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Content Type: 1
Title: Activities with Dice
Body:
Here are several no-prep and low-prep activities that your students can do with dice: http://evasimkesyan.com/2018/10/22/roll-a-dice/
Source: A Journey in TEFL
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Title: Research Summary: Improving Listening Skills through Reading, at Different Proficiency Levels
Body:
From http://www.eltresearchbites.com
Clare Maas summarizes a 2018 research study by Jian, Kalyuga, and Sweller, "The Curious Case of Improving Foreign Language Listening Skills by Reading Rather than Listening: an Expertise Reversal Effect." The researchers hypothesize that reading instructions in addition to listening to them will be more helpful for some proficiency levels than for others. For lower proficiency learners, reading may help to address the "transient information effect" in which "long and complex information cannot be retained for long enough to be processed by working memory," but for higher proficiency learners, hearing and reading at the same time may lead to the "redundancy effect" in which processing "redundant information can create unnecessary cognitive load and use up working memory resources."
The overall findings support differences in what is most effective for lower-proficiency and higher-proficiency learners for listening comprehension, but exactly what interventions and at what levels remains unclear.
Read the research summary here: http://www.eltresearchbites.com/201810-improving-foreign-language-listening-skills-by-reading/
Source: ELT Research Bites
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Title: Professional Learning Opportunities for Online Language Educators
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Julio C Rodriguez is the Director of Hawai‘i National Foreign Language Resource Center, and Ruslan Suvorov is the Associate Director.
Online language learning and instruction are becoming an integral part of world language learning and teaching. Availability, practicality, convenience, affordability, and learner preference are among the main factors that contribute to this trend. In the specific context of world language education, sometimes learning a language online is the only viable option in K-16 settings. Sometimes learning a particular less-commonly taught language is only possible online. Regardless of our perceptions about online language learning and teaching, the fact is that the number of distance learning courses and enrollments in online programs continues to grow exponentially (Babson Survey Research Group, 2016), while opportunities for professional learning tailored to the needs of online language teachers still remain scarce.
Through our work with online world language educators, we find that the professional learning needs of online language teaching professionals often fall into three broad categories: learning how to overlay sound (oftentimes known) pedagogical and teaching practices onto the online mode of instruction, finding technology tools that effectively enable and support such practices, and maintaining or improving their own target language proficiency. Online learning offers opportunities to meet all three needs.
If you are new to online language teaching or are interested in learning more about it, we recommend to start by viewing this TedEd Lesson and then consider continuing with the full series of lessons here. Keep in mind that the transition to online teaching and learning can start with small steps toward technology-enhanced learning and teaching and gradually reach the full online mode. If your teaching context is post-secondary education, it may be possible to pace yourself by creating an online lesson and pilot it in a face-to-face course first; then develop and teach a hybrid course before embarking on teaching fully online.
In the following section, we present a few key actionable tips for online language educators to enrich their practice.
- Join a community of practice that offers support to online language instructors, such as ACTFL’s Distance Learning Special Interest Group, the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO), or the International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT).
- Familiarize yourself with best practices and guidelines for developing online courses (e.g., Quality Guidelines for Online Courses from the the University of Hawaiʻi’s Center for Language & Technology, ADFL’s best practices and resources for hybrid and online language courses).
- Explore existing resources for online language educators (e.g., the CLT’s Online Learning Design Studio, Online Teaching Tools and Resources from Yale Center for Language Study).
- Put yourself in your students’ shoes: By the time we reach college, most of us have accrued over 12 years of continuous exposure to learning in traditional brick-and-mortar settings. How does that compare to our experience learning online? Regardless of whether you are a new or a seasoned online language educator, taking an online language course will help you not only better understand the online learner’s perspective but also reflect on your own practice. Free online courses can be found on OpenCulture, Coursera, Canvas Network, EdX, and similar platforms.
- Enable reflective practice by sharing knowledge and concerns with a partner teacher or by participating in the ACTFL Mentoring Program for Online Language Teachers (free for ACTFL members). Under the guidance of an experienced mentor, explore lessons specifically designed to support the professional learning needs of online world language educators.
Today's Activity of the Week helps you to build a customized professional learning plan.
References
Babson Survey Research Group. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/onlinereportcard.pdf
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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Title: Build Your Professional Learning Plan
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This Activity of the Week, designed at the National Foreign Language Resource Center, is designed to accompany today's Topic of the Week article about professional learning opportunities for online language educators.
Build your professional learning plan
Recent research by Darling-Hammond, Hyler, and Gardner (2017) has revealed that effective, high-quality professional learning experiences embody the following features:
- They are content focused.
