Spring 2004 Presentation, Seminar, and Workshop Series

Note: This page contains information about a past event. Information below is posted for archival purposes.

There is a lot happening at the CLS, and there will be events every week for the rest of the semester hosted by CLS staff, foreign language faculty, and special guests.

Some events will be discussions of pedagogical issues, some will be demonstrations of new technologies, and some will be presentations of completed materials development projects funded and supported by the CLS. In most cases, ideas being presented will also be of interest to language faculty teaching languages and levels other than those for which the materials were originally created. In all cases, there will be plenty of opportunity for asking questions and sharing ideas.

All events are open to anyone at Yale interested in the teaching of foreign languages. All events will be held at the Center for Language Study, 370 Temple St. In response to requests from several language faculty members, we will vary start times and, in some cases, repeat presentations for those who are unable to attend on Thursday afternoons. Most events will be videotaped and made available to language faculty upon request.

Please feel welcome to come to any event, and bring a friend! We also welcome your comments and suggestions on these events.

SPRING 2004 SCHEDULE

Thursday February 12 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
Instructional Innovation Grant Competition - Open Brainstorming and Question/Answer Session
This meeting is open to anyone considering undertaking an IIG project. It is strongly encouraged for anyone intending to submit a proposal for this spring's competition, though it is also open to those who are just curious to learn more about the IIG process. Particular focus will be placed on ideas for program building and curriculum development projects intended to meet the challenges of the new language requirement, and CLS staff will be available to answer questions about the competition itself (proposal guidelines, deadlines, etc.).

Wednesday February 18 - 1:00PM - 2:15PM
Instructional Innovation Grant Competition - Open Brainstorming and Question/Answer Session
This is a repeat of the prior meeting for those who are not able to attend on February 12.

Thursday February 19 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
Bridging Curricular Gaps: Multiple Perspectives on Language Curriculum Development
Nina Garrett, Director of the CLS, will present on the topic of language curriculum building. Her talk will include numerous sample ideas for bridging common "gaps" in curricula, such as special concerns of heritage learners, students difficulty with grammar in the second year, and the needs of students transitioning from language courses to literature courses. The new foreign language requirement presents an opportunity for Yale's language faculty to reexamine their programs and creatively address program-specific needs. There will be ample time for questions and brainstorming.

Wednesday February 25 - 1:00PM - 2:15PM
Bridging Curricular Gaps: Multiple Perspectives on Language Curriculum Development
This is a repeat of Nina's presentation for those who are not able to attend on February 19.

Thursday February 26 - 3:00PM - 4:15PM
IIG Project Demonstration: Instructional Videos for the Spanish Language Program
Language faculty from the Spanish Language Program will demonstrate a series of web-based video materials developed using the CLS's Vision template. A team of faculty collaborated on this project, creating new materials for use at every level of language study--elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Discussion will include, but not be limited to, the process of gaining access to interviews for recording authentic language use in the target language culture.

Thursday March 4 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
Testing... 1, 2, 3.
Mark Knowles, Assistant Director for Program Development at the CLS, will present theories and practices behind the development of different kinds of foreign language tests. Mark will discuss both paper-and-pencil and computer-based tests, with emphasis on how different types of tests can fulfill different pedagogical needs.

Wednesday March 10 - 1:00PM - 2:15PM
Testing... 1, 2, 3.
This is a repeat of Mark's presentation for those who are not able to attend on March 4.

Wednesday March 17 - 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Creating Web Pages for Your Language Course,
Part I: Web Design Concepts and Microsoft Front Page
This is a hands-on workshop. Regina DeAngelo, Manager of Language Technology Services at CLS, will discuss key considerations for designing web pages and instruct attendees in the use of Microsoft Front Page, a web page editor that looks and works much like Microsoft Word. Participants will identify basic elements of coherent web sites (such as navigation and design style) and will create their own basic web pages during the workshop. No prior web design experience is necessary, though basic comfort with computers and the use of Microsoft Word or similar applications is recommended.

Friday March 19 - 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Creating Web Pages for Your Language Course,
Part II: Publishing Your Site on the Classes Server
This is a hands-on workshop. Gloria Hardman, from ITS's Instructional Technology Group, will give an overview of the Classes server and show participants how to post their web pages on the Classes server for use by their students. Participants should have attended the Wednesday workshop and have basic web pages from Wednesday's workshop ready to publish during the second part of this two-part workshop.

Wednesday March 24 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
IIG Project Demonstration: A Korean Language Oral Proficiency Test
Seungja Choi, Senior Lector of Korean, and Jaecheon Cho, graduate student in the School of Divinity, will demonstrate an oral proficiency test they developed using the CLS's Oral Production Testing Software. The test includes text, audio, and video prompts and records students' spoken responses for later grading by instructors.

Thursday April 1 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
An Introduction to CRAFT
Brad Gano, Associate Director of the CLS, will present an introduction to the CRAFT software application developed by the CLS. CRAFT, a web-based program to facilitate students' reading of authentic foreign language texts, can be incorporated into courses at a variety of levels, or it can be used to create independent study materials. Students can look up vocabulary, take notes, make bookmarks, check reference sources, or answer exercise questions while reading on-line newspapers, magazines, or other web sites. This will be a demonstration only--attendees will not be working on computers, and no special technical knowledge or computer experience is necessary. The presentation will focus on types of materials and activities that can be created with CRAFT rather than the step-by-step instructions for using the software.

Wednesday April 7 - 1:00PM - 2:15PM
An Introduction to CRAFT
This is a repeat of Brad's demonstration for those who are not able to attend on April 1. (This will be a demonstration only--attendees will not be working on computers, and no special technical knowledge or computer experience is necessary.)

Thursday April 8 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
Creating Course Materials with CRAFT: Level 1
This is a hands-on workshop. Attendees will learn how to create notes and links in CRAFT for use by their students. When finished with this workshop, instructors will be able to put CRAFT to use immediately in their classes. No experience developing materials is necessary for attendance at this workshop; attendees should be comfortable with a web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape) and with surfing the web using a basic search engine (such as Yahoo or Google). Attendance at the "Introduction to CRAFT" presentation prior to this workshop is strongly encouraged but not required.

Wednesday April 14 - 1:00PM - 2:15PM
Creating Course Materials with CRAFT: Level 1
This is a repeat of the CRAFT workshop for those who are not able to attend on April 8.

Thursday April 15 - 4:30PM - 5:30PM
IIG Project Presentation: Bunpoumon! Elementary Japanese Online
Michiaki Murata, Senior Lector in Japanese, will demonstrate web-based grammar exercises he developed with support from the CLS Language Technology Projects team. The software, created using Macromedia Flash, provides explanations of language concepts critical to elementary students' understanding of Japanese grammar such as particles, transitive and intransitive verbs, and the honorific form, along with entertaining practice exercises.

Thursday April 22 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM
IIG Project Presentation: Audio Program for Students of Biblical Hebrew
Vicky Hoffer, Lecturer in Old Testament at the Divinity School, will present her project to create two audio CDs to accompany Biblical Hebrew textbooks. The CDs contain verb paradigms and Biblical readings set to traditional and originally-composed melodies. Vicky will speak about the process of creating the audio materials and their use in class.

Also during April (date and time to be determined)
Creating Course Materials with CRAFT: Level 2
This is a hands-on workshop. Attendees will learn more sophisticated features of the CRAFT software, including how to create custom exercises and how to make use of the Tools tab. Prior attendance at CRAFT: Level 1 or equivalent CRAFT experience is required.