--- Forwarded Message from Stephanie Kufner <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2004 11:51:03 -0500
>From: Stephanie Kufner <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7684 designing a language learning center from scratch
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) 3.2.1
Dear David!
All your questions are well taken - here at Bard we have been wrestling with
them
between 1998 and 2003 - discussing the move from a VERY old analog lab towards
a
digital Center. For our small liberal arts college with 12 languages beeing
taught (no
language requirement) on all levels to an average of 400-500 students each year
a
repeated question was: Why have a Language Center in the first place when
students will
be able to access most audio/video/ internet files from their dorm rooms if not
right njow
then in the very near future.
After many discussions with all members of the Language and Literature
Department, we
came to the conclusion that it is not so much an issue of technology but of
COMMUNICATATION . We decided to apply for a grant for a "center for
Intercultural
COmmunication and technology" - emphasizing the absolute necessity of creating a
place
on campus where people know they'd find an answer to ANY kind of question
related to
'foreign languages, literatures, and cultures' - from multiple language
wordprocessing,
audio -video archives, international satellite, foreign language tutors, and an
international
staff speaking more than the 12 languages we teach. SO designing the space was
just as
big a part of this as discussing the necessary technology - if not more
important :
1. The Space needed to accomodate small tutoring spaces (we now have 2-3 spaces
for
our 10 FL tutors) ) , a small
writing lab, a big seminar/lab/work by yourself (in other words VERY flexible)
room with 20
computers all around (this used to be the old LAB), a small regular seminar
room, a 'faculty
development room', and an office holding all the archives, encoding stations
etc.etc.
The whole Center was designed to be as inviting, versatile, flexible, and
accomodating as
possible with a small lobby to 'hang out', enough open and individual tutoring/
studying,
teaching, designing space and computers to accomodate all FL students, any
person from across campus, as well as the community.
2. Technology: We tried to be as flexible and wide spread as possible by trying
to cater
towards FL students AS WELL as any student or professor from across campus
promoting
cross-disciplinary projects as much as possible - by for instance integrating
satellite
viewing and recording on all computers sparking the interest of political
studies students as
well as history and art students for projects in English as well as foreign
languages, still
promiting old lab functions such as listening and pronunciation lab work (we are
using Sony
Virtuoso/Soloist) off the server, video viewing + tons of creative exercises to
go along , oral
reading, essay, interview tests to be save on the server by students to be
graded later by
faculty and many more creative exercises integrating available resources as
well as trying
to make various levels of language teaching, learning and testing more
efficient. - all the
while ALWAYS emphasizing the importance of the human communication factor
happening in the Center - one main reason why we do NOT make all the things that
are
available in the building accessible to students in their dorms - to force them
to come out
and meet up in the Center with fellow students, faculty, and tutors!
Collaborative projects between for instacne the computer science program and us
we
promote research projects to develop our own programs tailored for Bard classes
- now
much easier ever since we have the space for that! And yes, more research
projects are in
the making.
Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is, that SPACE makes a big difference,
Space and
easy and flexible access to all sorts of resources in order to promote creative,
efficient and
challenging input from students as well as faculty with resepct to the issue of
integrating
technology into the teaching and learning of Foreign languages, literatures and
cultures,
I hope this helps a little bit - please write to me directly if you want more
specifics
Greetings,
Stephanie
bard College
Quoting LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>:
> --- Forwarded Message from David Weible <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >From: David Weible <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: designing a language learning center from scratch
> >Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 09:01:47 -0500
>
> I know this topic has come up in the past -- repeatedly, if I'm not
> mistaken. But that was then and this is now.
> It seems to me that the proliferation of ancillary CD-ROMs accompanying
> text books and web-based instructional materials, not to mention other
> internet resources have all weakened certain aspects of traditional
> language lab functions. Trying to project these trends into the future,
> what do you see to be the strengths now (and tomorrow) of instructional
> technology in foreign language learning. To put it another way, if you
> were starting from scratch, what are the component elements of such a
> unit which you would regard as essential and/or highly desirable.
>
> In particular, what can and should be provided by such a unit which
> would not already be available in a computer lab, or, for that matter,
> on one's own home computer?
>
> Among other possibilities, how do you feel about:
> live foreign language audio, video
> speech recognition
> speech evaluation (programs which attempt to compare a learner's
> pronunciation to a given model
> on demand use by individual students
> use by classes
> locally developed CALL materials
> use for second language acquisition research purposes (important to us)
>
> Any and all feedback on this will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> David Weible
> Associate Professor and Acting Head
> Department of Germanic Studies (MC 189)
> University of Illinois at Chicago
> Room 1530, University Hall
> 601 S. Morgan St.
> Chicago, IL 60607-7115
> Tel: 312-996-3205, Fax 312-413-2377
> www.german.uic.edu
>
>
>
> * LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for
> Language Learning, and The Consortium for Language Teaching and
> Learning (http://consortium.dartmouth.edu).
> Join IALLT at http://iallt.org.
> Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask])
>
--
Stephanie Kufner, Ph.D
Academic Director, Bard Center for Foreign Languages and Cultures
Visiting Assistant Professor of German
Bard College
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
845 758 7443
[log in to unmask]
* LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for
Language Learning, and The Consortium for Language Teaching and
Learning (http://consortium.dartmouth.edu).
Join IALLT at http://iallt.org.
Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask])
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