Mellon Fellow Program
Post-Doctoral Fellows | Collaborative Groups | Adjunct Fellows
From 1987-2001, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded the NFLC's Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS). The institute provided support to scholars for empirical research projects that had the potential for direct impact on the teaching and learning of foreign languages. For 14 years, while the program was active, numerous individual scholars and several collaborative groups benefited from this unique opportunity to focus their efforts on research.
The Adjunct Fellows Program was established in 1994 as a three-year pilot project and was renewed in 1997. Through this program, former Mellon fellows continue their relationship with the NFLC and IAS, and, when possible, spend a month in residence at the Center working on the NFLC's activities, as well as their own scholarship. Their expertise is often called upon as the NFLC explores new initiatives, develops and carries out projects, and plans conferences and publications, etc.
The following lists highlights IAS and Adjunct Fellows:
INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES FELLOWS
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS
Edward M. Anthony, Professor and former Chairman, Linguistics Department, University of Pittsburgh: A prototype computer-assisted method for teaching the reading of Thai for application to the reading of other Devanegiri-derived alphabets.
Rune Bergentoft, Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Sweden: A survey of foreign language policy in 14 European countries.
Elizabeth D. Bernhardt, Associate Professor, Foreign Language Education, Ohio State University: An assessment framework to guide research on the improvement of reading proficiency. The research included an analysis of the reading of various genres of texts by 1,000 high school students to determine different reading strategies for students at various levels of skill.
Richard D. Brecht, Associate Professor, Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Maryland: Analysis of the contribution of study abroad to foreign language learning. The research included a statistical study of increases in language learning among American students enrolled in the study of Russian at Leningrad and Moscow Universities.
Michael Byram, Professor of Education, University of Durham, England: Evaluation and assessment of the significance of immersion programs for varying lengths of time in the context of "socio-cultural competence."
Heidi Byrnes, Chairman and Associate Professor of German, Georgetown University: Investigation of hesitation phenomena among students studying German as a second language at various levels of proficiency. The research comprised a detailed analysis of the use of pauses and other linguistic fillers as an indication of progress in language acquisition.
Craig Chaudron, Professor and Chair, Department of English as a Second Language, University of Hawaii at Manoa: Observation and evaluation of communicative language teaching.
Jeff Connor-Linton, Associate Professor, Applied Linguistics, Georgetown University: The creation of a form-function model of interlanguage development.
Robert DeKeyser, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, University of Pittsburgh: An examination of the need for and the role of explicit knowledge of grammatical rules by learners acquiring a second language in a classroom setting.
David Dwyer, Professor of Anthropology, Michigan State University: Strategic planning for curricular development of African languages in U.S. academic institutions.
J. David Edwards, Executive Director, National Council for Languages and International Studies: Investigation of the role of languages and international education in education reform efforts with a specific focus on how the language community can best develop a coherent framework for national language policies, and the nature of the interface between professional and language policies.
Rebecca Freeman Field: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania: Final analysis and write-up of her ethnographic and discourse analytic study of bilingualism and education in a predominately Puerto Rican community in North Philadelphia. Her research will inform the future development of foreign language policy, programs, and practices that promote the teaching and learning of Spanish.
Thomas Garza, Assistant Professor, Slavic Languages, University of Texas: Study of the use of close-captioning (the kind used in films and television for the deaf) to assist regular learners in the acquisition of Russian language skill. The research included both the preparation of close-captioned materials and the observation of their effect on different kinds of learners.
Tony Giovanazzi, Independent Consultant and former Chief Inspector for modern languages at the Scottish Education Department in Edinburgh: Examination of the theme of Languages and Work, especially the situation of English-speaking countries, focusing on the integration of content with work-related language courses and opening up questions of feasibility. He is currently assisting the UK Department of Trade and Industry in a national campaign to promote languages in the business world.
C. Raymond Graham, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Brigham Young University: Study of language skill attrition among returned Mormon missionaries. The research included a detailed linguistic analysis of skill loss in Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish after varying periods of time by students at different levels of competency.
Charles Hancock, Professor, Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University: Examination of alternative methods of assessment in foreign and second language learning and the relationship between teaching, testing, and assessment in foreign language programs.
Juergen K. Hoegl, Research Scientist, Illinois State Board of Education: A survey of recent state level initiatives in changing foreign language requirements and improving the instructional system. The research included a study of federal support to states for foreign language programs, coverage of the less commonly taught languages, distance learning, teacher and student exchange programs abroad, multi-state consortia, and foreign language teacher shortages.
Gloria Hooper-Raspberry, Director, English Language Institute, Syracuse University: Investigation of the motivational and attitudinal factors on second language learning, focusing on the experience of African-Americans.
