Technology and Language Teaching

If you want to learn more about technology and its applications in language teaching, there are some excellent websites and blogs to support you.

The ICT4LT website is a collection of training modules in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Language Teachers. It was initiated with funding provided in 1999-2000 by the European Commission and has been regularly updated ever since. It’s a great place to go for explanations and tips especially for language teachers: http://www.ict4lt.org/en/index.htm

The ICT4LT website has a companion blog, which aims to keep language teachers up to date with new developments in the use of ICT in language teaching and learning. Visit the blog (and subscribe to an RSS feed if you so desire) at http://www.ictforlanguageteachers.blogspot.com

Joe Dale’s blog, Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom, is full of practical tips and advice on using ICT to enhance the teaching of modern foreign languages. Visit it at http://joedale.typepad.com/integrating_ict_into_the_

Nik's Quick Shout is another blog that is full of tips for using technology for learning English as a second language. The resources described in this blog can be used to teach any language: http://quickshout.blogspot.com

Larry Ferlazzo recently posted “The Best Guides For Helping Teachers Develop Personal Learning Networks.” In his words, “Personal Learning Networks (PLN) is the phrase often used to describe connections that educators develop with other educators throughout the world by using online social media.” Read his list at http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/12/21/the-best-guides-for-helping-teachers-develop-personal-learning-networks

Language Lessons from the Peace Corps

From http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/multimedia/language

The Peace Corps’ Worldwise Schools website includes audio language lessons for Arabic in Jordan, Russian in Kazakhstan, Bambara in Mali, French in Mali, Mandarin in China, Thai, and Ukrainian.

Access them at http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/multimedia/language/lessons.cfm

New Webpage: World Languages Standard in Action

From http://www.nj.gov/education/aps/cccs/wl/action

The World Languages Standard in Action documents were developed by a team of New Jersey world language educators. The documents provide support for curriculum specialists and teachers in the design and implementation of curriculum that includes strong integration of technology applications aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard for World Languages. There are a total of 15 World Languages Standard in Action documents that target the Novice-Mid through Intermediate-High proficiency levels.

Access the documents at http://www.nj.gov/education/aps/cccs/wl/action

2011 Latin Immersion Summer Program

From http://www.christendom.edu/latin/index.shtml

2011 Latin Immersion Summer Program

One session will be held from July 17-24 costing $895. This program is for rising high school juniors and seniors only.

Christendom College offers a one-week, intensive, active-Latin immersion course for high school aged students, designed to introduce aspiring Latinists to the beauty and power of the ancient language of the Church as well as to enable them to truly experience Christendom College.

Registrations will be accepted in early January of 2011.

Learn more at http://www.christendom.edu/latin/index.shtml 

Indigenous Language Institute Upcoming Workshops

From http://www.ilinative.org/workshops/topics.html

Make a resolution in 2011 to get more training! Upcoming workshop topics from the Indigenous Language Institute:

Create Native Language Print Materials

Create Native Language Digital Storytelling

See a schedule of upcoming workshops at http://www.ilinative.org/workshops/topics.html

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

April 1-4, 2011

Baltimore, MD

"Strengthening Connections: Colleagues, Content, and Curriculum"

Learn more and register at http://www2.dickinson.edu/prorg/nectfl

ACTFL 2011 Call for Session Proposals

ACTFL 2011 Call for Session Proposals

ACTFL is seeking session proposals for its 2011 Annual Convention and World Languages Expo Nov. 18-20, 2011 in Denver, CO. The ACTFL Convention features more than 600 educational sessions covering the entire spectrum of the foreign language education profession. This Call for Proposals is for all educational sessions of the convention program. The selection process is designed to provide attendees an exciting array of sessions and events to enhance their professional knowledge and expertise. We encourage all language educators to submit a proposal for consideration and make plans to attend the convention. The deadline is January 10, 2011.

Link: www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5208

Announcement: Call for Presenters at the Bilingual Multicultural Education Equity Conference

BMEEC is calling for workshop presenters and participants. The Bilingual Multicultural Education Equity Conference is set for April 20-22, 2011, in Anchorage. Current information and sign up forms can be found at the link http://www.BMEEC.net.

The theme this year is Pathways to Equity: Culture, Competence & Connection. The featured keynote speaker, Misty Adoniou, is a senior lecturer in Language, Literacy and Teaching English as a Second Language at the University of Canberra, Australia. An advocate of teachers sharing expertise across borders and disciplines, her keynote topic will address scaffolding literacy, also called accelerated literacy. It is an adaptable pedagogy, which can be used across all grades and content areas, and has been used very successfully with aboriginal children in rural Australia, with urban mainstream classes, with gifted and talented and special needs students.

For more information please contact Patricia.Adkisson at Alaska dot gov, or for conference logistics, Barb Krekel: barb.krekel at visionsus dot com.

NCELA List (NCELA@HERMES.GWU.EDU, 21 Dec 2010).

More about Electronic Communications and CASLS

Today's issue of InterCom uses a new format: first, we post new articles to this blog. Then, we categorize each entry based on InterCom subscription preferences and arrange to links to the articles that match your subscription profile sent to you each Monday morning in InterCom. The links will take you to the articles in our blog that are of special interest to you.

If you don’t want to wait until Monday morning, you can also regularly check our blog, or you can subscribe to an RSS feed so that you’re notified each time we add a new article. Read an explanation of how to use RSS feeds at http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod2-3.htm#rssfeeds

The Center for Applied Second Language Studies is on Facebook! You can see our page and participate in discussions about language teaching and learning at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Applied-Second-Language-Studies-CASLS/130923853924 .

CASLS is also on Twitter. You can follow us at http://twitter.com/CASLS_NFLRC . We usually tweet several times a day as we come across news articles and resources of interest. If you're unfamiliar with Twitter, here is an excellent introduction: http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/twitter1/index.html

To see what CASLS is up to these days, visit our website at http://casls.uoregon.edu

Your InterCom preferences and subscription are still the same! As always, if you ever want to change your subscription preferences you can easily do so at http://casls.uoregon.edu/intercom.php. This is also a good place to direct your colleagues to if you want to encourage them to subscribe to InterCom, too.

If you have any questions or feedback about our new format, please e-mail the InterCom editor at langsub at uoregon dot edu.

We wish you the best in your language teaching and professional development.