Representatives from CERCLL will be at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) convention in Philadelphia this year. There are several ways to learn about our resources and projects there:
Exhibit Hall Show
Visit us in the exhibit hall at booth 519, Friday November 22 to Sunday November 24, 2024, where all sixteen of the Title VI-funded Language Resource Centers will have materials on hand to let you know what resources and professional development opportunities are available now, and what’s coming soon!
If you can’t make it to Philadelphia for ACTFL (and even if you can), you will always find details about the Language Resource Centers on the LRC website, with links to our resources and web presences.
Exhibitor Workshop 7: Free Standards-Based Language Teaching Resources from the LRCs
Friday, November 22, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Exhibitor Workshop Room #7, Exhibit Halls CDE
Kate Mackay (CERCLL), Jialing Wang (CALPER at Penn State University), Karin Larson (CARLA at the University of Minnesota), and Alberta Gatti (CUNY Graduate Center) will be on hand with representatives from some of the other LRCs.
Come learn about free standards-based resources for teachers available from the national Language Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education: no-cost teacher resource guides and manuals, online materials and assessments in specific languages, and more for teachers of all levels and languages. URLs for downloadable resources are provided.
Ungrading Our Language Classrooms
Friday, November 22, 3:30 – 4:15 pm
Roundtable Presentations, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Exhibit Halls CDE
Nicole Coleman (Wayne State University) and Janice McGregor (University of Arizona)
This roundtable reports on experiences with ungrading (e.g. minimal and specifications grading), invites a discussion about challenges and benefits of ungrading, and provides specific examples of ungraded assignments and classes from language education contexts.
A Corpus-Based Advanced Chinese Textbook for Intercultural Communication
Saturday, November 23, 11:00 -11:45 am
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 121C
Jie Zhang (University of Oklahoma), Wenhao Diao (University of Arizona), Kexuan Wu (University of Oklahoma), and Yi Xu (University of Pittsburgh)
This session presents a Chinese language textbook CERCLL project that is based on a corpus of authentic and spontaneous conversations between American study abroad students and their Chinese roommates. It also features a range of cultural issues that advanced L2 learners actually encounter when they enter the cultural contact zone with Chinese speakers.
Also consider attending presentations by other University of Arizona faculty and graduate students:
Current Directions in Post-Secondary Language Program Administration
Friday, November 22, 11:30 -12:15 am
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 121B
Cori Crane (University of Alabama), Alan Brown (University of Kentucky), CERCLL Director Beatrice Dupuy (University of Arizona)
Language program administrators (LPAs) are responsible for curriculum design and development, teacher training, and program management. This session explores key areas of expertise needed to oversee multi-section language programs. Presenters discuss how research can help inform LPAs’ work and how LPAs can advance inquiry in language education.
Generative Artificial Intelligence for L2: Tools and Integration Strategies
Friday, November 22, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 106B
Betul Czerkawski (University of Arizona)
This paper will focus on six GenAI tools: L2 material development (Supermeme AI; LingoTeach), formative assessment (Formative; Quizlet Q-Chat), and speaking (Replika; TalkPal). The presenter will summarize the results of a literature review on GenAI and discuss why these tools were selected. Then, she will explain how to incorporate them into L2.
Using AI as a Pre-Activity to Discover Street Art
Friday, November 22, 4:30 – 5:15 pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 106B
Lara Lomicka Anderson (University of South Carolina) and Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona)
Participants will gain insights into AI (artificial intelligence)-driven image generation of urban street art and its potential as a tool for teaching local cultures, and identify advantages of incorporating street art exploration abroad, locally and virtually into language education to enhance critical intercultural learning.
Queer and/or Trans Student Perspectives on Queering Classroom Materials
Saturday, November 23, 1:30 – 2:15 pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 110A
Anastasiia Gorlova and Angus Leydic (University of Arizona)
This presentation focuses on a qualitative inquiry into including queer, trans, and non-binary student perspectives in language learning material and classroom practices. Findings show that understanding and utilizing LGBTQ+ student perspectives in material design help students feel like they belong and advocate for their identities.
High Impact Practices in Study Abroad Contexts
Saturday, November 23, 1:30 – 2:15 pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 120A
Daniel Walter (Emory University Oxford College), Janice McGregor (University of Arizona), Julia Ruck (Emory University). Theresa Schenker (Yale University)
This panel reports on advances in study abroad pedagogy, including peer-conversation, multilingualism, language, dialect learning and instruction, non-native speaker positionality, and length-of-stay effects. The state-of-the-art, high-impact practices for study abroad reported here can be used to transform students’ study abroad experiences.
Beyond Words: Crafting Engaging Courses in Chinese Sociolinguistics
Sunday, November 24, 8:00 – 8:45 am
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 123
Yan Liu (Duke University), Wenhao Diao (University of Arizona), Chunsheng Yang (University of Connecticut)
This session highlights three Chinese Sociolinguistics courses offered at different US universities. The presenters will first share their motivations, the institutional contexts, and students’ backgrounds and then showcase their distinctive approaches to teaching this course. At last, the audience will be invited to a discussion on course design.