The Role of Translation Education and "Humanities Plus" in Liberal Education
During the past few years, many scholars have been re-evaluating both the “what” and the “how” of liberal education. These re-evaluations have sought to define liberal education in ways that go far beyond the classic formulations of the Yale Report of 1828 and Cardinal Newman’s Idea of a University. In particular, the new definitions emphasize the need for pragmatic and experiential education along with Newman’s “cultivation of the intellect.” For several reasons, translator education fits this modern approach to liberal education quite well. First, as students develop translation competence, they hone the critical thinking skills associated with traditional liberal education. Second, as students fulfill translation internships in community settings, they gain practical experience that helps them see how their critical thinking skills apply to the professional world. The Spanish translation major at Brigham Young University illustrates how such an experiential program can work.
Out of the Labyrinth: The Role of Foreign Language in General Education.
With different goals, content, and learning strategy, introduc tory language study cuts against the grain of liberal education.1 Indeed, some doubt whether a oneor two-year language re quirement with emphasis on basic skills even qualifies as lib eral. As a consequence, language courses are typically rele gated to a slot in the set of general education requirements separate from (and often of lesser importance than) others that may constitute a liberal studies core. Separate and unequal is how things stand in the National Endowment for the Humani ties' "50-Hours Curriculum." Even though 12 of the 50 hours are allotted to a second language, proportionately not an insig nificant chunk, they remain outside the "core" of the 50-Hours program?the 18 hours of "Cultures and Civilizations" in which many foreign texts are read in translation. Only if first year students qualify for advanced placement in foreign lan guage and can meet the language requirement by taking a third-year language course do they begin, in the 50-Hours model, to engage original texts and liberal content (Cheney 1989, 29). Integrity in the College Curriculum, a 1985 report of the American Association of Colleges, does not, it is worth noting, include foreign language courses in its "minimum required cur riculum." "The study of foreign language and literature," in the report's words, "can be enriched by exploring the culture of which it is an artifact" (23). One may well question the "integ rity" of a curriculum that regards language as a mere artifact of
Science fairs as learning tool for teaching excellence
Science fairs are usually considered to be a pedagogical and cultural activity that involves the students actively. Gifted students need challenges to further develop their skills while maintaining the motivation level. Science fairs may provide the informal environment that will request and allow these students of excellence to challenge themselves by developing a scientific research project. Despite being well known in different countries, in Portugal first steps are being made on the use and implementation of science fairs as effective pedagogical tool. In this work, we will present a 4 years study that was developed on a Portuguese school with the main goal of evaluating the advantages of this informal way of teaching. The study includes an analysis of the evolution of the students’ knowledge that have participated, or visited, the different science fairs. Some advices for the implementation of these projects will be given. The motivation of the students was monitored as well as the knowledge and skills effectively improved by this activity.