SV-2007-0007 CLS Post-Program Survey

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes (CLS) 2007

Post-Program Survey

Please know that your answers will be strictly confidential and will in no way affect your participation in this or future programs. The information you provide will help us design programs that better meet the needs of participants in future Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) and other educational programs.

Please feel free to give us your honest opinions. This survey is not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. Thank you for your participation in this survey.

This survey will be administered to all CLS program participants. Target language is defined as the language you will be studying during the CLS program exchange, and host country is the country where the CLS Institute is located.

Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements:

The information solicited on this survey is requested pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62) and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act (22 U.S.C. 2451, et seq.). In order to ensure that the U.S. Department of State’s international exchange programs meet statutory program requirements (22 U.S.C. 2460(c)), the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) regularly monitors the programs, gathers data about program accomplishments, and evaluates selected ones. ECA uses the information collected to inform program design, management, and funding. All personal information that is collected through surveys is considered confidential. All responses are coded to ensure the confidentiality of individual responses. Data collected under this study will not be shared, sold, or used for fundraising purposes. Survey data and findings will be used only in an aggregate form for the express purposes of fulfilling the data needs of the outcome assessment. Responses to this survey are voluntary.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average thirty (30) minutes to respond to this survey, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to: A/ISS/DIR, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520.

1. Exchange programs provide participants with many important opportunities for learning and engaging people from other countries. In the table below, please select the three most important accomplishments of your program.

Accomplishments	
Learned and practiced target language
Represented the U.S. abroad
Learned about the culture of the host region
Shared my culture with others
Built relationships with host country students and their families
Increased my understanding of contemporary host country and host country society, people, and culture
Learned more about host country history – ancient to modern
Other? (Write in)

2. Please elaborate on the impact of any of these or other accomplishments, not listed above.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Please rate your satisfaction with the following program components. Please check one box in each row.

	Very Dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neutral	Satisfied	Very Satisfied
Administration
Content
Variety of Experiences
Relevance of program to professional or educational development

4. Please rate your satisfaction with the following specific program components. Please check one box in each row.

	Very Dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neutral	Satisfied	Very Satisfied
Information received about the program prior to departure
Pre-program orientation in the U.S.
Pre-program orientation in host-country
Administration/logistics (e.g., program events were well planned, and run efficiently)
Language course materials
In-class language instruction
In-class cultural and other instruction
Language course instructors
Quality of language course instruction
Opportunities to use target language outside of the classroom
Cultural activities
Tutors/Language partners
Homework load
Access to internet connectivity/email, adequate computing facilities
Access to libraries/information
American Overseas Research Center/Partner University facilities
American Overseas Research Center/Partner University staff
Weekend trips
Opportunities to interact with local people
Short home stays (where applicable)
Sensitivity of program to your cultural or religious needs
Housing
Meals
Stipend

5. To what extent do you think the cultural activities provided through the Critical Language Scholarship Program contributed to your learning of the target language? Please check one box.

No, not at all	A little	A good deal	A great deal

6. Did the Critical Language Scholarship Program meet your expectations? Please check one box.

Did not meet expectations	Was below expectations	Met expectations	Was above expectations	Exceeded expectations

7. What did you accomplish or learn, during this visit to your host country, that you could not accomplish or learn at home? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Please rate your target language skill level BEFORE you entered into the NSLI program. Please check one box in each row.

	None	Beginner	Advanced Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
Speaking target language
Oral comprehension of target language
Reading target language
Writing target language
Overall language competency

9. Please rate your current target language skill level NOW. Please check one box in each row.

	None	Beginner	Advanced Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
Speaking target language
Oral comprehension of target language
Reading target language
Writing target language
Overall language competency

10. As a result of your participation in this Summer Language Institute, did you improve your target language skills level? (Please check one box in each row.)

	No, not at all	A little	A good deal	A great deal
Speaking target language
Oral comprehension of target language
Reading target language
Writing target language
Overall language competency

11. What do you think is the most valuable feature of the CLS Program for learning your target language?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. What do you think is the least valuable feature of the CLS Program for learning your target language?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Which of the following statements accurately reflects your immediate plans to study your target language? Please check “yes” if the statement accurately reflects your immediate plans and “no” if it does not.

