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Volume XCIII, Number 39 University of Southern California Wednesday, March 9, 1983
Language department alters teaching methods
By Susan Shaw
Staff Writer
As a result of extensive research and a desire to make the study of a foreign language more exciting and fruitful to students, the department of humanities is revamping its entire language program.
In effect, there will be an almost 180 degree turn in how' foreign languages are taught at this university.
Effective immediately, said David Malone, dean of the department of humanities, all language departments will begin de-emphasizing grammar and will instead stress verbal fluency and reading comprehension.
Among the reasons for the change in emphasis are the poor performances by students on proficiency examinations last year and the research of many linguists suggesting that learning a foreign language is accomplished largely through the subconscious.
Much of the impetus behind the change in the language department came from the poor performance of students.
Traditionally the university has taught language skills through the memorization of rules of grammar and vocabulary.
How. /er, Stephen Krashner, an associate professor of linguistics, recently argued in his award-winning book, "Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning,' that this method may be wholly ineffectual in providing students with a functional grasp on foreign languages.
Krashner's research, as w'ell as the research of others, shows that 90 percent of what adults retain of a language is from acquisition and only 10 per cent is traceable to learning.
As children, Malone explained, w'e acquired words, sentences and grammar by hearing others speak and repeating what they have said. Similarly, this is the best way to develop fluency in a foreign language.
"We are not saying that grammar is unimportant," said Batya Elbaum, administrative assistant for the Foreign Language Executive Committee,a group that has been studying the feasibility of this new approach.
"Grammar accuracy is important," she said, but the most efficient way of developing competency in a second language is through "lots of reading, and listening."
What the university is striving for in its language program, is "spontaneous performance," Elbaum said.
The purpose of the language department, Malone said, is to enable the student to communicate effectively.
"If a student finds himself dropped in the middle of Guatemala, say, and tHere is no one w’ho speaks English, w'e want thatj student to be able to communicate and find his jway around," Malone said.
This new approach will be harder on teachers, he said, because the instructor will have to increase the complexity of the language with each class session.
But overall Malone believes j the student will be more adept in the target language, will find it more enjoyable and may want to continue studying past the required three sbmesters.
Both Malone and Elbaum aije excited about this new approach to teaching foreign languages, believing that verbal interactions between students and teachers is a natural arid effective way to develope fluency in a language.
Much of the impetus behind the change in the language department came fjrom the poor performance of students on the; Foreign Language Skill Level Examination, administered for the first time last December.
There was, Malone said, a|low' correlation between a students grade in a ; particular language class and his ability to pertorjm on the examinia-tion.
Consequently, the FLEX committee began to look last year into ways of restructuring the language department to stress] "language skills"
es." Malone also nip in formulating
a foreign language, sis of research and
rather than "methodologie worked closely w'ith the gro
new and better wavs to teach
It is their beliet, on the b« experience, that those who aqquire a language by acquisition use more grammatically correct structures than those who have been drilled in grammar.
"You can alw'ays tell a university educated person," Malone said "because they use the the phrase 'between you and I,' instead of the grammatically correct structure, j 'betw'een you and me.' "	!
W'hat has happened, Malcjne said, is that instead of using the construction that as children they picked-up from parents j or teachers, people mistakenly apply rules of grammar they have learned in school.
"If children are around people who speak correctly, they don't make mistakes," he said.
Likewise, by listening and mimicking those who speak a foreign language fluently, they will be better able to express themselves in that language, Malone said.
The language department has already begun making changes to conform: w'ith the new pro-
(Continued on page 3)
: : d
DEAN DAVID MALONE
photo by Craig Stewart
Staff photo by Craig Stewart
Feminists honoring International Women's Dav at a universitv’ symposium urged unification by women in order to make a positive world impact.
Feminists discuss women's movement
By Jeffrey Tylicki
Staff Writer
Feminists at a university symposium honoring International Women's Day said Tuesday if women will unite with one another, they have the potential to make an impact on the world in the next 10 to 15 years.
As part of a program entitled "Opportunities and Barriers to Professional Development for Women around the World," a handful of W'omen from many countries met to discuss how women are treated and looked upon in the professional environment.
The symposium, w'hich was attended by about 75 persons in the Student Activities Center, w'as sponsored by the office of International Students and Scholars as part of their international speakers series.
Elena Garate, acting director of the office of international students and scholars, opened the conference with some words on how the women's movement has changed over the years in both its goals and approaches, putting females into perspective as "changing agents."
She said that women have gone from focusing on more self-serving issues to ones that affect everyone.
As an example, she said women were once only concerned about their own sons having to go off to war, where now they are marching against the threat of nuclear war in attempt to save humanity.
She also said the role identification of women is changing.
"Women in the job market used to think they had to mirror men in style and behavior," she said. "Now, women are finding out they don't have to be clones."
Margaret Pavel, a feminist currently directing a center in Maine that supports activities in the women's movement, said that women
(Continued on page 8)
Olympics questions
'lymp still not answered
By Doug Lytle
Staff Writer
Duane Hickling, university Olympics coordinator, indicated ai a crowded staff assembly meeting Tuesday that the administration still has to answer many vital questions about how' the university w'ill be run and w'ho will be able to work on campus during the three-week international sporting event.
Hickling was questioned repeatedly by staff members on how the Olympics will change the university and was unable, in many cases, to offer more than a vague response.
In one particular case, Hickling was asked if there would be jobs available for those people w'ho would like to work during the Olympics.
Hickling said that although
the university will certainly need more housekeeping, building and grounds w'orkers, he was unable to say "just what will happen." He added that negotiations are still taking place betw’een the university and the Los Angeles Olvmpic Organizing Committee.
He said that in addition to more university plant staff, there may also be a need for typists, translators, and "manv other additional staff members."
Hickling also responded to angry questions about the university's decision to force what they called "non-essential'' employees into taking their yearly two-week vacation during the Olympics.
"I get repulsed by the term 'non-essential employee,' " he (Continued on page 7)