Contents

From http://www.creativelanguageclass.com/
 
“Recipe cards” involve students looking at multiple authentic examples of a particular genre, such as a music review, and determining what the key “ingredients” are. Read more in this blog post: http://www.creativelanguageclass.com/create-a-recipe-card/

Recently an FLTEACH listserv user asked her colleagues for advice about teaching a blind student in her class. Read the helpful responses by going to https://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=FLTEACH;6b7f3c73.1706 and then clicking on “Next” on the “By Topic” line.

From http://madameshepard.com/
 
French teacher and blogger Lisa Shepard writes, “[S]tudents need feedback on their language use. They need to know whether their interpretation of a text is accurate and whether their own oral and written communication is comprehensible. More importantly, they need to know what they can do to increase their proficiency in the language. 
 
“However, in the imperfect world of my classroom, this process has not been working the way it should. My feedback has not been timely enough and I have not provided adequate opportunities for the students to use this feedback in a way that would inform their subsequent communication.”
 
Read about her action plan for the coming school year to close the feedback look with her students: http://madameshepard.com/?p=1327

From http://elmundodepepita.blogspot.com/
 
How can you incorporate more cross-curricular content into your elementary language teaching? This blog post describes a simple adjustment to the daily warmup, adding an element of experimentation: http://elmundodepepita.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-simple-activity-to-incorporate-steam.html

Jim Ranalli is an assistant professor in the Applied Linguistics Program at Iowa State University. His research focuses on the intersection of second language (L2) writing, technology, and self-regulated learning. He is especially interested in innovative uses of computers for 1) helping students become more skilled and self-directed in learning how to write in English for academic purposes and 2) facilitating research into learner self-regulation and strategy use.

Self-regulation is a way of understanding human behavior based on the complex interplay of cognitive, affective, motivational, and behavioral components by which individuals dynamically adjust their actions and goals to achieve desired results under variable conditions (Zeidner, Boekaerts, & Pintrich, 2000). Self-regulated learning (SRL) is self-regulation applied in educational contexts, with the unit of analysis typically being the educational task.

Self-regulated learning can be challenging for students for a multitude of reasons including a lack of understanding of tasks, lack of knowledge of appropriate standards for evaluating one’s performance on tasks, lack of knowledge/skill in the selection and use of strategies appropriate to particular tasks, and shortfalls in the attentional capacity needed to metacognitively monitor and control one’s engagement in tasks (Winne & Hadwin, 1988).  

In the learning of writing, especially more complex forms such as writing for academic purposes, students face a dual challenge in that completion of the task itself imposes considerable demands on one’s attentional capacities, leaving little surplus capacity for making observations or developing skills that could be transferred to future writing tasks (Rijlaarsdam & Couzjin, 2000).

For L2 students, the self-regulated learning of writing is even more difficult because, in addition to the above-mentioned challenges, they are burdened by effortful language processing. This can help explain L2 student behaviors that indicate apparent breakdowns in self-regulation, such as favoring simpler, local revisions of grammar or vocabulary to the neglect of more complex, global revisions of meaning or structure, despite the greater relevance of the latter for writing quality. 

L2 writing instructors can help their students improve their self-regulation and self-regulated learning by facilitating goal-setting, monitoring and self-assessment through the use of activities such as journals and reflective notebooks (Andrade & Evans, 2013). For example, L2 student writers tend to leave insufficient time for tasks and mass all the work into a single writing session, not understanding (1) that good writing takes time, even for skilled native speakers; and (2) that their evaluation and revision will benefit from a rest period after an initial draft has been completed. Andrade and Evans (2013) suggest having students submit timeline cover sheets to help students monitor and document when and for how long they worked on an assignment.

The portfolio approach to L2 writing assessment and pedagogy also has great potential to foster self-regulated learning through its emphasis on independence, responsibility, and reflection (Lam, 2015).

References

Andrade, M. S., & Evans, N. W. (2013). Principles and practices for response in second language writing: Developing self-regulated learners. New York: Routledge.

Lam, R. (2017). Taking stock of portfolio assessment scholarship: From research to practice. Assessing Writing, 31, 84-97. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2016.08.003

Rijlaarsdam, G., & Couzijn, M. (2000). Writing and learning to write: A double challenge New learning (pp. 157-189): Springer.

Winne, P. H., & Hadwin, A. F. (1998). Studying as self-regulated learning. In D. J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky & A. C. Graesser (Eds.), Metacognition in educational theory and practice. (pp. 277-304): Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Zeidner, M., Boekaerts, M., & Pintrich, P. R. (2000). Self-regulation: Directions and challenges for future research. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

CASLS is one of sixteen Language Resource Centers (LRC’s) funded through Title VI of the Higher Education Act. Here is a sampling of research-informed resources for language practitioners from some of the LRC’s.

Classroom materials:

• Games2Teach: CASLS’ set of curricular activities for implementing game-based language learning into the classroom.
• Foreign Languages and the Literary in the Everyday (FLLITE): The playful, creative moments in everyday language use are an opportunity for fostering students’ ability to communicate and express themselves in their new language. This project, co-sponsored by CERCLL and COERLL creates an archive of authentic texts in different languages accompanied by lessons, which teachers can access, adapt, and use, along with supporting professional development resources. 
• Project-based Language Learning resources from NFLRC 
• Corpus Portal: a gateway to information and tools for teachers interested in exploring ways in which natural language (compiled into a corpus) can be used in language teaching and learning and assessment. Includes teacher narratives, worksheets for vocabulary learning, a corpus tutorial, and an online tool where teachers can upload student texts and analyze them for particular language features. 
• Online language classes, textbooks, and materials for Central Asian languages from CeLCAR.

