FLTEACH listserv users have been sharing ideas for practicing possessive pronouns. Here are some of them:
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I remember a teacher telling me that when she introduced this subject she would walk around taking things from a student's desk and saying, "It's mine!” And this, of course, led to a discussion of "It's mine,” "It's yours", "It's his/hers.”
Meyer, C. Re: [FLTEACH] Possessive Pronouns. FLTEACH listserv (FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU, 15 Apr 2012).
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To practice these, using realia is great, but perhaps in order to get items that will generate a controlled vocabulary base, you might want to have a list of items that students have studied and give them pictures to cut out of these things, glue to an index card, initial or put first & last name on the back. Each person can do one or two or three or four (m.s., f.s., m.pl., f.pl). Structure the practice with prices on objects---maybe different groups with different currencies on their objects--kids could research what a pair of jeans would cost in Guatemala using quetzales, etc. as a homework done days before. Another group of 4 or so students could have bolivares in Venezuela for their items, and so forth.
White, C. Re: [FLTEACH] Possessive Adjectives vs. Pronouns. FLTEACH listserv (FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU, 16 Apr 2012).
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I taught them with comparatives and it worked quite well. I told the students they needed to brag about the things they had. I would tell them sentences such as "my house is pretty", and their sentence would be "mine is prettier than yours". We did this for a few minutes until they seemed to grab the concept and then we moved onto the other pronouns. The post-assessment proved this strategy successful.
Marcin, M. Re: [FLTEACH] Possessive Pronouns. FLTEACH listserv (FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU, 17 Apr 2012).
April 27, 2012
New Resource for Teaching with Videos: TED-Ed
TED has just released another educational tool: TED-Ed. Tailored most specifically for “flipped” classrooms (in which students watch educational videos outside of class and complete reinforcing activities in class), the tool is flexible enough to be put to other uses as well.
Teachers can select one of TED’s videos (currently there aren’t any world language videos) or any video on YouTube (target-language videos about there). TED’s videos come with follow-up questions moving towards more open-ended tasks; teachers can also create their own follow-up activities. A teacher-created lesson (video plus activities) will have a dedicated URL (web address), where students can log in. In this way a teacher can create a video-based lesson and track students’ progress and participation in it.
Here are descriptions by TED-Ed employees, with a helpful orientation video: http://tedchris.posterous.com/the-thinking-behind-the-new-open-platform-tha and http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2012/04/ted-ed-launches.html
Here are several reviews of the new service:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/04/25/ted-launches-new-education-platform-with-customized-teaching-tools
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/04/25/ted-talks-unveils-new-interactive-education-website-tonight
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/24/ted-launches-new-ed-platform
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/04/the-digital-education-revolution-contd-meet-ted-eds-new-online-learning-platform/256318
Finally, here is the link to TED-Ed itself for you to explore: http://ed.ted.com
Teachers can select one of TED’s videos (currently there aren’t any world language videos) or any video on YouTube (target-language videos about there). TED’s videos come with follow-up questions moving towards more open-ended tasks; teachers can also create their own follow-up activities. A teacher-created lesson (video plus activities) will have a dedicated URL (web address), where students can log in. In this way a teacher can create a video-based lesson and track students’ progress and participation in it.
Here are descriptions by TED-Ed employees, with a helpful orientation video: http://tedchris.posterous.com/the-thinking-behind-the-new-open-platform-tha and http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2012/04/ted-ed-launches.html
Here are several reviews of the new service:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/04/25/ted-launches-new-education-platform-with-customized-teaching-tools
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/04/25/ted-talks-unveils-new-interactive-education-website-tonight
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/24/ted-launches-new-ed-platform
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/04/the-digital-education-revolution-contd-meet-ted-eds-new-online-learning-platform/256318
Finally, here is the link to TED-Ed itself for you to explore: http://ed.ted.com
Photo Tours of Global Landmarks with Google Maps
From http://google-latlong.blogspot.ca/2012/04/visit-global-landmarks-with-photo-tours.html
Last Wednesday Google announced photo tours, a feature of Google Maps that guides you through a 3D photo scene.
Photo tours are available for more than 15,000 popular sites around the world, from famous landmarks such as St. Mark’s Basilica in Italy to scenic treasures like Half Dome in Yosemite. They can be initiated from Google Maps in two ways. First, when you search for a place, such as Trevi Fountain, the results in the left panel will indicate if there is a photo tour available: click either the thumbnail image or the link to start the tour. Alternatively, if you’re browsing the map and click on the label for a particular landmark, the info window that appears will indicate if a photo tour is available.
Read Google’s announcement here: http://google-latlong.blogspot.ca/2012/04/visit-global-landmarks-with-photo-tours.html
See the new tool in action at http://maps.google.com/maps?hq=http://maps.google.com/help/maps/phototours/mapleft.xml&h=1100
Last Wednesday Google announced photo tours, a feature of Google Maps that guides you through a 3D photo scene.
Photo tours are available for more than 15,000 popular sites around the world, from famous landmarks such as St. Mark’s Basilica in Italy to scenic treasures like Half Dome in Yosemite. They can be initiated from Google Maps in two ways. First, when you search for a place, such as Trevi Fountain, the results in the left panel will indicate if there is a photo tour available: click either the thumbnail image or the link to start the tour. Alternatively, if you’re browsing the map and click on the label for a particular landmark, the info window that appears will indicate if a photo tour is available.
Read Google’s announcement here: http://google-latlong.blogspot.ca/2012/04/visit-global-landmarks-with-photo-tours.html
See the new tool in action at http://maps.google.com/maps?hq=http://maps.google.com/help/maps/phototours/mapleft.xml&h=1100
Resources for Common Core and English Language Learners
A NYSTESOL listserv user recently posted this useful annotated list of resources:
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COMMON CORE and ELLs RESOURCES
Here are some nice Common Core Resources:
http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2012Meetings/March2012/BilingualStandardsPresentation.pdf
NYS Common Core Bilingual Standards: NYS is revising its ESL and Native Language Arts Standards to align with the ELA Shifts in the Common Core Standards: 1. Balancing Informational and Literary Text, 2. Building Knowledge in the Disciplines, 3. Staircase of Complexity, 4. Text-based Answers, 5. Writing from Sources & 6. Academic Vocabulary
http://ell.stanford.edu
Understanding Language is a new website at Stanford University. Kenji Hakuta and his group are pleased to announce the launch of the website and online community, Understanding Language. It aims to heighten educator awareness of the critical role that language plays in the new Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The long-term goal of the initiative is to help educators understand that the new Standards cannot be achieved without providing specific attention to the language demands inherent to each content area. They seek to improve academic outcomes for English Language Learners by drawing attention to critical aspects of instructional practice and by advocating for necessary policy supports at the state and local levels.
http://ellib.stanford.edu/?q=education-376
Several free online videos from Stanford University on English Language Development, Culture, Content Instruction, & L2 Theory & Policy
http://ellib.stanford.edu/?q=education-377
Free online Content Instruction Videos: How to teach Math, Science and ELA to ELL students
http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/common_core/ell/
ELLS and the Common Core: Many different resources are offered here by Colorin Colorado.
http://www.nassp.org/tabid/3788/default.aspx?topic=The_Common_Core_Challenge_for_ELLs
The Common Core Challenges for ELLs: The suggested guidelines are reasonable but are sometimes vague. Teachers are responsible for making the challenging academic standards accessible to students who must learn rigorous academic content while learning the language in which the content is taught.
Garafalo, D. [nystesol-l] Common Core and ELLs Resources. NYSTESOL listserv (nystesol-l@nystesol.org, 18 Apr 2012).
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COMMON CORE and ELLs RESOURCES
Here are some nice Common Core Resources:
http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2012Meetings/March2012/BilingualStandardsPresentation.pdf
NYS Common Core Bilingual Standards: NYS is revising its ESL and Native Language Arts Standards to align with the ELA Shifts in the Common Core Standards: 1. Balancing Informational and Literary Text, 2. Building Knowledge in the Disciplines, 3. Staircase of Complexity, 4. Text-based Answers, 5. Writing from Sources & 6. Academic Vocabulary
http://ell.stanford.edu
Understanding Language is a new website at Stanford University. Kenji Hakuta and his group are pleased to announce the launch of the website and online community, Understanding Language. It aims to heighten educator awareness of the critical role that language plays in the new Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The long-term goal of the initiative is to help educators understand that the new Standards cannot be achieved without providing specific attention to the language demands inherent to each content area. They seek to improve academic outcomes for English Language Learners by drawing attention to critical aspects of instructional practice and by advocating for necessary policy supports at the state and local levels.
http://ellib.stanford.edu/?q=education-376
Several free online videos from Stanford University on English Language Development, Culture, Content Instruction, & L2 Theory & Policy
http://ellib.stanford.edu/?q=education-377
Free online Content Instruction Videos: How to teach Math, Science and ELA to ELL students
http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/common_core/ell/
ELLS and the Common Core: Many different resources are offered here by Colorin Colorado.
http://www.nassp.org/tabid/3788/default.aspx?topic=The_Common_Core_Challenge_for_ELLs
The Common Core Challenges for ELLs: The suggested guidelines are reasonable but are sometimes vague. Teachers are responsible for making the challenging academic standards accessible to students who must learn rigorous academic content while learning the language in which the content is taught.
Garafalo, D. [nystesol-l] Common Core and ELLs Resources. NYSTESOL listserv (nystesol-l@nystesol.org, 18 Apr 2012).
New Cloze Activity Generator
From http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/top-stories/new-gap-fill-generator
The British Council has added a new tool for teachers: a cloze passage generator based on current news article. In British English it’s called a gap-fill generator, and it’s available at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/gap-fill-generator . The program will automatically select difficult and topical words according to your specifications and generate a cloze activity that you can print out.
The British Council has added a new tool for teachers: a cloze passage generator based on current news article. In British English it’s called a gap-fill generator, and it’s available at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/gap-fill-generator . The program will automatically select difficult and topical words according to your specifications and generate a cloze activity that you can print out.
Article: Language Demands to Grow for ELLs Under New Standards
From http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/25/29cs-ell.h31.html
Language Demands to Grow for ELLs Under New Standards
Students required to go well beyond grammar, vocabulary
By Lesli A. Maxwell
April 23, 2012
Putting the common-core standards into practice in classrooms is a monumental change for teachers in the nation's public schools, but for educators who work with English-language learners, the shifts in instruction are expected to be even more groundbreaking.
That's because the new academic expectations for English/language arts and mathematics now adopted by all but four states require much more sophisticated uses of language than the mishmash of standards that have been in use for years across the states, say language-acquisition experts.
Helping English-learners surmount the higher expectations of the common standards will depend largely on how well teachers get them to understand academic language, in contrast to the informal, everyday English they use outside the classroom.
Read the full article at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/25/29cs-ell.h31.html
Language Demands to Grow for ELLs Under New Standards
Students required to go well beyond grammar, vocabulary
By Lesli A. Maxwell
April 23, 2012
Putting the common-core standards into practice in classrooms is a monumental change for teachers in the nation's public schools, but for educators who work with English-language learners, the shifts in instruction are expected to be even more groundbreaking.
That's because the new academic expectations for English/language arts and mathematics now adopted by all but four states require much more sophisticated uses of language than the mishmash of standards that have been in use for years across the states, say language-acquisition experts.
Helping English-learners surmount the higher expectations of the common standards will depend largely on how well teachers get them to understand academic language, in contrast to the informal, everyday English they use outside the classroom.
Read the full article at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/25/29cs-ell.h31.html
Short Video about Cinco de Mayo
A short educational video about the history behind Cinco de Mayo, appropriate for most grade levels, is available at http://www.history.com/videos/cinco-de-mayo#cinco-de-mayo
Nulu: Study Languages with Current News Articles
Nulu is a new online language learning program that engages students by using current news articles as content. Students can choose an article on a topic that interests them and read it in their target language. While reading the article, students can hover over a word or phrase and get expert human translation of that word or phrase in the context of its sentence.
In addition, students can listen to audio of the article recorded by native voice artists in normal and slow speeds. For any new word or phrase in the article, students can click on it to create a flashcard for review at a later date. At the end of each article, students can answer comprehension questions to reinforce what was learned.
Finally, students can practice their writing skills in the target language by participating in a discussion forum. And for instructors, there's a class management tool that allows them to easily assign articles, customize grading and track student progress.
Nulu, which can be used individually or within a class setting, is available for free for the spring/summer. Nulu currently offers a Spanish program; however, they plan to expand to additional languages in the future. While they do plan to implement a subscription pricing model, there will always be a free version of the program available.
You can watch a demonstration video at http://embed.vidyard.com/landingpage/p25FsBzANSJ7KaVDEJVh7Q
Nulu is available online at http://www.nululanguages.com ; contact Nulu for more information at info at nululanguages dot com or (800) 376-4049 (Option 1).
In addition, students can listen to audio of the article recorded by native voice artists in normal and slow speeds. For any new word or phrase in the article, students can click on it to create a flashcard for review at a later date. At the end of each article, students can answer comprehension questions to reinforce what was learned.
Finally, students can practice their writing skills in the target language by participating in a discussion forum. And for instructors, there's a class management tool that allows them to easily assign articles, customize grading and track student progress.
Nulu, which can be used individually or within a class setting, is available for free for the spring/summer. Nulu currently offers a Spanish program; however, they plan to expand to additional languages in the future. While they do plan to implement a subscription pricing model, there will always be a free version of the program available.
You can watch a demonstration video at http://embed.vidyard.com/landingpage/p25FsBzANSJ7KaVDEJVh7Q
Nulu is available online at http://www.nululanguages.com ; contact Nulu for more information at info at nululanguages dot com or (800) 376-4049 (Option 1).
Elementary Activity Idea: Cinco Ratoncitos
An Improving Early Language Programs (Ñandutí) listserv user recently suggested the following activity for elementary classes:
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The traditional song, "Cinco Ratoncitos" merged with Four Corners!
Cinco ratoncitos, de colita gris
Mueven las orejas, mueven la nariz (act these lines out)
1,2,3,4,5 corren al rincon (The kids move to one of four designated "corners" where there is a color assigned.)
Porque viene el gato a comer raton (You can pick a color out of a hat, or have a student hiding his or her eyes and say a color. Those in that color corner sit down. Start again with 4 ratoncitos.)
I use a cat puppet and when we reach the part of the song where I sing "corren al rincon"...I pause and they run to one of the four corners of the rug where I have placed four colored squares. I have the four colored mice in my left hand and the cat puppet in my right hand. Once I start singing again, they have to stay in their chosen corner. I sing "porque viene el gato a comer raton" and I pick one of the mice with the cat puppet and whoever is in that color corner sits down and sings during the next round.
Kranz, S. [nandu] IDEAS!. Improving Early Language Programs listserv (nandu@caltalk.cal.org, 21 Apr 2012).
Here is a link to the lyrics and a video of the song: http://www.spanishplayground.net/cinco-ratoncitos-%E2%80%93-a-traditional-rhyme-2
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The traditional song, "Cinco Ratoncitos" merged with Four Corners!
Cinco ratoncitos, de colita gris
Mueven las orejas, mueven la nariz (act these lines out)
1,2,3,4,5 corren al rincon (The kids move to one of four designated "corners" where there is a color assigned.)
Porque viene el gato a comer raton (You can pick a color out of a hat, or have a student hiding his or her eyes and say a color. Those in that color corner sit down. Start again with 4 ratoncitos.)
