Since 1990-91, when the Department established the Memphis Alliance for Foreign Language Education, our goal has been a collaborative dialog between secondary-level instructors of foreign language in the Memphis area, and faculty members at the University of Memphis.  We have attempted to hold one meeting per semester, and have already addressed many issues, among others, grant writing, the "natural" or communicative approach (a pedagogical workshop), second language acquisition theory (a video conference program), foreign language education at the elementary level, and the Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC) housed at the University of San Diego.

Annually the Department sponsors its Language Fair.  Designed to promote the importance of foreign language education, the Fair offers students the opportunity to participate in both competitive activities such as poetry, drama, music, poster/nametag design, folk dancing, and knowledge bowls.  Although all of our Language Fairs have been quite successful, our second Fair in Spring 1992 attracted more than 2,000 high school students from the Memphis area, resulting in the single largest academic event on campus that year.  For the past few years, we have announced the "Foreign Language Teacher of the Year" award for the outstanding foreign language teacher at the secondary level in Memphis and Shelby County.  This award consists of a plaque and a cash prize of $500.  The Fair is enthusiastically supported by secondary teachers from both Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools and allows us to recruit the most academically-oriented high school students in the area.  It also illustrates dramatically to what extent the University of Memphis can serve as an urban service unit.
 

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