institution: Whitman College

language: French

status: Full-time, tenure track

type: TravelFellowship

title: second-year French course

duration: 3 days

description: Last December at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association in Toronto, I spoke with Mike Bush of Brigham Young University. He told me that he had absolute proof that it was possible to increase the retention of French vocabulary and grammar for elementary and intermediate students with some computer-assisted lessons he had developed. I would like very much to visit BYU snd see first-hand if Mr. Bush's claims are true, and, if so, what he does and how he does it. Gary Esarey and I contacted Mr. Bush last year, and he indicated that he would be happy to work with one or both of us if we came to BYU. My plan, if I am awarded the travel grant, is to fly to Utah this spring and spend 1 1/2 days studying BYU's methods. If they are applicable to Whitman's intermediate French program, I would use BYU's methods to revise my second-year class.

outcome: To learn new, computer-assisted methods of teaching French vocabulary and grammar to intermediate students of French in order to increase their retention of factual information.

timeline:

• Spring, 1999- visit to Brigham Young University
• Summer, 1999- revision of second-year French course- if the visit to BYU affords new insights into computer-assisted language learning
• 1999-2000- testing of new methods in French 205-206

amount: $900

breakdown:

Plane fare- $300-$400
2 nights in hotel-$200
3 days meals(including dinner with Michael Bush)- $200
possible honorarium to Mr. Bush-$150