- They are informed by principles of active learning and adult learning theory.
- They enable and support collaboration and are typically embedded in practice.
- They use models and provide modeling of effective practice.
- They include coaching and expert support.
- They provide opportunities for feedback and reflection.
- Their duration is adequate to learn and apply new concepts, receive feedback, and engage in reflection.
For online language teachers, finding this type of professional learning experiences can be challenging. However, it is possible to build your own customized professional learning plan while keeping these features in mind.
Instructions
Your goal for this activity is to create your own professional learning plan to improve your knowledge of online language learning and teaching. We recommend that you download two small files: the first one contains a table with guiding questions and tasks associated with the guidelines presented below. The second contains a template that can be used to document outcomes of your customized professional learning experience.
Guidelines
1. Content focus
Choosing content that suits your needs is essential for quality professional learning. Start by exploring resources for online world language educators created by the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the ACTFL Distance Learning SIG as part of the ACTFL Mentoring Program for Online Language Teachers. These resources comprise a collection of over 40 lessons designed for online language educators grouped into four main sets:
- Introduction to Online Language Learning (core lessons)
- Designing Interaction for Online Language Learning
- Materials Development for Online Language Courses
- Assessment in Online Language Courses
Is there content you are interested in that is not listed here? Let the NFLRC know to take into account your needs as we create additional content in the next few years: nflrc@hawaii.edu.
2. Active learning and adult learning principles
Professional learning that adheres to these principles takes into consideration the experiences that adults bring to the table and acknowledges that such experiences can be a valuable resource to anchor new learning (Knowles, Holton III, & Swanson, 2012). Additionally, it allows teachers to select topics of their choice and to reflect on their own practice and learning. Active learning also provides opportunities for teachers to engage in the same or similar learning experiences they are designing for their students as part of their professional learning.
3. Collaboration and correspondence to practice
Opportunities for collaboration and correspondence to practice or job-embeddedness are key ingredients of high quality professional learning. One way to incorporate these qualities into your professional learning is by participating in a mentoring experience with a seasoned online language teaching professional. If you are an ACTFL member, you can enroll in the ACTFL Mentoring Program for Online Language Teachers. Alternatively, you can also identify a peer online teacher and arrange an informal teaching partner experience. Such experiences may include regular discussions (for example, once or twice a month) and occasional observations.
4. Models and modeling of effective practice
Seeing how other teachers teach online can be a great help to visualize effective practices. The easiest way to avail yourself of this type of experience is by participating in a mentoring program such as the one described above.
5. Coaching and expert support
Even if you are a seasoned online language professional, having a peer professional participate in or observe your practice can help you identify what to improve and how to do so. Again, participating in a mentoring program can help enrich a professional learning experience by incorporating elements of coaching and expert support.
6. Feedback and reflection
The typical logistical challenges of brick-and-mortar settings to create opportunities for feedback and reflection can be easily overcome in online settings, since online learning experiences are relatively easy to capture and share.
7. Adequate duration
Quality professional learning activities provide sufficient time to learn and apply new concepts, receive feedback, and engage in reflection.
This table provides potential questions and tasks associated with the guidelines described above, and this one allows you to document outcomes of your professional learning experience.
References
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2012). The adult learner. Routledge
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 5
Title: Pacific Northwest Chinese Teacher Work Group
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The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) recognizes that engaging learners and teachers in meaningful reflection improves outcomes. An outgrowth of this belief is a current initiative, a work group for teachers in Chinese immersion programs in the Pacific Northwest. This group meets monthly to discuss ongoing and salient issues in the field such as integrating culture meaningfully in the classroom and incorporating technology in the classroom with intention. Lihong Dai, Portland Public Schools (PPS) Mandarin Immersion Program Coordinator, and Chiung-Chen Yu, PPS Chinese Teacher on Special Assigment, have been instrumental in developing this work group, and CASLS is very grateful to engage in meaningful collaboration together.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Title: Book: A Theoretical Framework for Language Education and Teaching
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From https://cambridgescholars.com/a-theoretical-framework-for-language-education-and-teaching/
A Theoretical Framework for Language Education and Teaching
By Paolo E. Balboni
Published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Educational linguistics is transcultural, with research in the field adopting an international scope. Educational systems, on the contrary, are culture-bound. As a consequence, actual teaching differs across countries, and sometimes even among provinces, local educational authorities, and schools.
However, a globalized world needs to share the various meanings of "knowing a language" and "teaching a language," as language is the main factor of both cultural identity and national and international interaction.