	Yes	No
I am enrolled in a course for my target language at my university or another academic institution
I intend to enroll in a course for my target language at my university or another academic institution within the next six months.
I intend continue my target language studies through private lessons or a tutor.
I intend to continue my target language studies on my own through the use of self-tutoring guides, videos, books, etc.
I intend to engage in academic or work-related research in the target language within the next six months.
I intend to reinforce my language studies by utilizing various media outlets in the target language (i.e., radio, television, movies, music and Internet).
I intend to reinforce my language studies by reading newspapers, books and/or magazines in the target language.
I intend to seek out conversation with friends, instructors and/or colleagues in the target language.
I intend to maintain contact with host-country nationals I met while studying my target language.
I am currently enrolled in a language program, internship or have a job with an organization in my host country or country where the language I studied this summer is used.
I intend to return to my host country or another country where the language I studied this summer is used to attend a language program, intern or work within the next six months.

14. Are there any additional opportunities you intend to undertake to complement or strengthen your target language studies following your participation in the Critical Languages Scholarship Program?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Do you see yourself using your target language as part of a future profession? Please check one box.

	
Yes
No
Not sure yet

16. Are you employed by or plan to work in the following institutions and /or organizations when you enter the job market? Please check all that apply.

	
Academia
International NGOs
Think-tanks
U.S. Government, The State Department
U.S. Government, Other Agency (e.g., USAID, DOJ, CIA)
Multi-lateral Institutions (e.g., UN, The World Bank)
Private International Development Firms
Private Business
Other: __________________________
Undecided

17. Do you think you will remain in contact with people you met during your exchange program?

	
Yes
No

18. Do you think you will establish or continue professional collaborations that grew out of your exchange experience?

	
Yes
No

19. If you answered “yes’ to either question 17 or 18 above, do you have any specific comments to add?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Do you think you will share your program experience or the knowledge you gained during your exchange in any of the following ways? Please check one box in each row.

	Yes	No
Participate in media interviews (newspaper, television, radio, internet)
Give presentations to community, neighborhood, school or university groups
Write newspapers articles, including editorials and opinion pieces.
Write academic books
Write non-academic books
Write academic articles—for journals or academic publications
Other (please write in):

21. Please rate your knowledge or understanding of the following topics. (Please check one box in each row.)

	No Knowledge	Less Than Basic	Basic Knowledge	Beyond Basic	Advanced Knowledge
Host country political system
Host country economy
Host country values and culture
Religious and ethnic diversity in host country
Freedom of speech and press in the host country
Voluntary community service in the host country
Daily life in the host country

22. How much did participation in the program change your understanding or knowledge of the following topics? Please check one box in each row.

	No change	Minimal change	Moderate change	Substantial change
Host country political system
Host country economy
Host country values and culture
Religious and ethnic diversity in the host country
Freedom of speech and press in the host country
Voluntary community service in the host country
Daily life in the host country

23. How do you view the host country government and the host country people?

	Strongly Unfavorable	Generally Unfavorable	Neither favorable or unfavorable	Generally Favorable	Strongly Favorable
Host country government
Host country people

24. How did your views of the host country government and the host country people change as a result of your program participation? Please check one box in each row.

	Much Less Favorable	Less Favorable	No Change	More Favorable	Much More Favorable
Host country government
Host country people

25. How do you view the host country government and its relationship with your home country?

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree or Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The host country government is a trustworthy partner for my country.

26. Do you have any suggestions for improvement of the program?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Which Summer Language Institute did you attend? __________ (drop down)

28. What year of university have you most recently completed?

Year of Education
1st Year undergraduate		1st Year graduate
2nd Year undergraduate		2nd Year graduate
3rd Year undergraduate		3rd Year graduate
4th Year undergraduate		4th Year graduate
5th Year undergraduate		5th Year graduate

29. Are you considering adding or changing your field of study or major as a result of your participation in this program?

	
Yes
No
Not sure yet

30. If you answered yes to Question 29, what field or study or major/minor will you add or change to?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

31. Home state: _________________ (drop down)

32. How old are you? (drop down)

33. Sex:

	
Female
Male

34. What is your ethnicity/race?

	
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black (non-Hispanic)
Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White (non-Hispanic)

35. Do you have immediate family ties to the host country or to that region of the world? Please check all that apply.

	
Mother
Father
Maternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Paternal Grandfather
Not applicable

36. Do you know about and have you registered for the State Department Alumni website, https://alumni.state.gov?

	
Yes, I know about it and I have registered
Yes, I know about it but I have not yet registered
Yes, I know about it but I do not plan to register
No, I do not know about it

We encourage you to visit the website!

37. Thank you for completing this survey! If you have additional comments you would like to make, please do so here.

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38. How long did it take you to complete this survey? ______minutes

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

SV-2007-0007 0 OMB No. 1405-0158

FP 04-17-2007 Expiration Date: 02/29/2008

Estimated Burden: 30 Minutes