Scholarships for CARLA Saturday Workshops for Language Teachers

Through a partnership between the Language Center PACE Project and CARLA, scholarships are available for up to five CLA language instructors to attend one of three of the upcoming CARLA Saturday workshops free of charge:

• February 25, 2017 Using Flipped Lessons to Differentiate and Engage Learners
• March 4, 2017 Using Authentic Materials to Develop Students’ Interpretive Communication Abilities
• April 1, 2017: Supercharge Your Teaching with H5P: Creating Rich and Interactive Web Experiences for Language Learners

Scholarships will be awarded to the first five CLA language instructors who apply online for funding for each workshop. Please limit one workshop per instructor.

Questions about this special funding can be directed to Stephanie Treat at treat002@umn.edu. Questions about the workshops can be directed to carla@umn.edu.

Here is the full list of upcoming CARLA Saturday Workshops:

Using Flipped Lessons to Differentiate and Engage Learners
Saturday, February 25, 2017
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Jones 35 or Online
Register online
CLA Language Instructors: Get on a waiting list for a scholarship

Using Authentic Materials to Develop Students’ Interpretive Communication Abilities
Saturday, March 4, 2017
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
University International Center Room 101
Register Online
CLA Language Instructors: Apply for a scholarship

Supercharge Your Teaching with H5P: Creating Rich and Interactive Web Experiences for Language Learner
Saturday, April 1, 2017
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Jones 35 or Online
Register Online
CLA Language Instructors: Get on a waiting list for a scholarship

Enriching the World Languages Curriculum: Incorporating Language Varieties and Registers
Saturday, April 29, 2017
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
University International Center Room 101
Register Online

PACE Presentation: BOSSA at the University of Minnesota: Looking back, looking forward

Thursday, March 2, 2017
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Peik Gym G65

Spring 2017 marks the beginning of the fourth year of BOSSA. During these years, the PACE team has worked closely with students, instructors, and programs to learn about the benefits of using self assessment to support language learning.

In this two-part presentation, aggregated results of the three years of operation will be shown. Instructors will provide insights on approaching the inclusion of BOSSA at the course and class levels.

In the first part, Gabriela Sweet and Anna Olivero-Agney will explain how students’ perceptions of their abilities align with program’s expectations. Furthermore, they will show data that summarize learner strategies: what students choose to do in response to the specific challenges they identify through using the BOSSA protocol. In addition, they will look briefly at accuracy, comparing ACTFL performance data from the PACE Project with student self-assessment data from BOSSA, looking at both the individual and aggregate levels, by semester level of instruction.

In the second part, Helena Ruf and Ginny Steinhagen will provide an overview of a longitudinal study they have conducted using the BOSSA speaking and writing self-assessment protocols. They will discuss practical applications of the BOSSA, including concrete tips for revisiting students’ “strengths / challenges and goals“ throughout the semester, as well as implications of the BOSSA for course design.

Presenters: Anna Olivero-Agney and Gabriela Sweet from the Language Center, and Helena Ruf and Ginny Steinhagen from German, Scandinavian and Dutch

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

PACE Project: ACTFL OPI Tester Training Workshop, May 2017

The PACE Project in collaboration with the PACE PD Peer Team is sponsoring a four-day ACTFL OPI Tester Training Workshop for up to ten language instructors on May 22-25, 2017. The workshop will be facilitated by an expert ACTFL OPI Tester trainer.

This four-day workshop introduces the ACTFL rating scale, the structure of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), and techniques of administering and rating the OPI. Participants observe and conduct live practice interviews across all proficiency levels (Novice through Superior). Participants will critique and discuss interview elicitation, structure, and rating. Participation in this workshop can be the first step towards certification as an ACTFL OPI Tester for those who choose to do so. We hope that participation in this workshop will lead to a greater focus on proficiency and to greater opportunities for student success in developing their proficiency.

The workshop is funded by the PACE Project, which covers the cost of the training plus breakfast and lunch during the four days of participation.

If you would like to apply for this opportunity, please register your interest by February 20, 2017.

Priority will be given to instructors who teach languages funded by the PACE grant, those interested in pursuing full tester certification, and those who are able to attend all four days of the workshop in their entirety.

Participants seeking to become ACTFL Certified Testers will be reimbursed for the ACTFL certification application fee upon obtaining certification.

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

Winner of the $20 Target Gift Card

Thank you to all the language instructors who completed the Professional Development survey. We are pleased to announce that the winner of the $20 Target Gift Card is Keiko Kawakam.

Congratulations Keiko!

The survey provided instructors with an opportunity to assess professional developments efforts during Fall 2016, and express their interests and needs to help the Professional Development (PD) Peer Team plan events for Spring 2017.

