Conversations in the Language Center: World Languages Day!

The Language Center is starting a new audio podcast series titled Conversations in the Language Center. We will be presenting and discussing a variety of topics revolving around the Language Center including technology in the foreign language curriculum, languages across the curriculum, opportunities for speaking languages with partners from other cultures, and initiatives of the Language Center highlighting center staff and programs.

Our first episode focuses on World Languages Day, which this year is May 18th. Listen to these conversations:

• Stephanie Treat the World Languages Day Coordinator interviewed by Zhen Zou, Educational Specialist at the Language Center on WLD planning


• Rick Treece, a past instructor on World Languages Day, talking with the Language Center's Technical Coordinator, Diane Rackowski


• Teran Pederson, a current University student who is working on planning WLD this year and is a past student participant talking to the Language Center's IT Fellow, Lindsey Lahr

Stay tuned as Alyssa Ruesch tells us about the latest news and events at the Language Center. This podcast is hosted by the Language Center Director, Dan Soneson.


Listen to Episode 1 of LC Podcast - World Languages Day

World Languages Day: Step One on My Journey to Italy

In my high school French class, hearing English spoken by the instructor was an unmistakable sign of important news. Naturally, my studious tenth-grade self stopped packing up my materials and paid attention to the announcement. "We have been invited to attend World Languages Day at the University of Minnesota in a few weeks. This is a great opportunity for you all to not only experience languages other than French, but to earn a little bit of extra credit as well." These were the only words spoken in English we had heard in the past 55 minutes and, at least to me, some of the best spoken all day.

The opportunity to leave my humble town of 80,000 people to venture into Minneapolis was not something to be turned down. Little did I know that what I thought to be a chance to get out of town (and class) for a day would be the catalyst that helped me to realize experiences in life of which I wanted to be a part.

My initial introduction to the University of Minnesota left me in awe. My first memorable impression of the campus was of the giant "M" fused into the floor at the entrance to Coffman Union. I felt instantly connected to the campus due to the fact that the maroon and gold of the "M" were my high school's colors as well as the university's. After being formally welcomed by staff in the Great Hall, my classmates and I participated in a short tour of campus as we were guided to the Knoll area. I remember walking through the Mall staring up at Northrop and thinking how magnificent and collegiate it seemed. I was immediately intrigued. Once we reached our destination, majestic Folwell Hall, I knew that this was the university that I needed to attend. Solely based on my observations of the campus, I was fully convinced of the possibilities and opportunities the university offered before I even entered a classroom.

The classes I participated in throughout World Languages Day only solidified my interest in attending actual classes at the U of M. The language classes were fun, engaging, and different from any of the French classes I had taken at my high school. I was introduced to Latin playwrights, the Greek alphabet, and Italian greetings and phrases. Not only was I learning about the different languages, but I was introduced to the culture behind the languages as well. This was a welcome substitution for the usual grammar and vocabulary I would have otherwise been learning that day.

The Italian class had an especially significant impact on me and my college career. After applying and being accepted to the U, I was faced with the decision of choosing a foreign language to study. I recalled my time spent at World Languages Day and remembered how much fun I had had learning greetings, the correct pronunciation of gnocchi, and a few of the vast amount of hand gestures used by Italians. Having some background knowledge of the language from participating in World Languages Day helped me choose Italian to fulfill my foreign-language requirement.

Attending the Italian classes offered at the U has led me to pursue a minor in Italian in conjunction with my major in English and to study abroad for a summer in Lecce, Italy. All of these experiences which essentially resulted from attending World Languages Day are those which I will always remember and be influenced by. I believe that World Languages Day was one of the major deciding factors in my decision to attend the University of Minnesota and helped me realize the amazing opportunities learning a second language could open up.

The Digital Content Library: The U of M's answer to YouTube

What do the Human Language Series, an esteemed linguistics instructional series, and Skärgårdsdoktorn, a popular Swedish medical drama have in common? They are both protected and shared through the Digital Content Library (DCL) at http://dcl.umn.edu/.

The DCL is a combined resource of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the College of Design (CDes). It offers media in multiple forms, including video. This digital video is password protected and available only to U of M students, faculty and staff.

The video available through the DCL is of average quality, equivalent to clips on YouTube. It may not be the best choice for showing a full-length film in class, but it's an excellent resource for sharing shorter clips in class, or allowing students to watch entire films at home.

By request, almost any item in the Language Center video library can be digitized for instructional purposes. Currently, over 125 films in the Language Center film library have been digitized, some in their entirety, and some only select clips. You can search for films on our website at http://filemaker.cla.umn.edu/LangCtr/findrecords.php. If the film is available through the DCL, there will be a link at the bottom of the item detail page.

