Perceptions of the Culture and Communications Standards

This article discusses the impact of the Standards for Foreign Language Teaching in the 21st Century on language programs at American universities. Surveys were administered to American students and to faculty at a university in Spain asking questions about the five goal areas of the standards. Responses from these groups were analyzed and compared with responses of faculty at American institutions. Although most faculty informants in the U.S. and in Spain said they were familiar with the goals of the standards, findings indicate that grammatical accuracy is perceived to be the primary focus of language programs in the U.S. Faculty in the U.S. reported that they felt underprepared to teach culture and communication skills and unsure of the role of linguistics in the development of students' language proficiency.