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First of all, to the teachers, students, and families working to keep language learning alive from remote locations from around the world, we see you and thank you for all you do!

Since its inception is 2005, InterCom has served as a resource of information for teachers in language learning and teaching, bringing together relevant content for educators worldwide.  Based on the needs of teachers and their students, this resource has evolved overtime with shifts from disseminating content to creating it and offering additional means to customize the information you get. Our current situation also requires a nimble response to meet the needs of those we are meant to support. 

In that spirit, we will be shifting our weekly digest away from what you are used to seeing toward two immediate needs of the field – time saving with engaging online/remote materials and support for questions and collegial collaboration. 

Each Monday, InterCom will now consist of the following:

1. InterComLive! Join us, the CASLS team, via Facebook Live at 11:00am Pacific Time each Monday. We will be talking remote/online language learning, exploring digital tools to mix things up, offering support for teachers, students, and families, and answering all of YOUR questions. Can’t join us live? We will also save the recording later.
2. An Activity of the Week will be shared that can be added to your online course, parent email, or other digital delivery system AS IS. That means no modification, minimal extra time, and a way to mix things up while still balancing a whole new system. Each activity will be focused on a language learning strategy, function, or interculturality standard and will work in any language. (Note: The activities are created in English but are designed for target language use in any language with adaptations for novice, intermediate, and advanced learners. This format enables remote access while still encouraging target language use.) Some ideas for using these activities include:

• A Weekly Challenge for your students that can be used to earn participation points or extra credit.
• An extension activity that requires reflection on the learning objectives of the course and critical thinking about how what they are learning relates to the world.
• An activity to send home to parents for them to do with their kids.

Thank you, as always, for your support of CASLS and InterCom and we look forward to seeing you online!