Maximizing the Effectiveness of Special Assistance: Insights from Student Perspectives and Classroom Practice

Abstract

The Special Assistance (SA) program serves as a critical intervention at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), as it provides targeted academic support for at-risk students. While the program can provide many benefits, it can also be challenging to manage at a school level and hard to know what students expect and appreciate. This Faculty Forum article reports on students’ perceptions of what they consider to be effective SA sessions. Student survey responses, sensing session feedback, and qualitative reflections reveal that students perceive SA hours as most valuable when instruction is tailored, strategy-rich, and delivered within a supportive environment. Conversely, SA sessions are perceived as least effective when they replicate classroom tasks or are framed as a punitive measure. The article concludes with recommendations for maximizing the impact of the SA program within the Undergraduate Russian School (URU) and DLIFLC. By aligning SA practices with both theory and student experience, faculty can increase learners’ confidence, reduce attrition, and improve outcomes on high-stakes assessments such as the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT). Additionally, implications are discussed with an emphasis on practical strategies instructors can readily apply.