PACE PD Event: Intercultural Competence Conference (Day 1)

Friday, January 22, 2016
10:00 a.m. - 7:15 p.m. Note time Change
Folwell 104 Note location Change
Register Online (required)

The PACE Project and CARLA are hosting a livestream of the keynote, plenaries, and selected breakout sessions of the Conference on Intercultural Competence presented by CERCLL (a Language Resource Center like CARLA) at the University of Arizona. Since lunch will be provided, please register in advance. You may plan to attend any of the sessions listed below.

(Times adjusted to CST)

• 10:00-12:00 p.m., Session 1
• 12:15-1:15 p.m., Keynote Presentation Fred Dervin (University of Helsinki, Finland), Intercultural Competence Beyond Orthodoxies
• 3:00-5:00 p.m., Session 5
• 5:15-7:15 p.m., Session 9

This event is open to all CLA language instructors. Registration is required. Lunch is provided.

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

Welcome Jonathan Prestrud, New Office and Communications Specialist

The Language Center is pleased to announce that Jonathan Prestrud, the interim Classroom Support Coordinator has been hired in a new 100% position as the Office and Communications Specialist. He will work with the PACE team to document professional development and sustainability activity, and will also assist with the management of the Main Office.

Jonathan has worked in many positions at the Language Center since he started in 2013 as an undergraduate: Classroom Support, TandemPlus, the Multimedia Lab, Testing and more. He has studied languages for many years, earned a B.A. in Linguistics, German and History from the University of Minnesota, and has also a TEFL certification. Already having worked alongside the majority of the LC staff, Jonathan is excited to bring his experience to this new role.

PACE Project: Spring 2015 Final Report Available

Each semester, data from the PACE Project is sent to the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC, for analysis. For each individual student tested, the data includes the ratings on the three ACTFL tests (Speaking, Reading, and Listening), Self-Assessment responses and ratings, and information on language background and use culled from the PACE survey and PeopleSoft.

The research questions the report seeks to answer:

1. What levels of proficiency do students demonstrate at which course levels in which languages?
2. Do students in higher level courses demonstrate higher levels of proficiency than students in lower levels?
3. Are there patterns in responses on surveys and proficiency scores?
4. Are there correlations between self-assessments and actual ratings?
5. What factors contribute to advanced proficiency in study abroad experiences (given a sufficiently robust sample)?

The final report on assessments conducted during Spring 2015 is now available.
The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

TandemPlus Winter Festival

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
4:00-7:00 p.m.
Nolte 140

Our final event will take place on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, when Tandem and the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) will host an International Winter Festival in Nolte 140 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. In this dessert potluck, participants are encouraged to bring cultural desserts centered around the winter festival theme! If you can’t bring a dessert, don’t worry; we will have plenty to share.

PACE End of Semester Event and Swap Shop - December 14, 2015

Come celebrate the end of the semester at a two-part event on Monday, December 14! All are welcome, and we hope you can attend one or both portions.

Practices of Developing Intercultural Competence through Online Exchange Programs
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Nicholson 135

Pablo Viedma (Spanish), Carlotta Dradi (Italian), and Sean Killackey (French) will share how they are using online exchange programs in their classes to develop students’ intercultural competence.

Pizza and Success Stories
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Nicholson 135

You are invited to an informal gathering for language instructors. Stop by to share stories from the Fall 2015 semester and enjoy Mesa pizza!

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