An article by Ella Koscher in Volume XXV Issue 6 of The Eye magazine of Columbia Spectator discusses Columbia’s efforts to strengthen and promote the less commonly taught languages.

https://www.columbiaspectator.com/the-eye/2018/11/29/long-distance-language/

The Shared Course Initiative (SCI) is an inter-institutional collaboration between Columbia, Cornell, and Yale that seeks to strengthen offerings in the less-commonly-taught languages. This program was established in 2012 through the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and since then has brought over 700 students of less-commonly-taught languages into shared classrooms. In 2018-2019, the SCI transitioned from grant funding to an ongoing funding model that is supported equally by the three participating universities.

A recent article from the YaleNews describes both the SCI learning experience as well as the program’s renewal: https://news.yale.edu/2018/11/14/shared-course-initiative-renewed-year-bridges-campuses-continents

Stéphane Charitos, the Director of Columbia University’s Language Resource Center, delivered a keynote titled, “The Future of Language Study in the US: Short-term Crisis or Long-term Plight?” on September 6, 2018 at the Shared Less Commonly Taught Languages Symposium in Rosemont, IL.

Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqyJhPWCk70

We are excited to announce that this year seven of our students:  Nolan Bensen, Matthew Winters, Benjamin Thompson, Emma Reynolds, Kaatje Greenberg, Benjamin Regas, and Stephanie Chan, were awarded the prestigious U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships.  These highly competitive awards not only put our students in the Nation’s spotlight, but they also speak volumes about language instructors’ talent and commitment.  We could not be more proud of this accomplishment as we join in congratulating both our gifted finalists and their dedicated instructors.

For more information about this year’s awards click here.  For information about the program visit this link.

This year’s winning proposal for a workshop funded by the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning is titled “Working at the Intersection of Language and Culture in the Digital Age: Social Network Approaches (SNA) to the pedagogy of language teaching” and was submitted by Fumiko Nazikian, senior lecturer in Japanese language and Jisuk Park, lecturer in Japanese language, at Columbia University, New York.

The proposal outlined the pedagogical rationale on which SNA is grounded and put forward an argument in support of its instructional uses, particularly in light of the frameworks of global communities within which students operate, and the intercultural component of their engagement with global issues.

The workshop has been awarded 5,000$ and will take place at Columbia University during Fall 2018. In addition to workshop sessions that will allow instructors of all languages to discuss the incorporation of  SNA, the workshop will include a keynote address by Prof. Tohsaku of the University of California, San Diego.

We are accepting applications for this year’s Language Support Grants (http://www.lrc.columbia.edu/faculty-projects/) until April 1st. These grants are for the support of instructor projects that enhance language teaching and learning at Columbia. The CFP is open to projects for all languages and all levels of instruction. If you are interested in applying for a grant, you are strongly encouraged to discuss your idea with Stephane Charitos or with our new Educational Technologist, Simon Zuberek, who can help you align your proposal with the goals of the RFP.

The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/) is inviting proposals for a workshop on language pedagogy to be held in the spring or fall semester 2018, on one of its member campuses. The CLTL offers funding of up to $5000 to support the workshop. Additional funding may be available depending on the nature and scope of the proposal. Check with your campus representative before submitting a proposal.

The first workshop in this series was held at Brown University in October 2013 and was titled “Working at the Intersection of Language and Culture in the Digital Age: Practical Approaches to the Pedagogy of Cultural Learning”. The second, entitled “Language Learning and Teaching with Urban and Linguistic Landscapes”, was held at Columbia University in October 2016.

Proposals must be submitted by a member of the language faculty of one of the member institutions (Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, or Yale).

The proposed workshop should be one or one-and-one-half days in length and either:

• focus on a pedagogical issue across languages (for example, assessment; project-based learning; use of technology; heritage learning, etc.)

or

• focus on a pedagogical issue pertaining to a specific language and involves faculty from two or more Consortium Institutions.

While both types of proposals are encouraged, preference will be given to proposals that actively involve language faculty from multiple institutions, target multiple languages, or reflect ongoing or proposed collaborative activities across two or more institutions.

CLTL funding can be used to:

• cover costs to host a speaker and/or multiple presenters (including travel and lodging)
• pay for materials
• defray costs of refreshments, meals and room rental

Your proposal should:

• be three to five pages long, double spaced (Proposals that exceed the required length will not be considered)
• provide a detailed and convincing rationale that identifies the topic and its relevance to current pedagogical and theoretical issues
• include a detailed schedule for the workshop, including proposed speakers and topics
• have a significant hands-on focus, allowing participants to actively engage with the topic
• include a brief bio of each of the organizers
• include a detailed budget and – when possible – bios of the proposed presenters (these are not part the 3-5 page requirement)

Should you be awarded the funding, you must:

• plan and carry out all aspects of the workshop
• keep track of all expenses to be reimbursed, and submit your receipts to the Consortium
• write a short report summarizing the workshop
• carry out an evaluation of the workshop and attach completed evaluations to your report
• post this report or any papers or talks from the workshop on the CLTL webpage

Each campus can submit up to 3 proposals.  Interested candidates are urged to consult with their campus CLTL representatives before and during the writing process.

The CLTL board will select one proposal to fund from the pool of proposals submitted. Deadline for submission of proposals is February 28, 2017. Please submit your proposal to the Consortium representative on your campus:

Brown University: Elsa Amanatidou (elsa_amanatidou@brown.edu)

Columbia University: Stéphane Charitos (sc758@columbia.edu)

Cornell University: Dick Feldman (rf10@cornell.edu)

University of Chicago: Cathy Baumann (ccbauman@uchicago.edu)

Yale University: Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl (nelleke.vandeusen-scholl@yale.edu

The Consortium for Language Learning and Teaching, the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures, and the Language Resource Center of Columbia University will host the following talk on linguistic landscapes and their value for language education.

To RSVP for the event and for directions, please visit: http://www.lrc.columbia.edu/urbanlandscapes2016/plenary/

Linguistic Landscape and the Language Classroom: 

Opportunities for Critical Engagement with Society, Technology, and Place

Elana Shohamy, Tel Aviv University in conversation with David Malinowski, Yale University

Moderated by Lee B. Abraham

Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Columbia University

Friday, October 14, 2016

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Room 417 International Affairs Building – Altschul Auditorium

420 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027

(between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive)

Abstract

In this dialogue, Elana Shohamy and David Malinowski will discuss rationales, approaches, and techniques for utilizing the linguistic landscape (LL) for language teaching and learning, social awareness, interpretation and activism. The conversation will touch upon conceptual and methodological directions in recent LL research as they offer possibilities for educational activities in the classroom and learning projects in the community. Throughout, the speakers will stress the potential of the linguistic landscape for cultivating critical awareness and action for change: the LL does not merely offer insight into authentic language use, but invites civic participation and involvement with social justice.

Download Flyer

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has announced this year’s winners of the Provost’s Hybrid Learning course redesign grants. This year’s awardees include two Columbia language instructors: Federica Franze from the Italian Department, and Reyes Llopis-Garcia from the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures.

Congratulations to both instructors! We look forward to seeing their projects develop in Spring 2017.

• 7/21 – Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education (NHLRC)
• 7/31 – Seventh Annual Workshop on Immigrant Languages in the Americas (WILA 7)