| Saturday, March 31 |
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| 8:00
- 9:00 |
Registration
& Coffee
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| 9:05
- 9:20Room 205
(Auditorium)
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Welcoming
remarks
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| 9:25
- 10:15Room 205
(Auditorium)
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Keynote
Address:
CALL: What's it all in aid of?
Nina Garrett,
Yale University
The keynote will address some of the current purposes to which CALL is being put (and revisit some former ones now considered passe) in the context of the underlying question - the really fundamental one language learning: What's that all in aid of? The presenter will argue that CALL should not define or justify itself only in terms of the pedagogy suggested by current SLA theory. Rather, the challenge is to think outside the box, outside the longstanding issues that have been defined by academic pressures. Finally, the presenter will consider what are some specific ways in which CALL can take
the lead in opening up language learning for today's (and tomorrow's)
learners?
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| 10:25
- 11:10 |
Session 1 |
| Room 220
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Teaching
second language writing skills and collaborative learning through Wikis
Jenna Torres, St.
Lawrence University
As Loudermilk Garza and Hern (2005) state, wikis (as opposed to more
static course-management systems or word processing software) allow
students to work together to produce language in new and meaningful
ways, so that they better understand that both writing and learning
are an ongoing, collaborative, and often messy process. In a second
language environment, collaborative learning can be beneficial for getting
students to negotiate meaning (e.g. Long and Porter, 1985) and notice
their output (e.g. Swain, 1993), potentially leading to increased language
learning. Because of the nature of wiki editing, students can be truly
flexible and creative in their approach to writing, discussion, and
preparing for presentations in either an asynchronous or synchronous
(with the aid of IM) manner. In this demonstration / presentation, I
will discuss the ongoing use of a wiki in my current Spanish 201 (Advanced
Spanish) course, including examples of assignments, samples of student
contributions, and a discussion of the positives and pitfalls of using
a wiki to teach writing skills at the 200-level.
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| Room 222
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Learning
while playing: The Sims 2 in language education
Karen Campbell, Rutgers
University
The Sims 2, developed by EA games, is one of the best-selling computer
games in the nation. The whole premise of the game is every-day life:
players control virtual people, or "sims," in a real-world simulation.
As a tool in language education, The Sims 2 brings students into this
every-day world, immersing them in the target language. Not only are
students exposed to daily vocabulary which may be difficult to establish
in a classroom setting, but this game further entices students to narrate
the lives of their sims, adding a compositional element while still
maintaining the premise of "play." Language skill development becomes
a secondary goal, with students learning through the process of developing
their sims' lives.
This presentation will cover some basics of The Sims 2 game play and
objectives keeping in mind the pressing question: Why use The Sims 2
for language education? Additional topics will include the development
of The Sims 2 project at Rutgers, including some experiences instructors
and students have had in integrating this simulation into world language
classes, and sample activities which instructors can use with The Sims
2.
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| Room 203
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Möchtest
du meinen Podcast sehen? The iPod and digital media in high school German
instruction
Peter Schultz,
MMI Preparatory School
In today's standards-based instruction of German, it has been suggested
that technology may be an effective medium in helping high school students
learn the language. Recent technology introduced into language instruction
has been digital media, including the innovative iPod.
At MMI Preparatory School, we continue to expand our use of digital
media in the German curriculum and classroom. The presentation will
highlight the use of this innovative, emergent digital media at our
school. Examples will include the production of digital films, and using
the iPod as medium of learning culture, as well as creating student
Podcasts for viewing on the iPod.
This use of these digital tools supports standards-based instruction.
The authors of the National Standards have suggested that technology
can be used as a medium for communicating in German in the interpersonal,
interpretive, and presentational modes, and can also be used for the
teaching of culture. This presentation will tie in the use of digital
media in our German courses to the Standard. In addition, the presentation
will show how digital media is integrated into instruction on the high
school level in a growing, technology-rich environment.
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| 11:20
- 12:05 |
Session
2 |
| Room 220
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Microsoft
Word's tracking tool: Understanding the student writing and revision process
Jutta Schmiers-Heller,
Columbia University
This session will show students in an intermediate German II class
at Columbia University use Microsoft Word's tracking tool to revise
and edit their writing. So far none of the students have ever used the
tracking tool and have worked on their essays the traditional way: handwritten
feedback from the instructor that leads to corrections of their original
essay which is then re-submitted. With the tracking tool, students learn
to save every version of their essay and thus have an overview of the
writing process as their essay becomes a final version for submission.
