Foreign language curriculum design and promotion in community colleges in the Midwestern United States

This investigation seeks to shed light on an innovative American educational institution, the community college, and foreign language curriculum in these institutions. I utilized three guiding research questions: 1) What factors impact curriculum design of foreign language courses in community colleges?; 2) How is curriculum of foreign language courses promoted through community college websites to current and potential students?; and 3) In what ways do the findings from analyzing curricular promotion of foreign languages in community colleges reflect what curriculum designers say about curriculum of foreign languages in community colleges?

Four participants engaged in the first multi-case study. They were full-time employees, faculty and administrators, at four different community colleges in the Midwest. They told stories of how they experienced curriculum design and revision in their institutions and reflected on the role of foreign languages in their communities.

Fifty-five community colleges comprised the sample of community colleges in the Midwest. An analysis of 156 webpages provided insight into the ways in which the college promoted or did not promote foreign languages at their institutions.

Finally, by using Stark and Lattuca’s academic plan model (1997) as the framework for the study, I analyzed the combined data. Using the eight elements that Stark and Lattuca (1997) identified as the framework for their academic plan model, I was able to extrapolate major themes.