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CARLA staff members and colleagues from the University of Minnesota will be presenting at several conferences this spring. Click on linked presenter names to learn more about the CARLA Summer Institutes they will lead this year!
 Midwest Association for Language Learning Technology
MWALLT 2020 Conference
February 8, 2020
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities
(also offered online and at various host/hub sites)
Lightning Talk: Technology: Can It Help Reduce Second Language Learning Anxiety?
Saturday, February 8, 2020
1:00–2:00 PM
A substantial amount of research has shown a positive correlation between anxiety and learners' inability to acquire a second language (Woodrow, 2006; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989). Second-language anxiety affects up to one half of learners (Worde, 1998) and may compromise the rate of acquisition of the language or discourage learners from pursuing their language studies. One of the primary factors that trigger second-language anxiety is communication apprehension (Horwitz et al., 1986), which is directly connected to learners’ self-image and their fear of negative judgment. This brief talk will discuss communication apprehension as it relates to course projects and activities that emphasize speaking skills. By introducing free technology tools that account for learners' anxiety, this presentation aims to provide examples of activities that can boost students' speaking skills while making the learning context less stressful. The presenter will demonstrate how free smartphone applications, such as Chatterpix, Stop Motion, and Google Maps can be used to dissipate feelings of anxiety and bolster self-confidence.
Presenter: Hossam Elsherbiny (University of Minnesota)
Bringing Dakota Revitalization into the Digital Age
Saturday, February 8, 2020
3:35–4:05 PM
The Dakota language is an oral language and is traditionally passed down from parent to child. The Dakota language program at the University of Minnesota is celebrating 49 years of producing the next generation of speakers and working toward Dakota language revitalization. However, with skyrocketing tuition costs it is difficult to recruit students and maintain adequate enrollment levels. To increase enrollment, the Department of American Indian Studies partnered with Liberals Arts Technology & Innovation Services and the College of Liberal Arts Language Center to offer classes via video conferencing starting in the fall 2018 semester. This paper focuses on the way video conferencing has influenced teaching strategies and the classroom experience for students in class and online. I connect the rising need and benefits of video conferencing with the implementation of new learning strategies that attend to remote learning. My discussion also offers suggestions for the supplemental materials and resources needed to support students in online learning. I also think broadly about the implications of video conferencing in the future of Dakota language and its burgeoning role in future language instruction. In the end, I argue that online learning can help us reach non-traditional students that do not have access to college classes due to monetary, travel, and educational factors.
Presenter: Wayne Joseph Bendickson (University of Minnesota)
 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
March 12–14, 2020
Minneapolis, MN
Engaging Beginning Chinese Learners with Multimedia Grammar Lessons
Friday, March 13, 2020
7:45–8:45 AM
This presentation describes the process for developing and incorporating interactive multimedia lessons in a flipped lower-level Chinese course. We report on student engagement and perceptions developed from interactions with the lessons. We conclude by discussing successes and challenges, and offering guidelines for curriculum integration of lessons and for selecting technologies to manage delivery of content and integration of feedback.
Presenters: Hai Liu, Wei Hsuan Lo, Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, Dan Soneson (University of Minnesota)
Why Does Language Learning Before College Matter?
Friday, March 13, 2020
11:15 AM–12:15 PM
Presenters discuss results of a three-year study involving ACTFL proficiency testing of over 2000 students in seven language programs pointing to the strong influence of high school and pre-university experience on language proficiency at all stages of the university curriculum and showing how strongly postsecondary language programs depend on students entering college with a solid background in a second language.
Presenters: Dan Soneson, Arthur Strawbridge, Carter Griffith (University of Minnesota)
Incorporating Gender Inclusive Language into the French Language Classroom
Friday, March 13, 2020
1:00–2:00 PM
This session explores strategies and resources for incorporating gender inclusive language into K-16 French classrooms. Investigating alternatives to the rule of masculine grammatical precedence over feminine, discussing gender nonbinary pronouns, and exploring new inclusive writing conventions engages students in the polarizing debate on inclusive language in contemporary France and creates an inclusive classroom environment mindful of students’ diverse gender identities.
Presenters: Chloe Mais Hagen (University of Minnesota)
Solving a Host of Problems: Planning a Multi-Site Language and Technology Conference
Saturday, March 14, 2020
9:30–10:30 AM
Shrinking travel budgets are increasingly limiting conference attendance to those within driving distance of the host site. To address this problem, the 2018 MWALLT conference adopted a hybrid model that linked three host sites through teleconference. Attendees could participate face-to-face at any of the host sites or access all three live feeds online. We present successes and lessons learned.
