The Center - News, resources and notes from CERCLL

Ten Online Tools for Language Learning, Pt. II

May 16th, 2013 | Posted by jtparry in resources - (0 Comments)

Do you feel like exploring some online language tools over the summer to practice your own language skills, or want some ideas for the future? Here are five more tools, as a continuation of the first part of ten online tools for language learning:

6. Listen and Write

This site features a tool for transcribing various audio sources, including speech and songs from mp3s and YouTube video. Listen and Write currently has audio in 22 different languages which is broken down into over 20 proficiency levels. There are a variety of search options—you can search by proficiency level, language, category, or user channel. For the transcription, there are three different modes: full mode (requiring the entire sentence), quick mode (you only need to enter the first letter of each word), and blank mode (you fill out some of the words in blanks). The site gathers statistics about your activity, and lets you review what you have studied and see problem areas. Here is a screenshot from the transcription page:

You can also add to the site by submitting audio through your own mp3s, by linking to online mp3s, or by using YouTube videos. You need to submit a transcript of the audio so that it can be transcribed. Listen and Write also has a few beta tools, including a level test for English and a program for learning numbers.

7. Text 2 Mind Map

This is a free site for creating mind maps. It is very simple to use: Just use tabs to create a hierarchy of terms in the text box on the left, and click “Draw Mind Map”. Your terms will appear mapped out in different colors, and you can use the mouse to adjust the positioning of any box within the mind map. This works for any language. There is also a tab under the text box for options, where you can change the font, colors, line scheme, etc. See below for an example:

On the site there is also an option to download your mind map as an image or PDF. In sum, Text 2 Mind Map is a quick way to organize L2 concepts and vocabulary into groupings such as semantic fields and differing verb conjugations. There are many possibilities.

8. Lang-8
On Lang-8 you can create a free account to engage in language exchanges that focus fully on writing. In other words, you can post a piece of your writing in an L2 on the site, and native speakers of that L2 can use site annotation tools to correct it. These annotations make the corrections easy to follow, and there is room for comments. You can do the same for learners of your L1, and make friends in this way as on social networks. There are also a few additional features that are available through a paid premium account, including downloadable entries, prioritization of posts, and customizable URLs. Here is a sample screenshot from the site:

Lang-8 offers a convenient way to receive feedback on your writing and to think critically about language as you correct others. Although native intuition may not always be what you are looking for or may be too subjective, this is a great place to feel more in touch with the actual usage of your L2 and learn how to say utterances that you may not encounter in formal settings.

9. RhinoSpike
This free site has a similar premise to Lang-8, only it works to improve L2 listening. The site is simple: First, you provide texts in an L2. These audio requests go into a queue, and wait for native speakers of your L2 to correct the text if needed and then read it for you. You can also read texts in your L1, and your own requests move up the queue as you read for other language learners. Alternately, you can do the opposite, and submit audio or video, such as from youTube, that you want native speakers to transcribe. A sample audio request is shown in the screenshot below:

Due to the nature of RhinoSpike, you can choose texts to be recorded that are at your proficiency level and that match your interests. As shown in the screenshot above, there is also space for giving instructions to the recorder. In addition, this site can be used to have problem words or sentences pronounced for you. Thus this site gives users freedom and flexibility for practicing language listening.

10. Diigo

Diigo is a cloud-based bookmarking tool which offers a wide range of capabilities. It is used to bookmark webpages or images and store them for offline viewing or share them. In addition, Diigo allows users to annotate web pages with highlighting and sticky notes, and organize these pages in an online library. There are a few different ways you can integrate this tool into your browser, including as a bookmarklet or actual toolbar. The basic version of Diigo is free, although there are some premium capabilities available as well. Below is a screenshot that illustrates Diigo:

The screenshot above shows one usage for Diigo in language learning—you can access web pages and save them into your library. Then you can access tools to highlight words you do not know, and add sticky notes with definitions or encyclopedia entries. In this way Diigo could be used like hypermedia glossing, as one possible way of using it. Although Diigo is no doubt very useful, there are many other options available. If you are just looking for a simple way to save pages and annotate them, you may want to try tools such as Scrapbook, which is a free plugin for Mozilla Firefox that allows you to easily create folders and organize files that you have annotated with less to worry about.