I use a cat puppet and when we reach the part of the song where I sing "corren al rincon"...I pause and they run to one of the four corners of the rug where I have placed four colored squares. I have the four colored mice in my left hand and the cat puppet in my right hand. Once I start singing again, they have to stay in their chosen corner. I sing "porque viene el gato a comer raton" and I pick one of the mice with the cat puppet and whoever is in that color corner sits down and sings during the next round.
Kranz, S. [nandu] IDEAS!. Improving Early Language Programs listserv (nandu@caltalk.cal.org, 21 Apr 2012).
Here is a link to the lyrics and a video of the song: http://www.spanishplayground.net/cinco-ratoncitos-%E2%80%93-a-traditional-rhyme-2
French Pronoun Finder
From http://french.about.com
The French Pronoun Finder is an alphabetical list of all the different French pronouns and includes links to the relevant lessons in About.com: http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/pronouns_3.htm?nl=1
The French Pronoun Finder is an alphabetical list of all the different French pronouns and includes links to the relevant lessons in About.com: http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/pronouns_3.htm?nl=1
Babar’s ABC’s: Online Children’s Book in French
From http://expositions.bnf.fr/livres-enfants/jeux/babar/index.htm
Jean de Brunhoff, the creator of Babar, has created a children’s book in which each page has illustrations of things that start with a particular letter of the alphabet. In this online version of the book each time you click on an item, its name appears. A counter on each page keeps track of how many items you’ve found and how many you have yet to find.
Not only might children enjoy this activity on their own, but it could be a good vocabulary reinforcement or literacy activity with the whole class.
Available at http://expositions.bnf.fr/livres-enfants/jeux/babar/index.htm
Jean de Brunhoff, the creator of Babar, has created a children’s book in which each page has illustrations of things that start with a particular letter of the alphabet. In this online version of the book each time you click on an item, its name appears. A counter on each page keeps track of how many items you’ve found and how many you have yet to find.
Not only might children enjoy this activity on their own, but it could be a good vocabulary reinforcement or literacy activity with the whole class.
Available at http://expositions.bnf.fr/livres-enfants/jeux/babar/index.htm
Project: Google Maps of the Ancient World
From http://historyoftheancientworld.com/2012/04/ancient-history-encyclopedia-to-create-google-maps-of-the-ancient-world
The Ancient History Encyclopedia website is preparing to create a special map feature that they are describing as "Google Maps of the Ancient World”. On a statement on their website, they ask for historians, archaeologists and other experts for their assistance, saying “It’s a very exciting and massive project. We need help with research on ancient cities and their placement on the map, with date ranges of their existence. As with the rest of the site, we cover the world from the beginning of civilization to 700 CE.”
Learn more about the project at http://www.ancient.eu.com/news/1429
The Ancient History Encyclopedia website is preparing to create a special map feature that they are describing as "Google Maps of the Ancient World”. On a statement on their website, they ask for historians, archaeologists and other experts for their assistance, saying “It’s a very exciting and massive project. We need help with research on ancient cities and their placement on the map, with date ranges of their existence. As with the rest of the site, we cover the world from the beginning of civilization to 700 CE.”
Learn more about the project at http://www.ancient.eu.com/news/1429
Webinar: Increasing and Retaining Students: Building a Robust German Program
Webinar this Tuesday!
Increasing and Retaining Students: Building a Robust German Program
May 1, 2012, 6:00 pm (EDT)
German instructors at all levels are under pressure not only to attract students to elementary courses, but also to retain them for intermediate and advanced courses. This webinar will provide concrete suggestions and present strategies to build robust and vibrant German programs by retaining students through innovative curricula, exciting extra-curricular activities, meaningful articulation and collaboration, and deliberate marketing.
Presenter: Gregory H. Wolf is a professor of German at North Central College in Naperville, IL. He has published, presented, and conducted workshops on language pedagogy, instructional technology, study abroad, language program building, and professional leadership, in addition to 18th-20th century German literature and culture. He is keenly interested in developing integrated K-16 language curricula in order to attract and keep students in the language pipeline. He recently served on the AATG Executive Council.
Register for this Webinar: http://bit.ly/Ij0tb3
AATG Headquarters. [AATG-L] Upcoming AATG Webinar - Tuesday, May 1. AATG listserv (AATG@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU, 26 Apr 2012).
Increasing and Retaining Students: Building a Robust German Program
May 1, 2012, 6:00 pm (EDT)
German instructors at all levels are under pressure not only to attract students to elementary courses, but also to retain them for intermediate and advanced courses. This webinar will provide concrete suggestions and present strategies to build robust and vibrant German programs by retaining students through innovative curricula, exciting extra-curricular activities, meaningful articulation and collaboration, and deliberate marketing.
Presenter: Gregory H. Wolf is a professor of German at North Central College in Naperville, IL. He has published, presented, and conducted workshops on language pedagogy, instructional technology, study abroad, language program building, and professional leadership, in addition to 18th-20th century German literature and culture. He is keenly interested in developing integrated K-16 language curricula in order to attract and keep students in the language pipeline. He recently served on the AATG Executive Council.
Register for this Webinar: http://bit.ly/Ij0tb3
AATG Headquarters. [AATG-L] Upcoming AATG Webinar - Tuesday, May 1. AATG listserv (AATG@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU, 26 Apr 2012).
Daltaí na Gaeilge: Organization Promotes and Teaches Irish
Daltaí na Gaeilge is a not for profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey, United States of America. On their website you can access topical vocabulary lists with audio, grammar lessons, games, articles in Irish Gaelic, a listing of classes offered throughout the United States and Canada, a listing of events (including immersion gatherings), proverbs, and more.
The website is available at http://www.daltai.com/index.php
The website is available at http://www.daltai.com/index.php
South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles
From http://www.seefilmla.org/drupal
South East European Film Festival
May 3 through 7, 2012
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and James Bridges Theater, UCLA
SEE Fest, the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles has pioneered the concept of regional, cross-border programming with issue-driven films that tell a larger story about the Balkans and South East Europe, where borders of all kinds are fluid and porous just as often as poisonous. With an overarching goal of presenting multiple points of view, the festival unlocks the delicate doors into human existence and concerns of our time.
Visit the festival website for a schedule and more information: http://www.seefilmla.org/drupal
South East European Film Festival
May 3 through 7, 2012
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and James Bridges Theater, UCLA
SEE Fest, the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles has pioneered the concept of regional, cross-border programming with issue-driven films that tell a larger story about the Balkans and South East Europe, where borders of all kinds are fluid and porous just as often as poisonous. With an overarching goal of presenting multiple points of view, the festival unlocks the delicate doors into human existence and concerns of our time.
Visit the festival website for a schedule and more information: http://www.seefilmla.org/drupal
May Is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
From http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/apahm/index.html
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and the Smithsonian Education website has updated resources to support educators who want to celebrate this month. On the website you’ll find a calendar listing events in the Washington, D.C., area and in New York City; a collection of relevant articles from the Smithsonian magazine; and resources specifically for educators.
Browse available resources at http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/apahm/index.html
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and the Smithsonian Education website has updated resources to support educators who want to celebrate this month. On the website you’ll find a calendar listing events in the Washington, D.C., area and in New York City; a collection of relevant articles from the Smithsonian magazine; and resources specifically for educators.
Browse available resources at http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/apahm/index.html
Photo Panels of World Heritage Sites in Japan Available for Loan
From http://www.jfny.org/arts_and_culture/worldheritage.html
The Japan Foundation, New York is proud to offer the World Heritage photo panels to cultural and educational institutions throughout the U.S., to introduce the breadth of these great cultural heritage sites in Japan. This exhibition set consists of 67 spectacular photos of world heritage sites in Japan, including the latest additions in 2011 of Ogasawara Islands and Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land. The Japan Foundation, New York will now bear the expenses for shipping of the artworks. Additional support for costs directly related to holding the photo exhibition is also available.
For full details go to http://www.jfny.org/arts_and_culture/worldheritage.html
The Japan Foundation, New York is proud to offer the World Heritage photo panels to cultural and educational institutions throughout the U.S., to introduce the breadth of these great cultural heritage sites in Japan. This exhibition set consists of 67 spectacular photos of world heritage sites in Japan, including the latest additions in 2011 of Ogasawara Islands and Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land. The Japan Foundation, New York will now bear the expenses for shipping of the artworks. Additional support for costs directly related to holding the photo exhibition is also available.
For full details go to http://www.jfny.org/arts_and_culture/worldheritage.html
New Resource: Leiden Weibo Corpus
From http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-2009.html
The Leiden Weibo Corpus (LWC) is an annotated linguistic 100-million word corpus containing 5.1 million messages from Sina Weibo, China’s premier Twitter-like microblogging service.
The LWC is freely available online at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl . Data for the LWC was collected in January 2012. As such, it contains many linguistic phenomena that may not be found in older corpora, such as suffixation with "-ing", an aspect marker borrowed from English.
Furthermore, Sina Weibo messages come with valuable meta data, such as the gender of the user and his location. This information allows the LWC to calculate how often words are used in different provinces and cities across China, which is useful for research into lexical variation across China.
Naturally, the LWC also supports searching for single words or grammar patterns, such as "any verb followed by an aspectual particle and then a noun". This feature may also be of interest to students and teachers of Mandarin who are looking for example sentences.
For a full description go to http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-2009.html
The corpus is available at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl
The Leiden Weibo Corpus (LWC) is an annotated linguistic 100-million word corpus containing 5.1 million messages from Sina Weibo, China’s premier Twitter-like microblogging service.
The LWC is freely available online at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl . Data for the LWC was collected in January 2012. As such, it contains many linguistic phenomena that may not be found in older corpora, such as suffixation with "-ing", an aspect marker borrowed from English.
Furthermore, Sina Weibo messages come with valuable meta data, such as the gender of the user and his location. This information allows the LWC to calculate how often words are used in different provinces and cities across China, which is useful for research into lexical variation across China.
Naturally, the LWC also supports searching for single words or grammar patterns, such as "any verb followed by an aspectual particle and then a noun". This feature may also be of interest to students and teachers of Mandarin who are looking for example sentences.
For a full description go to http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-2009.html
The corpus is available at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl
Al Hakawati: Arab Cultural Website
From http://www.al-hakawati.net/english/About/index.asp
al-hakawati Arab Cultural Trust is an independent non-profit educational organization, registered in May 2006. Management and staff are located in Beirut, Lebanon, and New Jersey, USA.
al-hakawati tells the story of Arab heritage and civilization, which flowered in a region rooted in the world’s first cultures, in the monotheistic religious traditions, and at the crossroads between East and West. al-hakawati tells the story of Arab culture through folktales and fairy tales from the Arab and Islamic heritage, through biographies of personalities ancient to modern, artists and their arts, architecture, the environment and religions.
The content of al-hakawati covers the 22 Arab states, members of the Arab League. The content is arranged thematically in ten sections, each with several subsections. New entries are regularly added.
al-hakawati is a free educational resource and reference, made possible by the Arab Cultural Trust.
The website is available in Arabic at http://www.al-hakawati.net/arabic/index.asp and in English at http://www.al-hakawati.net/english/index.asp
al-hakawati Arab Cultural Trust is an independent non-profit educational organization, registered in May 2006. Management and staff are located in Beirut, Lebanon, and New Jersey, USA.
al-hakawati tells the story of Arab heritage and civilization, which flowered in a region rooted in the world’s first cultures, in the monotheistic religious traditions, and at the crossroads between East and West. al-hakawati tells the story of Arab culture through folktales and fairy tales from the Arab and Islamic heritage, through biographies of personalities ancient to modern, artists and their arts, architecture, the environment and religions.
The content of al-hakawati covers the 22 Arab states, members of the Arab League. The content is arranged thematically in ten sections, each with several subsections. New entries are regularly added.
al-hakawati is a free educational resource and reference, made possible by the Arab Cultural Trust.
The website is available in Arabic at http://www.al-hakawati.net/arabic/index.asp and in English at http://www.al-hakawati.net/english/index.asp
Arabic Reference Books Free of Charge
Zayed University, Abu Dhabi offers Arabic reference books free of charge (except shipping), while supplies last. Titles include Arabic Grammar Atlas, A Reference Handbook; Encyclopedia of Arabic Numerals Syntax Tabulations; and Dictionary of Arabic Triliteral & Quadriliteral Basic Stems Permutations. For further information, contact Mahmoud Elgibali at mahmoudelgibali at hotmail dot com.
Kony2012 and the LRA: New Educational Materials
In response to the explosion of campus interest in the Kony2012 video and the "Cover the Night" event this weekend of the Invisible Children organization, several Africanists have prepared new educational materials to promote more accurate understanding of the situation in Uganda and Central Africa and the LRA.
The 11-page packet “React and Respond: The Phenomenon of Kony 2012” can be downloaded free at http://bit.ly/I1a0AU . It includes an overview of the LRA situation, guides for teachers about stereotypes and critical thinking about Africa and media literacy regarding the Kony 2012 video, “What can we do about Uganda and the LRA?,” and a resource list. Please share it with high school and middle school teachers – and college students - you think might use it. The National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) is publishing a shortened version in the May-June edition of “Social Education,” which has 17,000 subscribers. The packet was created by the Outreach Directors at the Boston University and Michigan State University African Studies Centers, Barbara Brown and John Metzler, with Christine Root from the Association of Concerned Africa (ACAS).
See also the Association of Concerned Africa Scholars’ "Statement to the U.S. Government about the Lord’s Resistance Army and Central Africa" which is on ACAS’ extensive resource list on this topic at: http://concernedafricascholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ACAS-Press-Release-3-15-12.pdf .
Also, a group of young scholars has organized a petition campaign advocating to Obama against a military solution. See "Uncover the Night" (http://uncoverthenight.tumblr.com ) and on Facebook.
Wiley, D. WEB: Kony2012 and the LRA: New educational materials. H-AFRICA listserv (H-AFRICA@H-NET.MSU.EDU, 23 Apr 2012).
The 11-page packet “React and Respond: The Phenomenon of Kony 2012” can be downloaded free at http://bit.ly/I1a0AU . It includes an overview of the LRA situation, guides for teachers about stereotypes and critical thinking about Africa and media literacy regarding the Kony 2012 video, “What can we do about Uganda and the LRA?,” and a resource list. Please share it with high school and middle school teachers – and college students - you think might use it. The National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) is publishing a shortened version in the May-June edition of “Social Education,” which has 17,000 subscribers. The packet was created by the Outreach Directors at the Boston University and Michigan State University African Studies Centers, Barbara Brown and John Metzler, with Christine Root from the Association of Concerned Africa (ACAS).
See also the Association of Concerned Africa Scholars’ "Statement to the U.S. Government about the Lord’s Resistance Army and Central Africa" which is on ACAS’ extensive resource list on this topic at: http://concernedafricascholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ACAS-Press-Release-3-15-12.pdf .
Also, a group of young scholars has organized a petition campaign advocating to Obama against a military solution. See "Uncover the Night" (http://uncoverthenight.tumblr.com ) and on Facebook.
Wiley, D. WEB: Kony2012 and the LRA: New educational materials. H-AFRICA listserv (H-AFRICA@H-NET.MSU.EDU, 23 Apr 2012).
