Contents

From: https://www.actfl.org/learn/actfl-startalk-multi-state-pathways-teaching?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ACTFL&_zs=DhVQi1&_zl=vmnP7

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is providing a three-phase pathway for individual K-12 langauge teachers who are teaching critical languages in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Qualifications and training content are available on ACTFL's website.

Visit: https://www.actfl.org/learn/actfl-startalk-multi-state-pathways-teaching?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ACTFL&_zs=DhVQi1&_zl=vmnP7

From: https://heritagespanish.coerll.utexas.edu/workshop-2021/

This workshop for educators of Spanish as a heritage language (SHL), hosted by the University of Texas at Austin, provides Spanish instructors with hands-on guidance for engaging heritage students based on their individual needs and local contexts. A variety of facilitators will share their expertise on integrating critical pedagogies, building writing skills, and engaging with the community.

Visit: https://heritagespanish.coerll.utexas.edu/workshop-2021/

The purpose of this activity is to help learners prepare for their own interpersonal interactions via observation. It is appropriate for all proficiency levels and is a great strategy for guiding learners' intercultural awareness. It is also useful for helping learners improve their knowledge of critical content including vocabulary and grammar. 

Learning Outcomes:
Learners will be able to:

• Observe up to three conversations
• Draw conclusions from their observations
• Verify their conclusions by working with peers

Materials: Observe before interacting video, observation handout

Procedure:

1. Introduce learners to the language learning strategy of observing before interacting by showing them this video.
2. Discuss what learners want to understand from observing interactions. Depending on the proficiency levels and preferences of learners, these goals may include specific lexical items, pragmatic strategies for specific language functions (e.g., understanding when to mitigate a request), or improving their understanding of how a key contextual factor like social distance, or closeness, of speakers can impact their interactions.
3. Brainstorm places where learners can observe interpersonal interactions related to the goals articulated in Step 2. These places might include public and/or online spaces.
4. Ask learners to observe up to three interpersonal interactions and to document their observations on this handout. Once they are done observing, they will also use the handout to draw conclusions and to posit any questions they may still have.
5. In small groups, ask learners to work together to verify their conclusions and to answer the questions that they have. 

Notes:

• Language functions vary in length and complexity. Educators are encouraged to consider these variances as they help learners decide how many conversations to observe. Additionally, given said variances, learners should be directed to consider whether they need to engage in additional observations once the activity is completed to draw conclusions.

This week, we are featuring the language learning strategy of observing interpersonal interactions before engaging in conversation. This strategy is useful for language learners seeking to improve their knowledge of critical content, as well as their understanding of interculturality.

There are a few ways to get connected with us this week:

• Join our InterCom Live! session. We connect on Facebook every Monday at 11:00 am Pacific. To join us, open CASLS's Facebook page at the designated time. Can't make it? The InterCom Live! events are always recorded, and you can find them on our Facebook page.
• Check out the Activity of the Week. This week, learners set goals related to interpersonal interactions and observe language in action.
• Check out this guidance on developing interpersonal assessment tasks  from the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota. How might incorporating the strategy from this week’s video impact task design? Learner outcomes? 

Happy exploring! We are excited to continue engaging with you this week.

From: https://cercll.arizona.edu/event/colinaalbrecht/

The Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL) at the University of Arizon is hosting a webinar about translation in the multilingual langauge classroom on April 21, 2021. Visit the link to register.

Visit: https://cercll.arizona.edu/event/colinaalbrecht/

From: https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-how-learn-videos

Given the rise in prevalance of online instruction, many stakeholders are concerned with evaluating the extent to which leanrers are actively engaged in learning. In this article, the author offers tips for maximizing learning outcomes when learners are engaged in watching videos.

Visit: https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-how-learn-videos

From: https://www.frenchteacher.net/latest/

This website provides French teachers wtih a plethora of resources that are organized by learner age, proficiency level, and activity type. The website also includes free lesson plans.

Visit: https://www.frenchteacher.net/latest/

From: https://www.tech4worldlanguageteachers.com/blog/2018/6/21/how-to-create-digital-interactive-worksheets?rq=Interactive%20worksheets&fbclid=IwAR2OEYsn_ZqjVoFAsGKLJX5414BssJm8fJSQmZQCDxQTIJlYCk8COoO0C1k

Given the realities of the past year, digital, interactive worksheets are a very useful tool for educators and learners. This post, by Tech for World Language Teachers, inlcudes step-by-step instructions for making paper worksheets interactive.