In conclusion, there are many useful tools for online language learning. Some are already adapted to language learning and require little to no adaptation, whereas others are useful in general and offer promising applications to the language teaching context. It can be useful to explore and see the strengths and weaknesses of certain tools, as there are often many for certain areas. This post has given a little information about five such tools, and you are welcome to see the current list of annotated links collected by CERCLL here.

Ten Online Tools for Language Learning, Pt. I

March 22nd, 2013 | Posted by jtparry in resources - (0 Comments)

There are numerous online tools that can be used in language learning and in second language (L2) classrooms; in fact, it is a focus of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) to find and adapt such tools. From among these many choices, the next two blog posts will introduce ten tools that are available online. These tools can be used in the language classroom to enhance learning, or they could be used by students to supplement their classroom experience. These ten tools come from an extensive list of language learning links that CERCLL has compiled, which you can find on the resource page (available here). Although the links on the resource page are annotated with a brief overview, these posts allow for greater description of a few of the tools. Here are the five of thee tools, with screenshots (Click the title to visit the link):

1. Lingro

This free online tool allows users to learn vocabulary within the context of reading. Currently on the site there are bilingual dictionaries for 11 different languages (in 22 combinations, most of which involve English as one of the languages). Using Lingro is very straightforward—simply find an online text and enter its URL where indicated on the Lingro homepage. Below is an example of this, using the Wikipedia article for Star Wars in French. By entering the URL for this page on Lingro, you can click any word in the text to get its translation. In this example I clicked on étoiles and a blue box popped up with the gender, definition, and part of speech:

Lingro also keeps track of words you have clicked on for your benefit and future study. On the website, you can review the words you have clicked on and create word lists with them. You can also view the sentential context for words that you have clicked on. Finally, you can create flashcards with these words. There is also a place on Lingro for users to help build the bilingual dictionaries, since the growth of the site is a collaborative effort.

2. Italki

This site allows language learners to engage in a language exchange, in which two language learners mutually help each other by devoting time to practice each learner’s L2. These language exchanges can take place over Skype, e-mail, chat, or however the two parties decide. Italki offers a search tool for users to look up other users by the language that they speak and the language they are trying to learn. You can also search locations, genders, where speakers are from originally, or filter the results to display only those who are native speakers or have a photo. From this search, you are able to connect with those who match your interests and goals to set up a language exchange. It is also possible to set up a profile about yourself. Most parts of italki are free, but in addition to language exchanges there are also tutors from around the world who offer lessons for a charge. Here is a screenshot from italki:

This tool is very helpful, but it is important to plan for possible technical problems that may arise during these exchanges, and time zones may create difficulty in establishing synchronous (real-time) communication. There are many tools on the internet for finding language exchange partners, and it is worthwhile to explore the advantages and disadvantages of several. For example, some sites have different tools for finding users with similar interests, offer more or less free services, or list more speakers of a given L2. Other sites for exchanges include MyLanguageExchange, InterPals, The Mixxer, Conversation Exchange, SharedTalk, xlingo, and many others.

3. LyricsTraining

LyricsTraining is a unique site that offers over three thousand music videos with accompanying lyrics for purposes of practicing L2 listening. It has videos in 7 different languages, and these videos are rated according to the difficulty level of the lyrics. To use this tool, learners watch videos and need to provide all or part of the song lyrics as music videos play, depending on the game difficulty that they select. Their efforts are timed, and they cannot proceed through a song until they enter a lyric correctly; learners are given points based on their times. The words from these songs are stored in a word list for later reference. Here is an example screenshot (using the intermediate level game):

This tool is also built collaboratively, so that users can add music videos and timed lyrics to the site from YouTube. Once their contribution is reviewed, it is added to the site’s selection.

4. Storybird

This site offers tools for creating digital stories while choosing from a large selection of beautiful illustrations. Using Storybird, teachers or learners can find meaningful artwork and create a story alongside the pictures. As you create a story, several additional images to choose from appear next to your story. Here is a glimpse of the site:

These stories can be private, browsed by others, or even embedded and shared over social networks. Storybird offers free basic accounts, and has options for educators. This site would especially work well for K-12 students, but it could also be motivating and serve to stimulate creativity and writing skills in older language learners.

