Dr. Gregory Armstrong of Van Buren, who chairs the Department of World Languages at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, will make two presentations at the annual conference of the Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPLAC) to be held in Cuenca, Ecuador.
One of Armstrong’s topics will be “Integrating Study Abroad into the Curriculum: New National Standards for the Preparation of Spanish Teachers,” which discusses how recently adopted standards for the preparation of Spanish teachers require teacher education programs to provide candidates the opportunity to participate in a structured study abroad program or intensive immersion experience. This presentation explains how UA Fort Smith is implementing the new standards and briefly discusses the assessments used.
The second presentation, “Returnee Perceptions on the Lasting Effects of Study Abroad,” reports the results of a survey sent to 300 study abroad returnees some years after their overseas experience. Armstrong said survey data revealed that the study abroad experience had a marked effect on attitudes, behavior, and second language skills — factors which ultimately impacted their academic, career and life decisions.
Throughout his career, Dr. Armstrong has investigated the impact of language immersion and overseas experience on participants in immersion programs. Between 1977 and 1995, he directed Indiana University’s Honors Program in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
While teaching at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1981-90, 1993-94), he developed and directed programs in Mexico and Madrid for international studies majors and participants in the Donaghey Scholars Program. At UALR, he was awarded a Fulbright-Hays grant for study in Brazil and an international programs grant to train Arkansas language professors in the techniques of using the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).
Dr. Armstrong, who came to UA Fort Smith in August 2004, has published in “Foreign Language Annals,” “The Modern Language Journal,” “Perspectives on Proficiency: Curriculum and Instruction,” “Hispania,” “Creative Approaches in Foreign Language Learning” and “Looking Back and Stepping Forward — 75 Years of Service to the Profession.”
Always an advocate for language and cultural immersion, Armstrong initiated UA Fort Smith’s intensive Spanish language program in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in the summer of 2006. Professor Rosario Nolasco-Bell directed the group in 2007.
UA Fort Smith students will again have the opportunity to earn six hours credit in Mexico during Summer II 2008. Interested students should contact Dr. Armstrong at 788-7961 or garmstro@uafortsmith.edu.
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