As a bonus, the DCL has given us DVD copies of VHS tapes that have been digitized. As part of the digitizing process for tapes, the DCL must make a DVD first. We have been given permission to circulate these DVD copies, and many VHS tapes have been archived and replaced with DVDs in our library. The DVDs are of no better quality than their VHS originals, and they lack standard DVD menus, although they do have chapters set approximately every ten minutes. When these DVD copies have been put into circulation, the original VHS tape is no longer available for check out.

Circulating these burned DVDs is a good option for films that are not commercially available in the United States. However, whenever possible, we strongly recommend that instructors purchase films on DVD instead of relying on a DVD copy of a VHS tape. The quality of a purchased DVD is far superior to a copy of a tape, and purchasing the standard format when available (currently DVD) will help us stay within the spirit of copyright protection.

If you have never visited the DCL, you should definitely check it out at http://dcl.umn.edu/. You'll be amazed at the wealth of materials available for you and your students.

Spring 2010 iTeach Workshops

The Language Center is pleased to announce the Spring 2010 iTeach Workshops. For more information about these topics, please see the iTeach Workshop Wiki.

Camtasia Relay: Capture your Screen and Share with Students
Thursday, February 18; 12:20 - 1:10 pm, Jones 30
Camtasia Relay is a tool that allows you to make videos of your computer screen that you can share with your students online. This tool is particularly useful if you want to narrate a lecture and show other computer applications to your students. It's also a good way to quickly create online tutorials to demonstrate how to use technology tools for your class. In this hands-on session, you'll practice narrating and capturing your computer screen, uploading the file to MediaMill* and sharing the link with others.
Presenter: Alyssa Ruesch, CLA Language Center
*This session will be most useful to you if you already have a MediaMill account. To request an account, email mmhelp@cla.umn.edu

Student-Created Videos for Communication and Reflection
Wednesday, February 24; 1:15 - 2:15 pm, Jones 35
In this panel presentation, instructors will share different ways that video can be used to reach second-language learning objectives. We'll learn how students can take the reins recording and producing video as a way to practice their speaking or learn more about the target culture. We'll also see how Tokbox, an online video messaging system, can be used to facilitate class-to-class exchanges. Finally, we'll learn more about how instructors and students alike can use VideoAnt for feedback and reflection.
Presenters: David Atterberry, ESL; Kate Clements, ESL; Scott Spicer, SMART Learning Commons; Pablo Viedma, Spanish; and Sondes Woolridge, French

Making Media Handy:  Using the iPod Touch in Language and Culture Courses
Wednesday, March 10; 1:25 - 2:15 pm, Jones 35
Smartphones and other mobile devices put a wealth of information in a variety of formats at our fingertips. How can these devices be used to advance the goals of language teachers and learners? Come find out how students in advanced German courses have used iPod touches to strengthen their linguistic, cultural, and digital competencies.
Presenters: Beth Kautz, GSD and CLA Language Center and Rebecca Raham, German

Collaboration through Google Docs
Monday, March 29; 1:25 - 2:15 pm, Jones 15
Soon, all U of M students will have Gmail accounts and access to the collaborative tools in Google Docs. What makes Google Docs different from other Web 2.0 options such as wikis, discussion boards, or blogs? The presenters will provide an overview of how the tools work and share examples of student use of the tools in language and culture courses.
Presenters: Beth Kautz, GSD and CLA Language Center and Rebecca Raham, German

Using Voicethread in the Second Language Classroom
Wednesday, April 7, 1:25 - 2:15 pm, Jones 35
In this panel presentation, instructors from the Minnesota English Language Program and the Department of French and Italian will share different ways the online tool, Voicethread, can be used in the classroom as a way to practice writing and speaking skills, as well as provide an interesting way to interact with new vocabulary.
Presenters: Sondes Woolridge, French; Annie Marrin, ESL; Becky Uran-Markman, ESL; and Antonia Krueger, ESL

Instructor Examples of Using Authentic Audio and Video in the Second Language Classroom
Thursday, April 15; 12:20 - 1:10 pm, Jones 35.
With the Internet, DVDs, and Satellite TV, there are many ways to bring authentic audio and video sources into the classroom. The question is, how can you effectively integrate these materials into your (beginning, intermediate, advanced) language classes? In this panel presentation, language instructors from the U of M share their tried and true ideas, lesson plans, and experiences from using authentic video in their courses.
Presenters: Arlys Arnold, ESL; Ginny Steinhagen, German; Vlad Dima, French; and Ling Wang, Chinese

Mac DiLL FAQs

Do you have a question about using the Mac DiLL? Skim below to see if you we've already answered it. If you don't see your question, please leave it in the comments section. We'll add it to this list right away!

