Mission Statement - Objectives

The concrete goals of the CLIC are divided according to programmatic, curricular, professional development and strategic objectives:

PROGRAMMATIC
1. Design, develop and implement an innovative, research-based second language undergraduate curriculum, in close coordination with other academic units.
2. Design, develop and implement an innovative, research-based study abroad curriculum that complements and expands the curricular options offered on campus at Rice University.
3. Identify and develop “best practices” in language teaching through observation, empirical research, and assessed outcomes.


CURRICULAR
4. Lead students to develop critical-thinking abilities to study and learn a second language and to understand their own native language.
5. Teach students the ability to communicate and interact with speakers of a second language (in both oral and written modes of communication).
6. Guide students to become aware of the structural, conceptual, social and cultural aspects associated with language use (including their own native language).


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
7. Prepare and train language teaching faculty through professional seminars, lectures, workshops, and critical analyses of model classrooms.
8. Promote professionalization of language teaching staff through funded research, training, and course development.
9. Encourage and guide faculty to design, implement and share innovative and effective pedagogical practices that will help students achieve their educational goals in a second language course.


STRATEGIC
10. Create theoretically sound and pedagogically effective teaching materials and assessment instruments that can be used in courses taught at Rice University and shared with the larger educational community.
11. Design and implement a program of educational outreach to share the unconventional knowledge developed by the CLIC.
12. Transform the CLIC into a national leader in the design and implementation of curricular and extra-curricular approaches to achieve advanced levels of second language learning and intercultural communication.