The framework offered here is built on eight "hypotheses," logical models that provide the potential common core of a non-culture-bound theory of language education and of language teaching. The book thus suggests a common terminology, some common principles, and a basic paradigm to be shared in both theoretical and practical research in edu-linguistics, consequently going beyond the borders implied by such titles as European framework, American standards, and Chinese guidelines.
Visit the publisher's website at https://cambridgescholars.com/a-theoretical-framework-for-language-education-and-teaching/
Source: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
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Title: Book: Foreign Language Education in Multilingual Classrooms
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From https://benjamins.com/catalog/hsld.7
Foreign Language Education in Multilingual Classrooms
Edited by Andreas Bonnet and Peter Siemund
Published by John Benjamins Publishing Company
This volume challenges traditional approaches to foreign language education and proposes to redefine them in our age of international migration and globalization. Foreign language classrooms are no longer populated by monolingual students, but increasingly by multilingual students with highly diverse language backgrounds. This necessitates a new understanding of foreign language learning and teaching. The volume brings together an international group of researchers of high caliber who specialize in third language acquisition, teaching English as an additional language, and multilingual education. In addition to topical overview articles on the multilingual policies pursued in Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia, as well as several contributions dealing with theoretical issues regarding multilingualism and plurilingualism, the volume also offers cutting edge case studies from multilingual acquisition research and foreign language classroom practice. Throughout the volume, multilingualism is interpreted as a valuable resource that can facilitate language education provided it is harnessed in appropriate conditions.
Visit the publisher's website at https://benjamins.com/catalog/hsld.7
Source: John Benjamins Publishing Company
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Title: Book: Languages for Special Purposes
Body:
From https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/43898?format=G
Languages for Special Purposes: An International Handbook
Edited by John Humbley, Gerhard Budin, and Christer Laurén
Published by de Gruyter
This handbook gives an overview of language for special purposes (LSP) in scientific, professional and other contexts, with particular focus on teaching and training. It provides insights into research paradigms, theories and methods while also highlighting the practical use of LSPs in concrete discourse situations. The volume is transdisciplinary oriented with a firm basis in the language sciences, including terminology, knowledge transfer, multilingual and cross-cultural exchange.
Visit the publisher's website at https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/43898?format=G
Source: De Gruyter
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Title: Call for Abstracts: UTA Student Conference in Linguistics and TESOL
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From http://www.uta.edu/linguistics/current-students/lingua/conference/25-utascilt-2019/index.php
The UTA Student Conference in Linguistics and TESOL (UTASCILT 2019) will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 1-2, 2019, on the campus of UT Arlington.
UTASCILT invites abstracts on theoretical, experimental, and descriptive work in all areas of linguistic research, including, but not limited to, phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and TESOL.
This year’s very special session will focus on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as it applies to Linguistics in a Modern, Multicultural World. The organizers welcome all relevant work on this interface, regardless of language, to submit to this session.
The deadline for submission is Saturday, December 15, 2019.
View the full call for abstracts at http://www.uta.edu/linguistics/current-students/lingua/conference/25-utascilt-2019/index.php
Source: University of Texas Arlington
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Title: Call for Workshop Presentation Proposals: 2019 National Migrant Education Conference
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From https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/CFP/OnlineSubmissionEMailLogin.jsp?CFPID=944&Submit=Reset
2019 National Migrant Education Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
Wednesday, May 1 – Saturday May 4, 2019
Each year, the National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education (NASDME) sponsors the National Migrant Education Conference to provide a critically important, high quality, one-of-a-kind, and cutting-edge professional development opportunity to all who work in migrant education and others who offer services to, and advocate for, migratory children and their families. It is by far the largest migrant conference of any held in the U.S. each year. The conference provides a broad array of workshops in many different areas of interest.
For the 2019 conference, NASDME is looking for solid workshop proposals with strong substantive content that will enrich and strengthen the work of conference attendees and which will energize all who work on behalf of migrant children and families.
The conference organizers are especially looking for educational strategies, models that have worked in implementing the program in all its aspects, and new, creative or innovative ideas that will spark discussion and expand approaches to the Migrant Education Program. The workshop presentations should focus on educational solutions which will ensure that migrant children are given equal access to all educational resources. Research-based and pragmatic experience-based presentations that provide answers to common questions and concerns are especially encouraged.
Submission Deadline: Friday, December 21, 2018
View the full call for proposals at https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/CFP/OnlineSubmissionEMailLogin.jsp?CFPID=944&Submit=Reset
Source: NASDME
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