About the Language Collaboratory
The Language Collaboratory was established in the Fall 2020 as a partnership that promotes the advancement of intercollegiate dialogue on the teaching of languages and cultures. It represents collaboration between the language centers and institutes at the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The purpose of this initiative is to provide collaborative professional learning opportunities for educators of language, culture, and literature at the five institutions.
Spring 2022 Series
Building on a strong foundation from the 2020-2021 academic year, the Language Collaboratory continued in 2021-2022 to offer a series of online sessions that provided space for a stimulating dialogue between a discussant from one of the participating institutions or an invited guest from another institution and session attendees. In the Spring 2022, we expanded on our fall discussions on the theme of student engagement. In addition, the Spring series offered opportunities for peer-to-peer learning with the inclusion of two new session formats: un-webinars and swapshops.
We provided insights on student engagement from two lenses/perspectives: 1) research-based, and 2) pedagogical and practical. Furthermore, the sessions examined the implications and manifestations of student engagement praxis in and out of the classroom.
Individual sessions addressed how student engagement relates to and intersects with topics such as corrective feedback, task design, learning achievement, group dynamics, classroom environment, students’ willingness or reticence to speak, and others.
- Understanding the Impact of Course Flexibility: Too Little or Too Much?, un-webinar, February 2022
- What Digital Content Appears to Engage Language Students the Most?, swap shop, February 2022
- Enjoyment as Engagement: Sample Activities for the Language Classroom, Julie Larson-Guenette, University of Wisconsin-Madison, March 2022
- We Are What We Eat: Enhancing Cultural and Linguistic Competency in a Foods Related Course, Asma Ben Romdhane, University of Iowa, April 2022
- Strategies for Creating a Classroom Community of Practice, Kate Paesani, University of Minnesota, April 2022
- Transforming L2 Identities: The Affordances of Multilingual Life Writing, Carl Blyth, University of Texas at Austin, April 2022
About the Sessions
All sessions were held synchronously via Zoom. Sessions were scheduled for Mondays or Thursdays, 3:30-4:00 (4:15) pm central, 4:30-5:00 (5:15) pm eastern. Sessions were 30 minutes in length, with additional 15 minutes of optional discussion for those interested in digging deeper into the topic.
Accommodations
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Automated live-captions are available for every session. To request accommodations or discuss access needs please contact Adolfo Carrillo Cabello (carri093@umn.edu) from the University of Minnesota, at least a week in advance prior to the event. Requests made after that point cannot be guaranteed.
Sponsors
University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Center for Language and Culture Learning; University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) Language Resource Center; University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Language Center; Michigan State University, Center for Language Teaching Advancement; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Language Institute.