It also helps them organize their work as all versions of the essay
are stored in Columbia's course management system, courseworks. In addition,
students learn to understand the instructions and computer lingo in
the target language. Finally, using the tracking tool also allows the
instructor to get an insight into how students revise and edit their
work because their entire writing process is saved as an individual
steps along the way. |
| Room 222
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Online
cultural resources for teachers of French and Italian
Christine Meloni and Jocelyne Brant, George Washington University
An important part of foreign language instruction is teaching culture.
Teachers, however, find it difficult to find the time to research all
aspects of their target culture(s), especially if they do not live in
the target culture. They need assistance. The presenters will introduce
the Culture Club, an online environment that offers free cultural resources
for teachers of foreign languages. While examples will be given in French
and Italian, all FL teachers should find the site and the presentation
useful.
The presenters will explain in detail the structure and contents of
the Culture Club and will suggest ways teachers can use it effectively
in their teaching and in their own professional development.. The Club
consists of nine rooms which are continually renovated with new materials.
Previous materials are preserved in the Collection and are easily accessible.
The Library, the Screening Room, and the Music Room feature book reviews,
film reviews, and music reviews, respectively. The SpeakerŐs Corner
showcases articles on culture while the TeacherŐs Lounge offers lesson
plans. The Internet Media Room provides links to TV and radio stations,
online newspapers, and blogs and podcasts. The Hangout has interviews
with teen-agers from target cultures, and the Banquet Hall has menus
and recipes. The Photo Gallery exhibits photographs and launches a new
photo contest each month.
Throughout the presentation participants will be encouraged to offer
suggestions for materials that they would like to find in the Culture
Club. They will also be urged to contribute materials and, if possible,
volunteer to become members of the Culture Club Editorial Board. Their
ideas for ways to make the Club even more teacher-friendly will be warmly
received. Four language-specific handouts (French, German, Italian,
and Spanish) that list resources will be distributed.
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| Room 203
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Life
on the Hill: blogs, podcasts, and finding one’s voice in the target
culture.
Krystyna Golkowska,
Cornell University
International students coming to the U.S. are highly motivated to
improve their English language skills and eager to learn about American
culture. Yet for all their commitment, they often limit their contact
with native speakers to in-class activities, remaining isolated and
detached. On-line materials and virtual classrooms help build a safe
space in which one can experience interactivity and authenticity in
the target language. However, students do not always build a bridge
from the virtual comfort zone to real communities.
This presentation focuses on a project that aimed not only at helping
to improve listening and speaking skills, but also at teaching about
the American culture through community involvement. Sample activities
related to podcasts created on Cornell campus and to undergraduate students
blogs “Life on the Hill” will be used to illustrate how
listening to voices in the community can enable students to reflect
on American culture and their own identity. Some comments will also
be offered on adapting this second language approach to a foreign language
course.
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| 12:05
- 1:15 |
Lunch
... ,
(included in registration fee) |
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| 1:25
- 2:10 |
Session
3 |
| Room 220
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Learning
unplugged: Using cell phones in language courses
Michael Heller,
Montclair State University
According the Pew Internet & American Life Project, nearly
50% of teens own a cell phone, making it the most popular personal digital
assistant device. Ninety percent of college students have a cell phone
with them at all times. As part of a new program called Campus Connect,
all new full-time Montclair State University (MSU) students must purchase
a University-approved cell phone with which MSU reaches students on
their preferred communication device. MSU Campus Connect leverages pervasive
cellular phone technology to enrich academic learning and other social
experiences. This session will describe and demonstrate Montclair's
academic use of cell phone technology in the foreign language classroom,
including instant text alerts from Blackboard, foreign language streaming
audio, video and podcasts, and cell phones' built-in text messaging
as an assessment tool.
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| Room 222
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Communal
living in Russia 1920-2007: A virtual museum
Slava Paperno and Alice Nakhimovsky, Cornell University
The 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia created a new
form of housing, the so-called "communal apartment," where several families
of different ethnicities, educational backgrounds, attitudes, and life
habits shared the kitchen, hallway, lavatory, and bathroom in an otherwise
ordinary city apartment that was originally designed to house one family.
