Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (CLTL) | Spring 2023 Symposium

Yale University will be hosting the annual symposium in May 2023 and has chosen the theme of “Language learning in the 21^st century: Skills for the Real World.” The Commission on Language Learning noted in its 2017 report (America’s Languages. Investing in language education for the 21^st century):

While English continues to be the lingua franca for world trade and diplomacy, there is an emerging consensus among leaders in business and politics, teachers, scientists, and community members that proficiency in English is not sufficient to meet the nation’s needs in a shrinking world, nor the needs of individual citizens who interact with other people and cultures more than at any other time in human history –

This conference will therefore seek to address the question of what role languages play in today’s globalized society and will present a variety of perspectives on the need for linguistic and cultural understanding. The symposium is targeted at the language-teaching communities at our member institutions, but we also expect significant interest from colleagues across the country. In addition, we plan to invite undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students whose research and career goals touch on the topics covered in the panels.

The conference will begin on Friday, May 12^th, with an opening keynote address by Steve Leveen, founder of America the Bilingual and author of America’s Bilingual Century. On Saturday, May 13^th, the conference will feature five panels dedicated to different perspectives on language learning, including four panels representing different sectors (business, government, non-governmental organizations, and the arts) and a panel of students who will discuss the importance of language learning for their future careers.

*To register for the consortium, you can register for it here: https://campuspress.yale.edu/consortiumsymposium2023/