A diverse group of sixty instructors completed the survey. Results from the survey show that over 97% of instructors were satisfied with the events offered during the previous semester. Instructors value large events in which they learn about new pedagogical trends, and also smaller events such as open hours in which they interact one-on-one with staff and get the help they need. Instructors proposed the inclusion of topics that deal with everyday classroom experiences. Spring events will aim at showcasing collective experiences and co-mentoring.

If you are interested in sharing your projects and ideas with our instructors, please contact Adolfo Carrillo Cabello at carri093@umn.edu.

CARLA Presentation: Tech Tools for Teaching Language - What Really Works?

Wednesday, January 25, 2017
1:25 - 2:15 p.m.
Nolte 140

This CARLA presentation will highlight the results of a literature review of research into effectiveness of online tools for Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Though the measures used by researchers to determine “effectiveness” varied, there was some consensus about which tools were most helpful based on the research evidence. The presenter will share her synthesis of which tools work best for language acquisition, and will provide an overview of the effective, centrally-supported tools available to UMN language learners and instructors.

Presenter: Catherine Clements teaches English as a Second Language in the Minnesota English Language Program at the University of Minnesota and Computer Assisted Language Learning at Hamline University.
Cosponsored by the Minnesota English Language Program.

PACE Project Featured in CLA Article

Student journalist Tiffany Trawick has provided an overview of the PACE Project in the CLA News and Events article Keeping PACE currently on CLA main page.

TandemPlus Spring 2017 Registration and Orientation

The first week of the semester has come and gone. TandemPlus Spring 2017 Registration is open and off to a great start, with 70 newly registered participants and counting. The free, voluntary TandemPlus Program provides language learners the opportunity to improve second language skills while gaining cultural insight by engaging in conversation exchange with native speakers of the language they are learning. Any and all language and culture learners are encouraged to sign up or re-register. Registration at tandem.umn.edu takes no more than five minutes.

Don’t forget! The TandemPlus Student Association will continue to host monthly events this semester, beginning with the Spring Kick-off and Orientation event on February 9, 2017 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Bruininks 412. More information on this event, and a complete list of spring activities for TandemPlus participants will be available soon.

For more information about TandemPlus, visit the Language Center’s Website, or send us an email at tandem@umn.edu.

Record Number of Courseshare Options Spring 2017

There are more opportunities than ever for University of Minnesota students to explore new languages and culture, thanks to a record number of LANG Courseshare offerings Spring 2017. Courseshare uses technology to send and receive less commonly taught language and culture courses with partner institutions in the Big Ten.

The classes we are receiving from other institutions this semester are:

• LANG 3502 Introduction to Korean History (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• LANG 4171 Beginning Aramaic I Grad Research (Penn State University)
• LANG 2012 Accelerated Catalan II (University of Chicago)
• LANG 3011 Catalan Culture and Society: Art, Music, and Cinema (University of Chicago)
• LANG 2022 Intermediate Czech II (Indiana University)
• LANG 1182 Beginning Filipino II (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• LANG 1162 Beginning Hungarian II (Indiana University)
• LANG 1062 Beginning Persian II (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• LANG 1072 Beginning Polish II (Ohio State University)
• LANG 5112 Advanced Turkish and Azeri IV (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• LANG 1122 Beginning Vietnamese II (Michigan State University)

Although some classes have up to four UMN students enrolled, many were initiated by a single student who requested the course to achieve his or her academic or professional goals.

In addition to receiving courses, we are sending the following courses to other institutions:

• ALL 3586 Cold War Cultures in Korea (University of Maryland)
• CNES 5713 Intro: Ugaritic (Penn State University)

It’s not too early to start planning for Fall 2017. If you have an idea of a course to receive or send, please contact Pablo Viedma, the Language Center Courseshare Specialist, at viedma@umn.edu or email elsie@umn.edu.

Funded Workshop Opportunity for Graduate Students and Junior Faculty

Carnegie Mellon University is offering several A.W. Mellon Fellowships in Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL). Ph.D. students in the Humanities will receive preference, but junior faculty in the Humanities (within 5 years of receiving their Ph.D.), and Masters-level students are also encouraged to apply.

Fellows will receive free tuition and up to $1,000 to cover travel and lodging expenses for a unique summer workshop. Participants can expect to learn about cutting edge learning technologies, how they are changing humanities education, and how they can use these technologies to achieve better learning outcomes.

You can apply online and applications must be received by February 24, 2017 to receive full consideration. Applicants will be notified by March 24. Inquiries can be directed to anorman@cmu.edu.

Welcome Nick Ott to TandemPlus

TandemPlus is happy to welcome Nick Ott as the new TandemPlus Assistant. He takes over from outgoing TandemPlus Assistant Sanaz Jabbari, who has graduated and is working a full-time job until she attends dental school next fall.

