South Asia Language Resource Center Blog

The 2nd Annual Hawaii Conference on Language Access will be held on Monday September 28, 2009 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

———————————————————————————————————————–

Registration is free.   Please submit your completed registration form by August 17, 2009.
Registration forms will be available in the near future on the OLA website at: http://www.hawaii.gov/labor/ola

Because of the budget cuts, we have moved the conference from the East-West Center to the Capitol Auditorium, and we have scaled down the conference from two days to one day. There will no longer be a conference registration fee of $100. The conference will be free to attendees. Completed registration forms will still be required to attend the conference. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Theme: Moving LCTLs to a New Professional Level

National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages
13th International Conference

————————————————————————————————————-

Venue: Sheraton Madison Hotel, Madison, Wisconsin
April 22 - 25, 2010

National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages
Thirteenth International Conference, Madison, Wisconsin
April 22-25, 2010

Theme: Moving LCTLs to a New Professional Level

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) is scheduled for April 22-25, 2010, in Madison, WI (with a pre-conference workshop scheduled for Thursday, April 22th). Proposals are solicited for individual papers, colloquia, and poster sessions. Proposals should fall broadly within the conference theme, “Moving LCTLs to a New Professional Level.” Although proposed presentations may focus on individual languages, they should address issues that clearly relate to more than just that one language. Presentations may address the linkage between language study and professionalization, curriculum and material development, methodology, bilingual education, heritage language learners, autonomous and self-instructional settings, outreach and advocacy, and the use of technology in teaching languages. Other topics such as teacher training, professional development, research, and assessment are also welcome.

Individual papers are to be 20 minutes long. A paper should focus clearly on issues related to the main conference theme. Papers may be based on research or practical experience. Colloquia are to be 90 minutes long. A colloquium proposal should specify three or more presenters who will address the conference theme. Preference will be given to colloquia that cut across different languages or language groups. Poster and presentation sessions may focus on completed work or work in progress related to the teaching and/or learning of less commonly taught languages. They may be in either the traditional poster format, such as presentation of materials or of research completed or in progress, or demonstrations of instructional or information technology.

Proposals may ONLY be submitted in electronic format using the attached NCOLCTL Session Proposal Submission Form. The Proposal Submission form is a “fillable” PDF file that can be completed with Adobe® Acrobat® or Reader® and then submitted to NCOLCTL via e-mail. This is the only format in which Proposals may be submitted. The form contains detailed instructions for its use. Please contact the NCOLCTL Secretariat (ncolctl@mailplus.wisc.edu) with any questions. For a proposal to be considered, all fields of the form, including, title, abstract, proposal, type of session, technology needs and contact information must be completed in full. Incomplete proposals may be disqualified.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday, November 30, 2009. Applicants will be notified by the Program Committee by Monday, January 21st, 2010 whether or not their proposal has been accepted. At least one presenter from an accepted presentation will be required to pre-register. Details about pre-registration will be provided in the acceptance notification.

If you have any questions regarding Proposal submission, please contact the NCOLCTL Secretariat at:

ncolctl@mailplus.wisc.edu
NCOLCTL
4231 Humanities Building
455 N. Park Street
Madison, WI 53706

Tel: 608-265-7902
Fax: 608-265-7904

CALL FOR PAPERS - Journal of NCOLCTL

The Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) is soliciting articles for publication.

——————————————————————————————————————————

As the official journal of the Council, the journal serves the professional interests of teachers, researchers, and administrators of less commonly taught languages in all settings and all levels of instruction. The Journal is refereed and published once a year.

Our general editorial focus is on policy, education, programs, advocacy, and research in the field of less commonly taught languages (all foreign languages except English, French, German, and Spanish). The envisaged segmentation of the Journal is as follows:

a. Methodology and Technology,

b. Academia,

c. Beyond Academia,

d. Social Embeddedness

The first section shall include papers focusing on broader theoretical and technological issues in all fields of less commonly taught languages. The second section will encompass reports about research and teaching in academia, at both K-12 and collegiate levels. The third section shall comprise papers addressing research and teaching in government and industry.

Finally, the fourth section will address the issues of a broader social environment, ranging from heritage communities to advancing LCTLs in federal initiatives and legislation.

