LAWRENCE – A group of twelve universities led by the KU School of Business' Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) program awarded $10,000 in grants to improve methods for teaching business language skills in foreign language programs. The KU CIBER program organized the consortium of university CIBER programs and will host an annual conference in Kansas City next year where grantees will present their fi ndings.
Dr. Ruey-Jiuan Regina Wu, at San Diego State University, received a $5,000 grant to conduct a conversation-analytic study of the conceptualization of “face,” in modern China, or the idea of preserving someone’s reputation. Her research will also explore its implications for teaching business Chinese language skills.
Margaret Gonglewski and Anna Helm, both professors at George Washington University, received $2,500 to explore the use of business cases in the foreign language classroom and identify best practices across disciplines.
Pat McAloon, a graduate student at Ohio State University, received $2,500 to examine non-natives’ use of Chinese at work and evaluate advanced language use in China-related careers.
These grants are the second round of annual awards made possible by the CIBER Consortium for Business Language Research and Teaching. Organized by the KU CIBER, other consortium members include Duke University, University of Florida, University of Hawaii, University of Memphis, Michigan State University, University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, University of Pitt sburgh, University of South Carolina, University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania.
Each university CIBER program pledged a portion of their Title VI CIBER grant funding to establish the grants. KU CIBER Director Melissa Birch said the sheer number of proposals submitt ed this year demonstrates the need for improved methods for blending the teaching of business, language and culture.
“To truly prepare the next generation of U.S. executives to succeed in international markets, we desperately need bett er ways of teaching foreign languages for business purposes,” Birch said.
Award grantees will complete their research projects over the course of the year and will present their fi ndings at the 2009 CIBER Business Language Conference, hosted by the KU CIBER in Kansas City. The annual conference brings together students, teachers and language professionals from around the world.
The KU CIBER is one of only 31 CIBERS in the United States. The primary goal of these centers, funded through matching grants issued by the U.S. Department of Education, is to improve American competitiveness through comprehensive service and educational programs in academic and corporate sett ings.
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