Editorial: Alaska Native Languages: It All Comes Down to Choices
From http://juneauempire.com/art/2012-04-26/alaska-native-languages-it-all-comes-down-choices#.T5nPir8zJRw
Alaska Native languages: It all comes down to choices
By XH'UNEI, LANCE A. TWITCHELL
April 26, 2012
Linguists have been predicting the death of Alaska Native languages for decades now, and whether or not those predictions prove accurate comes down to the choices you and I make on a daily basis. The past 200 years have been devastating; from boarding schools to disease to social discriminations, we are now left with the aftermath of successful attempts to destroy languages and cultures. But that does not mean we have to resign our efforts or just allow this to happen. In fact, it leaves us all with a tremendous amount of power and the decision is right here before us: speak now or let it go forever.
Read the full editorial at http://juneauempire.com/art/2012-04-26/alaska-native-languages-it-all-comes-down-choices#.T5nWsL8zJRw
Alaska Native languages: It all comes down to choices
By XH'UNEI, LANCE A. TWITCHELL
April 26, 2012
Linguists have been predicting the death of Alaska Native languages for decades now, and whether or not those predictions prove accurate comes down to the choices you and I make on a daily basis. The past 200 years have been devastating; from boarding schools to disease to social discriminations, we are now left with the aftermath of successful attempts to destroy languages and cultures. But that does not mean we have to resign our efforts or just allow this to happen. In fact, it leaves us all with a tremendous amount of power and the decision is right here before us: speak now or let it go forever.
Read the full editorial at http://juneauempire.com/art/2012-04-26/alaska-native-languages-it-all-comes-down-choices#.T5nWsL8zJRw
First Ivy League ASL/Deaf Studies Minor Approved
From http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/04/university_approves_american_sign_languagedeaf_studies_minor
University approves ASL/Deaf Studies minor
Faculty and students alike are pleased with the minor’s approval
By Ella Duangkaew
April 24, 2012
Penn has signed off on the first American Sign Language/Deaf Studies minor in the Ivy League.
The minor was granted final approval by the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences in their meeting yesterday, following its approval by the College Curriculum Committee in March.
The vote for approval was unanimous, according to Gillian Sankoff, undergraduate chair in the Department of Linguistics, which is where the minor will be housed.
Read the full article at http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/04/university_approves_american_sign_languagedeaf_studies_minor
University approves ASL/Deaf Studies minor
Faculty and students alike are pleased with the minor’s approval
By Ella Duangkaew
April 24, 2012
Penn has signed off on the first American Sign Language/Deaf Studies minor in the Ivy League.
The minor was granted final approval by the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences in their meeting yesterday, following its approval by the College Curriculum Committee in March.
The vote for approval was unanimous, according to Gillian Sankoff, undergraduate chair in the Department of Linguistics, which is where the minor will be housed.
Read the full article at http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/04/university_approves_american_sign_languagedeaf_studies_minor
Study: Thinking in a Foreign Language Leads to More Rational Decisions
Second Language Translates Into Clearer Thinking
New research finds people make more rational financial decisions when they consider their options using their second language.
By Tom Jacobs
April 24, 2012
A research team led by psychologist Boaz Keysar reports using one’s second language reduces or eliminates certain biases that otherwise infiltrate our decision-making. Specifically, our aversion to potential loss — a bias that can lead us to pass up promising opportunities for potential gains — diminishes as we ponder options in a language learned later in life.
“People who routinely make decisions in a foreign language rather than their native tongue might be less biased in their savings, investment, and retirement decisions,” the researchers write in the journal Psychological Science. “Over a long time horizon, this might very well be beneficial.”
Read the full article at http://www.psmag.com/education/second-language-translates-into-clearer-thinking-41740
Read a related article at http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/language-and-bias
Access the original article at http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/04/18/0956797611432178
New research finds people make more rational financial decisions when they consider their options using their second language.
By Tom Jacobs
April 24, 2012
A research team led by psychologist Boaz Keysar reports using one’s second language reduces or eliminates certain biases that otherwise infiltrate our decision-making. Specifically, our aversion to potential loss — a bias that can lead us to pass up promising opportunities for potential gains — diminishes as we ponder options in a language learned later in life.
“People who routinely make decisions in a foreign language rather than their native tongue might be less biased in their savings, investment, and retirement decisions,” the researchers write in the journal Psychological Science. “Over a long time horizon, this might very well be beneficial.”
Read the full article at http://www.psmag.com/education/second-language-translates-into-clearer-thinking-41740
Read a related article at http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/language-and-bias
Access the original article at http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/04/18/0956797611432178
Job: Baltimore International Academy Seeking Principal
Baltimore International Academy (BIA), a K-8 public charter school in northeast Baltimore City is looking for a qualified, experienced principal for the 2012-2013 school year. BIA is a full language immersion school offering Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme. In addition to BCPS requirements, including a MSDE Administrator II certificate, candidates should have an understanding of Maryland charter law. Preference is given to candidates with language immersion and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) experience as well as to candidates with native-level fluency in Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish. Resumes can be submitted to leimer at bcps dot k12 dot md dot us.
Eimer, L. [LIM-A] Baltimore International Academy Seeking Principal. LIM-A listserv (LIM-A@LISTS.UMN.EDU, 24 Apr 2012).
Eimer, L. [LIM-A] Baltimore International Academy Seeking Principal. LIM-A listserv (LIM-A@LISTS.UMN.EDU, 24 Apr 2012).
Job: Dual Language Director in Portland, Oregon
From https://employment.pps.k12.or.us/ats/job_board_frame?refresh=Y&COMPANY_ID=00002736&APPLICANT_TYPE_ID=00000003
Portland Public Schools seeks a Dual Language Director to provide vision, leadership guidance and support in the design and implementation of programs and services to support the students in dual language schools. The Director leads the design, monitoring and continuous evaluation of programs using formative and summative data. As a member of the school district leadership team, the Director supports improved achievement for all students and works with others to eliminate race as a predictor of student achievement and success. The position reports directly to the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning.
View job postings at https://employment.pps.k12.or.us/ats/job_board_frame?refresh=Y&COMPANY_ID=00002736&APPLICANT_TYPE_ID=00000003
Portland Public Schools seeks a Dual Language Director to provide vision, leadership guidance and support in the design and implementation of programs and services to support the students in dual language schools. The Director leads the design, monitoring and continuous evaluation of programs using formative and summative data. As a member of the school district leadership team, the Director supports improved achievement for all students and works with others to eliminate race as a predictor of student achievement and success. The position reports directly to the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning.
View job postings at https://employment.pps.k12.or.us/ats/job_board_frame?refresh=Y&COMPANY_ID=00002736&APPLICANT_TYPE_ID=00000003
Summer Institute: Slavic and Eurasian Languages - Acquisition, Techniques, and Technologies
SUMMER INSTITUTE: SLAVIC & EURASIAN LANGUAGES—ACQUISITION, TECHNIQUES, AND TECHNOLOGIES
July 16-18, 2012
Duke University
Durham, NC
The Duke Slavic and Eurasian Language Resource Center will host a summer institute from July 16-18 for instructors (K-12 and university faculty) and language program coordinators in Slavic and Eurasian languages.
Speakers from Duke University, the U.S. Department of Defense, the University of Arizona, and other leading institutions will present on topics including
· Teaching language and culture through film
· Specialized language instruction at the advanced and superior levels
· The use of technology in the language classroom
· Integrating heritage students in the language classroom
· Addressing the needs of differently-abled students
· Using computer technologies to create pedagogical materials
· The role of grammar in proficiency-based instruction
· Popular culture and language instruction
· Web resources for Slavic and East European language teachers
Cost: There are NO registration or tuition fees to attend the SEELRC Summer Institute. However, participants must pay for their own travel expenses, accommodations, and food. Lunches and one dinner will be provided. Depending on the availability of funds, SEELRC may award partial stipends to defray travel costs to qualified applicants.
Lodging: SEELRC staff will assist participants in making housing arrangements. Accommodations will be either on the Duke campus or within walking distance to Duke.
Attendance for the summer institute is limited to 20 people.
Interested language instructors should contact Michael Newcity at mnewcity at duke dot edu for further information.
Newcity, M. [SEELANGS] Summer Institute for Slavic & Eurasian language instructors. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 19 Apr 2012).
July 16-18, 2012
Duke University
Durham, NC
The Duke Slavic and Eurasian Language Resource Center will host a summer institute from July 16-18 for instructors (K-12 and university faculty) and language program coordinators in Slavic and Eurasian languages.
Speakers from Duke University, the U.S. Department of Defense, the University of Arizona, and other leading institutions will present on topics including
· Teaching language and culture through film
· Specialized language instruction at the advanced and superior levels
· The use of technology in the language classroom
· Integrating heritage students in the language classroom
· Addressing the needs of differently-abled students
· Using computer technologies to create pedagogical materials
· The role of grammar in proficiency-based instruction
· Popular culture and language instruction
· Web resources for Slavic and East European language teachers
Cost: There are NO registration or tuition fees to attend the SEELRC Summer Institute. However, participants must pay for their own travel expenses, accommodations, and food. Lunches and one dinner will be provided. Depending on the availability of funds, SEELRC may award partial stipends to defray travel costs to qualified applicants.
Lodging: SEELRC staff will assist participants in making housing arrangements. Accommodations will be either on the Duke campus or within walking distance to Duke.
Attendance for the summer institute is limited to 20 people.
Interested language instructors should contact Michael Newcity at mnewcity at duke dot edu for further information.
Newcity, M. [SEELANGS] Summer Institute for Slavic & Eurasian language instructors. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 19 Apr 2012).
ACTFL Spring 2012 Webinars for Professionals
From http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5345
ACTFL is proud to announce its latest series of interactive webinars. Taught by a faculty of leading experts, the webinars deliver new insights and proven techniques that you can use right away.
Spring Series – Part II: April – May 2012
Integrating 21st Century Skills to Engage Today’s Language Learners
ACTFL and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills collaborated to produce the World Languages 21st Century Skills Map to guide teachers with examples for improving learners' language performance while developing broader skills. Communication is essential, but to be truly career-, college- and world-ready, today's learners need to develop their creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Identify effective strategies for designing units, assessment, and instruction that prepare students to use their new language in settings beyond the classroom. The team of presenters will provide descriptive examples in each webinar based on their backgrounds teaching at various levels, specifically including examples for elementary grades, middle school and senior high programs, as well as postsecondary levels.
The first webinar of this series took place last Wednesday; register for upcoming webinars at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5345
ACTFL is proud to announce its latest series of interactive webinars. Taught by a faculty of leading experts, the webinars deliver new insights and proven techniques that you can use right away.
Spring Series – Part II: April – May 2012
Integrating 21st Century Skills to Engage Today’s Language Learners
ACTFL and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills collaborated to produce the World Languages 21st Century Skills Map to guide teachers with examples for improving learners' language performance while developing broader skills. Communication is essential, but to be truly career-, college- and world-ready, today's learners need to develop their creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Identify effective strategies for designing units, assessment, and instruction that prepare students to use their new language in settings beyond the classroom. The team of presenters will provide descriptive examples in each webinar based on their backgrounds teaching at various levels, specifically including examples for elementary grades, middle school and senior high programs, as well as postsecondary levels.
The first webinar of this series took place last Wednesday; register for upcoming webinars at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5345
Call for Papers: Illinois Classical Conference
From http://icc.classics.illinois.edu
Planning for 2012 meeting of the Illinois Classical Conference is well underway. The University of Chicago will provide the setting for this year’s conference, which will be held over the Columbus Day weekend, October 5-7, 2012.
If you would like to present a paper at this year’s conference, please go to http://icc.classics.illinois.edu for details on how to do so.
Planning for 2012 meeting of the Illinois Classical Conference is well underway. The University of Chicago will provide the setting for this year’s conference, which will be held over the Columbus Day weekend, October 5-7, 2012.
If you would like to present a paper at this year’s conference, please go to http://icc.classics.illinois.edu for details on how to do so.
Book: Pedagogical Stylistics: Current Trends in Language, Literature and ELT
From http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=159537&SubjectId=989&Subject2Id=1655
Pedagogical Stylistics Current Trends in Language, Literature and ELT
Edited by Michael Burke, Szilvia Csabi, Lara Week, and Judit Zerkowitz
Description: This book offers a global exploration of current theory and practice in the teaching of stylistics and the implementation of stylistic techniques in teaching other subjects. Pedagogical stylistics is a field that looks at employing stylistic analysis in teaching, with the aim of enabling students to better understand literature, language and also improving their language acquisition. It is also concerned with the best practice in teaching stylistics.
The book discusses a broad range of interrelated topics including hypertext, English as a Foreign Language, English as a Second Language, poetry, creative writing, and metaphor. Leading experts offer focused, empirical studies on specific developments, providing in-depth examinations of both theoretical and practical teaching methods. This interdisciplinary approach covers linguistics and literature from the perspective of current pedagogical methodology, moving from general tertiary education to more specific EFL and ESL teaching. The role of stylistics in language acquisition is currently underexplored. This contemporary collection provides academics and practitioners with the most up to date trends in pedagogical stylistics and delivers analyses of a diverse range of teaching methods.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=159537&SubjectId=989&Subject2Id=1655
Pedagogical Stylistics Current Trends in Language, Literature and ELT
Edited by Michael Burke, Szilvia Csabi, Lara Week, and Judit Zerkowitz
Description: This book offers a global exploration of current theory and practice in the teaching of stylistics and the implementation of stylistic techniques in teaching other subjects. Pedagogical stylistics is a field that looks at employing stylistic analysis in teaching, with the aim of enabling students to better understand literature, language and also improving their language acquisition. It is also concerned with the best practice in teaching stylistics.
