Are there other FL faculty in programs like mine, which has 3 professors and 9 FT instructors, with all participating in the basic language sequence and no particular leader or SLA czar? If so, are you under a mandate for “program consistency” and if that is the case, how do you coordinate? Why I ask: of 9, only the 2 with the most training / experience are willing to reflect on goals and methods, come up with a common program.
The others say their ways are their ways and that is that. What steps could be taken toward program consistency in this situation? We have a common textbook, not a very good one, chosen by a stacked committee that had personal interests in the vendor, and now common syllabi and exams produced from above. This does not mean, however, that goals and methods are shared, or that the common materials are actually used by all unadulterated (I also admit to adulterating out of desperation, and the only one who doesn’t admit to it, has in fact been adulterating for years).
Is there any remedy for this situation or do we just maintain strong identities and soldier on?
(I am tired of being burned by being the only one trying to be truly cooperative, and thus not getting to do any of the things that please me … while everyone else goes ahead, secretly or openly, and does what they like. This is why I, too, now adulterate.)
Has anyone else ever had an experience like this? Our result is great confusion for the students, and great inefficiency in learning. (There are other factors, like people needing good evaluations and so being very easy, or having too much grading so only assigning fill-in-the-blank exercises.)
Is there an answer?
Seminario Permanente de Teoría y Crítica 