Bridging the Curriculum Divide: A Proposal for Expressive Writing in World Language Content Courses

Abstract

In 2007, the Modern Language Association (MLA) called for significant changes to world language programs due to a curricular bifurcation between basic language courses and upper-division content courses. Although significant inroads have been made in the last 14 years, the two-tiered curriculum structure still exists in many programs, and the urgency for curricular coherence has been heightened by a dwindling number of language majors coupled with institutional disinvestment in language departments. In practice, when language programs have not undergone a significant redesign, the general remedy for this divide is to include more authentic content in the target language in lower-level courses and to provide opportunities to continue to develop the full range of linguistic skills in upper-level content courses. In this proposal, I enter the conversation surrounding the curriculum divide in language programs and recommend a supplementary approach to previous solutions. I explore the advantages and disadvantages of expressive writing in advanced language courses and propose that including expressive writing assignments in world language content courses will help bridge the divide between lower-level and upper-level curricula. More specifically, I argue that expressive writing encourages students to continue to develop their voice from lower-level courses, to activate their background knowledge and facilitate reflection on course content, and to develop their linguistic skills in lower-stakes writing assignments. I also offer suggestions for adaptable, expressive assignment types for advanced language content courses.