The book discusses a broad range of interrelated topics including hypertext, English as a Foreign Language, English as a Second Language, poetry, creative writing, and metaphor. Leading experts offer focused, empirical studies on specific developments, providing in-depth examinations of both theoretical and practical teaching methods. This interdisciplinary approach covers linguistics and literature from the perspective of current pedagogical methodology, moving from general tertiary education to more specific EFL and ESL teaching. The role of stylistics in language acquisition is currently underexplored. This contemporary collection provides academics and practitioners with the most up to date trends in pedagogical stylistics and delivers analyses of a diverse range of teaching methods.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=159537&SubjectId=989&Subject2Id=1655
Book: Current Perspectives in Second Language Vocabulary Research
From http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=64365&concordeid=431108
Current Perspectives in Second Language Vocabulary Research
Edited by David Hirsh
Published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
Synopsis: Reflecting growth in research interest in second language vocabulary over the past 30 years, this edited volume explores the current themes and possible future directions in second language vocabulary research. The collection brings together review papers and quantitative studies, and considers vocabulary in the contexts of teaching, learning and assessment. Key themes explored in the volume include multidimensionality of vocabulary knowledge, the nature of word learnability, the interface between receptive vocabulary knowledge and productive vocabulary use, the partial-to-precise continuum of vocabulary knowledge, conditions favoring vocabulary learning and use, and the use of corpora to develop word lists to inform second language teaching. The themes presented in this volume reflect current thinking and research avenues at the interface between research enquiry and second language teaching practice.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=64365&concordeid=431108
Current Perspectives in Second Language Vocabulary Research
Edited by David Hirsh
Published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
Synopsis: Reflecting growth in research interest in second language vocabulary over the past 30 years, this edited volume explores the current themes and possible future directions in second language vocabulary research. The collection brings together review papers and quantitative studies, and considers vocabulary in the contexts of teaching, learning and assessment. Key themes explored in the volume include multidimensionality of vocabulary knowledge, the nature of word learnability, the interface between receptive vocabulary knowledge and productive vocabulary use, the partial-to-precise continuum of vocabulary knowledge, conditions favoring vocabulary learning and use, and the use of corpora to develop word lists to inform second language teaching. The themes presented in this volume reflect current thinking and research avenues at the interface between research enquiry and second language teaching practice.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=64365&concordeid=431108
Hindi-Urdu in K-12
From http://hindiurduflagship.org
The Hindi Urdu Flagship at the University of Texas - Austin is spearheading a number of efforts to increase and enhance Hindi Urdu K-12 programs in the US. For a list of existing K-12 programs, information about curriculum and media projects, and to inquire about teaching Hindi-Urdu in your district, go to http://hindiurduflagship.org/resources/learning-teaching/k-12-hindi-urdu
The Hindi Urdu Flagship at the University of Texas - Austin is spearheading a number of efforts to increase and enhance Hindi Urdu K-12 programs in the US. For a list of existing K-12 programs, information about curriculum and media projects, and to inquire about teaching Hindi-Urdu in your district, go to http://hindiurduflagship.org/resources/learning-teaching/k-12-hindi-urdu
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 - Arabic Annotations and Samples
From http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5350
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Language Flagship Program are pleased to announce the online publication of Arabic annotations and samples for speaking, writing, listening, and reading to accompany the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012. The annotations to the Guidelines for Arabic and the samples that exemplify the descriptions of the levels can be found at http://actflproficiencyguidelines2012.org/Arabic
Read more about this new resource at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5350
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Language Flagship Program are pleased to announce the online publication of Arabic annotations and samples for speaking, writing, listening, and reading to accompany the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012. The annotations to the Guidelines for Arabic and the samples that exemplify the descriptions of the levels can be found at http://actflproficiencyguidelines2012.org/Arabic
Read more about this new resource at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5350
April 22, 2012
President of California Language Teachers’ Association Proclaims May 2012 World Languages and Cultures Month
From http://www.clta.net
The California Language Teachers’ Association has proclaimed May 2012 as World Languages and Cultures Month. Download the proclamation from http://www.clta.net/news/proclamation.pdf
The California Language Teachers’ Association has proclaimed May 2012 as World Languages and Cultures Month. Download the proclamation from http://www.clta.net/news/proclamation.pdf
New National Initiative "Understanding Language" Launched
Stanford University and the Oakland (CA) Unified School District announce the launch of a new national initiative entitled Understanding Language. The Common Core State Standards have generated a tremendous amount of reform energy in education. This initiative seizes this moment to develop a new level of awareness about the role of language in understanding and displaying knowledge of academic content. The partners in the Understanding Language initiative want to leverage this realization to improve academic outcomes, especially for English Language Learners, but also for all students, through better instructional practice and necessary policy supports at the state and local levels.
On the initiative website (http://ell.stanford.edu), you'll see the first step – an in-depth analysis of the language demands and opportunities contained in the new standards in English language arts and literacy, math, and the Next Generation Science Standards. You can find papers by experts specially prepared for this initiative, and discussed at a national conference held at Stanford this past January. The main message is that language matters -- it has always mattered, but it matters especially so with the new standards. The implication is that content and language specialists need to collaborate to effectively educate ELLs, and we need to develop the necessary tools and systems to make this happen.
Practical guides will follow. The content and language partners on the Understanding Language team, collaborating with school districts and states through the Council of Great City Schools and the Council of Chief State School Officers, are taking the next step of identifying, developing, testing, and sharing exemplars of language-rich practices in the content areas. This next step for the initiative will be shared through the website in the upcoming months. And further steps are being taken to engage the education community with our resources and our message to create better supports at the federal, state, and local levels.
Please look through foundational papers on this site, take advantage of the webinars and feeds, and please collaborate with the initiative's partners (including the New York Department of Education and the National Council of La Raza, as well as Stanford University, the Oakland USD, CCSSO, and CGCS) and leadership (including co-chairs Kenji Hakuta and Maria Santos, as well as Aida Walqui, Guadalupe Valdes, Okhee Lee, and several other nationally known education experts, researchers, and advocates). We hope to make this an authentic online learning community. For more information please contact UnderstandingLanguage at stanford dot edu.
Educational Opportunities: New National Initiative "Understanding Language" Launched. NCELA List (NCELA@HERMES.GWU.EDU, 19 Apr 2012).
On the initiative website (http://ell.stanford.edu), you'll see the first step – an in-depth analysis of the language demands and opportunities contained in the new standards in English language arts and literacy, math, and the Next Generation Science Standards. You can find papers by experts specially prepared for this initiative, and discussed at a national conference held at Stanford this past January. The main message is that language matters -- it has always mattered, but it matters especially so with the new standards. The implication is that content and language specialists need to collaborate to effectively educate ELLs, and we need to develop the necessary tools and systems to make this happen.
Practical guides will follow. The content and language partners on the Understanding Language team, collaborating with school districts and states through the Council of Great City Schools and the Council of Chief State School Officers, are taking the next step of identifying, developing, testing, and sharing exemplars of language-rich practices in the content areas. This next step for the initiative will be shared through the website in the upcoming months. And further steps are being taken to engage the education community with our resources and our message to create better supports at the federal, state, and local levels.
Please look through foundational papers on this site, take advantage of the webinars and feeds, and please collaborate with the initiative's partners (including the New York Department of Education and the National Council of La Raza, as well as Stanford University, the Oakland USD, CCSSO, and CGCS) and leadership (including co-chairs Kenji Hakuta and Maria Santos, as well as Aida Walqui, Guadalupe Valdes, Okhee Lee, and several other nationally known education experts, researchers, and advocates). We hope to make this an authentic online learning community. For more information please contact UnderstandingLanguage at stanford dot edu.
Educational Opportunities: New National Initiative "Understanding Language" Launched. NCELA List (NCELA@HERMES.GWU.EDU, 19 Apr 2012).
Magazine: Bilingual Times/Tiempo Bilingüe
From http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/2012/04/magazine-bilingual-timestiempo-bilingue.html
Bilingual Times is a magazine for children that’s available in print and digital format. The digital version is free at this time.
Here is a description of the magazine from its website: BILINGUAL TIMES is a monthly publication in English and Spanish. It was created with the idea of bringing reading material to practice both languages. Our scope is international and multicultural; it covers news, stories, games, play on words and creative activities that awaken the initiative, the imagination and the common power of invention we all have.
Bilingual Times is available at http://thebilingualtimes.com/magazine
Bilingual Times is a magazine for children that’s available in print and digital format. The digital version is free at this time.
Here is a description of the magazine from its website: BILINGUAL TIMES is a monthly publication in English and Spanish. It was created with the idea of bringing reading material to practice both languages. Our scope is international and multicultural; it covers news, stories, games, play on words and creative activities that awaken the initiative, the imagination and the common power of invention we all have.
Bilingual Times is available at http://thebilingualtimes.com/magazine
Educational Videos in Spanish
On the Educatina website you can watch educational videos in Spanish about math, science, social studies, health, and Spanish language. Here is a description from the website:
Educatina te ofrece cientos de videos para que puedas aprender de forma fácil, rápida y entretenida las 24hs del día. Nuestros expertos en cada materia logran, con simples explicaciones, enseñar los temas más complejos en solo unos minutos.
Visit the Educatina website at http://www.educatina.com
Educatina te ofrece cientos de videos para que puedas aprender de forma fácil, rápida y entretenida las 24hs del día. Nuestros expertos en cada materia logran, con simples explicaciones, enseñar los temas más complejos en solo unos minutos.
Visit the Educatina website at http://www.educatina.com
Happy Hour Spanish: Videocasts from Spain
From http://www.happyhourspanish.com/about-us
Happy Hour Spanish is a website with a series of video tours around Spain. The videos are supported by subtitles, translations, exercises, tests, flashcards, photos and more.
Happy Hour Spanish is available at http://www.happyhourspanish.com
Read a blog post about this resource at http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-hour-spanish.html
Happy Hour Spanish is a website with a series of video tours around Spain. The videos are supported by subtitles, translations, exercises, tests, flashcards, photos and more.
Happy Hour Spanish is available at http://www.happyhourspanish.com
Read a blog post about this resource at http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-hour-spanish.html
Lexique: Topic-Centered Lessons
A series of webpage-based lessons that presents topically-organized vocabulary is available at http://cr.middlebury.edu/public/french/Lexique
Cribs with Louis XVI: A Tour of the Palace of Versailles
Are you looking for a funny perspective on the luxury at the Palace of Versailles? Watch an actor pretending to be Louis XVI giving a tour, in the style of MTV’s “Cribs” show. Here’s the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Y_-1mAKLk&feature=youtu.be
For more resources to tour the Versailles virtually, see this blog post: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/cribs-with-louis-xvi-tour-of-versailles.html
For more resources to tour the Versailles virtually, see this blog post: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/cribs-with-louis-xvi-tour-of-versailles.html
French Ambassador Praises Utah Elementary School
From http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodcity/53888224-135/french-students-morningside-language.html.csp
French ambassador praises Morningside Elementary
French ambassador’s assessment just one clue to the quality of Morningside’s Dual Immersion classes.
By Jon Clifford
April 12, 2012
Perhaps the biggest endorsement of Morningside Elementary’s French Dual Immersion Program came last month, when Francois Delattre visited the school and spoke to the students.
"As he was speaking about his experience here, he said you would not know they were from Utah," principal Joan Bramble said of the French ambassador to the United States. "He said they have really incredible-sounding French, which is a tribute to the teachers that we have."
Morningside’s program, one of nine French immersion programs in the state, is in its third year. The program began with two classes of first-grade students — about 60 total — and those students have continued in the program since.
Read the full article at http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodcity/53888224-135/french-students-morningside-language.html.csp
French ambassador praises Morningside Elementary
French ambassador’s assessment just one clue to the quality of Morningside’s Dual Immersion classes.
By Jon Clifford
April 12, 2012
Perhaps the biggest endorsement of Morningside Elementary’s French Dual Immersion Program came last month, when Francois Delattre visited the school and spoke to the students.
"As he was speaking about his experience here, he said you would not know they were from Utah," principal Joan Bramble said of the French ambassador to the United States. "He said they have really incredible-sounding French, which is a tribute to the teachers that we have."
Morningside’s program, one of nine French immersion programs in the state, is in its third year. The program began with two classes of first-grade students — about 60 total — and those students have continued in the program since.
Read the full article at http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodcity/53888224-135/french-students-morningside-language.html.csp
Irish Language Day 2012 in New York city
From http://www.irishartscenter.org
Féile na Gaeilge / Irish Language Day 2012
Saturday, May 19 | 12 pm - 5 pm
Irish Arts Center, New York City
Immerse yourself in the Irish language with absolute beginner, intermediate and advanced classes for adults and children, film screenings, a conversation circle for Irish speakers if all levels, Irish poetry read with translation and more.
For full details and other Irish language opportunities in the area, go to http://www.irishartscenter.org/language.htm
Féile na Gaeilge / Irish Language Day 2012
Saturday, May 19 | 12 pm - 5 pm
Irish Arts Center, New York City
Immerse yourself in the Irish language with absolute beginner, intermediate and advanced classes for adults and children, film screenings, a conversation circle for Irish speakers if all levels, Irish poetry read with translation and more.
For full details and other Irish language opportunities in the area, go to http://www.irishartscenter.org/language.htm
Fully-funded Two-week Graduate Course in Russian Pedagogy
Concordia Language Villages announces an opportunity funded by the STARTALK program.
The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century and principles of second language and immersion pedagogy serve as the framework for this four-credit graduate-level course. In this residential program designed for K-16 teachers of Russian, the participants will enhance their understanding of best practices in teaching Russian through participation in language learning groups and activities at Lesnoe Ozero, the Russian Language Village of Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, MN.
Active participation in the Russian Language Village program will be accompanied by class discussions about the methods observed and current research on second language acquisition. Observation, participation in, and analysis of a variety of methodologies in action at Lesnoe Ozero will help participants define their personal instructional philosophy.
The use of music to teach Russian will be highlighted in the program with discussions facilitated by guest presenter, Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson. Because of the building configuration of the Russian Language Village, participants will be able to live on-site for this experience, participating in the daily schedule as observers and co-leaders of activities as appropriate. They will also have their own classes to discuss professional readings, share observations, and prepare materials for use at Russian Language Village and in their classrooms.
Lara Ravitch, Dean of the Russian Language Village, will serve as an instructor, specializing in content-based instruction. Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson, Director of Russian Studies and Head of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, will be a guest presenter. Donna Clementi, longtime staff member at Concordia Language Villages, will be the lead instructor. Four graduate credits will be awarded for successful completion of the course.
Course title: Second Language and Immersion Methodologies for STARTALK teachers
Dates: June 21 - July 7, 2012
Location: Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, Minnesota
Program costs:
$1780 Tuition for the four-credit graduate course ($445/graduate credit)
$1120 Housing and all meals at the Russian Language Village
Full scholarships in the amount of $2900 are available to participants through the STARTALK program. In addition, each participant will receive up to $400 to defray the costs of travel to Bemidji, Minnesota.
STARTALK scholarships are available to applicants who are selected to participate in the program. Selection is based on response to the question about motivation for applying to the STARTALK program, and current/future teaching situation.
Ravitch, L. [SEELANGS] Fully-funded Two-week Graduate Course in Russian Pedagogy - summer 2012. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 17 Apr 2012).
Contact information for this program:
Donna Clementi; clementi at cord dot edu
The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century and principles of second language and immersion pedagogy serve as the framework for this four-credit graduate-level course. In this residential program designed for K-16 teachers of Russian, the participants will enhance their understanding of best practices in teaching Russian through participation in language learning groups and activities at Lesnoe Ozero, the Russian Language Village of Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, MN.
Active participation in the Russian Language Village program will be accompanied by class discussions about the methods observed and current research on second language acquisition. Observation, participation in, and analysis of a variety of methodologies in action at Lesnoe Ozero will help participants define their personal instructional philosophy.
The use of music to teach Russian will be highlighted in the program with discussions facilitated by guest presenter, Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson. Because of the building configuration of the Russian Language Village, participants will be able to live on-site for this experience, participating in the daily schedule as observers and co-leaders of activities as appropriate. They will also have their own classes to discuss professional readings, share observations, and prepare materials for use at Russian Language Village and in their classrooms.
Lara Ravitch, Dean of the Russian Language Village, will serve as an instructor, specializing in content-based instruction. Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson, Director of Russian Studies and Head of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, will be a guest presenter. Donna Clementi, longtime staff member at Concordia Language Villages, will be the lead instructor. Four graduate credits will be awarded for successful completion of the course.
Course title: Second Language and Immersion Methodologies for STARTALK teachers
Dates: June 21 - July 7, 2012
Location: Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, Minnesota
Program costs:
$1780 Tuition for the four-credit graduate course ($445/graduate credit)
$1120 Housing and all meals at the Russian Language Village
Full scholarships in the amount of $2900 are available to participants through the STARTALK program. In addition, each participant will receive up to $400 to defray the costs of travel to Bemidji, Minnesota.
STARTALK scholarships are available to applicants who are selected to participate in the program. Selection is based on response to the question about motivation for applying to the STARTALK program, and current/future teaching situation.
Ravitch, L. [SEELANGS] Fully-funded Two-week Graduate Course in Russian Pedagogy - summer 2012. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 17 Apr 2012).