In preparing the manuscript, please use the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), see http://www.apa.org/journals/authors/guide.pdf. Manuscripts should be a maximum of 25 pages (excluding references, charts, notes, etc.) and preferably submitted electronically via email attachment. Double-space the manuscript throughout, including notes, references, and tables, using 12-point font with a 1.5 inch left margin. The manuscript should be accompanied by a 150 word (or less) abstract and a cover sheet containing the manuscript title, name, address, office and home telephone numbers, fax number, email address, and full names and institutions of each author.

Because the manuscript will be blind reviewed, identifying information should be on the cover sheet only, and not appear in the manuscript.

While submissions are welcome at any point, only papers received by October 31, 2009 will be guaranteed consideration for the 2010 issue of the Journal.

ncolctl@mailplus.wisc.edu

NCOLCTL

4231 Humanities Building

455 N. Park Street

Madison, WI 53706

Tel: 608-265-7903; FAX 608 265 7904.

While you are enjoying the summer, don’t forget about the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo, November 20-22, 2009 in San Diego. Pre-convention workshops are held on Thursday, November 19.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

ACTFL understands that the current economy has affected everyone’s pocketbook but we are striving to offer you the best quality programming for your dollars spent. We want you to benefit from one of the most outstanding annual professional development opportunities available to language professionals.

The ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo has so much to offer you!

* Seven (7) AP pre-convention workshops sponsored by ACTFL and The College Board.
* Two (2) NEW full-day immersion pre-convention workshops in French and Spanish.
* More than 500 educational sessions for language professionals at all levels and all languages. Earn a minimum of 17 CEU credits. Learn techniques and activities you can use in the classroom come Monday morning.
* A top-notch World Languages Expo where you can visit one-on-one with 250 exhibiting companies and attend exhibitor workshops on the Expo floor.
* Special networking events hosted by ACTFL, its co-sponsoring associations, and many others where you can meet colleagues from around the world, make new friends and grow your contact list.

We know that times are tough and everyone is budget conscious. To help you save on housing, ACTFL was able to get lower hotel rates than usual for San Diego. You can SAVE on registration by taking advantage of the Early Bird rates by July 15. Go to the 2009 ACTFL Convention area of ACTFL to book your room and register.

CTFL 1001 N Fairfax St Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22314
P 703.894.2900 Fax 703.894.2905
membership@actfl.org | www.actfl.org | www.discoverlanguages.org

CALL FOR PROPOSALS — DEADLINE EXTENDED DUE TO POPULAR REQUEST

Aiming for ‘The Third Place:’ Intercultural Competence through Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Second International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence

January 29-31, 2010
Hotel Arizona, Tucson AZ

Workshop, Paper and Poster Proposal Submission Extended Deadline:
September 1, 2009

Keynote Speaker Claire Kramsch, Ph.D. — University of California, Berkeley
Professor of German and Foreign Language Acquisition; Founding Director of the Berkeley Language Center

Intercultural competence is [the ability] ‘to see relationships between different cultures - both internal and external to a society - and to mediate, that is interpret each in terms of the other, either for themselves or for other people.’ It also encompasses the ability to critically or analytically understand that one’s ‘own and other cultures’ perspective is culturally determined rather than natural.
- Michael Byram, Professor, University of Durham

Globalization, having brought individuals in contact with one another at an unprecedented scale, has also brought forth a general challenge to traditionally recognized boundaries of nation, language, race, gender, and class. For those living within this rapidly changing social landscape,intercultural competence–as defined by Michael Byram above–is a necessary skill, and the cultivation of such intercultural individuals falls on the shoulders of today’s educators. They should provide students with opportunities to help them define and design for themselves their “third place” or “third culture,” a sphere of interculturality that enables language students to take an insider’s view as well as an outsider’s view on both their first and second cultures. It is this ability to find/establish/adopt this third place that is at the very core of intercultural competence.

The conference aims to bring researchers and practitioners across languages, levels and settings to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices and foster meaningful professional dialogue on issues related to Intercultural Competence teaching and learning.

This conference is organized by the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL) and cosponsored by the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program, Center for Middle Eastern Studies and Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona

Complete Conference details: http://cercll.arizona.edu/icc_2010.php

Proposal guidelines and online submission form:
http://www.cercll.arizona.edu/icc_2010_proposals.php

The Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Virginia invites applications for the position of Lecturer in Bengali language and culture, to begin 25 August 2009.

————————————————————————————————————————

We seek a skilled language instructor to establish a new language program.   Candidates must have native or near-native fluency in Bengali and an MA or higher academic degree.   Ability to teach courses on South Asian literature or culture, and prior experience teaching Bengali at the university level are preferred.   The teaching load is three courses per semester.