This was part of the Soviet plan to shed bourgeois values and establish
a new socialist lifestyle based on equality among the toiling masses
and minimalist austerity as the main aesthetic principle. Communal apartments
also helped with the housing crisis that persisted in Russia for over
eight decades. The new lifestyle affected millions of Russians. Thousands
of families in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other cities are still living
in these apartments today.
Life in a communal apartment involves numerous adjustments to the notions
of ownership, privacy, fairness, hygiene, control, and social interaction.
The resulting attitudes and strategies became part of everyday life
for many generations of Russians and the background to much of Russian
art of the Soviet period. The daily activities of an ordinary Russian
city resident cannot be fully understood without some knowledge of communal
living.
The proposed event will be the first public presentation of the work
of four scholars who are building a virtual museum of life in a communal
apartment, a Web site that will combine numerous video and audio recordings,
documents, essays as well as excerpts from works of Russian literature
and film (Ilya Utekhin of European University in St. Petersburg, Russia,
Alice Naknimovsky and Nancy Ries of Colgate University, and Slava Paperno
of Cornell University). The intended audience for the bilingual Web
site includes students and scholars in language, literature, history,
sociology, and anthropology. The project is supported by the National
Endowment for the Humanities. It was started in the spring of 2006 and
will be completed by the spring of 2008.
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| Room 203
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Using
blogs to improve L2 writing
Jocelyne Brant and Christine
Foster Meloni, George Washington University
As blogs become increasingly popular with the general
public, they are quickly making their way into the foreign language
classroom. Teachers are finding them especially appropriate for developing
studentsŐ writing skills in the L2.
The presenters will begin by explaining briefly the technical aspects
of blogs. They will then describe three collaborative class projects
that they designed and implemented in their French and ESL classes.
Two of the projects involved students in a single classroom while the
third involved students in two different locations. Participants will
view samples of student blogs and engage in a discussion of these writing
samples.
The presenters will ask participants to share their own experiences
with blogs and will conclude with a comparison of blogs and course management
discussion boards, stating what they see as the benefits and drawbacks
of each technology.
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| 2:20
- 3:05 |
Session 4 |
| Room 220
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ULearning
with Technology: Comparative analysis of the Arabic and English phonology
Hebatalla Elkhateeb-Musharraf, Princeton University
The Arabs are most known for their accomplishments with
the universally known Arabic numerals and Algebra which are the basis
for our mathematical system. However, their contribution in the writing
system is greatly overlooked as it became the basis of our modern alphabet.
The advent of the written word must surely rank, together with fire
and the wheel, as one of mankindŐs greatest inventions. The wheel of
literacy and writing systems was first invented by the ancient Egyptians.
Then, modern alphabets, in which one symbol represents a speech sound
(phoneme) originated in Syria and Palestine between 2000-1500 B.C. The
Greek alphabet was devised in about 1,000 B.C., and the Roman alphabet
was derived from the Greek in the seventh and sixth century B.C. The
Roman (or Latin) script is the basis for the English writing system
in use today. Furthermore; Arabic words in English have a long history.
While the oldest of them are found in the sciences, astronomy, mathematics,
chemistry and navigation, some are quite commonly used as names for
foods and household articles. As a result, after forty centuries of
linguistic evolution, modern English as well as other Indo-European
languages can trace its alphabet and numerous parts of its vocabulary
to its Arabic origins.
This study utilized technology as a virtual learning tool to reveals
an unprecedented connection between the Arabic and English phonological
structure and alphabetical systems exemplified with animated comparative
analysis of the phonological structure of Arabic and English writing
systems and cognates with side trips to other languages, thus presenting
a new paradigm in the pedagogy of teaching and learning Arabic and English
phonology in particular and comparative phonology in general.
First, it illustrates through interactive animations the ways each
Latin grapheme and phoneme was transformed from and how it resembles
its parallel in the Arabic alphabet through audio-visual animations.
The animation illustrate the writing and sound of each grapheme and
in the Arabic alphabet to promote Arabic- English literacy and pave
the learnerŐs way toward rationalizing and visualizing the transition
of reading and writing from the left to right in English to the right
to left in Arabic.
