Originally Posted by
tomtom
March 24, 2011
Dear,
Regarding the matter of the teaching of Vietnamese language and culture in the Summer Language Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, I wish to address your concerns as best as possible.
First, it is important that I put the Vietnamese course in the context of our larger Institute. This year, the Texas Language Center is piloting a summer program to teach languages in an intensive, semi--censored-‐immersion, in--censored-‐residence format. That is, students will not only take the regular course of instruction during the day, they will also live in language corridors in the Dobie Residence Hall, together with a resident Teaching Assistant, who will have meals with the students, coordinate language activities in the evening, and tutor the students. In this semi--censored-‐immersion format, successful student will be able to fulfill the language requirement in only one summer.
In such an intensive environment, it is important that we immerse and surround the students with the current, contemporary, authentic linguistic, cultural, and social artifacts of the relevant countries being studied. Thus, for the student of Vietnamese language and culture, it is critical that students be made aware of current variant of the language that is spoken in Vietnam, as recognized by the United States since 1995, and represented by the US Department of State through embassies in both of our countries.
In addition, we have found that a significant number of our students who have completed instruction in Vietnamese at UT in the past have either travelled to Vietnam, or even sought employment there. For such students, accurate knowledge of post--censored-‐1975 Vietnam is essential Our instructors are all fully aware of the requirements of teaching an intensive course, and come to us recommended through their respective departments and all have extensive --censored-‐--censored-‐ and successful --censored-‐--censored-‐ teaching experience.. They are native or near--censored-‐native speakers of the languages and are fully trained in pedagogy, as well as in the language and culture of instruction.
The Texas Language Center stands behind the decisions of our separate language departments to select the most qualified professors to provide quality instruction to our students.
The flags we use on our Center’s website for promotion of the Summer Language Institute are taken directly from the official State Department web pages for each country represented in our program. They are displayed to identify the countries in which the languages we offer are spoken as a native language.
I personally deeply regret any ill feelings that the Vietnamese flag might provoke. I, myself, studied Russian at a time when several of my émigré instructors were offended by the use of the Soviet flag in our textbooks; however, even they admitted that the flag displaying the hammer and sickle was the official flag of the Soviet Union.
I can, however, assure you that in the course of the Vietnamese program offered in the Summer Language Institute, the subject of the Vietnamese--censored-‐American heritage population – including its own flag officially recognized in Texas – will be addressed in the class.
I agree with you that addressing the history of Vietnam and its people is an important part of understanding the current society and country. As the Texas House Resolution 258 regarding the status of the Vietnam Freedom and Heritage Flag, our country is a “welcoming haven of liberty and tolerance,” I stand committed that our summer courses be tolerant of all perspectives when teaching language and culture.
I hope that you might now better understand the very focused pedagogical goals of our Summer Language Institute, and the importance of focusing our instruction on the acquisition of the most current linguistic and cultural realia of each of the five languages we will teach.
Given that Vietnamese was nearly eliminated from our curriculum this past year, I hope that you will see how important it is to all of us that the language is again being taught in our Institute. We have every intention of maintaining the highest pedagogical and practical standards this summer to insure that our students receives the highest caliber of instruction and are able to attain impressive levels of functional proficiency in the language.
Respectfully,
Thomas J. Garza
University Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor and Director
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks