The Language Resource Centers Program makes awards, through grants or contracts, for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating centers that serve as resources for improving the nation's capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages effectively.

An institution of higher education or a combination of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive an award under this part.

Centers funded under this part must carry out activities to improve the teaching and learning of foreign languages. These activities must include effective dissemination efforts, whenever appropriate, and may include—

(a) The conduct and dissemination of research on new and improved methods for teaching foreign languages, including the use of advanced educational technology;

(b) The development and dissemination of new materials for teaching foreign languages, to reflect the results of research on effective teaching strategies;

(c) The development, application, and dissemination of performance testing that is appropriate for use in an educational setting to be used as a standard and comparable measurement of skill levels in foreign languages;

(d) The training of teachers in the administration and interpretation of foreign language performance tests, the use of effective teaching strategies, and the use of new technologies;

(e) A significant focus on the teaching and learning needs of the less commonly taught languages, including an assessment of the strategic needs of the United States, the determination of ways to meet those needs nationally, and the publication and dissemination of instructional materials in the less commonly taught languages;

(f) The development and dissemination of materials designed to serve as a resource for foreign language teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels; and

(g) The operation of intensive summer language institutes to train advanced foreign language students, to provide professional development, and to improve language instruction through preservice and inservice language training for teachers.

The following regulations apply to this program:

(a) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655.

(b) The regulations in this part 669.

The following definitions apply to this part:

(a) The definitions in 34 CFR 655.4.

(b) “Language Resource Center” means a coordinated concentration of educational research and training resources for improving the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages.