We are very pleased to announce the creation of The Language Collaboratory, a partnership for the advancement of intercollegiate dialogue on the teaching of languages and cultures, driven by language centers and institutes at the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The purpose of this initiative is to provide collaborative professional development opportunities for educators of language, culture, and literature at the five institutions.
This academic year, we will focus our discussions on the theme of student engagement. New in this series, three invited discussants who are leading work in the area of student engagement will share their expertise with our audience.
In the series, we hope to provide insights on student engagement from two lenses/perspectives: 1) research-based, and 2) pedagogical and practical. Furthermore, the sessions will examine the implications and manifestations of student engagement praxis in and out of the classroom.
Sessions will be guided by the following questions:
- What is engagement and what role does it play in language learning and teaching?
- How do language teaching professionals promote and support meaningful engagement of their students? How do these interactions vary based on the course delivery mode and/or format?
- What are some of the challenges that practitioners encounter when promoting and supporting meaningful engagement of their language students?
Individual sessions will address how student engagement relates to and intersects with topics such as corrective feedback, task design, learning achievement, group dynamics, classroom environment, students’ willingness or reticence to speak, and others. Each session will be scheduled for 30 minutes, with optional 15-minute additional discussion time.
About the Sessions
All sessions are held synchronously via Zoom. Sessions are scheduled for Mondays or Thursdays, 3:30-4:00 (4:15) pm central, 4:30-5:00 (5:15) pm eastern. Sessions are 30 minutes in length, with additional 15 minutes of optional discussion for those interested in digging deeper into the topic.
All sessions will be recorded and available at a later date via the Language Collaboratory YouTube Channel.
Target Audience
While we welcome any educator to join our professional development sessions, it may be helpful to know that these discussions are specifically oriented to language research and practice in the context of higher education in the USA. As such, K-12 instructors and international participants may find the parameters of our discussions less relevant to their teaching and learning contexts.
Accommodations
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Automated live-captions are available for every session. To request accommodations or discuss access needs please contact Adolfo Carrillo Cabello (carri093@umn.edu) from the University of Minnesota, at least a week in advance prior to the event. Requests made after that point cannot be guaranteed.
University of Iowa contact: Claire Frances, director of the Center for Language and Culture Learning
If you need accommodations to participate in this event, contact Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, University of Minnesota, at least three business days prior to the event.
Sponsors: University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Center for Language and Culture Learning; University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) Language Resource Center; University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Language Center; Michigan State University, Center for Language Teaching Advancement; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Language Institute
Please see the Collaboratory YouTube profile here to see our past sessions!