Contact information for this program:
Donna Clementi; clementi at cord dot edu
German A Capella Group in Portland
Attention German Teachers in NW Oregon and SW Washington:
Let's celebrate the First Anniversary of Zeitgeist Northwest with Vocaldente - German A Capella - on May 1st , 7:30 p.m. at Alberta Rose Theatre in North Portland http://albertarosetheatre.com
Vocaldente - is one of Germany's best A Capella groups performing world-wide in sold out concerts. More Information about the group is on their website http://www.zeitgeistnorthwest.org
This fantastic concert is brought to Portland, and ZGNW by the German Consulate in San Francisco. Consul Ahrens is making a special trip from San Francisco to Portland to open the show.
Johnston, J. [AATG-L] German A Capella Group in Portland. AATG listserv (AATG@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU, 15 Apr 2012).
Let's celebrate the First Anniversary of Zeitgeist Northwest with Vocaldente - German A Capella - on May 1st , 7:30 p.m. at Alberta Rose Theatre in North Portland http://albertarosetheatre.com
Vocaldente - is one of Germany's best A Capella groups performing world-wide in sold out concerts. More Information about the group is on their website http://www.zeitgeistnorthwest.org
This fantastic concert is brought to Portland, and ZGNW by the German Consulate in San Francisco. Consul Ahrens is making a special trip from San Francisco to Portland to open the show.
Johnston, J. [AATG-L] German A Capella Group in Portland. AATG listserv (AATG@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU, 15 Apr 2012).
Article: German in a Multicultural World
From http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/german-in-a-multicultural-world.html?emc=eta1
German in a Multicultural World
By SAM DILLON
April 13, 2012
ON the day in November 1989 that the Berlin Wall came down, Michael Legutke, a linguist working for the West German government, was in Casper, Wyo., leading a training workshop for the state’s German teachers.
The drama of Berlin’s reunification and Communism’s collapse focused worldwide interest on all things German, and German classes in American public schools saw significant enrollment increases. But by the mid-1990s, the surge ended. The United States was turning its attention to Asia and the Mideast; Arabic and especially Chinese began displacing German and several other European languages once at the core of the American curriculum.
Ever since, the precarious future of the German language in North America has been a concern for the Berlin government, which has turned to Dr. Legutke and Daniel S. Hamilton, a Johns Hopkins professor, to strategize on how to bolster German instruction here.
“In the U.S., German is on the defensive,” they conclude in a new study that could serve as a blueprint for other languages threatened by tectonic shifts in American demographics. “It is under increasing attack from many directions and for many different reasons.”
Read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/german-in-a-multicultural-world.html?emc=eta1
German in a Multicultural World
By SAM DILLON
April 13, 2012
ON the day in November 1989 that the Berlin Wall came down, Michael Legutke, a linguist working for the West German government, was in Casper, Wyo., leading a training workshop for the state’s German teachers.
The drama of Berlin’s reunification and Communism’s collapse focused worldwide interest on all things German, and German classes in American public schools saw significant enrollment increases. But by the mid-1990s, the surge ended. The United States was turning its attention to Asia and the Mideast; Arabic and especially Chinese began displacing German and several other European languages once at the core of the American curriculum.
Ever since, the precarious future of the German language in North America has been a concern for the Berlin government, which has turned to Dr. Legutke and Daniel S. Hamilton, a Johns Hopkins professor, to strategize on how to bolster German instruction here.
“In the U.S., German is on the defensive,” they conclude in a new study that could serve as a blueprint for other languages threatened by tectonic shifts in American demographics. “It is under increasing attack from many directions and for many different reasons.”
Read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/german-in-a-multicultural-world.html?emc=eta1
Pazuru Alfabet: Software for Learning Hiragana and Katakana
From http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1694.html
Pazuru Alfabet is a self-evaluation software for learning the Japanese phonetic scripts hiragana and katakana. It is very simple but rock solid and useful for students at first approach with Japanese.
This software is completely free and portable (does not require installation) for all Windows platforms, and there are not any specific minimum requirements.
The application is available at http://www.freewebs.com/horazio/pazuru.htm
Pazuru Alfabet is a self-evaluation software for learning the Japanese phonetic scripts hiragana and katakana. It is very simple but rock solid and useful for students at first approach with Japanese.
This software is completely free and portable (does not require installation) for all Windows platforms, and there are not any specific minimum requirements.
The application is available at http://www.freewebs.com/horazio/pazuru.htm
ICTFL and Illinois Foreign Language CHINA TOUR 2013
From http://www.ictfl.org/event/ictfl-and-illinois-foreign-language-china-tour-2013
ICTFL invites you on an 11 Day Tour of CHINA in Summer 2013! The host tour company is ACIS and they're offering you both an amazing price and a $100 ICTFL Discount for reservations made by June 30, 2012. You’ll fly to Beijing from Chicago and see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and visit a school. Then you go to Xi'an where the amazing terracotta warriors have been discovered -- each with their own unique face and clothing. For a true bit of Chinese outdoor adventure you’ll complete a service project in Chengdu at the Giant Panda Research Base. Finally, it's a flight to Shanghai for another school visit, silk workshop and more. CPDUs (included) or College Credit (additional cost) is available. Participating teachers may travel with a guest. All flights, upgraded hotels and meals are included in our ICTFL pricing.
For more details and pricing go to http://www.acis.com/tripsite/?key=RFJjUDRhSFMwOC9XQkpPQWRwUT0%3D
ICTFL invites you on an 11 Day Tour of CHINA in Summer 2013! The host tour company is ACIS and they're offering you both an amazing price and a $100 ICTFL Discount for reservations made by June 30, 2012. You’ll fly to Beijing from Chicago and see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and visit a school. Then you go to Xi'an where the amazing terracotta warriors have been discovered -- each with their own unique face and clothing. For a true bit of Chinese outdoor adventure you’ll complete a service project in Chengdu at the Giant Panda Research Base. Finally, it's a flight to Shanghai for another school visit, silk workshop and more. CPDUs (included) or College Credit (additional cost) is available. Participating teachers may travel with a guest. All flights, upgraded hotels and meals are included in our ICTFL pricing.
For more details and pricing go to http://www.acis.com/tripsite/?key=RFJjUDRhSFMwOC9XQkpPQWRwUT0%3D
SpeakMoroccan: Website with Basic Darija Lessons
From http://www.speakmoroccan.com/about-speakmoroccancom
SpeakMoroccan is dedicated to people willing to learn the Moroccan dialect: “Darija“. No Arabic knowledge is required to study the lessons on the website.
SpeakMoroccan helps you learn some basic expressions needed on a daily basis, as well as some easy grammar tips. It may be useful for Arabic instructors who want to expose their students to different varieties of Arabic; the online forum may also be useful for asking specific dialect questions.
SpeakMoroccan is available at http://www.speakmoroccan.com
SpeakMoroccan is dedicated to people willing to learn the Moroccan dialect: “Darija“. No Arabic knowledge is required to study the lessons on the website.
SpeakMoroccan helps you learn some basic expressions needed on a daily basis, as well as some easy grammar tips. It may be useful for Arabic instructors who want to expose their students to different varieties of Arabic; the online forum may also be useful for asking specific dialect questions.
SpeakMoroccan is available at http://www.speakmoroccan.com
Programs Sought To Pilot Advanced Arabic through Song Course
From http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1919.html
Georgia tech is looking for institutes and programs that are interested and willing to pilot advanced content-based Arabic language, culture and history through songs course which will be offered in the Fall of 2012 at GT. Interested people can pilot either the whole course or parts of it. This entails they teach the course concurrently while it is being taught at GT and at the end of the course give their feedback as well as the students'. The course is a web-based course and interested people will have access to the web page on GT server. The course material is independent of Alkitab and requires at least 5 semesters of learning Arabic.
For full details go to http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1919.html
Georgia tech is looking for institutes and programs that are interested and willing to pilot advanced content-based Arabic language, culture and history through songs course which will be offered in the Fall of 2012 at GT. Interested people can pilot either the whole course or parts of it. This entails they teach the course concurrently while it is being taught at GT and at the end of the course give their feedback as well as the students'. The course is a web-based course and interested people will have access to the web page on GT server. The course material is independent of Alkitab and requires at least 5 semesters of learning Arabic.
For full details go to http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1919.html
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Intended To Preserve Native Languages
From http://newsminer.com/bookmark/18224785-Legislature-passes-bill-intended-to-preserve-Native-languages
Legislature passes bill intended to preserve Native languages
by Matt Buxton
April 12, 2012
The Legislature on Thursday passed a bill aimed at protecting and restoring Alaska Native languages, which are on the decline and in some instances nearing extinction.
The bill, which is headed to the governor’s desk, establishes the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council, a collection of language experts who would research and find ways to protect and restore Alaska Native languages.
The council would consist of language experts appointed by the governor from throughout the state and would include non-voting legislators from the Bush Caucus. The council would be tasked with producing reports every two years that would evaluate the state of languages and recommend changes to programs to the governor and the Legislature. The first report would be due July 1, 2014.
Read more: http://newsminer.com/bookmark/18224785-Legislature-passes-bill-intended-to-preserve-Native-languages
Legislature passes bill intended to preserve Native languages
by Matt Buxton
April 12, 2012
The Legislature on Thursday passed a bill aimed at protecting and restoring Alaska Native languages, which are on the decline and in some instances nearing extinction.
The bill, which is headed to the governor’s desk, establishes the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council, a collection of language experts who would research and find ways to protect and restore Alaska Native languages.
The council would consist of language experts appointed by the governor from throughout the state and would include non-voting legislators from the Bush Caucus. The council would be tasked with producing reports every two years that would evaluate the state of languages and recommend changes to programs to the governor and the Legislature. The first report would be due July 1, 2014.
Read more: http://newsminer.com/bookmark/18224785-Legislature-passes-bill-intended-to-preserve-Native-languages
Colorado Governor Signs Indigenous Language Bill
From http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20120417/NEWS01/704179919
Indigenous language bill signed
Rep. Brown’s bill will help bring native speakers to classes
By Joe Hanel
April 16, 2012
Schools can say “ya’ah’tee” to a new bunch of potential Native American language teachers, thanks to a bill Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law Monday.
Senate Bill 57 allows schools to hire indigenous language teachers even if the teachers aren’t certified educators. The language instructors would have to work with a certified teacher.
Schools in Southwest Colorado could use the bill to hire Ute and Navajo language teachers, Brown said.
Read the full article at http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20120417/NEWS01/704179919
Read a related article at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/04/17/native-languages-go-international-108762
Read a related blog post here: http://falmouthinstitute.com/language/2012/04/colorado-makes-teaching-native-languages-in-schools-easier
Indigenous language bill signed
Rep. Brown’s bill will help bring native speakers to classes
By Joe Hanel
April 16, 2012
Schools can say “ya’ah’tee” to a new bunch of potential Native American language teachers, thanks to a bill Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law Monday.
Senate Bill 57 allows schools to hire indigenous language teachers even if the teachers aren’t certified educators. The language instructors would have to work with a certified teacher.
Schools in Southwest Colorado could use the bill to hire Ute and Navajo language teachers, Brown said.
Read the full article at http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20120417/NEWS01/704179919
Read a related article at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/04/17/native-languages-go-international-108762
Read a related blog post here: http://falmouthinstitute.com/language/2012/04/colorado-makes-teaching-native-languages-in-schools-easier
IELTS Research Grants and Dissertation Awards
Here are two funding opportunities from the International English Language Testing System:
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Educational institutions and suitably qualified individuals are invited to apply for funding to undertake applied research projects in relation to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for a period of one or two years. Financial support for individual projects selected will in principle be limited to a maximum of £45,000/AU$70,000.
The application deadline is June 30, 2012.
For full details go to http://www.ielts.org/researchers/grants_and_awards/call_for_research_proposal.aspx
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As part of the tenth anniversary of IELTS in 1999, the IELTS partners - British Council, IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations - established an annual award of £1,000 for the Master's-level dissertation or thesis in English which makes the most significant contribution to the field of language testing.
Submissions must be for a dissertation/thesis written in partial or total fulfillment of the requirements for a Master's degree or its equivalent, and must be supported by a letter from the applicant's academic supervisor. The work should be language testing focused but need not be IELTS-related.
Dissertatations must be submitted to IELTS by June 30, 2012.
For full details go to http://www.ielts.org/researchers/grants_and_awards/ielts_masters_award.aspx
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Educational institutions and suitably qualified individuals are invited to apply for funding to undertake applied research projects in relation to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for a period of one or two years. Financial support for individual projects selected will in principle be limited to a maximum of £45,000/AU$70,000.
The application deadline is June 30, 2012.
For full details go to http://www.ielts.org/researchers/grants_and_awards/call_for_research_proposal.aspx
---
As part of the tenth anniversary of IELTS in 1999, the IELTS partners - British Council, IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations - established an annual award of £1,000 for the Master's-level dissertation or thesis in English which makes the most significant contribution to the field of language testing.
Submissions must be for a dissertation/thesis written in partial or total fulfillment of the requirements for a Master's degree or its equivalent, and must be supported by a letter from the applicant's academic supervisor. The work should be language testing focused but need not be IELTS-related.
Dissertatations must be submitted to IELTS by June 30, 2012.
For full details go to http://www.ielts.org/researchers/grants_and_awards/ielts_masters_award.aspx
Let’s Learn Latin Workshops for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
From http://www.nadsfl.org/events/let-s-learn-latin-boston-northern-virginia
Let’s Learn Latin will introduce elementary and middle school teachers to the world of Latin and the ancient Romans through a series of engaging, standards-connected lessons. Teachers get to play the role of students, learning the material through the same activities and lessons that they will be able to use in their own classrooms. Participants will enjoy learning the basics of Latin, by working through 80% or more of a colorful, interesting, kid-friendly text called Minimus, richly supplemented by effective and innovative activities to practice the material. Other topics include Latin vocabulary, word roots, and Roman culture and mythology – all of which integrate seamlessly with Minimus. No previous experience with Latin is needed!
Summer sessions in 2 locations:
July 6, 2012 / 9:00 am - 4:30 pm / McLean, VA
hosted by: The Madeira School
July 30-31 / 9:00 am – 3:30 pm / Boston, MA
hosted by: The Roxbury Latin School
For more details go to http://www.ascaniusyci.org/teachers.htm
Let’s Learn Latin will introduce elementary and middle school teachers to the world of Latin and the ancient Romans through a series of engaging, standards-connected lessons. Teachers get to play the role of students, learning the material through the same activities and lessons that they will be able to use in their own classrooms. Participants will enjoy learning the basics of Latin, by working through 80% or more of a colorful, interesting, kid-friendly text called Minimus, richly supplemented by effective and innovative activities to practice the material. Other topics include Latin vocabulary, word roots, and Roman culture and mythology – all of which integrate seamlessly with Minimus. No previous experience with Latin is needed!
Summer sessions in 2 locations:
July 6, 2012 / 9:00 am - 4:30 pm / McLean, VA
hosted by: The Madeira School
July 30-31 / 9:00 am – 3:30 pm / Boston, MA
hosted by: The Roxbury Latin School
For more details go to http://www.ascaniusyci.org/teachers.htm
STARTALK 2012 for Language Teacher Training at Indiana University
From http://education.indiana.edu/ResearchProjects/STARTALK/tabid/16107/Default.aspx
STARTALK 2012 program invites applicants for teacher training for Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Turkish, and Swahili
Participate in an intense residential, professional development institute with on-line learning pre- and post-institute (readings, responses and final project completion)
Learn how to teach languages to Pre-K to grade 6 youngsters using cutting edge age-appropriate teaching methods
Design creative vibrant lessons, materials, & developmentally appropriate assessment
Gain strong skills in community language advocacy & twice weekly afternoon practicum experiences at community-based sites such as the public library, preschools & Girls Inc.
