In their efforts to continually assess the impact of the Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) on U.S. K-12 language programs, American Councils staff distribute several surveys each year to exchange teachers, host school mentor teachers, and students of exchange teachers. Survey results paint a deeper and more nuanced picture of how TCLP builds the capacity of language programs, provides cutting-edge professional development to exchange teachers, and brings global perspectives into the lives of students.
In May 2012, TCLP staff distributed a survey for secondary school students of TCLP teachers (and parents of primary students). The survey was emailed to host school mentor teachers and administrators, who were then responsible for disseminating it to students and parents. In total, 261 students and 59 parents/guardians from 11 out of the 25 host schools completed the survey.
The survey results revealed significant gains by students in their Mandarin and Arabic language abilities. Read more for in-depth analysis and quotes from teachers, students, and parents.