Events

Maintaining enrollment for less commonly-taught languages (LCTLs) can be difficult. We are at risk of losing incredibly valuable and rare language classes if we are unable to increase and maintain enrollment. External recruitment is key for both preserving these important courses and for providing equitable access to students at other institutions where it is even less likely that unique language programs will be offered and sustained.

The ‘Languages Without Borders’ project (LWBP) involves a coalition of Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction World Languages Program with education stakeholders at public higher education institutions and NGOs in the state of Washington. The project seeks to create pathways for LCTL course sharing inter-institutionally, including dual crediting with high schools, as well as a recognition process for all languages and students through language proficiency testing and the Seal of Biliteracy.

The LWBP project team is preparing a chapter for a new publication, Sharing Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) in Higher Education: Collaboration and Innovation.

We are offering the Summer LCTL Summit as an opportunity to hear from others in academia and the community about your ideas on this topic. At the Summit, we’ll share some of our draft ideas, but also invite brief presentations and conversations with others committed to equitable access for LCTL languages and LCTL speakers. Whether this work has been your passion for years or is something new to you, we’d love to have you join us on Zoom on August 10, 2022.