03-25-04

ISU'S DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES AWARDED U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's department of foreign languages and literatures has received a two-year, $164,000U.S. Department of Education grant for "Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages."

The grant supports course and curriculum development in Iowa State's new "Languages and Cultures for Professions (LCP)"program. The program integrates training in languages and cultures to foster global literacy and is part of IowaState's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

"This program is unique in Iowa and will expand internship and study abroad opportunities, as well as establishcollaborations with the corporate sector," said Mark Rectanus, professor of German and project's director.

The department of foreign languages and literatures has established a second major option for students enrolled in theCollege of Engineering through the LCP program. Rectanus says that the department is also collaborating with thecolleges of Business, Agriculture and Liberal Arts and Sciences to promote global programs with an emphasis on worldlanguages.

"If our students want to compete globally, they need at least a second language and some international experience,"Rectanus said. "We believe that students also need to use a language within the context of the culture, which isembedded in the language. And you can never truly understand the culture unless you speak the language. We know thatgoes hand-in-hand."

Dawn Bratsch-Prince, professor and chair of the department of foreign languages and literatures, and Michelle Mattson,associate professor of German, are co-directors of the LCP program.

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