Visit: https://www.tech4worldlanguageteachers.com/blog/2018/6/21/how-to-create-digital-interactive-worksheets?rq=Interactive%20worksheets&fbclid=IwAR2OEYsn_ZqjVoFAsGKLJX5414BssJm8fJSQmZQCDxQTIJlYCk8COoO0C1k

From: https://larc.sdsu.edu/intensive-summer-courses/

The Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC) at San Diego State University (SDSU) will be offering online, intensive language learning courses in Arabic, Persian-Farsi, and Portuguese this summer. Registration will open this month. Visit the site for program details.

Visit: https://larc.sdsu.edu/intensive-summer-courses/

From: https://www.zmescience.com/science/our-brains-get-a-boost-when-studying-new-languages-to-help-us-along/

This article provides insightful research related to the neuroscience of language learning. One finding of note is that language skill improvement can be quantitatively measured in the first few months of language learning. This finding is particularly exciting when considering the potental future ability to measure the impact of teaching and learning strategies.

Visit: https://www.zmescience.com/science/our-brains-get-a-boost-when-studying-new-languages-to-help-us-along/

 

 

Cold sandwiches are calorie traps -- don't fall for it

Ruth S

Very interesting article. I used to live in Wales and it's an amazing place for archeological finds. Also interesting that the Sea bird expert's name is Eagle!

Top Comment

Top Comment

 

 

British boy born with 2% of his brain celebrates 9th birthday

NicolaD

What a wonderful uplifting story - thank you for publishing!

Top Comment

Top Comment

1

 

How did the pandemic start? The fine line between truth and conspiracy

Jim Balter

"Therefore, despite being called a theory for historical reasons, biological evolution is no longer a theory, it is essentially an established truth." This is mistaken/fallacious--a false dichotomy--and shows a lack of understanding of what a scientific theory is and of the purpose of science. Biological evolution is indeed an observed phenomenon--it is an established truth that evolution occurs. AND the Theory of Evolution is a scientific theory--an explanatory framework for the observed phenomenon of evolution; such a framework is a complex of defined terms, concepts, methods, experiments, hypotheses, supporting evidence, and so on that together explain a phenomenon and can be used to predict future events--science is not just a catalog of "established truth"; its aim is to explain, to provide understanding, and to guide action through its predictive ability . A phenomenon is not a theory and a theory is not a phenomenon--it's a category mistake to say that a phenomenon "is no longer a theory". The Theory of Evolution explains how and why evolution occurs, what sorts of results evolution produces, what we can expect evolution to do under differing circumstances, etc. Similarly, gravity is a phenomenon; a gravitational theory (Newton's or Einstein's) explains it. We can see an apple fall from a tree toward the ground--gravitational theory tells us how fast it falls and that the processes involved are the same as of the Earth orbiting the sun. etc.

Top Comment

Top Comment

 

 

120-year-old condom found in Japan -- and the company that made it still makes condoms

BlindSquirrel66

"the company's current products look quite differently" That should be "different." Adjective.

Top Comment

Top Comment

2

 

Land-use change is creating an infectious disease boom, study finds

Mark Gall

It's possible that a disease organism could be released by human's short sighted destruction of environments that was more infectious than COVID, spread much faster than COVID, and was 90% or more lethal within days. This would rapidly spread worldwide, and kill so many humans that all nations would fall.

Top Comment

Top Comment

1

 

Who is the best chess player in history? It depends how you look at it

nwonder

I've been a big fan of Karpov for a long time and believe that in a world that didn't have Kasparov he would likely have been the World Champion for many, many years... that said, he didn't actually WIN his first world championship, so who knows what would have happened if he never got to the peak (think Fabiano Caruana, who is one of the greatest of all time, but unfortunately lives while Carlsen is at his peak). Though not a title holder, I would probable put Caruana on my top 10 of all time and bump Morphy who was great for his era but was essentially playing a different kind of game than exists today. Love the article and analysis - thanks!

Top Comment

Top Comment

4