Presentations, Workshops, and Special Events

CARLA sponsors a series of lunchtime presentations and workshops during the academic year and also offers a number of other special events, such as the CARLA Open House each fall. These presentations are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Locations can be found on the University map website at: http://www.onestop.umn.edu/Maps/

Lunchtime Presentations

Impact of Study Abroad on Advanced Oral and Written Skill Development in French

Wednesday, February 15
12:20-1:10 p.m.
UIC 101

In 2010, the University of Minnesota began a comparative analysis to examine the progress of undergraduate students pursuing advanced French courses.  The purpose of the analysis is to compare oral and written skill development between advanced language learning students who remain in the United States and students who pursue education abroad, over the span of three years.  During this presentation, Dr. Heidi Soneson and Sondes Wooldridge will have the opportunity to share the findings of the first year and a half of the study, outlining the steps taken to collect the data, the results of the data analysis, conclusions and potential outcomes.  

Presenters: Heidi Soneson is a program director in the Learning Abroad Center at the University where she oversees the University's programs in France, Morocco, Senegal and India. Sondes Wooldridge is a French instructor at the University of Minnesota.  She is also a testing coordinator at the CLA Testing Office.

Technology: Bells and Whistles or Solid Teaching Tools?

Mondau, March 19, 2012
12:20-1:10 p.m.
Jones 35

There are lots of fun, new technological "toys" coming out for language teachers to use to enhance their language classes, which is exciting for some and terrifying to others. But, the tools are just bells and whistles if they aren't tied to good pedagogy. This presentation will explore how to blend a solid pedagogical approach with new tech tools without losing what already works. It will also highlight some of the wonderful "tried and true" resources that all teachers should know about.  

Presenter: Mikle D. Ledgerwood is Professor of French and Linguistics and Chair of World Languages and Cultures at Samford University as well as Past President of the International Association for Language Learning Technology.

Past Presentations and Workshops

CARLA has offered a wide variety of conferences, workshops, institutes, and presentations. To find out more about what has been offered through the center, please see the database of publications and presentations.