Our team goals are to:

• establish an immersion–based language learning environment in which students can acquire and use language for communicative purposes in a cultural context;
• provide experiences through which students develop and extend their understanding of language as a system;
• nurture students’ consciousness of the complexity of the interaction between language and culture;
• provide experiences through which students develop and extend their ability to investigate and explore, think critically, solve problems, and apply communication tools in a variety of situations using multiple strategies, approaches, and techniques;
• provide students with opportunities to explore the relationships and interconnections with languages and with other disciplines;
• establish opportunities for authentic assessment, including the use of video assessment, journals, and portfolios;
• encourage the development of metacognitive skills so that students will become more aware of themselves as language learners and as learners in general;
• foster, in each student, a positive attitude toward the learning of a foreign language, toward him/herself as a learner and practitioner, and toward the appreciation of cultural diversity;
• foster, in each student, the importance of learning and practicing ethical behavior in individual work, collaborative work, and assessment situations;
• challenge students to use appropriate technology to enhance learning and communication;
• encourage and support student participation in a variety of foreign language activities outside the classroom, including language and culture clubs, involvement in authentic language experiences in surrounding communities and travel and study abroad;
• organize international exchanges and partnerships with schools and communities; and
• support and promote the development and dissemination of innovative and integrative pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and philosophy within and beyond the Academy through such activities as publications, web sites, and participation in professional organizations, workshops, presentations, and committee work.