Language Resources Centers
In 1990, the Department of Education established the first Language Resource Centers (LRCs) at US universities in response to the growing national need for expertise and competence in foreign languages. Nearly twenty years later, there are fifteen LRCs, supported by grants under Title VI of the Higher Education Act, creating a national network of resources to promote the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Led by nationally and internationally recognized language professionals, LRCs create language learning and teaching materials, offer professional development opportunities for teachers and instructors, and conduct research on foreign language learning.
While some centers concentrate on specific language areas and others on foreign languages in general, all share the common goal to develop resources that can be used broadly to improve foreign language education in the United States.
The Language Acquisition Resource Center mission is:
- to increase the numbers of highly competent speakers with knowledge of languages, cultures, and world regions, beginning with youth and focusing particularly on languages critical to international and domestic security and conflict resolution,
- to provide multiple pathways to language study for professional purposes, credentialing and certifying teachers, particularly in less commonly taught languages,
- to enhance our ability to assess, diagnose, and predict oral language competency and performance through innovative, low-cost testing solutions, and
- to conduct research and create technology-enabled, interdisciplinary, system-wide approaches for language teaching and learning.
More information on the founder of LARC, Dr. Gail Robinson.