Second, it examines and provides audio recording of numerous cognates
to enables the learner to establish the patterns of sound correspondences
and illustrate the similarities in the phonological representations
between Arabic and English. This pedagogy builds on the learnersŐ linguistic
background and previous knowledge, and contributes to vocabulary growth
by linking the unknown target language to the known native language
of the learner. This study has been piloted on a sample that was selected
from students attending Arabic 101 at Princeton University in the fall
semester of 2006. StudentsŐ learning outcomes were measured by studentsŐ
numerical semester grades in Arabic. The studentsŐ test results revealed
that using computer structured activities of Arabic- English cognates
in oral and written contexts enabled the students to form semantic association
of target words, lead to studentsŐ active involvement with the new words,
and positively correlated with student learning outcomes.
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| Room 222
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ePortfolio
and The Speech Center
Sean Palmer, LaGuardia Community College
As blogs become increasingly popular with the general
public, they are quickly making their way into the foreign language
classroom. Teachers are finding them especially appropriate for developing
studentsŐ writing skills in the L2.
The presenters will begin by explaining briefly the technical aspects
of blogs. They will then describe three collaborative class projects
that they designed and implemented in their French and ESL classes.
Two of the projects involved students in a single classroom while the
third involved students in two different locations. Participants will
view samples of student blogs and engage in a discussion of these writing
samples.
The presenters will ask participants to share their own experiences
with blogs and will conclude with a comparison of blogs and course management
discussion boards, stating what they see as the benefits and drawbacks
of each technology.
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| 3:00
– 3:30: |
Break
... Refreshments available , |
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| 3:30
- 4:15
| Session
5 |
| Room 220
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Push
vs. pull and LRC dissemination via technology
Jill Robbins, National
Capital Language Resource Center
The mission of the nationally funded Language Resource
Centers (LRCs) has changed dramatically with the development of interactive
web technology. Where the LRCs once published hard copies of research
reports and teaching guides, now the delivery of conetent is electronic
and a movement toward interactive, Web 2.0 applications is evident.
This presentation demonstrates ways the LRCs now 'push' information
to teachers and students through podcasts, blogs, and listservs. It
also demonstrates ways the LRC pulls readers toward more interactivity
with blogs, surveys, and polls. In-person teacher institutes are still
a mainstay of the LRCs, but participants can now get a taste of the
workshops through podcasts. An open discussion of the new media available
on LRC websites and suggestions for improvement concludes this session.
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| Room 222
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Using
Moodle to support Languages Across the Curriculum at Skidmore
Cindy Evans, Skidmore College
For five years, Skidmore has offered an individualized LAC program
allowing students enrolled in virtually any class taught in English
to take a 1-credit LAC component in which they read materials in the
target language to supplement their disciplinary study.
The weekly one-hour LAC session consists of a variety of activities
to promote vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and mastery
of grammatical structures. In spring 2006, we implemented the use of
web-based resources to facilitate both individual and collaborative
work in the LAC program using the moodle course management system. We
made use of the glossary and wiki functions to create a common ground
for the studentsŐ diverse content areas. I will describe the expanding
the role of technology in my second semester of implementing moodle
(fall Ő06) to address other skill areas (writing, speaking, and listening)
through peer editing and podcasting. This semester, I am teaching a
new upper-division LAC course in its inaugural semester. I will discuss
my experiences using moodle to support the curriculum at a more advanced
level with increased emphasis on writing.
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| Room 203
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"Same
old song?" Pas du tout! Increasing the motivation of our students through
an innovative and creative synergy of songs and video clips in the second
language classroom
Martine Benjamin, Smith College
Music has always been a powerful and fun tool to encourage
language learning and its lyrics are an important foundation for building
language.
Music surrounds us everywhere, and thanks to Steve Jobs, most students
wake up with their iPods, stay tuned to music through the day and evening
with their iPods, and go to bed with their iPods. And so it would seem
logical and even compelling to go with the flow, and explore the exciting
ways in which music might help promote and improve foreign language learning.
Of course, the music that we would use is no longer the ancient childhood
songs of previous generations (the inescapable "Frere Jacques"), but rather
the tunes and videos of the world of MTV-integrated in an innovative and
interactive manner with Video-clips of the most current pop star singers.