5. Eyercize

Eyercize is a novel way for learners to improve their L2 reading speed and vocabulary recognition; it is a free online tool for practicing speed reading by using sample texts on the site or by copying and pasting other texts. The main feature on the site is a reading pacer, which can be used as a tachistoscope. This reading pacer includes a sidebar with several adjustable settings (so that readers can choose the WPM reading speed, the amount of highlighted words, the number of words surrounding those highlighted, font size, etc.). The tool further collects statistics about each reader’s performance. This is shown in the below screenshot:

In addition to the stand-alone reading pacer, there is also an Eyercize bookmarklet which learners can add to their browser’s toolbar, which allows you to select text on any webpage and then click the bookmark icon to open the speed reader.

In conclusion, it can be overwhelming to be bombarded with so many useful online tools for foreign language learning. This list has provided some choices in this area, and serves as both a springboard to a greater exploration of online tools and an idea-generator for L2 curriculum and independent learning. If these tools are implemented into curriculum, teachers should remember to control the use of the tools, and not let the tools do the teaching.

Announcing the 12th Annual SLAT Roundtable

February 25th, 2013 | Posted by jtparry in professional development | SLAT - (0 Comments)

On March 1—2, The 12th Annual Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) Roundtable will be held at the University of Arizona. This event will feature Dr. Julie A. Belz from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) as the keynote speaker, who will deliver a presentation entitled “Re-conceptualizing Intercultural Communicative Competence in Foreign Language Education“. As the plenary speaker, Dr. Norma Mendoza-Denton of The University of Arizona will present “Voice Onset Timing, Social Networks, and Perceptual Dialectology in Tucson, Arizona“. This event will be a great opportunity to hear about a variety of topics related to language learning and teaching, from both faculty and graduate students. Click here to view a flyer about the event.

Location:
The Modern Languages Building of The University of Arizona, in the South Wing of the 3rd floor

Schedule:
Friday, March 1, 2013, from 5–6:45 PM
• Keynote Speaker (in Room 311)
• hors d’oeuvres

Saturday, March 2, 2013, from 8:30 AM–5:00 PM
• Plenary Speaker (in Room 304 from 1–1:50 PM)
• Presentations, Panels, and Workshops

If you plan on attending, please register here.

For questions or comments about the SLAT Roundtable, feel free to contact Mohammed Tamimi, the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Student Association (SLATSA) president, or Linda Lemus, the SLATSA vice president. Click here to view their e-mail addresses in the attached flyer. You can also visit the SLAT Roundtable website here.

This roundtable is sponsored by The Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy (CERCLL), The Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) Program, and The Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) of the University of Arizona.

Hypermedia Annotations in Second Language Learning

January 21st, 2013 | Posted by jtparry in cercll project | cercll staff | culture | resources - (0 Comments)

Within the sphere of second language teaching, technology has been rapidly growing and being implemented as a tool for motivation and efficiency in the hands of capable teachers. Among the countless online tools available, hypermedia annotations have been shown to be helpful for improving vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. Annotations, or glosses, are usually short definitions or explanations that accompany a text. These usually have appeared in the margins of books, within text, or at the bottom of the page. Hypermedia comes from the combination of hypertext (information given through links, as you would find on the internet) and multimedia. Thus hypermedia annotations are a computer form of traditional glosses, with clickable links.

There are several advantages to hypermedia glosses. They are quick and efficient, and allow readers to focus on comprehending a text or learning words more deeply. In a number of studies, students have commented on the enjoyability and usability of glosses—so they are also a good way to enhance motivation. Several students have also shown their affinity for L1 glosses over L2 glosses, particularly at lower proficiency levels. Possible disadvantages to glosses include that they may make students expend too little effort, not engage in deep learning, or simplify the meaning of words and passages. Although it would intuitively seem clear that glosses are effective, this issue is actually controversial within SLA studies. There are too many results to present generalizations, and an astounding amount of variables in past studies on hypermedia glosses.

