A student interested in studying a foreign language should consider the Harvard Extension School. This year's offering of 13 foreign languages (see chart at right), most of which are taught at least through the intermediate level, range from traditional courses in the Romance Languages to courses in such less commonly taught languages as Arabic, Czech, Korean, and Swedish. "The Extension School has a proud tradition in foreign language instruction, especially in the less commonly taught languages, many of which are offered in only a handful of universities in New England," reports Raymond Comeau, Assistant Dean of University Extension and Director of Foreign Language Instruction in Continuing Education. "Last year, for example, we offered Turkish for the first time, and in years past we have offered Dutch, Persian, Sanskrit, Polish, and Old Norse." Why are students attracted to Extension School foreign language courses? Anecdotal evidence provided by Extension School instructors indicates a variety of reasons. Some instructors--those in Chinese and Korean, for example--report that their students often wish to establish contact with their family roots. (These Chinese- and Korean-American students are called "heritage learners.") Other instructors are struck by the practical orientation of their adult students. "Most of my students have a real reason--business or travel, a personal relationship, a family tie--for taking my course," states Annette Johansson-Los, Teaching Assistant in Swedish. Still others report that their students are motivated mainly by personal interest. "I have noticed that my students embark on their study of Russian mostly as a project of love and personal interest," reports Patricia Chaput, Professor of the Practice of Slavic Languages. One point all Extension School foreign language instructors would agree upon, however, is that Extension School students are in their classes because they want to learn. As Jinyu Li, Preceptor in Chinese, observes, "They are not there simply to chase an A." The high quality of teaching is another motivation for students. Whereas foreign language instructors normally account for about 10 percent of the entire Extension School faculty, they accounted for 45 percent of the Extension School instructors receiving a perfect student course evaluation score of 5 (20 of 44) in 1995-96. In 1990, to recognize and reward the exceptional teaching of its foreign language faculty, the Harvard Extension School established a foreign language teaching award, the Carmen S. Bonanno Prize for Excellence in Foreign Language Teaching, funded by the family and friends of a former Extension School language student. Last year, Dr. Mary Berg, Lecturer on History and Literature, who teaches SPAN E-1x Spanish: Reading for Information and SPAN E-1y Spanish: Reading and Translation, was selected for the Bonanno Prize from among nine deserving instructors nominated by their students.

Not content with their outstanding success in the classroom, Harvard Extension School faculty members are currently involved in a group effort to refine their approach to teaching adults. In an October meeting attended by 12 interested faculty members, a list of suggestions for enhancing communication, building a sense of community, and reducing anxiety was drawn up, and more suggestions are expected to be developed in forthcoming meetings. "We will not be satisfied until we have adapted foreign language instruction as fully as possible to the needs and learning styles of the adults we serve," promises Dean Comeau.