Beyond the Requirement: Undergraduate Student Perceptions of Language Study at Compton State University

Abstract

My partner organization is Compton State University (CSU), a pseudonym for a small, residential liberal arts university that primarily serves traditional undergraduate students. CSU, like many liberal arts institutions, requires that its students demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English as a graduation requirement. The problem is few students choose to continue studying languages at CSU after completing the requirement. I collected and analyzed data in two phases: document analysis, and student surveys. This project had three key findings. First, timing of course offerings and other structural barriers make it nearly impossible for a student placed in 101 to satisfy the language requirement, declare a major in a language, and graduate within four years. Second, 65% n=102 of survey respondents believe in the utility of learning a language other than English. Third, 46% of survey respondents n=72 report that no changes are needed to the language department. In the long-term, sustainable improvement depends on aligning multiple dimensions of language learning with instruction.