An Experiment with Ethnicity and Foreign Languages in a Black College*

Abstract

ABSTRACT This pilot project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1978–79, had as its goal the integration of the cultures of French and Spanish‐speaking black populations into elementary and intermediate college language courses. The major activities of the project were: (1) a two‐week workshop for teachers in Afro‐French‐Hispanic literatures and cultures; (2) the preparation of course manuals for French and Spanish language courses by Hampton Institute faculty; (3) the teaching of these materials for two semesters at Hampton Institute. The 15 teachers from historically Black universities and colleges who joined the Hampton Institute faculty during the summer workshop, taught black francophone and hispanophone cultural materials according to their respective textbook and classroom situations. The overall results of the experimental program have been rewarding and positive. Hampton Institute is the recipient of a second NEH grant for the development of modules which incorporate Afro‐French‐Hispanic cultural elements for elementary French and Spanish courses during 1979–80.