World language program articulation is the sequencing and coordination of programs across and within different levels. It can refer to transition points between institutions, like high school and college, or transitions between course levels within the same program. Articulation also describes the horizontal coordination that may occur between different sections of the same course offered by different instructors, or at different schools.
K-16 World Language Program Articulation
The AELRC is conducting a national study to understand how language programs bridge K-12 and college language study. The K-16 Language Program Articulation Project is a collaboration between the AELRC and its research partners: ACTFL and CAL.
K-16 World Language Program Articulation
Applicable languages: Any
Applicable levels: All
Why is this research needed?
The successful transition from secondary to post-secondary language programs is essential for developing high-level language learners and robust language programs. However, programs and students may encounter challenges that make transitions more difficult such as a lack of appropriate placement tests or issues with how course credit is awarded. Given the ongoing crisis of declining world language enrollments in higher education (Lusin, et al., 2023), it is critical to understand and support students in continued language study. This study fills a critical gap in understanding the perspectives, challenges, and practices of current programs.
What is Program Articulation?
What will the K-16 World Language Program Articulation Project accomplish?
The study will explore the extent to which effective K-16 articulation is facilitated by state-level policies, incentives including the Seal of Biliteracy, and the policies and practices of institutions and language programs. In this way, this project aims to magnify the underlying issues of equity and articulation through documenting how students’ skills and achievements are recognized as they matriculate into higher education, the barriers they encounter, and what can be done to overcome them.
Want to get involved in this project?
Throughout 2024, the AELRC will be recruiting world language teachers and administrators across a variety of language program levels and languages to complete virtual focus group interviews and an online questionnaire. Students over the age of 18 who have previously or currently studied a world language are also invited to participate.
Fill out our questionnaire to be added to receive emails about participation opportunities.
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Want to read more about world language program articulation?
Check out the recommended further reading below:
Byrnes, H. (1990). Foreign language program articulation from high school to the university.
ERIC Digest. Eric Publication
Huntley, E. (2021). “They didn’t know what to do with me”: Transitioning from the high school Arabic classroom to college foreign language study. MSU Working Papers in SLS 2021 (Vol. II).
Lord, G., & Isabelli, C. (2014). Program articulation and management. In M. Lacorte (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of Hispanic applied linguistics (pp. 150–167). Routledge.