Program articulation and management

The chapter begins with a historical perspective on the main issues related to program management, including the most traditional structures employed in language programs and departments. This background is then used to set the scene for a discussion of the changing landscape of language programs. The field of L2 education is reconsidering, if not yet reformatting, the role and activities of language departments, and this section examines the impetus behind these changes, as well as their curricular and administrative implications. Also relevant is the issue of academic study abroad (SA) programs, which add depth and breadth to the language curriculum but require prudent articulation and management to ensure alignment of the learning goals in the SA context with the mission of the stateside program. In the final sections of the chapter we summarize the path of change we are witnessing and provide some areas that will require the attention of applied linguists and their colleagues.