The Video-clip combines all the most important skills associated with
language learning, and as the daily newspaper "Le Monde" formulated in
a prescient piece more than twenty years ago:" Fils de Monsieur Cinema
et de Madame Musique, le video-clip est ne de la Television et a les yeux
de Tante Publicite."
The Video-clip, if chosen wisely, would be a highly productive and enjoyable
tool for the student to develop language skills, to work on listening
and speaking, to improve pronunciation, to enrich vocabulary, and at the
same time, to become familiar and understanding of another culture and
its most current, relevant, and often riveting issues and concerns.
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| 4:25–
5:00 |
Tour of
Language Resource Center facilities
at Cornell University
- if interested sign up at registration |
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| 7:00
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Dinner
(Optional, pre-registration required!) |
| Sunday, April 1 |
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8:30 - 9:00 |
Coffee |
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9:10
- 10:00 |
Session 6
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Room 220
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A
Lab Director's perspective on assessing speaking proficiency
Claire Bradin Siskin, University of Pittsburgh
At the presenter's university, there is currently great
concern about how students' speaking proficiency in foreign language
classes might be evaluated according to ACTFL Standards. The ACTFL Oral
Proficiency Interview (OPI) is expensive and cumbersome to administer
to a large number of students. The Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview
(SOPI) uses audiocassette tapes and results in an inconvenient and outdated
means of managing student data.
The University of Pittsburgh Oral Proficiency Language Assessment Instrument
(UPOLAI), a software tool designed to facilitate the evaluation of students'
oral proficiency, has been developed. The UPOLAI will allow large groups
of students to be tested simultaneously. Students are presented with
language tasks similar to those used in the SOPI. The students' responses
are recorded, and their audio files are uploaded to the server. Their
responses are scored by raters who are trained according to ACTFL Guidelines.
The UPOLAI has already been used for 7 Spanish classes and 2 German
classes. This semester, a module will be created for French, the modules
for Spanish and German will be refined, and additional classes will
be tested. An extensive bank of language tasks will be produced, and
the software will be integrated with a database. The reliability of
the UPOLAI will be determined by administering the ACTFL OPI to a cross-section
of students and comparing their scores with those obtained on the UPOLAI.
In this session, the presenter will demonstrate the UPOLAI software
and describe its development. She will emphasize the entire process
from the perspective of a lab director.
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| Room 222
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Professional
development of foreign language instructors: Emerging technologies and
new pedagogies
Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl and Ed Dixon, University of Pennsylvania
Recent studies have shown how emerging technologies are changing learner
and teacher roles and are having a profound impact on the way in which
foreign languages are taught. Among the benefits of computer-mediated
instruction are, for example, greater emphasis on learner autonomy,
more immediate access to authentic resources, and a highly interactive
and learner-centered environment. In this exciting, fast-changing learning
environment, instructors, however, must become trained in using the
new technologies but also in applying them in pedagogically appropriate
and effective ways.
In this presentation, we will describe a model for professional development
that integrates technology training with pedagogical applications and
guides instructors toward innovative, technology-enhanced teaching approaches.
At the center of this model is a small-grants program that encourages
instructors to develop course and curriculum improvement projects, the
majority of which focus on integration of technology. We will outline
the professional development components of this program and highlight
a number of projects that exemplify the pedagogical innovations that
are emerging as a result of this; for example, the use of BlackBoard
for sharing multimedia resources; podcasting; creating materials for
business language instruction; using CMC for culture learning; and creating
authentic materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages.
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10:10 - 11:00
Room 205
(Auditiorium)
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New Directions: Innovations in Language Learning Technology
| Panel |
Cindy Evans, Skidmore College
Edward Dixon, University of Pennsylvania
Mary Toulouse, Lafayette College
Michael Jones, Swarthmore College
Dick Feldman, Cornell University
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The panel will discuss a range of innovations: Hip Hop and culture
podcasts; iTunes University; smart teaching with a smart board; a range
of technologies used for Distance Learning of Less Commonly Taught Languages;
and the latest in classroom technology. It'll be a combination of what
we're doing and what we're planning to do.
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11:10 - NoonRoom 205
(Auditiorium)
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Your Turn (Open
Mic)
Opportunity To Ask Questions, Seek Advice, Present Issues
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Noon - 1:00
Room 203
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Business
Meeting & Box Lunch
(Note: Lunch is
Optional, pre-registration required!)
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