Receive six credits for two courses language teaching Methods & Practicum
Schedule:
Online: May 14 – June 1, 2012 2-week online orientation and readings
Onsite: June 8 – July 29, 2012 3-week residential program (methods, practicum and project development) on IU campus
Online Projects due: August 20, 2012
Application Deadline: April 28th, 2012
For full details go to http://education.indiana.edu/ResearchProjects/STARTALK/tabid/16107/Default.aspx
STARTALK 2012 program invites applicants for teacher training for Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Turkish, and Swahili
Participate in an intense residential, professional development institute with on-line learning pre- and post-institute (readings, responses and final project completion)
Learn how to teach languages to Pre-K to grade 6 youngsters using cutting edge age-appropriate teaching methods
Design creative vibrant lessons, materials, & developmentally appropriate assessment
Gain strong skills in community language advocacy & twice weekly afternoon practicum experiences at community-based sites such as the public library, preschools & Girls Inc.
Receive six credits for two courses language teaching Methods & Practicum
Schedule:
Online: May 14 – June 1, 2012 2-week online orientation and readings
Onsite: June 8 – July 29, 2012 3-week residential program (methods, practicum and project development) on IU campus
Online Projects due: August 20, 2012
Application Deadline: April 28th, 2012
For full details go to http://education.indiana.edu/ResearchProjects/STARTALK/tabid/16107/Default.aspx
Professional Development Seminars at CLEAR
The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR), a US Department of Education Language Resource Center, invites you to take advantage of their summer professional development workshops in July. These workshops offer hands-on experience and concrete ideas for language teachers.
CLEAR has been offering workshops since 1997, and teachers from all over the country have come to Michigan State University's campus to attend them. The workshops offered this year cover a wide range of topics, appropriate as "refreshers" for experienced teachers or as reinforcement on topics in language teaching for newer and pre-service teachers.
Summer Workshops for 2012
Visit http://clear.msu.edu/clear/professionaldev/summerworkshops.php to learn more about these summer professional development opportunities. You can apply online!
Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques (section 1)
July 9-11
Teaching Language in a Blended Environment: Tools and Best Practices (section 1)
July 12-14
Integrating Communicative Speaking Activities into Your Other Lessons
July 16-18
Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques (section 2, same content as section 1)
July 23-25
Teaching Language in a Blended Environment: Tools and Best Practices (section 2, same content as section 1)
July 26-28
The early bird deadline is May 1, but applications will be accepted through June 1.
To learn more about all of CLEAR’s workshops, please visit http://clear.msu.edu/clear/professionaldev/summerworkshops.php .
CLEAR has been offering workshops since 1997, and teachers from all over the country have come to Michigan State University's campus to attend them. The workshops offered this year cover a wide range of topics, appropriate as "refreshers" for experienced teachers or as reinforcement on topics in language teaching for newer and pre-service teachers.
Summer Workshops for 2012
Visit http://clear.msu.edu/clear/professionaldev/summerworkshops.php to learn more about these summer professional development opportunities. You can apply online!
Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques (section 1)
July 9-11
Teaching Language in a Blended Environment: Tools and Best Practices (section 1)
July 12-14
Integrating Communicative Speaking Activities into Your Other Lessons
July 16-18
Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques (section 2, same content as section 1)
July 23-25
Teaching Language in a Blended Environment: Tools and Best Practices (section 2, same content as section 1)
July 26-28
The early bird deadline is May 1, but applications will be accepted through June 1.
To learn more about all of CLEAR’s workshops, please visit http://clear.msu.edu/clear/professionaldev/summerworkshops.php .
UCLA Indonesian Studies Conference
Indonesian Studies Conference 2012: Indonesia in Global and Transnational Perspective
April 27-28, 2012
See the schedule and more details at http://www.international.ucla.edu/cseas/indonesia/article.asp?parentid=123094
April 27-28, 2012
See the schedule and more details at http://www.international.ucla.edu/cseas/indonesia/article.asp?parentid=123094
Call for Papers: The 23rd Annual Conference of the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese
The 23rd Annual Conference of the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese will be held at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Japanese education in the U.S. entered a new phase in the last few years due to budget cut and the competition from interests in Chinese. The impact of such changes is seen in the unprecedented cancellation of the 2011 CATJ meeting and the elimination of Japanese programs, particularly high schools. Meanwhile technology has created unprecedented potentials for foreign language education. What is the nature of these changes? How should we respond to it?
This conference is organized to resume the annual CATJ meeting and to provide a platform for teachers of Japanese to exchange views on these and other issues. The theme of the conference is “Embracing the New Phase in Japanese Education in the United States.” We welcome proposal of papers that address topics including but not limited to the following: the nature of the changes in Japanese education in the U.S., Japanese pedagogy, second language acquisition, heritage language education, technology in language learning and teaching, Japanese culture, and Japanese literature. Individual presentations will be 20 minutes long followed by 10-minute Q&A sessions. The conference is open to both K-12 and college levels teachers of Japanese. For high school teachers from Indiana, registration fees and transportation (mileages) will be reimbursed after the conference by a grant from Indiana Humanities.
The submission deadline is June 15th, 2012. Notification of the acceptance will be sent in July 2012. Papers presented, with revisions made after the conference, will be published in a Conference Proceedings volume as well as online. Please submit an anonymous proposal to kmatsumoto at bsu dot edu by June 15th, 2012 with a separate sheet containing the following information:
1. Your name, affiliation, position, e-mail and summer contact information
2. The title of your paper, in both English and Japanese
3. Abstract of your paper (300 words in English or 700 characters in Japanese)
4. Equipment needed, other than a computer and a projector
If you have any questions, please contact Kazumi Matsumoto at kmatsumoto at bsu dot edu.
The 23rd CATJ conference is organized by the Japanese Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at Ball State University, funded by two generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities through Indiana Humanities and the Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) of the Association of Asian Studies.
Zheng, G. Call for Papers: the 23rd Annual Conference of the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese. JTIT-L listserv (JTIT-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU, 16 Apr 2012).
Japanese education in the U.S. entered a new phase in the last few years due to budget cut and the competition from interests in Chinese. The impact of such changes is seen in the unprecedented cancellation of the 2011 CATJ meeting and the elimination of Japanese programs, particularly high schools. Meanwhile technology has created unprecedented potentials for foreign language education. What is the nature of these changes? How should we respond to it?
This conference is organized to resume the annual CATJ meeting and to provide a platform for teachers of Japanese to exchange views on these and other issues. The theme of the conference is “Embracing the New Phase in Japanese Education in the United States.” We welcome proposal of papers that address topics including but not limited to the following: the nature of the changes in Japanese education in the U.S., Japanese pedagogy, second language acquisition, heritage language education, technology in language learning and teaching, Japanese culture, and Japanese literature. Individual presentations will be 20 minutes long followed by 10-minute Q&A sessions. The conference is open to both K-12 and college levels teachers of Japanese. For high school teachers from Indiana, registration fees and transportation (mileages) will be reimbursed after the conference by a grant from Indiana Humanities.
The submission deadline is June 15th, 2012. Notification of the acceptance will be sent in July 2012. Papers presented, with revisions made after the conference, will be published in a Conference Proceedings volume as well as online. Please submit an anonymous proposal to kmatsumoto at bsu dot edu by June 15th, 2012 with a separate sheet containing the following information:
1. Your name, affiliation, position, e-mail and summer contact information
2. The title of your paper, in both English and Japanese
3. Abstract of your paper (300 words in English or 700 characters in Japanese)
4. Equipment needed, other than a computer and a projector
If you have any questions, please contact Kazumi Matsumoto at kmatsumoto at bsu dot edu.
The 23rd CATJ conference is organized by the Japanese Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at Ball State University, funded by two generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities through Indiana Humanities and the Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) of the Association of Asian Studies.
Zheng, G. Call for Papers: the 23rd Annual Conference of the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese. JTIT-L listserv (JTIT-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU, 16 Apr 2012).
Call for Papers: Boston University Conference on Language Development
From http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1895.html
37th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development
November 2-4, 2012
Submissions that present research on any topic in the fields of first and second language acquisition from any theoretical perspectives will be fully considered, including: Bilingualism, Cognition & Language, Creoles & Pidgins, Dialects, Discourse and Narrative, Gesture, Hearing Impairment and Deafness, Input & Interaction, Language Disorders, Linguistic Theory, Neurolinguistics, Pragmatics, Pre-linguistic Development, Reading and Literacy, Signed Languages, Sociolinguistics, and Speech Perception & Production.
Call Deadline: 15-May-2012
View the full call for papers at http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1895.html
37th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development
November 2-4, 2012
Submissions that present research on any topic in the fields of first and second language acquisition from any theoretical perspectives will be fully considered, including: Bilingualism, Cognition & Language, Creoles & Pidgins, Dialects, Discourse and Narrative, Gesture, Hearing Impairment and Deafness, Input & Interaction, Language Disorders, Linguistic Theory, Neurolinguistics, Pragmatics, Pre-linguistic Development, Reading and Literacy, Signed Languages, Sociolinguistics, and Speech Perception & Production.
Call Deadline: 15-May-2012
View the full call for papers at http://linguistlist.org/issues/23/23-1895.html
Call for Papers: 3rd International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation
From http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/ICLDC/2013
The 3rd International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC), “Sharing Worlds of Knowledge,” will be held February 28-March 3, 2013, at the Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus.
The organizers especially welcome abstracts that address the conference theme of the interdisciplinary nature of language documentation. Language encodes knowledge from many facets of life: kinship, science, taxonomy, material culture, spirituality, music, and others.
They organizers are also seeking abstracts on the science of documentation and revitalization. Documentation is usually portrayed as a means of collecting language data, and revitalization is generally seen primarily as a kind of applied work directly benefiting communities. However, each of those domains is a genuine area of research, and we welcome presentations that treat documentation and revitalization not merely as activities, but also as domains requiring theorization in their own right.
In addition to the topics above, they warmly welcome abstracts on other subjects in language documentation and conservation, which may include but are not limited to:
Archiving matters
Community experiences of revitalization
Data management
Ethical issues
Language planning
Lexicography and reference grammar design
Methods of assessing ethnolinguistic vitality
Orthography design
Teaching/learning small languages
Technology in documentation – methods and pitfalls
Topics in areal language documentation
Training in documentation methods – beyond the university
Assessing success in documentation and revitalization strategies
Abstracts are due by August 31, 2012.
View the full call for papers at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/ICLDC/2013/call.html
The 3rd International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC), “Sharing Worlds of Knowledge,” will be held February 28-March 3, 2013, at the Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus.
The organizers especially welcome abstracts that address the conference theme of the interdisciplinary nature of language documentation. Language encodes knowledge from many facets of life: kinship, science, taxonomy, material culture, spirituality, music, and others.
They organizers are also seeking abstracts on the science of documentation and revitalization. Documentation is usually portrayed as a means of collecting language data, and revitalization is generally seen primarily as a kind of applied work directly benefiting communities. However, each of those domains is a genuine area of research, and we welcome presentations that treat documentation and revitalization not merely as activities, but also as domains requiring theorization in their own right.
In addition to the topics above, they warmly welcome abstracts on other subjects in language documentation and conservation, which may include but are not limited to:
Archiving matters
Community experiences of revitalization
Data management
Ethical issues
Language planning
Lexicography and reference grammar design
Methods of assessing ethnolinguistic vitality
Orthography design
Teaching/learning small languages
Technology in documentation – methods and pitfalls
Topics in areal language documentation
Training in documentation methods – beyond the university
Assessing success in documentation and revitalization strategies
Abstracts are due by August 31, 2012.
View the full call for papers at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/ICLDC/2013/call.html
April 2012 Issue of Reading in a Foreign Language
From http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl
The April 2012 issue (Volume 24, Number 1) of the electronic journal Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL) is now online and can be read at
http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/April2012
In this issue, Mami Yoshida reports on the interplay of processing task, text type, and proficiency in L2 reading, followed by an article written by Etsuo Taguchi, Greta Gorsuch, Miyoko Takayasu-Maass, & Kirsten Snipp in which they present a longitudinal study addressing assisted repeated reading with an advanced-level Japanese EFL reader. Anna C-S Chang presents a study for improving reading rate activities for EFL students involving repeated oral reading. Xiangying Jiang discusses the effects of discourse structure graphic organizers for EFL reading comprehension. And in the last article, Gillian Claridge addresses how publishers provide graded readers
This issue also includes two book reviews. Hideki Goya reviews, Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition authored by James Milton, and Liliya Gorelova reviews Manchu: A Textbook for Reading Documents (2nd ed.) by Gertrude Roth Li.
They also have Alan Taylor's discussion piece in which he comments on Irena Kuzborska's article that appeared in Volume 23, #1, April 2011 issue, followed by Irena Kuzborska's response to Taylor's comments.
RFL is a scholarly, refereed journal published on the World Wide Web by the University of Hawai`i, with Richard R. Day and Thom Hudson as the co-editors and Anne Burns, Macquarie University, as the reviews editor.
The journal is sponsored by the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), the University of Hawai‘i College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, and the University of Hawai‘i Department of Second Language Studies. The journal is a fully-refereed journal with an editorial board of scholars in the field of foreign and second language reading. There is no subscription fee to readers of the journal. It is published twice a year, in April and October. Detailed information about Reading in a Foreign Language can be found at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl
The April 2012 issue (Volume 24, Number 1) of the electronic journal Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL) is now online and can be read at
http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/April2012
In this issue, Mami Yoshida reports on the interplay of processing task, text type, and proficiency in L2 reading, followed by an article written by Etsuo Taguchi, Greta Gorsuch, Miyoko Takayasu-Maass, & Kirsten Snipp in which they present a longitudinal study addressing assisted repeated reading with an advanced-level Japanese EFL reader. Anna C-S Chang presents a study for improving reading rate activities for EFL students involving repeated oral reading. Xiangying Jiang discusses the effects of discourse structure graphic organizers for EFL reading comprehension. And in the last article, Gillian Claridge addresses how publishers provide graded readers
This issue also includes two book reviews. Hideki Goya reviews, Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition authored by James Milton, and Liliya Gorelova reviews Manchu: A Textbook for Reading Documents (2nd ed.) by Gertrude Roth Li.
They also have Alan Taylor's discussion piece in which he comments on Irena Kuzborska's article that appeared in Volume 23, #1, April 2011 issue, followed by Irena Kuzborska's response to Taylor's comments.
RFL is a scholarly, refereed journal published on the World Wide Web by the University of Hawai`i, with Richard R. Day and Thom Hudson as the co-editors and Anne Burns, Macquarie University, as the reviews editor.
