In her recent speech at Peking University, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke passionately about international and foreign language education, noting that in today’s increasingly global economy, knowing a foreign language and being familiar with a foreign culture can give job applicants an important edge and can provide a foundation for the kind of cross-border cooperation that is needed to solve many shared challenges. Study abroad is one way to acquire or deepen global competencies, and the First Lady emphasized that such international experiences should be for students from all kinds of backgrounds. “That kind of diversity is who we are -- it's what makes our country so vibrant and strong -- and our study abroad programs should help us show America's true face to the world,” she said.

According to the Mapping the Nation project (learn more in Additional Announcements and Initiatives), today 23 million jobs in 50 states are tied to international trade. In this edition of the newsletter, we feature our Centers for International Business Education (CIBE), highlighting the work that our grantees in Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina and Wisconsin are doing to help faculty and students explore the business climate, entrepreneurial opportunities, and regional dynamics affecting business in India, Vietnam, China and Brazil. We also report on innovative work being done by one of our grantees to deepen secondary teachers’ knowledge of world history, thus helping to meet the State of Michigan’s need for more teachers certified to teach this subject.

When we last communicated with you through this newsletter, a 2014 federal budget had not been passed and we were still speculating about the appropriations that would determine how much support we would be able to provide this year. The Department’s 2014 budget provides $65.1 million in funding for our Title VI or “domestic” programs – a modest increase over the previous year – and $7.1 million for the Fulbright-Hays “overseas” programs. We look forward to being able to provide support for language and area or international studies centers, programs and fellowships at institutions across the nation. Applications for two of the Fulbright-Hays grants, the Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) and the Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Programs, opened on May 19th; Title VI applications should be available later this month – watch the Federal Register and the IFLE website for updates.  

We want to thank those of you who provided comments on our proposed program priorities, all of which will be helpful as we formulate the final priorities for this competition cycle. The Department proposed priorities intended to increase access for individuals, groups and institutions with historically low rates of participation in international and world language education programs, by encouraging applicants to collaborate closely with Minority-Serving Institutions and community colleges, and by considering financial need when awarding fellowships. We proposed an increased focus on world regions that are strategically important to our national security, diplomacy and global commerce, including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, while continuing to develop capacity in a broad range of languages – especially less commonly taught languages -- and regions.  And we proposed enhanced collaboration by our grantee institutions with teacher education programs, K-12 school systems, business and industry, and professional associations, to enhance the preparation of future teachers to foster global competencies in their students and to strengthen the readiness of our students and graduates to enter and excel in college and careers.

We’re excited to share these developments with you and hope to hear from you on what you would like to see in future editions of this newsletter.

Sincerely,

Lenore Yaffee Garcia, Acting Senior Director, International and Foreign Language Education

In today’s globalized, interdependent economy, innovation is an essential engine of growth; India is a top global player.

FIU's Professional Development in International Business (PDIB) program to India is designed for professionals and faculty interested in learning more about and connecting with members of the Indian business community.  This year for PDIB's 6th annual program participants experienced firsthand how multinationals and leading Indian companies are reshaping the Indian business environment as competitive despite a global recession.  With a billion people, many of whom are highly educated, India is at the center of offshoring/outsourcing discussions. 

Participants this year visited top multi-national and Indian companies, giving them the opportunity to interact with executives to discuss business in India. The group visited organizations such as the Indian Institute of Management, IBM Limited, Siemens Limited, FedEx India and GlaxoSmithKline Limited. When not visiting these companies, participants toured historical sites in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Elephanta Caves, which are a series of sculpted caves with images of several figures in Buddhism and Hinduism, in Mumbai.

The program was led by Dr. Sumit Kundu, Faculty Director and Professor of International Business at the Florida International University College of Business. For more information, please feel free to visit http://ciber.fiu.edu.

In the world of International Business, new countries each year are distinguishing themselves as emerging economies.  A group of 16 professors of business from universities around the United States visited Vietnam in January 2014 to learn about this rapidly changing and developing country.

After China, Vietnam has been Asia’s second-fastest growing economy since 2000, and is a bellwether for the nearby developing economies of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. This year’s 10-day Southeast Asia Faculty Development in International Business (FDIB) program, developed in collaboration by the University of Hawaii and University of Wisconsin-Madison CIBERs, complements previous programs in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The program aimed to highlight the unique aspects of doing business in Vietnam, comparing and contrasting the business environments of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi through a diverse set of experiences including lectures from local experts on the political, economic, and legal environment; facility tours; meetings with local Vietnamese and expat business leaders from a cross-section of industries; and cultural highlights. The program’s primary goal was to help participants internationalize their teaching and research.