To apply, please submit a candidate profile on-line through Jobs@UVA (https://jobs.virginia.edu); Posting Number 0603694. Please attach a cover letter of application and curriculum vitae.

Further, please arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation to be submitted on your behalf to:
Mehr Farooqi, Chair
Bengali Lecturer Search Committee, MESALC
P.O. Box 400781
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4781.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Questions regarding this position should be directed to:
Mehr Farooqi
maf5y@Virginia.EDU

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff, women and members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Penn STARTALK Teacher Training Institute for Hindi & Urdu

————————————————————————————————————————

The South Asia Center at the University of Pennsylvania will host the Penn STARTALK Teacher Training Institute for Hindi & Urdu in the summer of 2009. It is a residential program and will run from 9AM to 3PM on weekdays from July 13-24. Participants will learn theory and best practices of teaching aligned with the national Standards of heritage and foreign language learning. Topics will include curriculum design, performance-based assessment, Oral Proficiency Interview, authentic materials, differentiated learning and Hindi structures. Expert Penn faculty and visiting professors will impart the knowledge through lecture demonstrations and workshops. The training will be learner-centered with lots of hands-on practice. A special feature of this institute is that teachers will have a chance to observe live classes of Hindi & Urdu taught by master teachers in Penn’s concurrent STARTALK Hindi & Urdu student programs.

The program is open to ALL pre-service and in-service teachers of Hindi and Urdu at school or college levels. All participants will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon the successful completion of the program. There is no tuition fee and participants can get free accommodation on Penn campus. Everyone will receive a certificate of attendance for MOPI training from ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in addition to a certificate of attendance in the program from the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information and the application form, please go to <http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/documents/Events08-09/STARTALK/Teacher-mainpage.html> or contact Dr. Vijay Gambhir <vgambhir@sas.upenn.edu>. The deadline is May 31, but apply early because the qualified applicants will be admitted on first come
first served basis.

Heritage Language Teacher Workshop
UCLA
July 20-24, 2009

—————————————————————————————————-

The workshop is sponsored by Startalk and the National Heritage Language Resource Center. The Startalk sponsored languages are: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Persian, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu.  Additional spaces are available for other less commonly taught languages.

This workshop is designed to help language teachers face the challenge of teaching heritage language students. It will prepare them to understand the differences between teaching L2 and HL learners, the issues involved in heritage language teaching, and how to address them.

Apply on line at:

http://www.international.ucla.edu/languages/programs/startalkworkshop/

Applications will be accepted through June 1, 2009. Notifications will be emailed by June 10, 2009

For additional information, contact kathryn@humnet.ucla.edu

First International Conference on Heritage/Community Language, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), February 19-21, 2010

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS 1 SEPTEMBER

————————————————————————————————————————

We invite submissions internationally from a variety of theoretical and applied perspectives on:
- HL research pertaining to demographics, sociology, linguistics, psychology, education
- HL policy
- Aboriginal languages
- HL teacher education
- Development of HL instructional resources and materials
- Any other current issues in the HL field

For more information and proposal submission guidelines:

http://www.international.ucla.edu/languages/nhlrc/conference/

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at University of Michigan invites applications for the position of Lecturer I in Hindi beginning September 1, 2009.

———————————————————————————————————

The position is a renewable one-year appointment, and is subject to final budgetary approval. Applicants should have a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as the following: Hindi language, literature, or linguistics; Hindi Studies; second-language acquisition, TESL, etc. Native or near-native proficiency in Hindi and English is required; at least one year of experience teaching Hindi at the college/university level is preferred. Duties will include 12 weekly hours of instruction in all levels of Hindi language and active participation in teamwork and program affairs. The application dossier should include an application letter explaining your qualifications and teaching philosophy, a current CV, and three letters of recommendation. In addition, evidence of teaching excellence, a teaching demo videotape/DVD, and/or samples of self-developed teaching materials would be desirable. Kindly send your application packet to: Hindi Lecturer Search Committee, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan, Suite 6111 Thayer Building, 202 South Thayer, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1608. Or electronically <kjmunson@umich.edu> Review of applications will begin on June 1 and will continue until the position is filled. University of Michigan is a non-discriminatory/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Terms and conditions for this position are subject to the provisions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University of Michigan and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization.