Presentations and Workshops
CARLA sponsors a series of presentations and workshops during the academic year that are targeted at language educators. See the presentations below and click on the workshops tab to see what is currently offered. Get on the CARLA mailing list to receive announcements about new events.
CARLA Presentation Series
Below is our evolving lineup of CARLA Presentations for Fall 2024. Check back for additional details and registration for Zoom links!
All presentations and webinars are offered online unless otherwise noted. Times listed are in the U.S. Central Time Zone. Please note that the start times may vary.
Sign up for these upcoming online presentations!
The Intercultural Classroom Project: A Resource and a Method
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)Graduate Research Presentation:
At the Intersection of Multiliteracies and Pronunciation Development: The Case of L2 Spanish
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)Graduate Research Presentation:
Unleashing AI Chatbots for Language Teaching & Learning
Monday, October 28, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)Social Justice in LCTL Classrooms: Understanding Teacher Knowledge
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)
The Intercultural Classroom Project: A Resource and a Method
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Register for the Zoom link
The goals of the Intercultural Classroom project were two-fold: (1) to prepare open-source materials that would allow teachers to bring a taste of the study abroad experience into their US classrooms; and (2) to engage a student studying abroad in a research experience to grow their own intercultural competence. This presentation will highlight the practical aspects of this open-source material and encourage educators to consider duplicating the project in other contexts and with other languages.
Presenter
Amanda Romjue is the Technology-Enhanced Language Education Director for the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota. She has taught Spanish and instructional technology courses in higher education, and she has delivered talks and workshops on instructional technology to K-16 language educators in national and international venues.
Graduate Research Presentation:
At the Intersection of Multiliteracies and Pronunciation Development: The Case of L2 Spanish
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Register for the Zoom link
This research project investigates the effect of pronunciation instruction embedded within multiliteracies pedagogy on the development of L2 Spanish pronunciation as measured by listener ratings (i.e., perceptions of participants’ speech). The research design of this project follows Saito and Plonsky’s (2019) framework for L2 pronunciation measurement, in which a pre-, post-, and delayed post-test are administered to collect spontaneous and controlled speech samples, and the instructional intervention is grounded in multiliteracies pedagogy (Cope & Kalantzis, 2009; New London Group, 1996). Stimuli created from a control and experimental group of 5th semester learners of Spanish were evaluated for global pronunciation features by listeners recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings from this project inform the implementation of pronunciation instruction within lessons that reflect the knowledge processes of a multiliteracies framework.
Presenter
Marie Mangold is a Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota where she teaches undergraduate Spanish courses. Her primary interests include Second Language Acquisition and pedagogy, curriculum analysis and design, language assessment, and foreign language teacher preparation and certification.
Graduate Research Presentation:
Unleashing AI Chatbots for Language Teaching & Learning
Monday, October 28, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Register for the Zoom link
This presentation explores the potential of AI chatbots to transform world language education by enhancing learners' cultural, linguistic, and sociolinguistic competencies. The project aims to integrate scaffolded AI exercises into the first- and second-year language sequence, leveraging chatbots to engage students in authentic, context-rich interactions. The project focuses on developing an open educational resource (OER) comprising AI-driven prompts for teachers and learners, categorized by ACTFL proficiency level and targeted skill. These prompts are designed to reflect various linguistic structures, cultural themes, and social contexts, encouraging learners to critically analyze and interact with AI in meaningful ways. The study also investigates the biases inherent in chatbot responses, stress testing these prompts across different AI models to identify areas where these tools both succeed and fall short. By providing concrete, tested materials, this research seeks to demystify the use of AI in language education and empower educators to integrate these technologies effectively and confidently into their teaching practices.
Presenters
Amanda Dalola is Director of the Language Center and Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Minnesota. Her current research projects include the production, perception, and digital media renderings of sociophonetic variables and speech styles in French and Korean, the use of social media applications in the language learning classroom, and the use of translanguaging and open educational resources as open educational practices.
Sabrina Fluegel is a PhD candidate in Hispanic linguistics specializing in the critical analysis of language representation in media. In addition to her academic work, Sabrina applies her expertise in media language to the production of social media content that fosters meaningful digital engagement and anti-racist, multicultural storytelling.
Social Justice in LCTL Classrooms: Understanding Teacher Knowledge
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Register for the Zoom link
Teaching for social justice is a relatively recent imperative in postsecondary world language education and the critical pedagogies that support it are new to many practicing teachers. Although research is beginning to address teacher understanding and enactment of social justice and critical pedagogies, the focus has primarily been on teachers of English and more commonly taught languages; little is known about how teachers of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) carry out this work. Yet LCTL teachers face unique challenges related to materials, professional development, and collaboration; understanding how they approach teaching for social justice is thus crucial for addressing these challenges. This presentation provides insights into three LCTL teachers’ conceptualizations of social justice in language education based on their participation in a curriculum development project. After discussing the study’s findings, we explore practical implications for professional development and teaching materials that meet LCTL teachers’ needs and support widespread adoption of critical and social justice pedagogies in language education.