CERCLL is currently developing texts with hypermedia annotations for Arabic, German, Turkish, and Portuguese using TIARA (The Interactive Annotated Reading Application) software, which was developed by the ARCLITE (Advanced Research in Curriculum for Language Instruction and Technology in Education) lab at BYU. This project is directed by Dr. Chantelle Warner, and more details about the project can be found here. This tool allows users to access a text and display all glosses or choose between text, image, audio, and video glosses on an interactive page. In addition, the glosses promote intercultural competence since they serve to explain words and phrases that are important to cultural understanding. Here is a screenshot of the application:

An example of an image annotation on TIARA

The current project with hypermedia annotations is an extension of a past CERCLL project, directed by Robert Ariew, which used different software to create materials for Arabic and Italian (click each language to view the resources).

This tool offers many possibilities, for either the classroom or individual language study. There are a number of other tools for hypermedia glosses, which present their own strengths and weaknesses. One free tool for hypermedia creation online is http://redhotwords.com. This site allows you to download free software to create your own hypermedia glosses, and it is definitely worth checking out!

Teaching Heritage Languages and Cultures: Hispanic Heritage Month

October 5th, 2012 | Posted by jtparry in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Within the sphere of foreign language teaching in the United States, there are many heritage language learners. The term ‘heritage language learner’ is difficult to define in second language acquisition (SLA). Here is one definition, from The Center for Applied Linguistics (retrieved from http://www.cal.org/heritage/research/faqs.html#2):

A heritage language learner is a person studying a language who has some proficiency in or a cultural connection to that language through family, community, or country of origin. Heritage language learners have widely diverse levels of proficiency in the language (in terms of oral proficiency and literacy) and of connections to the language and culture. They are different in many ways from students studying the language as a foreign language.

Since these learners can differ from foreign language learners in their motivations, language proficiency, and levels of cultural understanding, a growing body of research is dedicated to becoming familiar with these learners and their needs. A recent presentation by Olga Kagan, during CERCLL’s Intercultural Competence Conference in January, 2012, highlighted the issues of intercultural competence for heritage language learners. Here is the video of this presentation (which is available along with other CERCLL videos on YouTube):

The paper by Olga Kagan on this topic will also be coming out soon along with the proceedings for ICC 2012.

There are also several efforts to adjust curriculum to this group of learners. This is more clear-cut in programs which have the resources to create separate programs for this, such as the Spanish for Heritage Learners Program at the University of Arizona. This program provides a place for heritage learners of Spanish to flourish in their linguistic and cultural knowledge, and become better aware and proud of their Hispanic heritage. One strong advantage to this separate program for heritage learners is that these students are tested in their language abilities and then given individualized instruction in any of six courses. This program is also very large, with about 600 students per semester. For more information, go to this program’s website at http://w3.coh.arizona.edu/spanish/heritage/under_heritage.cfm, or download a brochure about it at http://www.cal.org/heritage/research/voices.html.

This issue is especially relevant right now since this month, from September 15–October 15, is Hispanic Heritage Month. This month has been designated as a time to honor the heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans, and to recognize their contributions to the US. This month-long commemoration started as a week under President Johnson, until it was expanded into a month and put into law during the time of President Reagan. For more information, here is a site dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month: http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

Chinese Culture Festival in Tucson

September 21st, 2012 | Posted by jtparry in culture | mandarin chinese - (0 Comments)

There will be a Chinese Culture Festival in various parts of Tucson from September 22–30, which is free of charge. This festival, presented by The Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona, will include a variety of events that are targeted to promote knowledge and appreciation of China’s culture and language. These events will no doubt be a great opportunity for learning about China’s rich culture and long history. For your convenience, here is the breakdown of festival events for each day (more information can be found in the brochures for each event, which are available at http://confucius.arizona.edu/node/74):

Chinese Health Day (Saturday, September 22, from 8 a.m.–12 p.m): This event will feature Martial Arts and Tai Chi masters from Shaolin, information about Chinese medicine, instruction on cooking Chinese dishes, complimentary zoo entrance, and more. Location: DeMeester Performance Center, Reid Park, Tucson, AZ 85716

Lecture I: Chinese Martial Arts (Sunday, September 23, from 3 p.m.–5 p.m.): This event will feature a lecture on the history and development of Chinese Martial Arts by Masters Junmin Zhao and Junjie Feng from Shaolin, China, and a live demonstration of traditional Chinese weaponry. Location: UA Student Union, Ballroom South, 3rd floor