If you'd like training on how to use the Mac DiLL, please make a reservation in one of the classrooms and indicate that you want training. Or, you can contact Alyssa Ruesch for help.

FAQ 1 - Recording student voices
Question: How do students record their voices on the Mac DiLL?

Answer: In order for your students to record their voices, they must first be assigned a "New Task" (choose "without a lesson, recording-only" or "with a lesson from the catalog"). For more information on how to assign tasks, see pages 9 - 12 in the Mac DiLL Teacher's Guide.

FAQ 2 - Recording pairs or groups of students
Question: If I pair my students, will the Mac DiLL record both of their voices or just one?

Answer: When you pair students and give them a recording task, the Mac DiLL will record both of the student voices. It is usually better to ask both students in the pair to record - better safe than sorry! In test situations, some students get nervous and forget to hit the record button. If both students are asked to record the conversation, then there will always be a back-up.

FAQ 3 - Repeat after me!
Question: I want all of my students to repeat after me and record their voice. How do I do this?

Answer: You'll need to do a Synchronized Activity. Be sure to enable the external microphone so that your students can hear your voice. Then, hit the record button while your students respond. For information on how to set-up a Synchronized Activity, see the Mac DiLL Teacher's guide, page 13.
*Hint - If you are asking your students a series of questions, you may want to start and stop the record button for each question. This will create a new track for each answer and help to make grading a snap. Instead of fast forwarding to the responses, you can go directly to the specific question you want to grade.

FAQ 4 - Saving student recordings
Question: How do students save their recordings?

Answer: This is the beauty of the Mac DiLL! Students don't have to do anything to save their recordings! When you assign a recording-activity, just be sure that the "Save student recordings" option is checked (it is by default). For more information, see the Mac DiLL Teachers' Guide, pages 9 - 12.

FAQ 5 - Accessing student recordings
Question: How do instructors access student recordings?

Answer: It's easy as pie! Just go to the Language Center's Mac DiLL server and log-in with your x500 and password. Voila! All your students' recordings are available for your listening pleasure.

For more information on how to download the files as Mp3s, see FAQ 6, or our blog post on Sharing Mac DiLL audio recordings with students.

FAQ 6 - Downloading student audio files
Question: Is there a way to download the student audio files from the instructor log-in page? For instance, I'd like to have the mp3 files burned to a CD or put on an mp3 player so I don't have to be tethered to my computer while I grade.

Answer: Yes! You can download the student audio files as mp3 files by following these steps:

1. Login to the Language Center's Mac DiLL server at:
http://lcdill.cla.umn.edu
2. Locate the recordings you would like to save as mp3s.
3. Click on "Archive Task to ZIP File". This will create a ZIP file that includes all of your students' mp3 files, labeled by students name or x500. You will access this ZIP file via a web link.

a. Select a name for the files from the pulldown menu (shortname = x500)
b. Provide a description of the activity. This will be the name of the folder containing all of the mp3 files.
c. Provide an email address where the link to the ZIP file will be sent.

4. Click on the web link to download the ZIP file.
5. Unzip the file.

You now have a folder containing all of your students' mp3 files. You can save these files to your hard-drive, copy them to a CD or put them on an mp3 player. The choice is all yours!

FAQ 7 - Student access to audio files outside of class
Question: Can students listen to the audio files they created during class when they get home?

Answer: The short answer to this question is no, students are not able to listen to their files directly from the Mac DiLL server. If students want to listen to in-class recordings outside of class, you will need to download the files (see FAQ 6, above) and send the mp3s to the student. For instructions on how to do this pretty easily in any of the Jones Classrooms, see our blog post Sharing Mac DiLL audio recordings with students.

FAQ 8 - Sharing files with other instructors
Question: I'm subbing for another instructor and need to get the audio files to him so that he can grade them. How can I share the audio files with the other instructor?

Answer: First, whatever you do, DO NOT give the other instructor your x500 and password so they can access the files. Bad idea!! Instead, follow the steps outlined in FAQ 6 and insert the other instructor's email address in the email field. This will send the download link to the other instructor. The other instructor can not get into your account, but they can download the files from the link you sent them after Archiving the Tasks. Remember to keep student privacy policies in mind whenever you share files with another instructor.