LRC Activities 1999-2002
During the third cycle of funding, 1999-2002, the LRC at CARLA continued
to build on the solid foundation it developed during the first six years
of its existence, and launched in new directions to strengthen the center’s
ability to serve as a resouce to language teachers across the nation. The
following initiatives comprised the focus of LRC from 1999-2002:
Enhancing Students' Ability to
Meet National and State Standards with Content-Based Language Teaching with Technology
(COBALTT)
At the heart of CARLA’s third LRC funding cycle was an initiative
to establish a professional development program and a web-based resource
center for language teachers, which together would provide instruction
and practical tools on incorporating content-based language instruction
into the classroom using technology. The COBALTT website includes interactive
instructional modules on using technology in the language classroom, content-based
language instruction, principles of proficiency, and performance-based
assessment and meeting standards. A resource section includes classroom-based
resources created for and by K-16 teachers. In addition, this project established
a national consortium of language teacher educators that will engage in
a sustained dialogue about transforming language education in the country.
Visit the COBALTT page to learn
more.
Second Language Assessment:
Development of a Virtual Assessment Center for Teachers
In an effort to meet a national need for teacher development in the area
of second language assessment, and a related demand for an accessible array
of assessment resources that will meet the day-to-day assessment needs
of language teachers, CARLA developed a Virtual
Assessment Center for teachers. Using new and emerging computer and
information technologies, this site provides:
- guidance to teachers in the construction of formative and summative
assessment instruments,
- usable and flexible templates for quizzes, performance-based measures,
and proficiency-oriented instruments,
- interactive professional development activities that cover fundamental
aspects of language assessment, and
- means for teachers to do automated scoring, perform item analyses,
and generate score reports for students.
Visit the Second Language Assessment
page to learn more.
Less Commonly Taught Languages Project
(LCTL)
To expand their efforts, members of the LCTL project developed sharable
materials for LCTL teachers by creating interactive lessons using culturally
authentic pictures and text from websites in less commonly taught languages.
Descriptions of how these will fit into the curriculum of a LCTL program
and suggestions for use will be made available through the COBALTT website.
Project members created sample lessons and lesson plans for selected languages
designed to show how teachers can use the web-based materials created through
this project, and how these materials can be adapted for use in other languages.
In addition, the LCTL project will continued to offer an annual summer
institute aimed at the specific needs of LCTL teachers.
Visit the Less Commonly Taught Languages
page to learn more.
Content-Based
Language Action and Research Projects
Two specific research projects were conducted during 1999-2002:
Both of these projects explored the theme of content-based language instruction
in a variety of contexts.
Visit the Language Immersion
Education page to learn more.
Strategies for Language and Culture
Learning
Building on CARLA's previous research and teacher resources on language
strategies and culture learning,
CARLA received funding in 1999 to create a set of user-friendly materials
designed to maximize study abroad with materials on language and culture-learning
strategies, as part of its U.S. Department of Education's Language Resource
Center grant. Project leaders created, field-tested, and revised a set
of guidebooks as part of the Maximizing Study Abroad series. The
series includes three separate publications for students, study abroad
program professionals, and language instructors to learn and use language
and culture learning strategies.
Visit the Maximizing Study Abroad
page to learn more.
Dissemination
Dissemination of information has always been a strong emphasis for CARLA’s
LRC. Each of the proposed projects sponsored learning opportunities for
teachers through CARLA's summer institute program, published research and
working documents through the CARLA working papers series, and shared information
and resources through the CARLA website.
National dissemination efforts also included a conference on Language
Teacher Education, held in Minneapolis in May, 2001, designed to provide
a forum for all those engaged in research, instruction, and program development
for language teacher education programs nationwide.
CARLA also sponsored the American
Council on Immersion Education (ACIE), which publishes the ACIE
Newsletter three times each year, maintains a listserv, holds an annual
summer institute for immersion educators, and offers an extensive immersion
education website and bibliography.
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