Lecture II: Traditional Chinese Music (Tuesday, September 25, from 11a.m.–12 p.m.): This event will feature a lecture on ancient Confucius ceremony music and Lu-Nan traditional instrumental music by guest lecturer Professor Huiqing Cheng, visiting from Shandong University of Arts. Location: UA Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ 85721

Lecture III: Chinese Cinema & Director Wu Tianming (Wednesday, September 26, from 3:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.): This event will feature a lecture on the Chinese movie director Wu Tianming and his films, with Professor and Scholar Tan Ye from the University of South Carolina. There will also be a free screening of the award-winning film “King of Masks” by Director Wu Tianming. Location: UA Student Union, Ballroom South, 3rd floor

Chinese Moon Festival Poetry Concert (Thursday, September 27, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m.): This event will feature Chinese vocal and instrumental music, and a lecture on ancient Chinese poems of the Tang & Song Dynasties by UA Professors Brigitta Lee and Dian Li. Location: UA Poetry Center, College of Humanities, 1508 E. Helen Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721

Lecture IV: Recent Efforts in the Search for Remote Human Ancestors in China (Friday, September 28, from 12 p.m.–2 p.m.): The event will feature a lecture on Chinese Archaeology, outlining recent efforts in the search for ancient human ancestors in China, by Professor Xing Gao, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Location: UA Student Union, Kiva Room, 2nd floor

Chinese Language Day (Saturday, September 29, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.): This event will allow Tucson elementary, middle-high school, and college students to test their knowledge of Chinese during the Chinese Language Proficiency Competition; there will also be a chance to make traditional moon cakes, play Chinese games, and more. Location: Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 West River Road, Tucson, AZ 85704

Moon Festival Concert (Sunday, September 30, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m.): This event will include Chinese traditional music, folk songs, and choral masterworks. Location: UA Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ 85721

The Confucius Institute has been a cosponsor of CERCLL’s 2012 and 2014 Intercultural Competence Conferences. The institute is committed to enhancing knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture and language. Here is the mission statement for The Confucius Institute, taken from their website:

The Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona’s mission is to support the Hanban’s strategic plan by combining local characteristics, innovative methods, and an integrative approach to enhance people’s understanding and appreciation of Chinese language and cultural heritages. We aim to provide comprehensive training to Chinese language and culture teachers in general and disciplinary-specific English and pedagogies. Our institute’s focus is on Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts, Chinese music and Chinese performance arts in our education and outreach programs. CIUA will produce leaders who will in turn facilitate cultural and scientific exchanges between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.

More information is available at the institute’s website, found here: http://confucius.arizona.edu.

Language and Culture Kits from CERCLL and World of Words

May 16th, 2012 | Posted by Sasha Kuchuk in cercll project | culture | resources - (0 Comments)

CERCLL’s project “Bringing Global Cultures and World Languages into K-8 Classrooms“, directed by Dr. Kathy Short and developed in collaboration with Worlds of Words – the International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature at the University of Arizona, keeps growing and welcomes its newest addition – a Language and Culture Kit for the Russian language and culture.

This project was originally designed to introduce K-8 students to less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) and cultures to create an interest in foreign language study and to make students more comfortable with exploring a range of world languages and global cultures.

Because children’s and adolescents’ literature is a resource that is particularly effective in engaging students in exploring diverse global perspectives and languages, this project develops book kits which include fiction and nonfiction literature about a particular country or region written in English and in the relevant LCTL along with tape recordings and some other language and cultural resources. These book kits are more commonly known as “Language and Culture Kits”. Each Kit comes with a manual along with lists of language resources and literature. An example of such manual, which includes the resources for Korean/South Korea and Arabic/Middle East, can be found on the project’s website, and some sections of the manual are also available for download on WoW website.

Currently, the list of Kits includes:

Arabic-Speaking Countries and Cultures Kit
Chinese Language and Culture Kit
Japanese Language and Culture Kit
Korean Language and Culture Kit
Portuguese/Brazil Language and Culture Kit
Spanish/Mexico Language and Culture Kit
American Indians of the Southwest Language and Culture Kit
Russian Language and Culture Kit

All Language and Culture Kits are stored and can be checked out at the World of Words:

World of Words
University of Arizona College of Education
Language, Reading and Culture
1430 East Second Street
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone/Fax – 520.621.9340
wow@email.arizona.edu

Videos from Intercultural Competence Conference 2012

Did you miss your chance to attend The Third International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence this January? Or would like to revisit some of the presentations?

