Do You Have What it Takes to Save Your Language Program?

January 22, 2011

Over the past several months, I’ve heard a lot about language programs closing or being cut. This is troubling not only because I’m a strong believer in second and additional language education, but also because it means that highly trained and committed professionals are losing their jobs.

So what does it take to save a language program that’s at risk of closure?

Time

If your program is scheduled to be cut at the end of the semester or even within the next two years, the best thing you can do is buy yourself some time. You will need it to build your campaign and garner support.

A campaign to save your language program

This is a bit tricky. You don’t want to be so zealous that you turn people against you. Your campaign needs to be well-crafted and thought out thoroughly. You’ll need the help of other people. Develop the plan together and monitor it as you go. Include things like letters of support from parents, alumni, local politicians or other champions.

Support

No matter how much you may love your program, you won’t be able to save it alone. You may find support in unexpected places and no support from people whom you think should back you. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Leave behind the whiners or those who are too burnt out to care. Build those relationships. Ask their opinions and advice. Include them in your activities.

Energy

Above all else, you will need unrelenting energy and a “can-do” attitude.  You’ll need to stay positive (but not nauseatingly so) as you lead the charge.

A focus on the future

This isn’t just about closing your program today. This is also about the effect it will have on an entire generation of students and possibly even the generation after that. You’re working for them. You’re doing this so that they continue to gain all the benefits of studying a second language that you know will make them more intellectually and culturally robust.

There is a ripple effect that happens when second language programs are cut from schools and universities. It’s worth the fight.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Do You Have What it Takes to Save Your Language Program? | language program administration, languages, leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Selling Words: Promoting Your Second Language Program

April 25, 2010

I’m sharing some slides I did from a presentation at the annual conference of the Intercultural and Second Languages Council (ISLC), Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2004. At the time, the province of Alberta was on the verge of introducing mandatory second language learning for students in grades 4 through 9. This presentation was aimed at school teachers and administrators who promote second languages in their schools.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Selling Words: Promoting Your Second Language Program | education, ESL, languages, marketing, second languages, Uncategorized, youth | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Revenue-Generating Language Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Emerging Themes from a Documentation Analysis

April 24, 2010

I wanted to share a research paper with you that has been published in the ERIC database. It’s from a conference I did a couple of years ago. It talks about my thesis research that was in progress at the time of the conference. My research focussed on the marketing of revenue-generating ESL programs at a Canadian post-secondary institution. It started out as a documentation analysis and then evolved to include powerful interviews with program directors. This paper, done at about the halfway point of my program, shows some of the major themes that were emerging in the research. Here’s a quick overview:

Title: “Revenue-Generating Language Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Emerging Themes from a Documentation Analysis”

Presented at: Canadian Society for the Study of Education, annual conference, Vancouver, Canada, 2008

Abstract: This presentation identifies emerging themes in a study combining documentation analysis (Atkinson & Coffey, 2004) and interviews that examine policy statements, promotional materials and various institutional documents from selected English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at one Canadian University. It looks at how and why ESL programs are perceived to be tools for revenue generation and some of the implications this has, both at the program and institutional levels. The philosophical, ethical and practical challenges of international marketing of educational programs that generate revenue are explored.

Full paper is available in .pdf format from ERIC: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Eaton%2C+Sarah&searchtype=basic&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=au&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b804095aa&accno=ED508999&_nfls=false

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Revenue-Generating Language Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Emerging Themes from a Documentation Analysis | education, ESL, languages, leadership, marketing, recruitment, research, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.