The journal is sponsored by the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), the University of Hawai‘i College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, and the University of Hawai‘i Department of Second Language Studies. The journal is a fully-refereed journal with an editorial board of scholars in the field of foreign and second language reading. There is no subscription fee to readers of the journal. It is published twice a year, in April and October. Detailed information about Reading in a Foreign Language can be found at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl
Book: Intercultural Dialogue in Practice
From http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781847697240
Intercultural Dialogue in Practice: Managing Value Judgment through Foreign Language Education
By Stephanie Houghton
Published by Multilingual Matters
Summary: The term intercultural dialogue has become a buzzword at policy level, but there is a pressing need to synchronize the terminology of policymakers with that of academics. An overarching aim of this book is to explore the wide-ranging terminology relevant to intercultural dialogue in order to promote clearer consideration of the underlying issues. More specifically, this book reports the findings of a research project conducted in Japan that brought teaching practice to bear upon some of the main conflicting theoretical perspectives on how value judgment should be managed in foreign language education. At the heart of this issue lies the management of prejudice, which is a key dynamic in intercultural dialogue that brings many other factors into play.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781847697240
Intercultural Dialogue in Practice: Managing Value Judgment through Foreign Language Education
By Stephanie Houghton
Published by Multilingual Matters
Summary: The term intercultural dialogue has become a buzzword at policy level, but there is a pressing need to synchronize the terminology of policymakers with that of academics. An overarching aim of this book is to explore the wide-ranging terminology relevant to intercultural dialogue in order to promote clearer consideration of the underlying issues. More specifically, this book reports the findings of a research project conducted in Japan that brought teaching practice to bear upon some of the main conflicting theoretical perspectives on how value judgment should be managed in foreign language education. At the heart of this issue lies the management of prejudice, which is a key dynamic in intercultural dialogue that brings many other factors into play.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781847697240
Book: Cognitive Linguistics and Second Language Learning
From http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415802505
Cognitive Linguistics and Second Language Learning: Theoretical Basics and Experimental Evidence
By Andrea Tyler
Published by Routledge
Description: This book illustrates the ways that cognitive linguistics, a relatively new paradigm in language studies, can illuminate and facilitate language research and teaching. The first part of the book introduces the basics of cognitive linguistic theory in a way that is geared toward second language teachers and researchers. The second part of the book provides experimental evidence of the usefulness of applying cognitive linguistics to the teaching of English. Included is a thorough review of the existing literature on cognitive linguistic applications to teaching and cognitive linguistic-based experiments. Three chapters report original experiments which focus on teaching modals, prepositions and syntactic constructions, elements of English that learners tend to find challenging. A chapter on “future directions” reports on an innovative analysis of English conditionals. Pedagogical aids such as diagrams and sample exercises round out this text.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415802505
Cognitive Linguistics and Second Language Learning: Theoretical Basics and Experimental Evidence
By Andrea Tyler
Published by Routledge
Description: This book illustrates the ways that cognitive linguistics, a relatively new paradigm in language studies, can illuminate and facilitate language research and teaching. The first part of the book introduces the basics of cognitive linguistic theory in a way that is geared toward second language teachers and researchers. The second part of the book provides experimental evidence of the usefulness of applying cognitive linguistics to the teaching of English. Included is a thorough review of the existing literature on cognitive linguistic applications to teaching and cognitive linguistic-based experiments. Three chapters report original experiments which focus on teaching modals, prepositions and syntactic constructions, elements of English that learners tend to find challenging. A chapter on “future directions” reports on an innovative analysis of English conditionals. Pedagogical aids such as diagrams and sample exercises round out this text.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415802505
8-week Residential Mandarin Chinese Language Program
From https://www.indiana.edu/~cclp/main
Flagship Chinese Institute
8-week residential Mandarin Chinese language program
June 3 - July 28, 2012
Indiana University's Flagship Chinese Institute is open to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students committed to participatory, experiential, and immersion-style learning. This program offers undergraduate or graduate credit to 45 learners of Chinese.
This intensive, eight-week residential student program provides participants a full spectrum of active learning experiences in Mandarin through formal class instruction, one-on-one tutoring sessions, individual projects to build discipline specific language competence, and extracurricular activities to increase cultural literacy. Students and institute faculty reside in a campus residence center while working in a variety of campus and community settings.
Undergraduate and graduate students from IU and other institutions are all encouraged to apply, with priority consideration granted to students accepted into any Flagship Chinese program.
For full details about the program go to https://www.indiana.edu/~cclp/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=70
Flagship Chinese Institute
8-week residential Mandarin Chinese language program
June 3 - July 28, 2012
Indiana University's Flagship Chinese Institute is open to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students committed to participatory, experiential, and immersion-style learning. This program offers undergraduate or graduate credit to 45 learners of Chinese.
This intensive, eight-week residential student program provides participants a full spectrum of active learning experiences in Mandarin through formal class instruction, one-on-one tutoring sessions, individual projects to build discipline specific language competence, and extracurricular activities to increase cultural literacy. Students and institute faculty reside in a campus residence center while working in a variety of campus and community settings.
Undergraduate and graduate students from IU and other institutions are all encouraged to apply, with priority consideration granted to students accepted into any Flagship Chinese program.
For full details about the program go to https://www.indiana.edu/~cclp/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=70
April 13, 2012
One Teacher’s Experience with TPRS
From http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/02/tln_borich.html?tkn=VYVFBA9BrASAyF8EO%2BFiT7Eto12tZpWhHk2t&cmp=clp-edweek
Teaching Foreign Language Through Storytelling
By Jeanette Borich
April 3, 2012
What is the best way to help students learn a second language?
Traditionally, teachers tackle the "how" of the language. Students learn a list of vocabulary, are introduced to various rules, produce language according to those rules, and are corrected as needed.
This year I tried something different: using storytelling to help my 8th graders become more confident second-language (L2) learners. This method emphasizes the gradual acquisition of language rather than the memorization of vocabulary and rules. It's more about "what" is said than "how" it is said.
Here are my takeaways from this big change. While these insights are about teaching Spanish, they could apply to any major pedagogical shift.
-Learn as much as you can about the new approach.
-Match your approach to the standards your students must meet.
-Seek out supportive colleagues.
-Ask students for mid-year feedback.
-Make adjustments accordingly.
Read the full article at http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/02/tln_borich.html?tkn=VYVFBA9BrASAyF8EO%2BFiT7Eto12tZpWhHk2t&cmp=clp-edweek
Teaching Foreign Language Through Storytelling
By Jeanette Borich
April 3, 2012
What is the best way to help students learn a second language?
Traditionally, teachers tackle the "how" of the language. Students learn a list of vocabulary, are introduced to various rules, produce language according to those rules, and are corrected as needed.
This year I tried something different: using storytelling to help my 8th graders become more confident second-language (L2) learners. This method emphasizes the gradual acquisition of language rather than the memorization of vocabulary and rules. It's more about "what" is said than "how" it is said.
Here are my takeaways from this big change. While these insights are about teaching Spanish, they could apply to any major pedagogical shift.
-Learn as much as you can about the new approach.
-Match your approach to the standards your students must meet.
-Seek out supportive colleagues.
-Ask students for mid-year feedback.
-Make adjustments accordingly.
Read the full article at http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/02/tln_borich.html?tkn=VYVFBA9BrASAyF8EO%2BFiT7Eto12tZpWhHk2t&cmp=clp-edweek
Pen Pal Kids Club Offers Free Classroom Subscriptions
From http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/04/02/pen-pal-kids-club-offers-free-classroom-subscriptions.aspx
Pen Pal Kids Club, an international social network for students in grades K-8, has begun offering free classroom subscriptions.
The site allows users to communicate with other students around the world using digital postcards, which can be automatically translated to and from English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and German, with more languages to come.
To ensure privacy, students can create a classroom avatar for the entire group, then communicate with pen pals found and approved by their teacher.
For more information visit the Pan Pal Kids Club website at https://www.penpalkidsclub.com
Pen Pal Kids Club, an international social network for students in grades K-8, has begun offering free classroom subscriptions.
The site allows users to communicate with other students around the world using digital postcards, which can be automatically translated to and from English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and German, with more languages to come.
To ensure privacy, students can create a classroom avatar for the entire group, then communicate with pen pals found and approved by their teacher.
For more information visit the Pan Pal Kids Club website at https://www.penpalkidsclub.com
Google Art Project: An Exciting Tool Just Got Bigger
From http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/going-global-in-search-of-great-art.html
The Google Art Project is an initiative to provide thousands of high quality, high resolution images from museums across the globe in one place, making art’s history, meaning and beauty available in ways never possible before.
On April 3rd Google announced a major expansion of the Google Art Project. From now on, with a few simple clicks of a finger, art lovers around the world will be able to discover not just paintings, but also sculpture, street art and photographs from 151 museums in 40 countries.
Read about the recent expansion at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/going-global-in-search-of-great-art.html
The Google Art Project is available online at http://www.googleartproject.com
Read a French teacher’s enthusiastic blog post at http://frenchteachernet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/google-art-project.html
The Google Art Project is an initiative to provide thousands of high quality, high resolution images from museums across the globe in one place, making art’s history, meaning and beauty available in ways never possible before.
On April 3rd Google announced a major expansion of the Google Art Project. From now on, with a few simple clicks of a finger, art lovers around the world will be able to discover not just paintings, but also sculpture, street art and photographs from 151 museums in 40 countries.
Read about the recent expansion at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/going-global-in-search-of-great-art.html
The Google Art Project is available online at http://www.googleartproject.com
Read a French teacher’s enthusiastic blog post at http://frenchteachernet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/google-art-project.html
TESOL Virtual Seminar
From http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=1426&DID=13748
A TESOL Virtual Seminar on
Teaching Academic Reading and Writing in English
Presenters: Danielle Zawodny Wetzel, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ryan Miller, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Time: 10:00 am–11:30 am U.S. ET; 2:00 pm–3:30 pm GMT
Target audiences: All those interested in understanding the transition to college writing, including middle school and senior high school teachers, and 2-year and 4-year college instructors
Registration deadline: April 26
This session on academic reading and writing in English blends a rhetorical and a linguistic approach for teaching second language writing. It is a linguistic one because of its focus upon discourse analysis and particular language strings, and it is a rhetorical one because of its emphasis on audience. The session will focus on how we can teach academic language and literacy practices within strategic reading and writing tasks. We will discuss common discourse patterns that academic writers use to connect their texts with their readers, and we will situate those patterns within the common rhetorical moves of composing definitions and explaining problems. The ultimate goal for the program is to sharpen our strategies for teaching language within the integrated work of academic reading and writing.
For full details and to register go to http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=1426&DID=13748
A TESOL Virtual Seminar on
Teaching Academic Reading and Writing in English
Presenters: Danielle Zawodny Wetzel, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ryan Miller, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Time: 10:00 am–11:30 am U.S. ET; 2:00 pm–3:30 pm GMT
Target audiences: All those interested in understanding the transition to college writing, including middle school and senior high school teachers, and 2-year and 4-year college instructors
Registration deadline: April 26
This session on academic reading and writing in English blends a rhetorical and a linguistic approach for teaching second language writing. It is a linguistic one because of its focus upon discourse analysis and particular language strings, and it is a rhetorical one because of its emphasis on audience. The session will focus on how we can teach academic language and literacy practices within strategic reading and writing tasks. We will discuss common discourse patterns that academic writers use to connect their texts with their readers, and we will situate those patterns within the common rhetorical moves of composing definitions and explaining problems. The ultimate goal for the program is to sharpen our strategies for teaching language within the integrated work of academic reading and writing.
For full details and to register go to http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=1426&DID=13748
Art Resources for Children from El Prado
From http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com
You will find a wealth of information about the works of art on the Museo del Prado website, and here a resource for children – a series of videos with La Infanta Margarita from the painting Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. The animated version of Margarita along with her friend, Francisco de Paula act as guides as they share “secrets” of some of the works of art via interactive videos. There are several games available as well.
For links to these resources see the full blog post at http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/2012/04/art-resources-for-children-from-el.html
You will find a wealth of information about the works of art on the Museo del Prado website, and here a resource for children – a series of videos with La Infanta Margarita from the painting Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. The animated version of Margarita along with her friend, Francisco de Paula act as guides as they share “secrets” of some of the works of art via interactive videos. There are several games available as well.
For links to these resources see the full blog post at http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/2012/04/art-resources-for-children-from-el.html
Lookbook: New Activity for Learning about Clothing and Fashion in Spanish
From http://zachary-jones.com
Lookbook is a new activity type on Zachary Jones’s Zambombazo website. Students can practice vocabulary related to clothing and fashion by using authentic materials. Try out the first Lookbook activity and see what’s coming up in fall and winter fashion at http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/lookbook-complot-com-ar
Lookbook is a new activity type on Zachary Jones’s Zambombazo website. Students can practice vocabulary related to clothing and fashion by using authentic materials. Try out the first Lookbook activity and see what’s coming up in fall and winter fashion at http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/lookbook-complot-com-ar
French Slang Website
Access a series of lessons on French slang at http://www.uqtr.ca/argot . The lessons include dialogues incorporating slang expressions with accompanying audio and follow-up practice.
Survey of College and University French Programs
AATF Commission on Colleges and Universities Survey
The Commission seeks to learn about the status and directions of French programs nationally in order to serve French faculty, students, and programs better. Please take this important survey that will provide our profession valuable data to promote our educational mission. AATF will begin tabulating the replies on May 1, 2012.
The survey is online at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHlyeldjdkwwaS1DNVVmRVNQaE5iWEE6MQ
The Commission seeks to learn about the status and directions of French programs nationally in order to serve French faculty, students, and programs better. Please take this important survey that will provide our profession valuable data to promote our educational mission. AATF will begin tabulating the replies on May 1, 2012.
The survey is online at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHlyeldjdkwwaS1DNVVmRVNQaE5iWEE6MQ
Cwrs Cymraeg Welsh Language Week
From http://www.madog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53
Cymdeithas Madog is pleased to announce its 36th annual Cwrs Cymraeg Welsh language week. Cwrs Halen y Ddaear will be held July 22 - 29 2012 on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt lake City.
Cwrs Cymraeg (which simply means "Welsh Course") emphasizes the spoken language, with classroom instruction at various levels ranging from absolute beginners to quite advanced. The teaching staff of experienced Welsh-speaking instructors is brought from Wales and North America . There are approximately 5 hours of language class each day, supplemented by further language and culture-related activities in the afternoon. Evening events such as singing, folk dancing, Welsh-language films, and a Noson Lawen (talent night) provide additional opportunities to relax while enjoying a Welsh-language atmosphere.
Registration is now open. Learn more and register at http://www.madog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53
Information about scholarships is available at http://www.madog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=70
Cymdeithas Madog is pleased to announce its 36th annual Cwrs Cymraeg Welsh language week. Cwrs Halen y Ddaear will be held July 22 - 29 2012 on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt lake City.
Cwrs Cymraeg (which simply means "Welsh Course") emphasizes the spoken language, with classroom instruction at various levels ranging from absolute beginners to quite advanced. The teaching staff of experienced Welsh-speaking instructors is brought from Wales and North America . There are approximately 5 hours of language class each day, supplemented by further language and culture-related activities in the afternoon. Evening events such as singing, folk dancing, Welsh-language films, and a Noson Lawen (talent night) provide additional opportunities to relax while enjoying a Welsh-language atmosphere.
Registration is now open. Learn more and register at http://www.madog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53
Information about scholarships is available at http://www.madog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=70
A Day of Irish Language in Marylhurst, Oregon
From http://www.marylhurst.edu/calendar/20120519irishlanguageday.php
'Lá na Gaeilge'
A Day of Irish Language
May 19, 2012
Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm
The Annual Irish Language Day 'Lá na Gaeilge' — for fluent speakers and absolute beginners — will introduce the delights of the Irish language during courses and workshops at Marylhurst University.