The Ho Chi Minh City segment included visits to Vietnam’s largest microfinance organization; the Cargill country headquarters; and a state-owned distillery.

The Hanoi segment included site visits and briefings from a U.S. investment firm, an NGO supporting motorbike injury prevention, the country’s largest plastics manufacturer and trader, and a state-owned brokerage firm.

Cultural activities included a visit to the Mekong River Delta, part of a historically important trade route linking Vietnam with China, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia and an overnight trip on Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be one of the wonders of the world.

“While I have experience teaching in other countries in Asia, the opportunity to observe firsthand the unique challenges faced by a high-potential developing economy was invaluable,” said H. Shanker Krishnan, professor of marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. “This has stimulated me to propose an MBA student trip to Vietnam, so that business students can also learn about the connections between economies and cultures.”

“I participated in the FDIB expecting it to help me inject more international content into my social entrepreneurship course,” said John Surdyk, Director of the Initiative for Studies in Transformational Entrepreneurship (INSITE) at the Wisconsin School of Business. "What I didn't expect was how much the experience would change me, and change the way that I see and relate to my students from Vietnam and Southeast Asia. I have a much deeper appreciation for the sacrifices my students and their families have made to study at UW-Madison, a firmer grasp on the ways that culture affects my classroom, a more nuanced understanding of the business climate and entrepreneurial opportunities ahead of my students in their home countries, and a much deeper respect for the complex regional dynamics I only dimly understood from reading popular press. The experience far exceeded my expectations.”

Savvy business people often trust their guts when negotiating deals and managing employees overseas. But what if your gut feeling is based on incorrect assumptions? What if the visual cues you think you are receiving actually mean something different?

“A large number of overseas transfers fail, oftentimes because of a lack of cultural understanding,” says Julia Kruse, executive director for the Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER) at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. “That’s a massive cost for U.S. corporations.”

A new cross-cultural competency certificate program was offered for the first time in January by the UNC CIBER with support from a U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant. The Cross-Cultural Savvy for Global Business program taught 70 students, business professionals, and faculty from minority serving institutions to recognize their own assumptions and cultural differences so they can operate more effectively in other countries.

“Beyond learning how to conduct business in China, India and Brazil, I learned more about how I approach cross-cultural issues and how I can improve this interaction,” reported one participant.    

 “Cultural competence is a process,” said Gina Difino, who directed the program and serves as assistant director for MBA Global Programs at UNC Kenan-Flagler. “Our interactive workshop and highly personalized sessions gave participants an understanding and tools that put them on the path to cultural competence.”

Key features of the program included self-assessments, seven experts in cross-cultural business, country specialists for Brazil, China, and India, and one-on-one consultations for participants with the experts.

Participants complete additional assignments to earn a certificate in Cross Cultural Savvy for Global Business from the UNC CIBER program.

For more information, visit http://www.gbc.unc.edu/aic/.

This spring break, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Kansas collaborated with Johnson County Community College (JCCC) to host a 3-day Spanish Immersion Retreat for local teachers.  Since many Spanish teachers in Kansas are unable to spend time out of the country and do not always have an opportunity to use their language skills outside the classroom, the center co-hosted a language-intensive weekend. 

The retreat took place from March 14-16 at the Heartland Retreat Center outside of Kansas City.  Twenty-four teachers participated, coming from all levels of education including elementary, middle, and high school, as well as several instructors from JCCC. Participants paid a nominal registration fee which included five meals, two nights lodging and all activities at the Heartland. 

Participants arrived on Friday, and after checking in, enjoyed an evening of dinner, icebreakers, an outdoor fire, and mariachi music.  Saturday brought a full day of programming including presentations and activities such as the history of the Spanish language: trivia and games, a film screening and discussion, reading and analysis of short stories, essays, and articles by various Spanish-speaking writers; listening to music and podcasts on MP3 players while enjoying the outdoors; a presentation on Paraguayan Tereré drinking, and an overview of teaching and outreach resources from the Center including on-line materials and cultural trunks. The retreat wrapped up on Sunday with grammar and vocabulary questions, teaching tips, and evaluations. 

In their evaluations, the participants reported that they felt re-energized after the retreat, that they learned a lot from the various activities, and that they enjoyed the comfortable setting in which to speak Spanish and to get know the other participants.  

This is the second time in this grant cycle that the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies has been able to put on this event. They are grateful to the National Resource Center for supporting this program.

