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Content Type: 2
Title: August InterCom Theme Is Interaction
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Our InterCom theme for August is interaction and language learning. Our CASLS director, Julie Sykes, starts out the series with this week's overview article. Next week we'll read about steps to facilitating classroom interactions. In the following week we'll read about interaction in digital environments in general, and we'll end the month with some reflections and suggestions about interaction in a MOOC.
Source: CASLS
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Content Type: 5
Title: CASLS Creates a Mobile App for Place-Based Language Learning in a Residential Environment by Deborah Cooke, CASLS Instructional Designer
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CASLS is currently developing a new mobile application for students who are living in the University of Oregon's Global Scholars Hall. The mobile app will integrate students' living experiences with language learning and will encourage critical thinking about the role of language and culture in students' daily life.
CASLS Director Dr. Julie Sykes and University of Oregon Professor of Spanish Dr. Robert Davis will design a series of tasks for students to complete. Tasks across thematic dimensions might include: building collaboration and community, building language skills, understanding global issues from both a local and global perspective and integrating language learning with art and film.
Dr. Sykes comments, "I'm excited to have an opportunity to use place-based learning as a way to engage learners in meaningful ways outside the classroom." Dr. Sykes has had success in this venue previously with her place-based, augmented reality game called Mentira, the first of its kind.
CASLS Educational Software Engineer Scott Morison and CASLS Educational Software Programmer Carl Burnstein are busy testing new design and programming concepts.
"I hope to replace the drudgery of educational software ... with design that engages the learner and excites their natural instincts. This will involve introducing a level of user engagement that has to include some semblance of fun in every activity on every screen," says Scott Morison.
Carl Burnstein adds, "I'm hoping the app will build a strong community with the Global Scholars Hall by encouraging collaboration between students of different interests."
The University of Oregon Offices of Undergraduate Studies, Academic Affairs, and International Affairs support initial phases of the project.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 4
Title: Web of Similarities
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This Activity of the Week was developed by Lindsay Marean and Julie Sykes for a high school Swahili class. On the second day of class, we wanted students to gain a sense of group cohesion and belonging, and we wanted them to use the target language in the process.
Outcome: Students interact with each other to discover something each pair of students has in common. Each student will share a similarity with the whole class.
Resources: Similarities worksheet, large ball of yarn
Procedure:
- Explain that students will be finding something that they have in common with every other student in the class. As a whole class, come up with and write on a board several different things that students might say to describe themselves and that (1) they can say in the target language, and (2) they are likely to have in common with someone else. For example, "I have two sisters," "I am from Washington," or "I like to eat pizza."
- Distribute the similarities worksheet to students. Each student will write five things about themselves that fit the criteria above.
- Students will circulate around the room and talk with each other student in the room. On the worksheet, they will write the other student's name and what they have in common. Similarities may be from the list of five things the student has made, or they may need to suggest some other possibilities to each other.
- When everyone has completed (or nearly completed) the worksheet, have the class stand in a large circle. They should take their worksheets with them to refer to in needed.
- Start by saying what you have in common with one student, and then toss the ball of yarn to that student, holding on to one end. That student, in turn, will select another student in the circle, say what they have in common, and then toss the ball of yarn to them, holding on to their section of the yarn. By the end of the activity a web of yarn will have formed, connecting all of the students.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 4
Title: What To Eat?
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Contributed by Li-Hsien Yang, East Asia Special Programs Coordinator at CASLS
Scenario: This activity is designed for students who are enrolled in Chinese Flagship Program. Flagship students will exchange to Nanjing University as part of the requirement for their Capstone exchange program in China. This activity is designed to assist students to navigate information in China.
Each place has its food navigation tool, for example
Japan http://www.hotpepper.jp/
China http://www.dianping.com/
Taiwan http://www.ipeen.com.tw/
Outcome: Learners will be able to read comments and make decisions on the restaurants and dishes they would like to try based on their search criteria.
Resources: Sample Activity Sheet
Procedure:
1. Pre-reading: (a) Have learners think about what sites they normally search for good food in the United States (Yelp for example). Brainstorm about how they choose a restaurant - based on comments from the customers, pictures, number of stars, etc. (b) Introduce the food navigation tool in China (Dazhongdianping), or similar tool for your target country. You can first narrow down to a specific city (for example, Nanjing).
2. Learners will work in groups of 3-4 people. After they select the area they want to explore, they will work in groups and find the top three restaurants and at least 3 dishes from each restaurant they want to try and why.
