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From https://nwav48.uoregon.edu/

Abstract submissions are invited for presentations (oral and poster) in all areas related to language variation and change for New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV) 48, to be held at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon October 10-13, 2019.

Although the organizers welcome submissions on all areas of language variation and change, for NWAV 48 they particularly welcome submissions for papers and for special sessions that align with the following special topic areas:

Variation and change in underdocumented speech communities
Acquisition of sociolinguistic variation
Sociolinguistics and the listener
Computational sociolinguistics

Deadline for abstracts: June 1, 2019

View the full call for papers at https://nwav48.uoregon.edu/

From https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUmAo1MSBGB7UrPPVWRFTcNY_OkKt5bD0dGljZs2h8w4QXIA/viewform

The Midwest Association for Language Learning and Technology (MWALLT) will hold its 2020 conference on February 8, 2020. This conference will be of particular interest to all K-12 and post-secondary language instructors, to individuals affiliated with media centers or language labs, and to individuals interested in any facet of language learning technology. The conference will be held on at least four campuses that will be connected by video conferencing technology. The four identified host campuses are: the University of Iowa, the University of Kansas, Michigan State University, and the University of Minnesota.
Universities or language centers at least four hours from any host site are invited to volunteer to host a “hub”!
 • Hubs participate virtually in the conference. 
 • Hubs also provide some structure for social interaction outside of the presentations. 
 • Hubs provide at least two rooms capable of receiving and projecting the video feeds from the host sites. 
 • Hubs will not be sending presentations, only receiving.

While the conference will allow remote attendees to ask questions and participate in discussions, we also want to provide a networking opportunity for those not able to attend at one of the host sites. See additional requirements below.

Deadline for hub proposals: September 15, 2019

Learn more and apply to host a hub at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUmAo1MSBGB7UrPPVWRFTcNY_OkKt5bD0dGljZs2h8w4QXIA/viewform

With support from the International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT), the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center (Tech Center) will sponsor a working meeting on Sunday, June 23 (the day after the IALLT conference) entitled Pathways to Collaborations. The purpose of this meeting is to identify and lay the groundwork for inter-institutional collaborations involving the integration of technology in language programs and Flagship institutions. IALLT invites language center directors or managers (individuals who have decision-making power in their own institutions) attending IALLT from any institution (no need to host a Flagship program) to respond to this invitation to participate in this fast-paced, one-day event. At the end of the day, participants will have identified and planned the first steps for specific inter-institutional collaborations. 

Please indicate your interest in attending this event by submitting your response here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZShcbDR3-OZd7M5y8kEXdctIq8beVZLy3eKhbgn7iF85M5A/viewform

From https://iallt.org/webinars/5-14-19/

Automatic Speech Recognition in World Languages
Presenters: Dan Nickolai (St. Louis University) and Johnathon Beals (University of Michigan)
May 14, 2019

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technologies have been around for quite some time, but until recently they were largely proprietary, complicated, and either minimally useful or expensive. However, the past few years have seen a watershed in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies like ASR, and their adoption in everyday technologies like smartphones and standalone “assistant” devices like Alexa and Google Home are rapidly making the tech not only more useful, but also more commonplace. This webinar will examine the role of automated speech recognition (ASR) technology as it relates to the instruction and learning of world languages. We will explore current commercial and no-cost offerings, as well as some emergent CALL research that advocates for the integration of ASR tools as part of the language curriculum.

For full details and to register, go to https://iallt.org/webinars/5-14-19/

From https://www.actfl.org/about-the-american-council-the-teaching-foreign-languages/actfl-professional-awards

The ACTFL Awards Program recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of language education. The results of the selections are announced at the ACTFL Annual Meeting and in the January issue of The Language Educator.

Here are brief descriptions of the different awards:

ACTFL Edwin Cudecki Award for Support for Language Education
The ACTFL Edwin Cudecki International Business Award was established in 1987 to recognize individuals who have developed ties between international business, language education, and international studies with the support of the Illinois Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA), the International Business Council MidAmerica (IBCM), and the Illinois Ethnic Consultation (IEC).

ACTFL Leo Benardo Award for Innovation in K-12 Language Education
This award is established in Leo Benardo’s honor to recognize significant contributions that reflect innovative instructional practice and programs by individuals who teach or supervise in urban, suburban or rural districts that teach a majority of underserved students.
 