Meeting Fellows at Duke and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill                           

Last January 14-16, IFLE Senior Program Officer Cheryl Gibbs and Program Officer Kate Maloney conducted a site visit of the eight Title VI National Resource Centers (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship projects and the Center for International Business Education (CIBE) at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  The purpose of the visit was to review program activities for compliance with approved project scopes, provide technical assistance, conduct fiscal monitoring, and learn about best practices, challenges, and outreach activities of the centers. They met with university senior leadership, program directors, center staff, faculty, and students.

A highlight at both campuses was a roundtable meeting with the FLAS fellows who shared what inspired them to study their language (or languages). The networking among the FLAS fellows at the event was so positive that both universities voiced interest in continuing regular gatherings for FLAS fellows to share their experiences and build the community. Cheryl and Kate are very grateful to their hosts for their hospitality, planning, and insights during the visit.

More than forty different government offices and agencies involved in foreign language training and education are often represented at the monthly Inter-Agency Language Roundtable (ILR).  The purpose of the ILR is to give the agencies, their grant recipients, and professionals outside the government the opportunity to share their work and research.  Last month IFLE hosted the meeting, bringing members of the foreign language education community together at the Department of Education headquarters in Washington, DC.  Themes of the meeting included discussions of best practices in testing for student learning, the differences between proficiency and performance in foreign languages, as well as identifying goals for future projects and initiatives.  Senior Program Officers Dr. Pamela Maimer (in photo) and Tanyelle Richardson, and Program Officer Carla White of IFLE coordinated the ILR meeting. Some highlights of the conference included presentations by representatives and scholars from the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC), the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) and the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL).  

Ms. Bella Cohen of the DLIFLC talked about the challenges in improving the performance of linguists in the field, and presented methods based on authentic materials and activities that  can assist a linguist-in-training in making the transition from the classroom into professional work.  

Dr. Bill Hindle of Language Testing International discussed the work of the American Society for Testing and Materials in establishing performance testing standards.  He noted that there was a need for members of this group to reconvene and to continue to establish more measures that will help foreign language educators better grasp the performance levels of their students.

Is there a significant difference in the proficiency of students who have learned a new language in a teacher-directed in-person model versus an all-online model, or a blended learning model? Deputy Director of the NFLC, Dr. David Ellis made this the focus of his presentation at the ILR Roundtable.  Through an extensive literature review that Dr. Eliis and his colleagues conducted, they found that right now it is very hard to answer that question.  A meta-analysis revealed that different high-quality studies yielded different results, indicating that a lot more work needs to be done in this area of language education.

Dr. Margaret Malone, Associate Vice President of the Center for Applied Linguistics at Georgetown University, discussed how the Title VI Language Resource Centers (LRCs) administered by IFLE, are contributing to world language learning and teaching.  Dr. Malone reminded us of how important culture is to language and recommended new forms of assessment that require language students to use their skills in culturally authentic and relevant situations.  

The Roundtable provided a forum for discussion and innovation in the field of foreign language education. IFLE looks forward to hosting future ILR meetings.

American Fulbrighters Come Together for Fulbright Friday Outreach Gathering in Beijing       

The Fulbright Commission in Beijing hosted the monthly “Fulbright Friday." The event brought together current American Fulbright student scholars, Senior Research Scholars, Fulbright-Hays grantees, and recent American Fulbright alumni, all doing research or working in and around the capital. It provided an opportunity for the Fulbrighters to share their unique experiences, meet other Fulbrighters, discuss their research, bring up problems they face conducting research in China, and propose solutions with each other. Fulbrighters also take advantage of this opportunity to speak with program administrators.

Among the Fulbrighters present at this event was Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) recipient, Robert William-Cole (featured in photo; center) who, like many of the other scholars, was abroad conducting research on archival Chinese history. 

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Announces New Financial Aid Guide

The White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics is excited to announce the release of the ¡Gradúate! Financial Aid Guide to Success (Guide).

The Guide consolidates and outlines, in a culturally relevant way, information and resources made available to better support Hispanic students in their efforts to enroll and afford a postsecondary education. It is available in English and Spanish, and includes recommendations on how to prepare a college application and complete the Federal Aid Form for Student Aid (FAFSA).  It also contains helpful tips on how to choose the right college and financing options, as well as resources for students granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and non-U.S. citizen students.

Access the Guide on the Initiative’s web page.  The guide will also be housed on the U.S. Department of Education’s new online resource page, Educational Resources for New Arrivals & DACA students, designed to help the immigrant community navigate the U.S. educational system.