LRC Activities 2006-2010

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota, a U.S. Department of Education Title VI Language Resource Center since 1993, will add to its resources for language teachers at all levels of instruction. With continued LRC funding and substantial institutional support, CARLA will actively collaborate with programs within the University and across the country to work on the following projects:

• Less Commonly Taught Languages Project
• Web-Based Strategy Instruction for Spanish
• Language Immersion Project
• Language Assessment Project
• Language Teacher Targeted Technology Training (LT4)
• Language Teacher Education Conference

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Less Commonly Taught Languages Project

To better assess and serve the nation’s strategic needs for expertise in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), project staff will expand CARLA’s frequently-accessed database on where LCTLs are taught; develop an online LCTL teacher support center with links to teaching resources; add new LCTL listservs; and offer its popular yearly summer institute for LCTL teachers.

Web-Based Strategy Instruction for Spanish

To respond to needs identified by a literature review on grammar learning in Spanish, CARLA will construct and field test a strategy instruction website fostering students’ development of grammar skills in Spanish.

Language Immersion Project

To deepen its support for language immersion educators, CARLA will expand the American Council on Immersion Education (ACIE) membership, publish its tri-yearly newsletter and maintain its listserv; offer two levels of intensive summer institutes for immersion teachers annually; and expand the immersion website, adding an instructional module for on-demand immersion teacher development.

Language Assessment Project

To expand professional development in classroom-based language assessment, CARLA will offer training on developing integrated performance assessment (IPA) units, specifically targeting K-12 LCTL teachers; create a web-based version of the existing Contextualized Speaking Assessment (CoSA); offer annual summer institutes on assessment.

Language Teacher Targeted Technology Training (LT4)

To support K-12 language teachers’ need for new technologies, LT4 staff will coordinate national and state language and technology organizations to deliver technology training workshops; develop a technology presenter database; enhance and expand online instructional modules for K-12 language teachers on uses of technology; and offer its annual summer institute on uses of technology.

Language Teacher Education Conference

To meet the needs of language teacher educators, CARLA will continue to sponsor the biennial Language Teacher Education Conference. CARLA will offer the conference in May 2007 at the University of Minnesota and will assist the National Capital Language Resource Center in hosting the conference in spring 2009 in Washington D.C.

CARLA will continue to improve language teaching and learning through its extensive website, popular summer institute program, publications in national journals and in the CARLA working paper series, and presentations at professional conference venues around the country.