CERCLL has made available the videos of the keynote address, plenary addresses, and some paper presentations. You can either see them on CERCLL’s YouTube Channel or CERCLL’s website, where you can also find and download presentation slides and some other materials.

Now you can watch the complete videos of the keynote presentation “Reconsidering Crosscultural Abilities: The Link to Language Learning and Assessment” by Dr. Heidi Byrnes from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and all five plenary presenatations:

“Exploring the Intercultural Dimensions of Cross-Border Language Learning” by Dr. Celeste Kinginger, Pennsylvania State University

“Intercultural Competence of Heritage Language Learners: Motivation, Identity, Language Attitudes and the Curriculum” by Dr. Olga Kagan, University of California, Los Angeles

“Targeting the Target Language: Strategies in a Multilingual Environment” by Dr. David Fenner, World Learning

“Intercultural In/competence: The Top Challenge for Guest Chinese Teachers in US Schools” by Dr. Jun Liu, Georgia State University

“Pulsating Galactic Classrooms, Immersion Environments, Individual vs. Group Language Learning at Home and Abroad” by Dr. Judith M. Maxwell, Tulane University

Here is what conference attendees say about some of these presentations:

“[T]he keynote session by Dr. Byrnes called on the making of connections between linguistic ability and cultural ability, an aspect that tends to be overlooked or simplified by researchers in the area of ICC. The call made by Dr. Byrnes has had a strong impact on my own research … [The] type of argument put forth by Dr. Byrnes made the attendance at the conference an extremely valuable learning experience.”
Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, Ph.D. student in Applied Linguistics and Technology, University of Iowa

“I thoroughly enjoyed the plenary session by Olga Kagan. The information was solid, informative and interesting … I found this session particularly interesting because we deal with so many students who have a heritage language, who have cultural affinity, but who are functionally illiterate in that language. I think this is an important issue for students from Mexico.”
Patricia Hutchinson, Cottonwood Middle School, Cottonwood, AZ

“The plenary that stole the show was “Targeting the Target Language” by David Fenner – he has the experience as a well traveled educator/scholar and the skills to perform and make the audience participate.”
Julio Fajardo, US Middle School Teacher

Presenting at the CERCLL’s Intercultural Competence Conference

CERCLL’s biennial International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence is an excellent opportunity not only to catch up with the recent developments in the field and to learn from experts and peers, but also to present one’s own research. The recently concluded ICC 2012 focused on “Intercultural Competence and Foreign/Second Language Immersive Environments,” and brought together about 270 academic and language professionals from around the globe. Over four days, the conference featured one keynote and five plenary presentations, more than 80 paper presentations, and 7 pre- and post-conference workshops. Attendees generally commented on the welcoming atmosphere of the conference, and presenters have noted that this atmosphere extended to the way their talks were received by the audience.

“It was a privilege and empowering opportunity to present at CERCLL’s Intercultural Competence Conference with my colleagues…Openness, enthusiasm, dedication to research, and a maintained view of the “big picture” – into which our teaching and research and individual (as well as collective) acts of cross-cultural communication fit – defined this international conference experience…The CERCLL staff have been warm, welcoming and consistently communicative as they sought to meet my needs as a conference attendee and presenter. I cannot recommend CERCLL’s Intercultural Competence Conference highly enough to my colleagues.”

—Rebecca Hale, University of Cincinnati

The diversity of attendees and presenters that characterizes ICC makes these conferences a great venue for novice presenters, who are able to reach experts in their own field as well as across disciplinary boundaries:

“This was my first time presenting my research, and I could not have asked for a better conference at which to present. Even though being streamed and presenting right after Dr. Jane Jackson (whom I cite many times in my dissertation) was nerve-wracking, the excellent organization of the conference as well as the quality of the previous talks made for a successful first experience.”

—Anne Dargent-Wallace, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“This conference offered an excellent venue to present one’s own research result as well as to learn from others…[I]t was my first experience in presenting my thesis’ data in front of an expert audience, even though many of the attendees were not experts, but just generally interested in the topic. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a mainly American audience, since my research is based on a European model and theory, but it was greatly appreciated and accepted.”