Presenters: Marlene Johnshoy (University of Minnesota), Jon Perkins (University of Kansas), Dan Soneson (University of Minnesota), Shannon Spasova (Michigan State University)
Connecting Roman and Non-Roman Languages to Proficiency Ratings
Saturday, March 14, 2020
10:45–11:45 AM
Gatekeeping strategies such as placement tests account for prior exposure to the target language in order to place learners in level-appropriate courses. Such strategies, however, disregard intrinsic differences between Roman and Non-Roman languages. This study reports speaking and reading proficiency ratings of 479 learners in relation to language groups, and identifies factors affecting ratings such as contexts of engagement.
Presenters: Hossam Elsherbiny and Adolfo Carrillo Cabello (University of Minnesota)
Classroom Ready to be Career Ready
Saturday, March 14, 2020
1:30–2:30 PM
Considering career readiness initiatives as cultural products can energize the Intermediate theme of jobs/careers. However, learners’ experiences vary, so becoming classroom ready (via homework) is necessary to level the playing field and enrich classroom discourse. This presentation details a homework template to support a multiliteracies approach, focusing on the specific case of integrating career readiness texts in the languages.
Presenter: Sara Mack (University of Minnesota)
Do Context and Frequency of Speaking Engagement Affect Proficiency?
Saturday, March 14, 2020
1:30–2:30 PM
This study analyzed speaking proficiency test results of 479 lower-level foreign language students of Arabic, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The analysis considered students’ reported contexts and frequencies of engagement for speaking practices. Results show correlations between frequency, types of contexts of engagement and levels of proficiency attained. Implications on speaking practices and curriculum design will be discussed.
Presenters: Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, Frances Matos-Schultz, and Alicia Hofelich Mohr (University of Minnesota)
Moving to Multiliteracies: Tools to Support Teacher Understanding
Saturday, March 14, 2020
2:45–3:45 PM
Scholarship foregrounds multiliteracies pedagogy (ML) as a viable approach for developing students’ foreign language literacy. We present free tools for teachers that explain ML concepts, distinguish ML from other approaches, and scaffold ML lesson planning.
Presenters: Mandy Menke (University of Minnesota) and Kate Paesani (CARLA–University of Minnesota)
Beyond Our Walls: Using Social Justice Themes to Engage and Empower
Saturday, March 14, 2020
2:45–3:45 PM
How can our language learners utilize their skills to engage with social justice issues and impact the world around them? This session will explore using social justice themes to create Integrated Performance Assessments that have an authentic audience and enact change in communities beyond the classroom. See examples, brainstorm, and spark inspiration for your curriculum!
Presenter: Alyssa Warne (Wayzata High School, Plymouth, MN)
Note from CARLA: Alyssa received a CARLA/MN Department of Education TEAM Scholarship in 2017 to attend the CARLA summer institute titled Teaching Language Through the Lens of Social Justice. Come to the presentation to see how she is using what she learned at the institute.
L’actualité française pour développer les compétences communicatives et interculturelles
Saturday, March 14, 2020
2:45–3:45 PM
Nous passerons en revue les grands thèmes d’actualité française récente en matière d’éducation, société, politique et environnement avec une attention particulière à la crise des gilets jaunes et le Grand Débat. Différents textes authentiques (écrits, photos, vidéos) seront partagés avec présentation d’activités pédagogiques utilisées en cours intermédiaire et avancé pour développer les compétences communicatives et interculturelles des apprenants.
Presenter: Patricia Mougel (University of Minnesota)
Working Together to Enhance Language Development in Content Courses
Saturday, March 14, 2020
2:45–3:45 PM
As university-level foreign language students reach upper-division literature-focused courses, their linguistic skills tend to plateau, especially for speaking. This presentation reports on an initiative that integrated systematic and explicit attention to speaking development in third-year French, German, and Spanish upper-level courses. We discuss examples of instructional activities that merge language and literary-cultural learning and promote advanced-level speaking practice.
Presenters: Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, Ray Balstad, Emily Groepper, and Alex Korte (University of Minnesota)
 American Association of Applied Linguists (AAAL)
2020 Annual Conference
March 28–31, 2020
Denver, CO
Student Perceptions of Imitation as a Pronunciation Instruction Tool
Saturday, March 28, 2020
8:00–8:30 AM
Pronunciation instruction (PI) is often neglected in the foreign language classroom due to time limitations, uncertainty about which aspects of pronunciation to target, or the teacher's lack of confidence (e.g. Foote, Holtby, & Derwing, 2011). While many scholars have called for increased PI in the foreign language classroom, suggested methods tend to be decontextualized and isolated from meaning making (e.g. Hahn, 2004; Levis, 2005; Saito, 2014). Recently, scholars are shifting away from these bottom-up approaches toward a more holistic and contextualized method, recognizing that second language acquisition is multi-modal and strongly tied to identity work, agency, and emotion (Tarone & Meyers, 2018). The present study employs a modified version of The Mirroring Project–a contextualized PI method in which participants “mirror” a native speaker (e.g. Lindgren, Meyers, & Monk, 2003; Meyers 2016)–and applies it to the Spanish foreign language classroom. The study answers the question How do students perceive imitation of a native speaker as a tool for improving L2 pronunciation? Results indicate that students perceived these activities to be effective in providing a target model not only for pronunciation but also for L2 communication generally.
