Online Venture Expands Opportunities for Pre-College Language Instruction

Can foreign languages be taught effectively online without intensive face-to-face instruction or the cultural immersion programs that have long been the staple of this discipline? That question is being raised by the recent announcement that Middlebury College (Vt.), one of the nation's leaders in foreign language teaching, and K12 Inc., a technology-based education company, have formed a partnership to offer online language programs for pre-college students. The new venture builds on Middlebury's reputation and promises to create and distribute "high-quality, innovative" online language learning courses. It also will expand the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, a language immersion summer program for middle and high school students. The new venture will be called Middlebury Interactive Languages. "The partnership between Middlebury and Kl 2 will expand access to high-quality language learning at a critical juncture," said Ronald D. Liebowitz, president of Middlebury College. "At a time when foreign language opportunities for primary and secondary school students in this country are declining, the need and demand for high-quality language learning is growing exponentially. Learning foreign languages and cultures has never been more important to our nation's competitiveness." Most experts agree that the need for foreign language skills is critical in the current global economy. Yet, according to U.S. Census data, fewer than 18 percent of Americans speak any language other than English while 50 percent of European Union citizens speak a second language. Proponents of more Rosetta Stone language instruction say this lack of language skills puts U.S. students at a disadvantage in today's competitive international marketplace. "There is a huge language gap in this country. It is a crisis in terms of having folks who are proficient in foreign languages," said Liebowitz. "We believe this initiative can revolutionize the way languages are taught and learned in the United States." With studies showing that the ability to learn a second language declines after the age of 6, it is better to educate students in languages at an earlier age rather than wait until they reach college, said Liebowitz. The Middlebury project also addresses a growing need as public schools slash budgets, often targeting language-learning resources for cuts. But Middlebury has practical as well as idealistic reasons for entering this venture. The new company provides another source of revenue for the college, in addition to the traditional flow of money from tuition and endowment funds. It is part of the trend in higher education to look at more diverse financial models, including commercial partnerships. "This initiative will allow us to expand what has been a rather static model in higher education in terms of how we fund what we do," said Liebowitz. "It represents a new revenue stream that will allow us to continue to do what we do so well - that is, fund a human intensive educational experience on campus - and to also expand programs that are strategically important to us." The college has invested $4 million and has a 40 percent share in the new company.

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