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
To better assess and serve the nation’s strategic needs for
expertise in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), project staff expanded CARLA’s frequently-accessed database on where
LCTLs are taught; developed an online LCTL teacher support center
with links to teaching resources; added new LCTL listservs; and offered
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 constructed and field tested a strategy
instruction website fostering students’ development of grammar
skills in Spanish.
Language Immersion Project
To deepen its support for language immersion educators, CARLA expanded the American Council on Immersion Education (ACIE) membership,
published its tri-yearly newsletter and maintained its listserv; offered
two levels of intensive summer institutes for immersion teachers
annually; and expanded the immersion website.
Language Assessment Project
To expand professional development in classroom-based language
assessment, CARLA offered training on developing integrated performance
assessment (IPA) units, specifically targeting K-12 LCTL teachers;
created a web-based version of the existing Contextualized Speaking
Assessment (CoSA); and offered annual summer institutes on assessment.
Language Teacher Targeted Technology Training (LT4)
To support K-12 language teachers’ need for new technologies,
LT4 staff coordinatde national and state language and technology
organizations to deliver technology training workshops; develoedp
a technology presenter database; enhancde and expanded online instructional
modules for K-12 language teachers on uses of technology; and offered
its annual summer institute on uses of technology.
Language Teacher Education Conference
To meet the needs of language teacher educators, CARLA continued
to sponsor the biennial Language Teacher Education Conference. CARLA offered the conference in May 2007 at the University of Minnesota
and assisted 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.
