Inter-Institutional Collaboration in Arabic Language Instruction

Abstract

Less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) face many challenges, particularly low enrollments in upper-level courses. To overcome this challenge, inter-institutional collaborations have been utilized by many institutions. This chapter presents various models of inter-institutional collaborations supporting the teaching of LCTLs. It focuses specifically on the Great Lakes Colleges Association's Shared Languages Program, exploring its successes and challenges. The chapter uses the Arabic program at Denison University as a model to address challenges facing Arabic language instruction as a LCTL and within the context of small single-person programs. It aims to answer the following questions: What factors contribute to successful inter-institutional collaboration? What obstacles hinder inter-institutional collaboration and result in possible failure?