Title: The Place of Backward Curriculum Design in the Age of Online Foreign Language Teaching and Learning
Presenter: Esther Mukewa Lisanza, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Location: Zoom, Password: iwl

Abstract: 
The concept of Backward Curriculum Design (BCD) is commonly accepted as an organizing principle in development of curriculum. BCD encompasses several components of a successful foreign language teaching and learning. The design allows the teacher to think clearly about desired outcomes, what students need to know to get to those outcomes, what the outcomes will actually look like when demonstrated, and what instructional steps are needed to reach the outcome. Therefore, in this presentation we will explore the place of BCD in online foreign language teaching and learning using specific examples.

Bio: 
Esther Mukewa Lisanza holds a PhD in Language and Literacy and An Advanced Certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a teacher trainer and instructor at Howard University. She teaches Swahili and language related courses in the Departments of World Languages and Cultures and African Studies. Her research interests are in fields of Language Acquisition, Foreign Language Learning and Teaching, and writing among children. She has published widely in second/foreign language acquisition and development. Her latest book is The Multivoices of Kenyan Children Learning to Read and Write. Palgrave Macmillan.