Having worked in the Language Center’s Main Office for the past four years, Nick is not a new face to the department. He will be graduating this May with a BSB in Marketing and BA in German, after which he hopes to teach English abroad. Already in the selection process for the Peace Corps and Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship programs, he will know soon to where in the world he is going. Upon his return, he hopes to become a foreign language teacher like many of the professionals he has come to know through his work in the Language Center.

Nick says, “I am excited to work more directly with a program that had such an impact on my college career. I still talk to my 2013 Tandem partner almost every week!”

This semester, Tandem plans to continue building these kind of meaningful relationships centered on language learning! You can reach us at tandem@umn.edu.

2017 CARLA Summer Institute Funding Opportunities

Registration is now open for the 2017 CARLA Summer Institutes!

The one-week institutes run July 10-28, 2017 and cover a variety of topics including second language acquisition basics for teachers, classroom assessment development, content-based instruction, and implementing technology in the second language classroom. In addition, an online five-week session on Using the Web for Communicative Language Learning runs from July 10 to August 13, 2017.

For instructors of French, Spanish and German

The PACE Project will provide funding for up to ten instructors of French and Spanish at the University of Minnesota to attend one of the 2017 CARLA summer institutes. Funding will be awarded to the first ten French and Spanish instructors who apply online before April 1, 2017. Pending availability, funding will be opened up for German instructors who apply online before April 1. Each instructor may apply for funding to only one institute. Please note that some institutes fill up quickly. Please indicate your interest as soon as possible.

Questions about this special funding can be directed to Stephanie Treat at treat002@umn.edu.

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

For LCTL instructors

CARLA offers instructors of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) at the University of Minnesota a special scholarship to attend one of the 2017 CARLA summer institutes. Instructors are required to pay a non-refundable $25 commitment fee, but the balance of the institute cost will be paid by CARLA –a value up to $325! A limited number of scholarships will be awarded to current University of Minnesota LCTL instructors on a first-come, first-served basis until April 1, 2017. Each instructor may apply for funding to only one institute. Please note that some institutes fill up quickly. Please indicate your interest as soon as possible.

Questions about this special funding can be directed to Karin Larson at larso205@umn.edu.

TandemPlus Spring 2017 Registration and Orientation

Welcome back to a snowy campus! Classes are underway again, and that means Tandem registration is open for Spring 2017. The free, voluntary TandemPlus Program provides language learners the opportunity to improve second language skills while gaining cultural insight by engaging in conversation exchange with native speakers of the language they are learning. Any and all language and culture learners are encouraged to sign up or re-register. Registration at tandem.umn.edu takes no more than five minutes.

Don’t forget! The TandemPlus Student Association will continue to host monthly events this semester, beginning with the Spring Kick-off and Orientation event on February 9, 2017 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Bruininks 412. More information on this event, and a complete list of spring activities for TandemPlus participants will be available soon.

For more information about TandemPlus, visit the Language Center’s Website, or send us an email at tandem@umn.edu.

PACE Workshop: Applying adult learning principles in the language classroom

Friday, February 10, 2017
9:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Morning session: Bruininks 312
Afternoon session: Folwell 108
Registration required

This workshop will present and explore what is known about adult learning as applied to language acquisition. Stacey Johnson will present frameworks such as experiential learning, transformative learning, and problem-based learning to serve as models for lesson planning in language courses as ways of engaging students and fostering intellectual development. Participants will have the opportunity to explore and adapt models for instruction that address adult language learners and promote deep learning and critical thinking. In hands-on application of the principles and models, they will create and present a lesson that both meets course expectations and allows for instructional flexibility.

This workshop is for CLA language instructors. It is geared towards multi-section instructors who teach from standard syllabi. Hands-on activities will allow participants to distinguish class-level and unit-level instruction, as well as linking content and experience. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop, syllabus, and textbook.

Join us for a day full of experiential and transformative learning. The morning session will provide opportunities for theory-driven hands-on activities, and the afternoon session will allow for micro teaching demonstrations and reflection. Lunch will be provided for registered participants.

Facilitator: Stacey Margarita Johnson is the Assistant Director for Educational Technology at the Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University. She is the author of Adult learning in the language classroom, and Hybrid language teaching in practice: Perceptions, reactions, and results.

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

Get involved! Join the Professional Development Peer Team

What are your goals for the new year? Looking for ways to get involved in professional development opportunities? Please consider joining the Professional Development (PD) Peer Team. The group is charged with advising the Language Center on professional development opportunities. As a group, we inform the center on topics of interest to language instructors, current challenges, and ideas to help instructors succeed in their courses, as well as grow and advance as professionals. Our group meets once monthly for an hour session. Please contact Adolfo Carrillo Cabello at carri093@umn.edu to get connected.