Part of the testimony of Carl Falsgraf, Director, Center for Applied Second Language Studies, University of Oregon, before the Oregon House Education Subcommittee on Higher Education on 2/14/07:
The Center for Applied Second Language Studies was recently awarded $300,000 to develop a statewide roadmap for global competitiveness focusing on enhancing the human capital necessary to compete not only with Washington and California but also with Guangzhou, Punjab, County Cork and Dubai. We will convene leaders from the business committee, social service agencies, state government, especially the Department of Education, and other higher education institutions to outline a strategy for developing linguistically and culturally proficient Oregonians capabale of managing Oregon's international relationships in the 21st century....
...In order for the Oregon Roadmap to truly become an engine for global competitiveness, however, we need three things from you:
* Participation in developing the Roadmap: I will send a formal invitation to the Chairman of the Committee. I hope that he or a designee from the committee will join us in mapping Oregon's global future.
* Support for creating new K-12 programs: Research has shown that immersion programs produce culturally and linguistically competent citizens. Heritage speakers are currently a vital, untapped resource. If this committee can create incentives for districts to establish and maintain immersion and heritage programs, this investment will be one of the best you can make.
* Scholarships for global leaders: Flagship Scholars and other students need an incentive to remain in the state. We need help to compete with Stanford, Berkeley, and the University of Washington. A fighting fund of scholarship money strategically targeted at the best and the brightest bilingual and bicultural scholars graduating from our high schools will keep the next generation - the one that will need to compete with rising powers such as China, India, and Russia - to meet the challenge and ensure Oregon's economic and social health....
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