blog posts

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  Online workshop

  Feb 22, 2020 9:15 am1015 views

  Virtual Workshop co-sponsored by CLIC and the Downstate Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP):

  "Pedagogical considerations and practical tips for teaching mixed classes"

  Description: Mixed classes, composed of both heritage language (HL) and second language (L2) learners, present educators with the unique challenge of implementing differentiated instruction strategies to help each student develop their language skills while being equally challenged and engaged. In this online workshop, we will first discuss the characteristics of these two types of learners, and we will delineate some general dos and don'ts when it comes to pedagogical practices in mixed classes, which will help participants make informed decisions for their own instructional contexts. The workshop will conclude with suggestions for projects and activities, including technology-enhanced ideas, that build on the strengths of each student and help them expand their abilities.

  The presentation is in English. Some of the examples provided in this workshop are for Spanish classes, but the information will also prove useful for educators of other languages.

  This event is free and open to all language educators.

   

  Presenter: Dr. Florencia Henshaw

  Florencia Henshaw has a PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she is now the Director of Advanced Spanish. One of her main research interests is the interaction of heritage and second language learners in mixed classrooms. She has designed six fully-online Spanish courses, including a composition course for heritage learners. She has published and presented on technology integration, heritage language instruction, and research-based pedagogical practices. She is a certified ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview tester, and the author of two Spanish textbooks. In  2018, she received the "Excellence in Language Instruction" Award within the School of Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics, and in 2019 she was the recipient of the Academic Professional Award within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is currently serving as the Vice-President of the Downstate Illinois Chapter of the Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. https://spanport.illinois.edu/directory/profile/henshaw2

   

  Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020

  Time: 7:00 pm Eastern / 6:00 pm Central / 4:00 pm Pacific

  Duration: 2 hours

  Cost: free

  Location: Online (via Zoom).  When you register, you will receive an email from Zoom (no-reply@zoom.us) with a link to join. Attendees will be able to ask questions and participate via text chat or microphone.

  To register, please go to: https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/vpIrcOuqrT4q9324nwsS7_SKrSD9777nwQ

• Insights from the Spring 2019 Student Travel Grant recipient

  Apr 15, 2019 9:15 am81 views

  From Carolina Torrejon:

  In the field of English Language Teaching, TESOL is one of the biggest and most important conferences organized. This year, the convention was held in Atlanta, where more than 900 sessions took place and 6.000 attendees had the chance to enjoy the upcoming advances on research when discussing about Second Language Learning.

  One of the presentations that caught my attention, was the one held by Michael Bowen and Erik Seversen which discussed the different aspects and elements of effective teaching through motivation and emotion. In a world like the one we are living today, it seems crucial to address students’ learning from a new perspective, where the emotional processes are considered to achieve meaningful and more powerful knowledge. The talk “Motivation, emotion, and Meaning: Affective engagement for Effective Teaching” helped us navigate from the core concepts of social-affective domains and its relation to learning and the achievement of motivation in our students. Different ideas on how to accomplish this were given, thorough the use of different psychological motivation principles embodied in the tasks. It seemed relevant to comprehend how fundamental it is to address motivation inside the classroom, and what the impact of a well-thought curriculum based on these pillars, is.

  Having learned about this topic and many more during the convention, will for sure enhance my teaching practices and open my eyes to a new perspective in teaching. The students of the future, deserve teachers and instructors who are prepared enough to challenge them, encourage them and walk beside them in this amazing, but never easy journey.

  I really enjoyed the experience of attending TESOL 2019 for the first time. I had a blast networking with teachers from all over the world, sharing teaching ideas and discussing potential future implications of new research in our own practices. Being part of this huge community, inspired me to present next year in Denver, where I will be talking about my future research in the field of Second Language Learning and the use of technologies.

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  CLIC Student Travel Grant Recipients Share their Experiences

  Jan 29, 2019 7:45 am25 views

  The two graduate students who received the CLIC Student Travel Grant shared their experiences at the two conferences they attended: PSLLT 2018 and ACTFL 2018.

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  Registration for IFLIP now open!

  Oct 28, 2018 9:00 am87 views

  The Intensive Foreign Language Instruction Program (IFLIP) is a unique learning opportunity offered during the summer and winter breaks. Open to everyone! Classes meet Monday through Friday, except holidays. Taught by advanced graduate students or faculty. Courses focus on conversational skills, travel preparation and language survival skills. There is minimal homework, no attendance policy, and no academic credit. 

• 5 easy ways to support CLIC on Facebook

  Oct 16, 2018 9:00 am19 views

  Supporting CLIC on social media on Biteable.

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  Call for Proposals: Language Teaching Share Fair

  Oct 12, 2018 10:00 am47 views

  The Center for Language Instruction and Coordination (CLIC) cordially invites submissions to the LANGUAGE TEACHING SHARE FAIR to be held on Friday, November 2, from 4:00-6:00 pm, in Lucy Ellis Lounge. We welcome submissions from all areas of language teaching (any level, any topic), including but not limited to: ideas for in-class activities, tips to engage students in active learning, ways of incorporating culture, tech tools to enhance learning, classroom management strategies, etc.

  All language faculty and graduate TAs from all language programs are welcome to send a proposal.

  Proposals will be selected for 10-minute presentations/demonstrations (your presentation can be no-tech, low-tech or high-tech!). 

  Please send a proposal not to exceed 150 words in Word or PDF format, with a title of no more than 10 words to Charlie Webster: cwebste@illinois.edu.  Please include "Share Fair Proposal" in the subject line. 

   

   

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  Fall 2018 CLIC Student Travel Grant

  Oct 12, 2018 9:00 am12 views

  Congratulations to Camille Meritan and Kailu Guan for being selected as the recipients of the Fall 2018 CLIC Student Travel Grant!! Camille attended the Pronunciation in Second Language Teaching and Learning conference in September, and Kailu will be attending the ACTFL Convention in November.