1st Roundtable
Title: Oral Proficiency Gains after Studying Abroad: the Case of Arabic
Presenter: Bilal Humeidan, Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures
Date: Friday, February 18th, 3-4:30 pm
Mode: hybrid (in person & zoom)
Abstract: The presentation will share the findings of a study that aimed to gain a deeper understanding of what relates to students’ oral proficiency level in Arabic and how to compensate for the lack of study abroad experience. The study attempted to investigate (a) whether and how much students’ oral proficiency level in Arabic progresses after the study abroad experience; (b) what relates to the students’ achievement in the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tests; and (c) what teaching practices and components can the programs implement to improve students’ proficiency level without the study abroad experience.
2nd Roundtable
Title: 360° in Supporting Inclusivity: From Admin to ESL Training & Teaching
Presenters: Janay Crabtree, Pia Adler, Caroline Melton, Dana McChesney, & Elizabeth Wittner, & Matthias Maunsell--Center for American English Language & Culture
Date: Friday, April 8th, 3-4:30 pm
Mode: hybrid (in person & zoom)
Abstract: Inclusivity has been a major buzzword in educational spheres. A search in the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals over 2,700 articles concerning the term and more than 11,000 titles concerning diversity. However, what does it mean to be inclusive and support diversity? What actions can programs and individuals take to support inclusive learning environments? What questions must faculty, students, and administrators confront? One English language center grapples with some of these questions.
3rd Roundtable
Title: "Designing and Implementing an Advanced Chinese Language Class with International Community Engagement"
Presenter: Shu-chen Chen, Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Mode: hybrid (in-person & Zoom).
Date: April 22nd, 3-4:30 pm
Abstract: The presentation will share experiences with designing and implementing an advanced Chinese language class with an international community engagement component. Five international mentors were invited to hold a workshop style class with five different themes: the meaning of work, looking for work, mock job interviews, problem solving at work, life and work balance. Students learned vocabulary and expressions from the five different mentors in five different fields. The ACTFL OPIc and OPI were administered as pre- and post-tests to gauge students' gains in speaking proficiency. The presentation will be interactive in seeking audiences' participation in hearing about the experiences and envisioning their own design in the future.