"Technology and Language Teaching and Learning"
Organized by: The Institute of World Languages in conjunction with the International Education Week
Schedule:
9:30-9:50AM Continental Breakfast – Main Lounge
9:50-10AM Opening remarks by Dean Ian Baucom, Ballroom
10:00-10:50AM: David Ellis, University of Maryland, Ballroom
The Role of Technology in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching
Abstract: Because technologies continually evolve, how to leverage them to maximize learning outcomes is incredibly difficult. This is particularly true given the practical constraints most teachers and students face (limited time and money) when trying to integrate various technologies into the learning environment. In this presentation, what is known about the internal and external factors of second language acquisition will be reviewed, along with a new paradigm for understanding the most important factor in determining learning outcomes. This paradigm will then be juxtaposed with the technologies currently available, illustrating how the abstract features of these technologies can be best leveraged to help students reach their language learning potential.
Bio: David Ellis is Executive Director of the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. In addition to overseeing the general operations of the Center, he is the program manager and principle investigator of several grants and contracts including STARTALK, a multi-year federally funded initiative to increase number of U.S. citizens learning and teaching less commonly taught languages in the U.S.
Dr. Ellis has nearly two decades of experience in the areas of foreign language teaching, training, and assessment, as well as a wealth of management experience in a variety of academic, business, and military settings. He earned his BA in Economics & Mathematics from the US Military Academy at West Point, his MA in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Hawaii, and his PhD in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a focus on assessment, measurement, and statistics.
11:00-11:50AM: Julie Sykes, University of Oregon, Ballroom
Transforming Second Language Teaching and Learning: Place, Space, and Design
Abstract: Persistent connectivity, accompanied by an expanded repertoire of available technologies, has made a noteworthy impact on human interaction in spheres of work and play. While not without their drawbacks, many new digital tools offer immense potential for second language teaching and learning. This presentation will synthesize findings from current projects to address specific ways in which digital tools may, or may not, transform the learners’ experience. Attention will be given to three areas especially relevant to our understanding of emergent learning tools - (1) rethinking place and space, (2) extending dynamic interaction, and (3) designing as a learning tool. Short-term and long-term implications for the future will be addressed.
Bio: Julie Sykes earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota with a focus on applied linguistics and second language acquisition. Julie’s research focuses on the use of digital technologies for language acquisition with a specific focus on inter-language pragmatic development and intercultural competence. She has taught courses on second language teaching and learning methodology and research, language learning and technology, Hispanic linguistics, and inter-language pragmatic development. Julie’s experience includes the design, implementation, and evaluation of online immersive spaces and the creation of place-based, augmented-reality mobile games to engage language learners in a variety of non-institutional contexts. She has published various articles on technology-related topics, including synchronous computer-mediated communication and pragmatic development, gaming and computer-assisted language learning, and lexical acquisition in digitally mediated environments. Julie serves as the UO Scholar-in-Residence and also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Romance Languages at the University of Oregon.
1:00-1:50PM: Michael Everson, Evertype, Ballroom
Down to the Letter: Why Typography and Language Diversity Matter
Abstract: The transmission of cultural heritage through language has been made possible since the invention of writing thousands of years ago. The invention of movable type transformed readership from hand-written manuscripts of a few to documentation available to everyone. In the twentieth century, personal computing and the internet gave rise to a profound transformation in communication. Language diversity can be preserved and expanded with global communication, and the chief tool for this is the underlying encoding of text, based upon the Unicode Standard. Knowing that it is there and understanding something about how the underlying encoding is presented is important for anyone working in the field of language and language technology. It’s not just for emojis! It’s for everything.
Bio: Michael Everson is a linguist, script encoder, typesetter, font designer, and publisher. His central interest is in the encoding of the world’s writing systems for computers and digital media, especially the Universal Character Set (ISO/IEC 10646 and Unicode). He is the publisher and owner of Evertype, located in Portlaoise, Ireland, and has published over 50 translations of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” in languages large and small and fictitious. He is an American and a naturalized Irish citizen. Michael Everson was referred to as the “Alphabetician to the world” by the New Yorker.
2:00-2:50PM: Leigh Rockey & Paula Roy, University of Virginia, Ballroom
Using the Library’s Video Collection as a Language Learning and Teaching Resource
Abstract: How are the library’s video resources useful to language instructors and students? This presentation offers examples of applying foreign language films, especially those available streaming online via the library, in language acquisition and culture studies. Demonstrations include playlisting and clip-making tools within the library’s video databases.
Bio: Leigh Rockey is the Media Collections Librarian at the University of Virginia Library and serves as part of the library’s collection development team. She is available for reference consultations and class visits. She has also worked with audiovisual collections in the Library’s preservation services department.
2:50-3:00PM Halloween treats and refreshments – Main Lounge
3:00-4:00PM: Concurrent Interactive Sessions - Gallery & Kaleidoscope
The concurrent interactive sessions will showcase student testimonials and program highlights, celebrate the success of language learning outcomes, and create social networking opportunities between learners of different languages.