Skip to main content
Language Resource Center

Click on the title for details about the event:

Workshop on Learning Center Language Program, Course page and Workbook tools
and Web Audio Lab
May 6, 9:00 - 4, Noyes Lodge
Lunch included

At this workshop, teachers will have the opportunity to work with language center resources with the assistance of center technical staff. We will also be introducing the use of the new Web Audio Lab, developed by Slava Paperno. For examples of language program and course pages, as well as media workbooks, please see the center Showcase.
The afternoon part of the workshop will be a demonstration and hands-on practice with the new Web Audio Lab, developed by Slava Paperno. This will be the new language lab tool of the future. See some screen shots of the program showing its new features of precise audio control and visual feedback and control with student recording. For more details on WAL, see a description of the program in more detail and what you can do in the workshop.

Patricia Chaput
Professor of the Practice of Slavic Languages
Director of the Language Program in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Harvard University
"The Intellectual Substance of Language Courses: Language as the Other Side of the Literary Coin"
4:30 PM Wednesday April 9, 2003
Morrill 106
Pre-talk mingling from 4-4:30 PM
Post-talk reception immediately following event

Pat is both a very practical and experienced language teacher and an insightful thinker about the role of foreign language studies in humanities education. Among many other presentations, she spoke at the recent conference at Binghamton on November 7 on “Why Some Techniques Work and Others Don't: Understanding the Mechanics of Motivating Dialogue and Discussion.” Other recent presentations include “Whose Field Is It, Anyway? Controlling Definitions of Language Study” and “Organizing the Teaching of Culture.”

"Student Reactions of Technology-supported Materials"
Wednesday, March 26
Noyes Lodge
3:45 - 5:00
Reception following

At this event, several teachers discussed their observations of student reactions to technology-supported materials. Lena Trancik described her online course materials and presented the results of significant surveying she had done of student reactions and progress. Yuka Kawasaki and others offered survey and observational results.

Carl S. Blyth
Associate Professor of French, University of Texas at Austin
"Representing language use for foreign language learners: Contributions of the native, the near-native and the non-native speaker"
Monday, March 3, 2003, 4:30
AD White House
Pre-talk reception at 4 PM
Post-talk reception at 5:45
Co-sponsored by the Department of Romance Studies and
The Rose Goldsen Lecture Series

Carl received his Ph.D. from Cornell in 1990. Since then he has done original work in organizing large language programs and integrating technology into teaching. He is coordinator of French language programs at Texas. He was a presenter at the recent McGraw-Hill teleconference and at the last Consortium conference. Take a look at some of his online grammar material and his online course with video.

In his talk, he will discuss "replacing the notion of 'nativeness' with the notion of 'expertise,'" as models of language use. See the complete abstract of his talk.

Informal Discussion on Assessment of Technology-supported materials
Friday February 21, 2003
Noyes Lodge
4-5 PM
Reception concurrent

This was a time to get together and share ideas of how to assess these materials. Dick Feldman and Slava Paperno also described and led some discussion on their FABIT Innovations in Technology grant to develop web-based audio recording tools. Read their proposal for more background. This event was in preparation for

Computer Mediated Communication Workshop
Dick Feldman
Monday, December 9, 2002, Noyes Lodge
9-12, followed by light lunch

This workshop offered a combination of an overview of research issues concerning CMC and three hands-on experiences. The bibliography includes links to online articles and several local online reserve papers. The final hands-on activity, describing a possible CMC project, is available to all teachers on an LRC-sponsored bulletin board. Add your comments to the suggested projects and add your own project if you would like to. If you want to make use of AOL Instant Messenger, you can sign up for your own account. The Powerpoint presentation including the research background, distinguishing characteristics of CMC and task descriptions is also available online.

Teaching Culture in the Digital Millenium
Annual teleconference by McGraw-Hill
Wednesday October 23 from 3-5 PM, Noyes Lodge
Reception 5 - 5:30

You can see the detailed program at their web site.
We will view the webcast in the Mac Classroom and join together for discussion and a reception. This will be a good time to relax and discuss culture, language teaching and technology with your colleagues. Note that, as with all LRC local events, graduate students are entirely welcome and encouraged to attend.

Fall 2002
ACTFL Foreign Language Standards and "Successful" Foreign Language Departments
 Elizabeth Welles, Director of Association of Departments of Foreign Language (ADFL)
October 9, 4:30 PM Morrilll 106

What kind of foreign language education do our students receive in secondary school? What principles guide that instruction? What does the secondary school establishment think is important in foreign language teaching? Should we pay attention to these ideas? Given this background in language learning, what makes an effective and thriving college language department?

"The [ACTFL Standards] document represents an unprecedented consensus among educators, business leaders, government, and the community on the definition and role of foreign language instruction in American education. The standards do not describe the current status of foreign language education in this country. While they reflect the best instructional practice, they do not describe what is being attained by the majority of foreign language students.
.... The Standards for Foreign Language Learning will not be achieved overnight; rather, they provide a gauge against which to measure improvement in the years to come." From Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Executive Summary

See the group of ACTFL White Papers on their site. This includes a set of position papers regarding the standards and higher education, including one by Elizabeth Welles.