Dear Serafina,



Language Centers have evolved from a physical space where pedagogical materials were kept and where students were required to engage in language lab activities to a shared space for language faculty and graduate students. In many institutions, the language center functions as the hub and the intellectual home for a vibrant community of practice for language instructional faculty who are often marginalized in their home departments and who share an interest in the theory and practice of language teaching.



My colleague Suzanne Young and I have recently contributed an article, entitled “The role of language centers in the professional development of non-tenure track faculty”, which appeared in Felix Kronenberg’s IALLT volume, From Language Lab to Language Center and beyond: The past, present, and future of language center design. This volume addresses a range of issues that underscore the current relevance of language centers, and I would strongly recommend it to everyone.



Best wishes,



Nelleke



Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Language Study

Associate Dean, Yale College

Professor (Adj.) of Linguistics

Dow Hall

370 Temple Street

New Haven, CT 06520



From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Helen Stapleton <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>

Date: Monday, February 12, 2018 at 4:45 PM

To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>

Subject: Re: Reasons for the existence of Language Learning Centers / Language Labs in the age of iphones, notebooks, and other portable technological devices



HI Serafina,

While we no longer need a physical space for listening since recordings can all be put online, we feel it is important to have a physical space where foreign language tutoring takes place, foreign language magazines are kept, and foreign language films are kept and screened.  It is also a space for checking out computers and iPads.  We keep updated all manner of foreign language learning subscriptions to sites such as Rosetta Stone, Yabla, News in Slow, etc.  We keep the foreign language departments' websites maintained and updated, and promote their events.  We also host events that promote a love of language such as foreign language karaoke nights and we host forums each semester for foreign language faculty to share ideas with one another and learn about things from me.  We also act as liaison between our students and the numerous online textbook platforms such as Vista Higher Learning, and Pearson's MySpanishLab.  The students always need help getting logged in to and using these online foreign language textbooks.  We also maintain youtube channels for all of our languages where we keep skits, dialogues, lectures, presentations, and other language related material.

That's only some of what we do.  I'd appreciate hearing what other replies you get to this.  Would you mind compiling it?

Thanks,

Helen



On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 2:53 PM, Serafina De Gregorio <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Dear All,



What is the rationale for the existence of language learning centers and labs in colleges and universities today? This is a question that seems to come up every 5 or 6 years at many institutions of higher learning. I have been asked by my university to put together a list of reasons why these facilites are still useful as well as the ways that they can be put to better use. I would appreciate your input concerning this topic.



Thank you so much for your help.



Dr. Serafina De Gregorio

Director Language Learning Centers

Fordham University

Tel: 718-817-0798<tel:(718)%20817-0798>'

Fax: 718-817-0600<tel:(718)%20817-0600>







--

Helen Stapleton

Director, E.L. Kellerman Language Resource Center

Sewanee: University of the South, Gailor 227

735 University Ave.

Sewanee, TN 373783

(931)598-1468