Presenter: Lauren Truman (University of Minnesota)
A Context-Specific Conceptual Framework for Leveraging Learners’ Known Languages in TL Instruction: Design and Implementation
Saturday, March 28, 2020
10:10–10:40 AM
Several efforts are being made to identify ways in which multilingual learners’ known languages can be utilized in target language (TL) instruction. Research in this domain has focused primarily on tapping into learners’ first language. However, with multilingual learners who actively use all or most of the languages in their linguistic repertoire, all these languages can be potential resources in learning the TL. Drawing on the theory of affordances (Singleton & Aronin, 2007), this research project aimed at developing an instructional sequence that leveraged learners’ known languages during instruction. The project was conducted in a foreign language classroom in India that taught German to adult learners. The project adopted a design-based research methodology (McKenney & Reeves, 2013), in which two teachers from the context and myself as the researcher worked collaboratively. An instructional sequence was designed to teach selected grammatical aspects, and was implemented iteratively three times over the course of a semester. The sequence was refined each time based on four data sources: teachers’ perspectives, learners’ perspectives, researcher’s observational notes, and learners’ language development. This presentation will showcase how the findings from these four data sources jointly informed the redesigning of the instructional sequence, and trace its evolution from the first iteration to its current state as a context-specific conceptual framework.
Presenter: Anuradha Gopalakrishnan (University of Minnesota)
Does Pinyin Facilitate Chinese Word Learning in Meaningful Reading Activities for Mandarin Immersion Students?
Saturday, March 28, 2020
10:10–10:40 AM
As a component of literacy curriculum, alphabetic Pinyin is introduced to Mandarin immersion (MI) students either at Grade 1, Grade 2, or Grade 3, together with two orthographies: Chinese characters and English. When to introduce Pinyin and how to use Pinyin for MI children has been a practical and theoretical issue that matters to thousands of MI students in the US. This experimental study recruited seventy-six English proficient third graders from an early total MI program who were introduced to Pinyin for a year at Grade 3. Students randomly crossed over the three learning conditions to learn five new words in each of the three stories: the whole text captioned with Pinyin (Full Pinyin), only the focal new words with Pinyin (Partial Pinyin), and no Pinyin at all (No Pinyin). Contrast analyses was used to compare the Chinese word learning in the three conditions. The findings suggested that the use of Pinyin does not facilitate Chinese word reading and it may interfere with the learning of Chinese words for Chinese L2 students when teacher's instruction is provided for the new words. The findings are important for MI educators to make informed curricular decisions for their programs.
Presenter: Zhongkui Ju (University of Minnesota)
Advanced Proficiency Acquisition: Relationships among Modalities
Saturday, March 28, 2020
10:45–11:15 AM
A grant project funded by the Language Flagship at a large Midwestern university involved large-scale proficiency testing of students in seven language programs over the course of three years. In total, 2200 students at various stages of the curriculum were tested using ACTFL online instruments in speaking (OPIc), listening (Listening Proficiency Test), and reading (Reading Proficiency Test). Language programs included Arabic, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. This paper will briefly summarize the test results and will focus on those students who were rated Advanced Low or above in at least one modality. Relationships among modalities as students reach the Advanced level will be examined to determine how and in what order Advanced proficiency in a second language is manifest. Patterns in each language program will be presented to show both similarities and differences among the languages.
Presenter: Dan Soneson (University of Minnesota)
Poster Session: Second-Grade Chinese Immersion Students’ L1 and L2 use
Saturday, March 28, 2020
2:25–3:55 PM
This case study explores patterns of L1 and L2 use by second graders attending an early total Chinese immersion program in the U.S. as they carry out classroom tasks with different interlocutors. Whereas much research has been carried out to examine immersion students’ L1 and L2 use in upper elementary grades (Broner, 2001), we know little about patterns of code-switching among younger children, who are at a different cognitive and social level. Additionally, previous research on immersion students’ language use are almost exclusively focused on linguistically and culturally related languages (e.g. English as L1, French/Spanish as L2). Little research has been done on the immersion language and the home language that are radically different (e.g. English as L1, Chinese as L2). These factors may have an impact on younger children’s language use in Chinese immersion classroom.