Presenters
Mandy Menke is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. She is a co-leader of the Literacies in Language Education and Social Justice in Language Education initiatives.
Kate Paesani is the Director of CARLA and an Associate Professor in the Department of French and Italian. She is a co-leader of the Language Program Direction, Literacies in Language Education and Social Justice in Language Education initiatives.
Past Presentations
- Many of CARLA's past presentations have been recorded and posted on the Presentation Recordings webpage.
- Browse the full list of previous talks offered through the CARLA Presentation Series.
Please note: We encourage you to submit ideas for topics and speakers; email Karin Larson at larso205@umn.edu.
Thank you for your support of this program!
Workshops For Teachers
CARLA offers a series of online Saturday workshops for language educators each fall and spring. These low-cost workshops are designed with the practitioner in mind. The workshops are delivered online via Zoom. Times listed are in the U.S. Central Time Zone. Please make sure to read the target audience description before registering and review CARLA's refund policy below.
Identifying and Reducing Stress and Trauma Responses in Language Classrooms
Saturday, October 12, 2024
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Online via Zoom
Cost $30
Register now with a credit card!
Heritage language learning and teaching can be joyful and exciting - it can also feel stressful and overwhelming, especially when learners care deeply about the language and feel a lot of pressure to reclaim it and use it with their loved ones and community. Teachers can better understand what students are experiencing and demonstrating through recognition of the ways that the historical traumas and wounds which have separated people from their languages and cultural practices are being carried into language learning spaces. In this workshop, participants will unpack how trauma is carried in our bodies, how our bodies are designed to process stress, and the ways this can show up in language classes. Together, participants will practice regulation techniques that teachers can use with themselves and their students in order to reclaim safety in language spaces, and access the healing possibilities of remembering and strengthening heritage and family language.
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe collective and intergenerational language trauma and ways that can show up in language classrooms;
- Identify examples of students expressing extreme stress or trauma responses in their own classrooms;
- Practice self-regulation and co-regulation techniques with themselves and their students; and
- Apply trauma-informed understandings when students are showing signs of emotional stress in language classes.
Instructor
Jenna Cushing-Leubner is an Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, where she coordinates and teaches the licensure programs for World/Heritage Language teaching, Bilingual/Bicultural teaching, and TESOL. She has worked with heritage and less commonly taught language teachers for more than a decade, using community-based design research to understand and develop programs, resources, and professional development to support language reclamation, heritage language teachers, and learners.
Target Audience: This workshop is designed specifically for K-16 heritage and Indigenous language reclamation teachers and includes examples from these contexts. However, it can be applied to teachers in other settings, particularly ESL. This is also suitable for educational assistants and family/cultural liaisons.
Empowering Language Teachers with AI:
Planning Lessons and Activities More Effectively
Saturday, November 9, 2024
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Online via Zoom
Cost $30 - Register now with a credit card!
This engaging and hands-on workshop has been designed specifically for language teachers eager to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their classrooms. Participants will gain practical skills and knowledge to effectively use AI tools to enhance their teaching and plan lessons more effectively. During this interactive workshop, participants will explore a variety of AI tools and platforms that can be used to plan lessons and create activities. Participants will also consider the practical, ethical, and privacy issues surrounding AI in order to make informed decisions regarding AI policies in their work and in their classrooms. Whether just starting out or experienced in using AI, participants will be encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences in this collaborative workshop.
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Construct policies that consider the practical and ethical use of AI;
- Develop and customize lesson plans specific to their context more effortlessly and skillfully; and
- Quickly and easily create interactive activities capable of being adaptive based on individual student progress.
Instructor
Amanda Romjue is the Technology-Enhanced Language Education Director for the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota. She has taught Spanish and instructional technology courses in higher education, and she has delivered talks and workshops to K-16 language educators on instructional technology in national and international venues.
Target Audience: This workshop is designed for world language educators at the middle through postsecondary levels and language teacher educators. The workshop is not appropriate for teachers of young children.
CARLA Workshop Registration and Refund Information
Registration Details: Registration closes at noon (Central Time) on the Thursday prior to the workshop–or as soon as the workshop fills. Space is limited–register early!
Confirmation and Zoom Link:
- Registrants will be sent a system-generated confirmation receipt immediately upon registering. Check your SPAM folder if you don't see it right away.
- The Zoom link will be sent by the CARLA office by the Thursday prior to the workshop. If you have not received the email with the link from CARLA by Thursday, please check your SPAM folder.
- Questions? Email carla@umn.edu by noon (Central Time) on the Friday before the workshop.
Refund Policy: The CARLA workshop registration fee is non-refundable. The University of Minnesota reserves the right to cancel the workshop if necessary and will grant a full refund if the workshop is not held.
Note: Registered participants who are not able to attend may transfer their registration to a colleague, provided that they email the CARLA office two days prior to the event: carla@umn.edu.
Please note: If you have ideas for topics and speakers, contact Karin Larson at larso205@umn.edu.
