Recent Projects & Events

In recent years, the TLC has supported numerous projects and events to support language learning and teaching at Duke. The following represent some highlights of efforts across different language units on campus that the TLC has helped sponsor.

Language Teaching Share Fair

Since fall 2018, the “Language Teaching Share Fair” has served as the kick-off for the fall language teaching orientation at Duke. At this half-day event, language teachers have given short 10-minute presentations on innovative ideas for the classroom (e.g., activities, strategies, technologies, assessments, etc.). Following the presentations, lunch has been served for all participants to socialize and continue exchange of best practices. Over fifty people have attended the these fall share fairs each year. Co-organized by Luciana Fellin, Liliana Parades, Sandy Valnes Quammen, and Cori Crane.

#EPThursdays: Exploratory Practice for Language Teachers

This reflective teaching group met bi-weekly from fall 2019 to fall 2020 to investigate questions about teaching and learning. We drew on the framework of exploratory practice, which encourages teachers to think about classroom life not in terms of problems but rather as puzzles one seeks to develop deeper understanding about. Part reflective practice, part social event, #EPThursdays always had food and drink on hand. All language teaching practitioners were welcome. Co-organized by Cori Crane and Melissa Simmermeyer.

 

Teaching Triangles

During the fall 2018 semester, groups of three language faculty members conducted collegial, non-evaluative observations of each others’ courses, which included final end-of-semester informal discussion and reflection on the experience. Goals of the teaching triangles: to create friendly dialogue about language teaching, network with colleagues across the various language programs on campus, and reflect on our own teaching. Co-organized by Laura Florand, Elise Mueller, and Sandy Valnes Quammen and co-sponsored with Learning Innovation.

Classroom Innovations

The TLC regularly sponsors classroom innovations initiated by faculty of different language courses (see Funding Opportunities). The following represents recent course development work to support language study at Duke.

Latina Voices/Voces de mujeres latinas (2019)

The creation of the bilingual book Latina Voices/Voces de mujeres latinas (2019) was the final project for Spanish 308S (Ana Fernández, Romance Studies). In this book students compiled biographies of significant Latina women who are currently making an impact in

the local and national Latino community. This book was donated to high schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations in the Durham/Triangle area. For more on this project, see Ana Fernández’s blog in Duke’s Forum for Scholars and Publics.

Interpreting Workshop with Yasmin Metivier (January 23, 2020)

Classroom innovations include specialized guest speakers such as Yasmin Metivier, a local interpreter invited to Spanish 310, Translating Spanish-English and English-Spanish (Joan Munne, and Melissa Simmermeyer; Romance Studies)

 

 

 

 

 

Speakers

The TLC has helped co-sponsor a number of outside speakers to present on topics related to the teaching and learning of language and culture. Some recent examples include:

  1. Professor Marta González-Lloret from the University of Hawai’i Manoa, Department of Applied Linguistics presented “Online task-based teaching: from needs analysis to learner assessment” in July 2020. Presentation organized and sponsored by TLC. To access her talk: click here
  2. Professor and Director of the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) Carl Blyth (University of Texas at Austin) gave a webinar “Opening Up FL Education: Exploring the Affordances of OER and OEP for Language Learning” in June 2020. (Organized by the TLC). To access his talk: https://duke.zoom.us/rec/share/_OxJMe3t9T5LXYGSxVP0f488E93hT6a81iAdqaVYnh6mW-AZSgd0W24PUu-TpWYA
  3. Online ESL Content Specialist Christina Cavage (University of Central Florida) gave a webinar: “Moving Language Teaching Online” in June 2020. (Organized by the TLC). To access her talk: https://duke.zoom.us/rec/share/7vYsDJzI0TxJe6PX9kfuWow4E5n-aaa82iBP-6EJmEZErx99sX4JLdNs61E4P20L
  4. Filmmaker Fred Kuwornu presented his new documentary “Blaxploitalian” with a follow-up Q&A session in February 2020. (Organized by Cristina Carnemolla, Mattia Begali, and Laura Bilanceri, Romance Studies)
  5. In February 2020, Professor and founding member of comunidad historia Mapuche, Luis E. Cárcamo-Huechante (University of Texas, Austin) gave the presentation: “The Colonial Ear: Disfiguring the Mapuche in Times of Acoustic Colonialism”. (Organized by Silvia Serrano, Postdoctoral Associate in Latino/a Studies in the Global South, Marcelo Nogueira, Romance Studies and Ayanna Legros, History)
  6. Professor Heather Willis Allen (University of Wisconsin-Madison) gave a workshop in September 2019 to Duke language faculty entitled: “Reconceptualizing writing instruction in collegiate language courses: Toward a design approach.” (Organized by Deb Reisinger, Romance Studies)
  7. In September 2018, Professor Kris Knisely (University of Arizona) gave the presentation “Le français non-binaire: Linguistic forms used by non-binary speakers of French and their pedagogical implications for intercultural competence development,” and a workshop on “Gender diversity and L2 pedagogy: Cultivating inclusive teaching practices for non-binary students.” (Organized by Deb Reisinger, Romance Studies)