ACTFL-NFMLTA/MLJ Emma Marie Birkmaier Award for Doctoral Dissertation Research in Foreign Language Education
Did you write/complete a dissertation in 2017 or 2018 that dealt with language learning or teaching, teacher preparation, curriculum development, evaluation, or any field directly related to second or foreign language education?

ACTFL Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Instruction Using Technology with IALLT (K-12)
Have you integrated the use of technology into foreign language courses? Have at least 5 years of classroom experience in K-12? Evidence should include objectives and specific strategies using technology that contribute to the attainment of the course goals within the framework of the National Standards for Foreign Languages.
 
ACTFL/Cengage Postsecondary Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Instruction Using Technology with IALLT
Have you integrated the use of technology into foreign language courses? Have at least 5 years of classroom experience in Post-Secondary? Evidence should include objectives and specific strategies using technology that contribute to the attainment of the course goals within the framework of the National Standards for Foreign Languages.
 
ACTFL-NYSAFLT Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education
Are you a language educator who has demonstrated excellence in the preparation and continuing education of teachers for the profession? Provide evidence in the following areas; teaching, research, service, educating current and future professionals, and recognition.
 
ACTFL-NFMLTA/MLJ Paul Pimsleur Award for Research in Foreign Language Education
Are you an author of an outstanding research article with the potential to impact language learning or teaching in foreign language or second language education field published in 2018?
 
ACTFL Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education (K-12)
Have you demonstrated instructional leadership and service in the K-12 community? Evidence should include service to the school, community, and state, as well as to state, regional, and national professional organizations.
 
ACTFL Wilga Rivers Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education (Postsecondary)
Have you demonstrated instructional leadership and service in the Postsecondary community? Evidence should include service to the school, community, and state, as well as to state, regional, and national professional organizations.
 
ACTFL Melba D. Woodruff Award for Exemplary Elementary Foreign Language Program
Is your Elementary Foreign Language Program exemplary? Been in place for at least 5 years, curriculum aligned with the “5 Cs” of the national standards, able to provide evidence of highly qualified teachers, advocating for early language learning and student success?
 
ACTFL Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture
Are you a language educator who has contributed significantly to the teaching of culture in the foreign language classroom? Can you provide evidence of the impact over an extended period of time and have influenced large numbers of individuals?

Nominations for all of the awards must be submitted by May 27. For more details about each award, go to https://www.actfl.org/about-the-american-council-the-teaching-foreign-languages/actfl-professional-awards

From https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-col1-tongva-language-native-american-tribe/

Tongva, Los Angeles’ first language, opens the door to a forgotten time and place
by Thomas Curwen
May 9, 2019

Each month they gather, practicing pronunciation, mastering the use of particles, singing songs and playing word games under the guidance of Pam Munro, a linguist from UCLA who has been teaching these classes for 15 years.

She calls her work “a reclamation effort” for a language that is no longer used in conversations. She avoids calling Tongva extinct; that, she said, is a hurtful pronouncement upon a culture that still exists and a world that in the eyes of many has never disappeared.

Like a detective following clues, Munro studied the work left by earlier linguists and ethnographers and slowly reassembled Tongva.

Much is irretrievable, but in this classroom — in the intonation of words and the careful assembly of phrases — lies an invocation of another time and place.

Read the full article at https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-col1-tongva-language-native-american-tribe/

From https://www.agda.ae/en/about-us

The Arabian Gulf Digital Archive (“AGDA”) is an online archive that has been created to showcase historical and cultural material that tells the story of the rich, intriguing and complex history of the Arabian Gulf.

An accessible resource, it serves to offer digital material that spans two centuries, documenting events and personalities that have shaped and defined the region. The contents offer an insight into the past with some material previously unseen by the general public.

AGDA contains, among other things, letters, memos, transcripts, photos and official correspondence from leaders and governments that shaped the events of their time. It’s a free and open resource for students, researchers, enthusiasts and anyone who is curious to explore the rich and varied past of the Arabian Gulf.

The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates collects documents of special historical value to the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council states and the Arabian Peninsula, both from within the UAE and from abroad. 

Explore the digital archive at https://www.agda.ae/en/

From https://mandarinhq.com

Here is a 4-minute video in which five Chinese shoppers share the personal preferences between shopping online and shopping in physical stores, with a transcript: https://mandarinhq.com/2019/04/shopping-chinese-conversation/

From https://www.fluentin3months.com

Here is a detailed English-language article about Japanese honorifics: https://www.fluentin3months.com/japanese-honorifics/