A STUDY OF THE ATTITUDES CONCERNING THE MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT IN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES IN UPSTATE NEW YORK (CORE CURRICULUM, CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION)

The researcher sought in this study to see if (1) there is indeed a trend to restore the foreign language degree requirement for undergraduates, (2) there is a difference of opinion concerning the foreign language requirement between foreign language professionals and some other group of academic professionals in post-secondary institutions, (3) there is support for some of the traditional reasons given to defend such a modern language requirement, and (4) there might be a difference in what language skills and what languages would be emphasized in the future.;The researcher using a guided interview sought a definition of what these participants believed to be the mission of the liberal arts college and the role of the modern languages within this liberal arts context. Each participant was then asked whether he favored an institution-wide modern language requirement for the bachelor's degree and how much time would be required for the average student to attain a minimum proficiency in a foreign language.;In addition a Modern Language Requirement Questionnaire with a Likert scale was administered to each participant.;The major conclusions of this study were as follows: (1) Overall, there is not a large difference between the attitudes of the deans as a group and the language chairpersons in regard to the importance of the modern language instruction and its requirement in these liberal arts college. (2) The principal rationale for the inclusion of language instruction in the liberal arts curriculum closely matches the primary mission statements of liberal arts colleges in this population. (3) There is a strong support among these deans and languages chairpersons for a modern language requirement extending to include intermediate-level instruction. (4) French, German, and Spanish will remain the dominant languages taught in these liberal arts colleges for the foreseeable future. (5) Although there is a strong conviction that modern languages will become more and more important for business interests, there is little support for the notion that the primary purpose for language instruction should be of a pragmatic nature. (6) There is widespread support in both groups in this population for the notion that there is a significant and measurable trend in American higher education to encourage, in general, requirements in the curriculum and the modern language requirement in particular.;This study's population was composed of the academic deans and the language chairpersons of all the liberal arts colleges of upstate New York.