Assessment:

• LinguaFolio Online: an e-portfolio evaluation tool organized around the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements that allows students to collect evidence demonstrating their communicative abilities in a world language. 
• Virtual Assessment Center: The Virtual Assessment Center (VAC) is a series of web-based learning modules that provides teachers with background information, step-by-step guidance, and practical resources for developing proficiency-based second language assessments for the classroom. 
• Spanish Proficiency Training Website and Learner Corpus: The purpose of these materials is to help public school teachers of Spanish in their assessment of learners’ levels of proficiency. The website presents information on proficiency levels to help the viewer develop a greater awareness of differences in learner language. 

Professional Development:

• CARLA Summer Institutes:  CARLA has provided high-quality professional development for language teachers for over 20 years. Launched in 1996, this internationally known program reflects CARLA's commitment to link research and theory with practical applications for the classroom. Each institute is highly interactive and includes discussion, theory-building, hands-on activities, and plenty of networking opportunities. 
• NHLRC Professional Development Workshops on Heritage Language Instruction for K-16 instructors: Drs. Kagan and Carreira have developed multiple workshops on heritage language instruction. NHLRC faculty will travel to sites, hosts workshops at UCLA and offers online workshops. 
• COERLL’s Foreign Language Teaching Methods professional development modules for foreign language teachers: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar, Pragmatics, Culture, The Language Learner, Technology, Classroom Management, and Assessment. 

Research and Advocacy:

• NHLRC Heritage Language Journal: an online blind-refereed journal dedicated to the issues underlying the teaching and learning of heritage languages.
• NFLRC's Reading in a Foreign Language: A refereed international online journal of issues in foreign language reading and literacy.
• CILC’s Language at the Community College Nexus: information on the teaching and learning of languages at Community Colleges.
• CALPER’s Language Advocacy Site: teachers can find materials for advocating for language learning with links to advocacy programs, op-ed pieces, articles, press releases, brochures, infographics, etc.
• CLEAR and NFLRC's Language Learning & Technology: a refereed journal on issues related to technology and language education, published online three times a year. 

You can learn more about each LRC at http://www.nflrc.org/index.php.

By Julie Sykes, CASLS Director

In InterCom this month, we will be exploring the nexus of research and practice, specifically the ways in which each should inform the other. Language teaching is both an art and a science. Thus, the connection between the science and the art is fundamental to continually improving the quality of instruction, designing meaningful classroom interventions, and formulating the types of research questions in which people find value.

As we explore this topic, three fundamental concerns guide our discussion.

First, the connection between research and practice is a symbiotic relationship in which both inform one another. As such, we should be cautious to assume that research always supersedes intuition built through classroom instruction. Likewise, care should be taken to ensure that data informs instructional practices when the context, population, and interventions are appropriate.  Whenever possible, practice should guide research design and findings should then be used to change practice.

Second is a fundamental understanding of how to digest research and draw conclusions that are specifically impactful for changing practice. While results, especially in studies that have been carried out over a number of decades, can be helpful in determining what to do in the classroom, other areas are still emerging and do not have sufficient data to support conclusions. As we consider the ever-growing body of literature in the areas of language teaching and learning, it can be especially important to consider the learner populations under consideration as well as the language being taught. Much can be generalized, but some findings remain specific to their context.  

Finally, from the research perspective, spending as much time observing teaching and learning contexts as possible is vital. An understanding of the art is always highly valuable in determining study designs as well as the types of questions most relevant for informing instructional practice. Deeper understanding may include observations, interviews, focus groups with teachers, administrators, students, or even teaching a class similar to the context you are interested in knowing more about.

Regardless of the approach one takes, placing value on the symbiotic relationship between research and practice can transform the way teaching and learning happen, thereby increasing learners' proficiency and decreasing less impactful efforts.

The New Jersey Department of Education recently published a report, “Thread: An Approach for Recruitment and Retention of Bilingual Professionals,” by Jacquelyn León. New Jersey mandates bilingual education in its K-12 schools; however New Jersey administrators struggle to recruit and retain bilingual teachers. The THREAD approach includes the following components: Tap into community resources, Harness existing resources and assets, Reach across borders, Establish educational partnerships, Awareness of routes to certification, and Develop internal untapped talent.
 
Access the report at http://www.nj.gov/education/bilingual/resources/thread/THREAD.pdf

From https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/476752?format=G
 
Doing Applied Linguistics: Enabling Transdisciplinary Communication
Edited by Daniel Perrin and Ulla Kleinberger
Published by De Gruyter
 
How can students be empowered to communicate professionally – as translators, journalists and CCOs? How can professionals engaged in crucial language interactions do the same – pilots, nurses, lawyers and many others? This volume gives answers to these questions, providing insights into critical situations and good practices from many years of research and teaching in a practice-oriented, research driven School of Applied Linguistics.
 
Visit the publisher’s website at https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/476752?format=G