Full Time Hires

This department requires 2 new full-time instructors: 1) Full-time Spanish Instructor with a specialty in Heritage Speaker course development and instruction 2) Full-time Foreign Language Instructor of at least 2 languages. These qualified instructors would enrich the current programs this department offers and assist in its development of new degrees/certificiates.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success

Supporting Rationale

At this time of change and challenge in the California Community College system the World Languages Department at Butte College represents an area of study essential to the College’s Mission and the Student Equity Plan. Clearly, the need for additional full-time faculty is more urgent than ever in this department. The only two full-time instructors are overburdened with responsiblities such as: managing and guiding 13-15 associate faculty members who teach a wide variety of languages, completing and staying current with ever-increasing work tasks aimed to fulfill various contractual obligations (relating to SLO reporting, Unit Plans, Program and Curriculum Review), as well as creating new programs and classes to successfully develop the AA or Certificate in Foreign Languages. Foreign Language faculty are also having difficulty maintaining the only study abroad program offered at Butte College since 2006 due to a severe lack of monetary support.

As a Hispanic Serving Institution, Butte College critically needs a new Spanish instructor with extensive experience in Heritage Speaker course development and instruction. As an HSI, our college must provide unique services and curricula specifically designed to foster the success of our growing Hispanic population, who are also prioritized on the Equity panel. The Spanish department now offers an ADT yet still lacks courses designed specifically for the growing number of heritage speakers on our campus. The development and implementation of these courses are essential to the integrity of the ADT. Heritage Speaker courses address a wide variety of students, mostly Latinos, who intend to pursue the ADT in Spanish.

In order for the World Languages Department to fulfill their contribution to the needed rise in campus wide FTES, this department will need to add 2-4 classes (per year), which would most logically be the aforementioned lacking Heritage Speaker classes. The only way that these new courses can be developed and offered is through the support of an additional Full-time Instructor of Spanish.

Additional full-time faculty members would fill a crucial role, providing increased assistance and leadership to maintain our programs, complete administrative work in a timely manner, and to continue to grow and develop our department through the realization of our future goals.

Strategy 5 - Development of Heritage Speaker Classes (in Spanish)

These classes would be designed to more adequately serve our growing Latinx population who are heritage speakers of Spanish. Given the fact that Butte College has a large Spanish-speaking population, the World Languages Department would strategically develop specific course material for the unique linguistic competence of this group. These courses would not need to start with the teaching of the alphabet and basic greetings (necessary for non-native speakers though completely unnecessary for Spanish-speaking students), but rather would emphasize particular grammar and vocabulary items that are problematic for hertiage speakers who already command the language communicatively but not academically.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Foreign language classes have traditionally been just that: i.e., classes that teach with the purpose of providing the means for the acquisition of a foreign language. However, for our bilingual Latino population, Spanish is not a foreign language and therefore if Butte College is interested in serving these students as an HSI, then it is necessary to provide Spanish classes to this population that are designed for them. Of course, there is a very different approach that is necessary to teach a Spanish speaker about grammar, vocabulary, culture, etc., compared to what is necessary to foment second language acquisition in non-speakers of Spanish. There is a parallel comparison that could be made between the English classes we, as a college, offer to our native English speakers and our ESL classes which are meant for non-native speakers. Of course it would seem ridiculous to reduce the course offerings in English for our native English speakers to only ESL classes - since these classes are not designed to improve their particular linguistic competence levels. The same could be said of our Spanish-speaking Latinos taking our current Spanish classes. Frankly, this is a well-known fact among Foreign Languages Departments in colleges and universities throughout the state. In this way, Butte College is rather behind in updating its course offerings in Spanish to meet this obvious need to support the Latinos, who also happen to be a targeted group on the equity panel needing further resources. Unfortunately, the scope of this department’s aspirations far exceeds its administrative support. With only 2 full time faculty who are already working over full time to maintain their current obligations, it is unreasonable to assume they could expand the department’s offerings without another Full-time instructor of Spanish. In this particular case, expansion, in the way of developing and maintaining heritage speaker classes, is really a matter staying current with the needs of our students, especially those who are underrepresented and under supported.

Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: No
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 6 - Development of ASL certificate

American Sign Language (ASL) classes have been very popular and successful over the past few years. It was always the intent to create a Certificate of Achievement in ASL when this program was in another division, so the World Languages program will work with the ASL associate faculty to create and submit this certificate.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Offering ASL courses is not enough, there needs to be a culminating Certificate of Achievement for students who take and complete ASL courses.

Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes
Supports Program Review Recommendations: No
Supports Course level SLOs: No
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: Yes
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: Yes

Strategy 7 - Chair III position

The World Languages Department Chair III provides leadership to a large number of part-time faculty and one full-time instructor, who teach diverse languages. The Chair serves as liaison to administration and has been increasingly representing the department in HSI matters as Butte College strives to better serve a growing Latino student demographic. The Chair's work involves all the regular college-wide responsibilities related to SLOs, Guided Pathways, etc. as well as department-specific duties such as evaluations, department meetings and retreats. The Chair is also a liaison to the community and the area foreign language teachers including high-school and university faculty. The Chair leads the way in Professional Development and continually guides, mentors and observes colleagues in and out of the classroom. There are always many projects on the Chair's plate! It's definitely time for an increase to Chair III.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success

Supporting Rationale

The World Languages Department has grown since Fall 2019 when American Sign Language joined the group. Currently there are 12 faculty members who teach five languages: Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian and American Sign Language. Due to the expanded needs of the department the Chair's role reflects increased work and coordination. The responsibilities of the World Languages Department Chair are more aligned with a Chair III position, with an increase in reassign time and stipend.

Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: No
Supports Course level SLOs: No
Supports PLOs: Yes
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Requested Non-Financial Resources

N/A

Current Financial Resources

n/a