Activities will be conducted in an encouraging atmosphere with an emphasis on conversation. Participating instructors are experienced in teaching Irish as a second language.
Please register by May 10, 2012
For full details go to http://www.marylhurst.edu/calendar/20120519irishlanguageday.php
'Lá na Gaeilge'
A Day of Irish Language
May 19, 2012
Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm
The Annual Irish Language Day 'Lá na Gaeilge' — for fluent speakers and absolute beginners — will introduce the delights of the Irish language during courses and workshops at Marylhurst University.
Activities will be conducted in an encouraging atmosphere with an emphasis on conversation. Participating instructors are experienced in teaching Irish as a second language.
Please register by May 10, 2012
For full details go to http://www.marylhurst.edu/calendar/20120519irishlanguageday.php
Survey for Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu
The National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC), of The George Washington University, is conducting a national survey of U.S.-based programs and schools involved in the teaching of Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu to K-12/school-age children. The survey, funded by a US Department of Education Title VI International Research & Studies grant, is online and should take no more than 20-30 minutes to fill out:
http://desilearn.weebly.com
If you know of any teachers and administrators of community-based schools involved in these languages, please forward the above URL to them.
Mahajan, A. [TAMIL-T] survey for Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. TAMIL-T listserv (TAMIL-T@LISTS.UMN.EDU, 10 Apr 2012).
http://desilearn.weebly.com
If you know of any teachers and administrators of community-based schools involved in these languages, please forward the above URL to them.
Mahajan, A. [TAMIL-T] survey for Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. TAMIL-T listserv (TAMIL-T@LISTS.UMN.EDU, 10 Apr 2012).
Intensive Summer Programs and Year-Long Online Course in Chinese or Swahili for High School Students
From http://cra.uoregon.edu
The College Readiness Academy prepares high school students for college success through an intensive summer experience in Chinese and Swahili followed by a year-long guided online course. Students will achieve Intermediate-Low proficiency by the end of the College Readiness Academy while earning high school language credit.
Students select either the Chinese track or the Swahili track. Both tracks attend courses at the residential institute at the University of Oregon in Eugene, July 8-27, 2012. Students take classes and engage in activities taking advantage of the University of Oregon’s numerous language and cultural resources.
After the institute, students will take the online language and culture learning program called Hermes. These thematic units feature content and issues from the language’s culture. Hermes will help students achieve and document their language learning progress, and is essential to the long-term goal of sustainable learning.
Applications are now available. Tuition is charged for the Chinese program; the Swahili program tuition is waived for qualified applicants.
For full details go to http://cra.uoregon.edu
The College Readiness Academy prepares high school students for college success through an intensive summer experience in Chinese and Swahili followed by a year-long guided online course. Students will achieve Intermediate-Low proficiency by the end of the College Readiness Academy while earning high school language credit.
Students select either the Chinese track or the Swahili track. Both tracks attend courses at the residential institute at the University of Oregon in Eugene, July 8-27, 2012. Students take classes and engage in activities taking advantage of the University of Oregon’s numerous language and cultural resources.
After the institute, students will take the online language and culture learning program called Hermes. These thematic units feature content and issues from the language’s culture. Hermes will help students achieve and document their language learning progress, and is essential to the long-term goal of sustainable learning.
Applications are now available. Tuition is charged for the Chinese program; the Swahili program tuition is waived for qualified applicants.
For full details go to http://cra.uoregon.edu
Arabic Alphabet Resources
Here are some online resources for teaching Arabic writing:
Interactive lessons from Arabic Alphabet: http://www.arabic-alphabet.org/arabic-lessons
Online lessons (also some grammar) at Fun with Arabic: http://www.funwitharabic.com
A course on reading Arabic (also other language lessons and sets of online flashcards) from Madinah Arabic: http://www.madinaharabic.com/Arabic_Reading_Course/Lessons/L000_001.html
Arabic alphabet games and puzzles from Islamic Playground: http://www.islamicplayground.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=22
A series on lesson on reading and writing from Arabic-Studio.com at http://www.arabic-studio.com/arabic_letters.html
Lessons from Wikibooks at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arabic/LearnRW (more Arabic lessons on the main page at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arabic )
A tutorial called Let’s Learn Arabic at http://www.arabion.net/learnarabic.html
A color-based presentation of the alphabet from Abjad at http://www.abjad.com/pyramid.htm
Interactive lessons from Arabic Alphabet: http://www.arabic-alphabet.org/arabic-lessons
Online lessons (also some grammar) at Fun with Arabic: http://www.funwitharabic.com
A course on reading Arabic (also other language lessons and sets of online flashcards) from Madinah Arabic: http://www.madinaharabic.com/Arabic_Reading_Course/Lessons/L000_001.html
Arabic alphabet games and puzzles from Islamic Playground: http://www.islamicplayground.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=22
A series on lesson on reading and writing from Arabic-Studio.com at http://www.arabic-studio.com/arabic_letters.html
Lessons from Wikibooks at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arabic/LearnRW (more Arabic lessons on the main page at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arabic )
A tutorial called Let’s Learn Arabic at http://www.arabion.net/learnarabic.html
A color-based presentation of the alphabet from Abjad at http://www.abjad.com/pyramid.htm
Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and Arizona State University's Center for Indian Education Collaborate for Language Documentation
From http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/keeping-languages-alive-a-different-kind-of-conservation
Keeping languages alive: A different kind of conservation
How Arizona State University's Center for Indian Education is working with Southwest tribes to document and revitalize the language and culture of indigenous people.
By Pete Zrioka
April 6, 2012
To prevent Native American languages from dying out, Arizona State University’s Center for Indian Education (CIE) is working with Southwest tribes to document and revitalize the languages of indigenous people. One partnership is with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, who reside along the Colorado River, straddling the tri-state area of Needles, Calif., Mohave Valley, Ariz., and Laughlin, Nev.
Natalie Diaz, coordinator of the Fort Mojave Language Recovery Program, has been recording and transcribing the Mojave language for three years. In 2009, she contacted the CIE, which sponsored a Mojave language summit at ASU. This led to a collaborative CIE-Fort Mojave National Science Foundation grant to aid in the language recovery efforts.
“Our main focus right now, because we have so few speakers, is documentation,” says Diaz. “We’re trying our best to get as much as we can documented with audio and visual recordings.”
Part of the program is dedicated to retaining the Mojave bird songs, which are traditionally songs of celebration. The songs are also part of a larger oral tradition that communicates values and carry lessons of cultural importance to Mojave people, says Teresa McCarty, co-director of the CIE.
Read the full article at http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/keeping-languages-alive-a-different-kind-of-conservation
Keeping languages alive: A different kind of conservation
How Arizona State University's Center for Indian Education is working with Southwest tribes to document and revitalize the language and culture of indigenous people.
By Pete Zrioka
April 6, 2012
To prevent Native American languages from dying out, Arizona State University’s Center for Indian Education (CIE) is working with Southwest tribes to document and revitalize the languages of indigenous people. One partnership is with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, who reside along the Colorado River, straddling the tri-state area of Needles, Calif., Mohave Valley, Ariz., and Laughlin, Nev.
Natalie Diaz, coordinator of the Fort Mojave Language Recovery Program, has been recording and transcribing the Mojave language for three years. In 2009, she contacted the CIE, which sponsored a Mojave language summit at ASU. This led to a collaborative CIE-Fort Mojave National Science Foundation grant to aid in the language recovery efforts.
“Our main focus right now, because we have so few speakers, is documentation,” says Diaz. “We’re trying our best to get as much as we can documented with audio and visual recordings.”
Part of the program is dedicated to retaining the Mojave bird songs, which are traditionally songs of celebration. The songs are also part of a larger oral tradition that communicates values and carry lessons of cultural importance to Mojave people, says Teresa McCarty, co-director of the CIE.
Read the full article at http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/keeping-languages-alive-a-different-kind-of-conservation
Article: How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language
From http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/how-immersion-helps-to-learn-a-new-language.html?_r=2
How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
April 2, 2012
Learning a foreign language is never easy, but contrary to common wisdom, it is possible for adults to process a language the same way a native speaker does. And over time, the processing improves even when the skill goes unused, researchers are reporting.
For their study, in the journal PloS One, the scientists used an artificial language of 13 words, completely different from English.
The language dealt with pieces and moves in a computer game, and the researchers tested proficiency by asking test subjects to play the game.
The subjects were split into two groups. One group studied the language in a formal classroom setting, while the other was trained through immersion.
After five months, both groups retained the language even though they had not used it at all, and both displayed brain processing similar to that of a native speaker. But the immersion group displayed the full brain patterns of a native speaker.
Read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/how-immersion-helps-to-learn-a-new-language.html?_r=2
How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
April 2, 2012
Learning a foreign language is never easy, but contrary to common wisdom, it is possible for adults to process a language the same way a native speaker does. And over time, the processing improves even when the skill goes unused, researchers are reporting.
For their study, in the journal PloS One, the scientists used an artificial language of 13 words, completely different from English.
The language dealt with pieces and moves in a computer game, and the researchers tested proficiency by asking test subjects to play the game.
The subjects were split into two groups. One group studied the language in a formal classroom setting, while the other was trained through immersion.
After five months, both groups retained the language even though they had not used it at all, and both displayed brain processing similar to that of a native speaker. But the immersion group displayed the full brain patterns of a native speaker.
Read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/how-immersion-helps-to-learn-a-new-language.html?_r=2
Students Hone Debating Skills, Study World Issues at Model United Nation
From http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article1223682.ece
Students hone debating skills, study world issues at Model United Nations
By Sherri Ackerman
April 8, 2012
Connor Neal was just a baby when the first Model United Nations Conference came to Tampa. Last week, the 11-year-old from Lee Magnet Elementary in Tampa not only participated in the event, he had the privilege of questioning the keynote speaker during opening ceremonies. "What can we as a country do to help other countries come together to work as one group instead of separate groups?'' Connor asked Gillian Sorensen, one-time assistant to former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Connor and his classmates are among the youngest in the state to take part in the United Nations Association of the USA program known as Global Classrooms.
In Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, about 3,500 middle and high school students at 89 schools study the U.N. curriculum designed to challenge them and help them discover other cultures and views on issues such as malnutrition, women and development, and sustainable energy.
Teachers assign students a country and a topic. They have to work together to research and write a resolution that addresses the issue, then convince other nations to support it.
Read the full article at http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article1223682.ece
Students hone debating skills, study world issues at Model United Nations
By Sherri Ackerman
April 8, 2012
Connor Neal was just a baby when the first Model United Nations Conference came to Tampa. Last week, the 11-year-old from Lee Magnet Elementary in Tampa not only participated in the event, he had the privilege of questioning the keynote speaker during opening ceremonies. "What can we as a country do to help other countries come together to work as one group instead of separate groups?'' Connor asked Gillian Sorensen, one-time assistant to former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Connor and his classmates are among the youngest in the state to take part in the United Nations Association of the USA program known as Global Classrooms.
In Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, about 3,500 middle and high school students at 89 schools study the U.N. curriculum designed to challenge them and help them discover other cultures and views on issues such as malnutrition, women and development, and sustainable energy.
Teachers assign students a country and a topic. They have to work together to research and write a resolution that addresses the issue, then convince other nations to support it.
Read the full article at http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article1223682.ece
Going Global With a Schoolwide Festival
From http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/10/tln_zeichner.html
Going Global With a Schoolwide Festival
By Noah Zeichner
April 10, 2012
Many of us are passionate about teaching students to be global citizens. But we often ask: How do we get beyond the “food, flags, and festivals” approach as we try to provide our students with a global education?
Read about how Mr. Zeichner and his colleagues organized a recent festival around global water issues at http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/10/tln_zeichner.html?tkn=VRCFKQquN32QOUpQX72%2BlPw1oPOZ%2B5jstdxM&cmp=clp-sb-teacher
Going Global With a Schoolwide Festival
By Noah Zeichner
April 10, 2012
Many of us are passionate about teaching students to be global citizens. But we often ask: How do we get beyond the “food, flags, and festivals” approach as we try to provide our students with a global education?
Read about how Mr. Zeichner and his colleagues organized a recent festival around global water issues at http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/10/tln_zeichner.html?tkn=VRCFKQquN32QOUpQX72%2BlPw1oPOZ%2B5jstdxM&cmp=clp-sb-teacher
Call for Entries: Belarusian Studies Competition
Call for Entries: 2012 Zora Kipel Book and Article Prize Competition
The North American Association for Belarusian Studies is pleased to solicit entries for the 2012 Zora Kipel prize competition for books and articles in Belarusian studies. The Zora Kipel prizes, funded jointly by the family of Zora Kipel and the North American Association for Belarusian Studies, are awarded biennially and are designed to recognize outstanding new publications in the fields of Belarusian cultural studies, literature, linguistics, history, and social sciences. As of this year, the prize categories will alternate thematically each cycle. For the 2012 book competition (prize amount: $500), we are soliciting entries only in the fields of history and social sciences, published between 2009 and 2012. For the 2012 article competition (prize: $200), we are soliciting entries only in the fields of Belarusian literature, linguistics and cultural studies published between 2009 and 2012 (please note that the thematic scope of the book and article competitions will be reversed in the next cycle in 2014, in which publications that appeared between 2009 and 2014 will be considered). We particularly encourage scholars based in North America to enter the competition (entrants need not, however, be members of NAABS). Winners will be selected by a panel of judges made up of NAABS officers and members. To enter the competition, please send a copy of your book or article to the following address by October 1, 2012:
Dr. Curt Woolhiser
Department of German, Russian and Asian
Languages and Literature
Brandeis University
415 South Street MS-024
Waltham, MA 02454
Tel. (781) 736-3200
Fax (781) 736-3207
Email: cwoolhis at brandeis dot edu
Winners will be announced in the spring of 2013.
Woohiser, C. [SEELANGS] Belarusian studies competition: call for entries. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 3 Apr 2012).
The North American Association for Belarusian Studies is pleased to solicit entries for the 2012 Zora Kipel prize competition for books and articles in Belarusian studies. The Zora Kipel prizes, funded jointly by the family of Zora Kipel and the North American Association for Belarusian Studies, are awarded biennially and are designed to recognize outstanding new publications in the fields of Belarusian cultural studies, literature, linguistics, history, and social sciences. As of this year, the prize categories will alternate thematically each cycle. For the 2012 book competition (prize amount: $500), we are soliciting entries only in the fields of history and social sciences, published between 2009 and 2012. For the 2012 article competition (prize: $200), we are soliciting entries only in the fields of Belarusian literature, linguistics and cultural studies published between 2009 and 2012 (please note that the thematic scope of the book and article competitions will be reversed in the next cycle in 2014, in which publications that appeared between 2009 and 2014 will be considered). We particularly encourage scholars based in North America to enter the competition (entrants need not, however, be members of NAABS). Winners will be selected by a panel of judges made up of NAABS officers and members. To enter the competition, please send a copy of your book or article to the following address by October 1, 2012:
Dr. Curt Woolhiser
Department of German, Russian and Asian
Languages and Literature
Brandeis University
415 South Street MS-024
Waltham, MA 02454
Tel. (781) 736-3200
Fax (781) 736-3207
Email: cwoolhis at brandeis dot edu
Winners will be announced in the spring of 2013.
Woohiser, C. [SEELANGS] Belarusian studies competition: call for entries. SEELANGS listserv (SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu, 3 Apr 2012).
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