3. Each group will have to share their list with the class.
4. The whole class can select the top 3 restaurants.
5.Ask the learners to reflect on the whole selection process. What did they find challenging (for example, reading comments, how to narrow down the search, or names in Chinese dishes)?
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 1
Title: August 2014 Issue of Language Magazine
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The August 2014 issue of Language Magazine is available online at http://languagemagazine.com/?p=84268
In this issue:
Retool for Fall
A selection of the latest technological products for language educators
Bright Learners, Big City
Kristal Bivona returns from China full of its promise
We are Family
Mary Catherine Thomson enthuses about the long-term success of a sister school program
Cutting to the Common Core: My Student’s Can’t Read So How Will They Write?
Hillary Wolfe recommends building strategic scaffolds to assist adolescent writing
Tools for Achieving Oral Fluency
Marsha Appling-Nunez finds help for the multilevel ELL classroom
Operation Accent
Justyna Kozyra-Bober asks if later learners are on an impossible mission to sound like natives
Last Writes
Richard Lederer’s tribute to a fallen furry friend
Source: Language Magazine
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Title: Book: Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition
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From http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415529549/
Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition
By Shawn Loewen
Published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Introduction to Instructed Second Language Acquisition is the first book to present a cohesive view of the different theoretical and pedagogical perspectives that comprise instructed second language acquisition (ISLA), defined as any type of learning that occurs as a result of the manipulating the process and conditions of second language acquisition. The book begins by considering the effectiveness of ISLA and the differences between ISLA and naturalistic L2 learning. It then goes on to discuss the theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical aspects of such key issues in ISLA as grammar learning; interaction in the classroom; focus on form, function and meaning; vocabulary learning; pronunciation learning; pragmatics learning; learning contexts; and individual differences. This timely and important volume is ideally suited for the graduate level ISLA course, and provides valuable insights for any SLA scholar interested in the processes involved in second language learning in classroom settings.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415529549/
Source: Routledge
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Title: Book: International Perspectives on Materials in ELT
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International Perspectives on Materials in ELT
Edited by Sue Garton and Kathleen Graves
Published by Palgrave Macmillan
Current interest in ELT materials is driven by local concerns in an era where globalization, global English, technological advances and concomitant critical factors are having a significant impact on educational policy, curriculum provision, language pedagogy and materials use. Despite changing methodologies and technological developments, materials remain at the heart of language teaching. This book brings together different perspectives on ELT materials from a range of international contexts and a variety of educational settings. All the chapters are underpinned by sound theoretical principles while addressing practical concerns and debates in materials design and use. The focus throughout is on how the local experience of the individual authors, who are practitioners and educators as well as researchers, is relevant to a global audience of TESOL professionals.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/international-perspectives-on-materials-in-elt-sue-garton/?k=9781137023308
Source: Palgrave Macmillan
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Title: Call for Papers: International Symposium on Bilingualism 10 (ISB10)
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From http://isb10.rutgers.edu/index.html
The 10th International Symposium on Bilingualism will be hosted by Rutgers University,
New Jersey, from 20-24 May, 2015.
The International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB10) invites proposals for presentations on any area of multilingualism (including, but not limited to, L1/L2 acquisition, linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, education, multilingual societies, etc.).
Individual papers, posters and thematic session proposals are due 15 September, 2014.
View the full call for papers at http://isb10.rutgers.edu/cfp.html
Source: Rugters University
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Title: Call for Papers: 2014 Annual Conference of Chinese Language Teachers Association of Texas
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2014 Annual Conference of Chinese Language Teachers Association of Texas
September 27th, Saturday, 2014
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
The theme for this year’s annual conference is Practical and Effective Use of Technology in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. The organizers invite individuals who are interested in presenting at the conference to submit a proposal for a 20-minute talk. Panel(s) that consists of no more than 3 presenters and focuses on the same topic is also welcome.
Proposal submission deadline: August 24th, 2014
View the full call for proposals at http://clta-texas.org/?page_id=511
Source: CLTA-TEXAS
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Title: 13th Symposium on Second Language Writing
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From http://sslw.asu.edu/2014/index.html
The 2014 Symposium on Second Language Writing will take place November 13-15, 2014, at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. This year's theme, "Professionalizing Second Language Writing," highlights the need for a shared sense of professional identity and standards as the field comes of age.
Registration for this conference is now open. Visit the conference website at http://sslw.asu.edu/2014/index.html
Source: Arizona State University
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