What Makes a Strong Language Program? Designing Pathways and Participation in the Age of AI

Abstract

Foreign language programs in U.S. higher education are facing new questions about their value. Generative AI, machine translation, and shifting enrollment patterns are changing how students think about language learning and why they might choose to continue. AI does not make language learning unnecessary, but it does make us ask more clearly what students gain from being part of a language program. This presentation begins with that question: what does it mean for a language program to be “strong,” especially when the program is a minor-only Japanese program?

Building on discussions of language program vitality and learning environment design, I share an emerging program architecture that is guiding the development of the Japanese program at Utah State University. My focus is on how different parts of the program can work together: core language courses, one-credit courses, peer tutoring, extensive reading, cultural activities, student contribution, and a Japanese Cultural Hub. The aim is not to create as many options as possible, but to create guided flexibility. In other words, students need multiple ways to enter and participate, but they also need a clear sense of how they can move through the program.

In this model, the program is not only a course sequence. It is a learning environment where students can meet peers across proficiency levels, take part in community-oriented learning, and gradually see themselves not only as students taking Japanese courses but also as contributors to the program. I present this model not as a finished solution, but as a design hypothesis. If a program creates guided pathways, cross-level visibility, voluntary contribution, and intentional spaces for participation, it may become stronger in its capacity to support sustained learning. The presentation also invites discussion about future program evaluation: how students enter, how they move through the program, and what proficiency levels they reach along the way.

Presenters