—Beate Mueller, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

For many presenters, speaking at ICC 2012 sparked ideas for future work and provided opportunities to build relationships that could foster future collaboration:

“[T]he fact that my work prompted a large number of questions and interesting comments will be a great stimulus for further practice.”

—Marta Guarda, University of Padova, Italy

“As a presenter at the ICC conference I was able to make important connections with other researchers in the field. This conference provided me with a platform to meet researchers who are interested in my area of research, and with whom I may be able to engage in future research projects.”

—Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, Iowa State University

The next Intercultural Competence Conference will take place in January of 2014 and will address the topic of “Preparing Teachers to Teach for Intercultural Competence.” Whether you are a seasoned researcher or are taking your first steps as the researcher and practitioner in the field of intercultural competence, ICC 2014 could be the perfect opportunity for you to present your research and engage in a fruitful dialogue with your colleagues. Look for the Call for Papers for CERCLL’s Fourth Intercultural Competence Conference on the CERCLL website and this blog!

A Smattering of Language will Do?

April 17th, 2012 | Posted by C Botelho in critique | culture | SLAT - (0 Comments)

“I feel very strongly that the ideal shouldn’t be mastery of another language, because that’s an unachievable goal and holding it up as the aim just makes students feel hopeless… We should emphasise the pleasures of languages, rather than the need for complete competence.”

—Marina Warner, “English that’s good enough: The mastery of English is not the intimidating ideal any non-native should seek: a smattering will do.” The Guardian, March 13 2012.

Having attended the Multilingual, 2.0? symposium this past weekend at the University of Arizona, this was a question/topic that came up in several of the talks as it relates to education and language policy planning and ideology. In Deborah Cameron’s talk “The one, the many and the Other: representing mono/multilingualism in post 9/11 verbal hygiene,” one of the more challenging topics she brought was that of ‘standards.’ She argued that linguists don’t want to talk about norms or language standards when examining language policies but until they are willing to have a sensible discussion on “norms” in the establishment of language policy, then the linguists will always lose.

Excerpt from Deborah Cameron’s abstract from Multilingual, 2.0?

Full abstract [PDF]

I begin with one of the questions offered by the organizers of this symposium: ‘If multilingualism is founded on an assumption that we are shifting away from a monolingual perspective, how sound is that assumption? Can one shift away from that which does not exist in the first place?’… However assiduously academics may seek to criticize or deconstruct them, ‘monolingualism’ and ‘multilingualism’ undoubtedly exist in the world as ideological constructs, and in my view their existence has material and significant consequences; but it is difficult to generalize about the way in which they are constructed or imagined for different languages, nation-states, historical periods and geographical/ social locations. Representations of monolingualism/ multilingualism are also representations of particular languages (and people) in particular times and places: that inevitably shapes their form and the cultural work they do.

While I found myself generally agreeing with Ms. Warner’s piece and her overall push for not demanding “native speaker proficiency” as a rule for language learning, her discussion glossed over just how complicated this subject area is. The claim that “It is possible to speak another language fluently and yet make continual mistakes in it—mistakes of word order and phrasing, register and weight of terms used, and numerous other pitfalls” reveals that she is applying a popular notion of “fluency” meaning “native-like” or “near-native-like” ability and is not recognizing that a language speaker/learner can have varying levels of proficiency depending on the field (speaking, writing, listening and reading). ACTFL’s proficiency guidelines (for speaking, writing, listening, and reading) include Distinguished, Superior, Advanced, Intermediate, and Low, all of which have sub-categorizations.

I couldn’t agree more with her advocating “for multilingual households, for foreign-born mothers—and fathers—for the benefits of different tongues and their speakers, and for the cultures they originate in. I also see value in making the crossing from one language to another without fear or inhibition, and above all for not minding “making mistakes.” To say that “Languages matter, but smatterings will do,” however, ignores learners’ needs and requirements for successful communicative interaction. I would suggest rather than saying a smattering will do, it would be more helpful to work on an inclusive language policy that actually defines what a “smattering” of language is, for what areas of proficiency, for what group(s) of speakers, and being critical of who is making these determinations and for what purposes.

Sources

↬ Warner’s The Guardian article

↬ American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. National Standards for Foreign Language Education, Standards for Foreign Language Learning.

↬ American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012: Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. [PDF]