Presenter: Mengying Liu (University of Minnesota)
Poster Session: What Students Want Versus What Students Need: A Study of Learner Interests for Curriculum Redesign
Saturday, March 28, 2020
2:25–3:55 PM
Research highlights the importance of linking course content to learners’ lived experiences and interests in order to promote engagement in language learning (Cammarata, Tedick, & Osborn, 2016). Yet, learners’ preferences are rarely taken into account during curriculum design, as textbook-driven approaches to language learning tend toward grammatically organized syllabi that often fall short of captivating learners, stimulating critical thinking, and promoting high levels of language proficiency (Finney, 2018; Martel, 2013). To address these issues, this presentation discusses the process of incorporating learners’ preferences into the curricular redesign of a university language program. In particular, the presenters highlight learners’ preferences as related to content and provide insight into how to utilize these preferences as a basis for curricular innovation and development.
Presenters: Claire Mitchell (University of Wisconsin, La Crosse), Rose Brougham (University of Wisconsin, La Crosse), and Marie Mangold (University of Minnesota)
Channeling “Voices” to Improve Second Language Intelligibility
Sunday, March 29, 2020
10:10–10:40 AM
This research study shows how international students enrolled in different levels of an intensive English institute modified their suprasegmental speech patterns and coordinating nonverbals in appropriating the voices of model speakers. LaScotte and Tarone (2019) argue that emerging L2 proficiency can be conceptualized as consisting of distinct voices—each voice a linguistic variety internalized in social context that retains characteristics of their original speakers—with significant differences in grammatical accuracy and fluency.
Presenters: Darren LaScotte and Elaine Tarone (University of Minnesota)
MUSE International (Materials Use in Language Classrooms: An International Research Group)
Sunday, March 29, 2020
12:30–1:45 PM
This is an open meeting of MUSE International research group, which is dedicated to inquiry on materials use in language classrooms. Researchers (novice and experienced) and language teachers who are deeply interested in understanding how materials (e.g., textbooks, teacher-created handouts, digital resources) affect language learners, teachers, and classrooms more broadly are invited to attend. Information about the group and its ongoing research activities will be discussed, including MUSE International’s special interest group on classroom discourse/interaction.
Facilitators: Siwon Lee (University of Pennsylvania), Nausica Marcos Miguel (Denison University), Anne Marie Guerrettaz (Washington State University), and Corinne Matheiu (University of Minnesota)
Colloquium: Researching Multimodality in Interaction: Methodological Challenges and Innovations
Monday, March 30, 2020
8:00–10:00 AM
This colloquium brings together six papers studying multimodality in interaction across a variety of learning contexts. We view multimodal semiotic resources as the set of heteroglossic linguistic resources, gestures, body movements, material objects, environment, and other semiotic resources that work as an assemblage in a spatially situated communicative activity (Canagarajah, 2018; Wagner, 2018). In each presentation, panelists present the challenges associated with transcribing and analyzing multimodal data and the methodological insights afforded by multimodal conversation analysis, Goodwin’s theory of action, multimodal social semiotics, or multimodal semiotics approach. Each panelist also explains how the specific methods examine the complex, dynamic nature of situated meaning-making in the context of language acquisition, language revitalization, and sciences communication.
Colloquium Organizer: Yi-Ju Lai (University of Minnesota)
Colloquium papers by University colleagues include:
Material Voice in Language Immersion Contexts: Methodological Challenges and Opportunities in a Teacher-Material Participatory Framework
Presenter: Corinne Matheiu (University of Minnesota)
Multimodal Social Semiotics: Challenges and Opportunities for “Messy” Interactional Classroom Data
Presenter: Leah Jo Carey (University of Minnesota)
Land as Interlocutor: Transcribing and Analyzing Material Participation in Interaction
Presenters: Mel M Engman (Queen's University Belfast) and Mary Hermes (University of Minnesota)
Researching Language Socialization in Physics: A Multimodal Semiotic Approach
Presenter: Yi-Ju Lai (University of Minnesota)
Roundtable Discussion: Engaged Research at the Intersection of Language and Education
Monday, March 30, 2020
1:50–2:20 PM
This roundtable will explore engaged research in the field of Applied Linguistics. By engaged research, we mean research that involves the co-creation of knowledge between individuals who are variably centered (e.g., as practitioners, theorists, community-based stakeholders, or university-based investigators) and who are concerned with questions originating from myriad positions on the most pressing societal issues in language and education. This vision is rich with generative possibilities arising from collaboratives and partnerships across contexts to address complex issues in language and education that call for the presence of multiple perspectives. The attendees will have the opportunity to discuss different ways to approach and pursue engaged research as well as broader issues related to engaged research and activism in the field of Applied Linguistics. Research that addresses critical societal, policy, and educational issues connected to linguistically, politically or culturally minoritized people will be discussed (following Block, Warr, Gibbs & Riggs, 2012; Huisman, 2008; Voutira & Dona, 2007; Warriner & Bigelow, 2019).
Presenters: Martha Bigelow (University of Minnesota) and Doris Warriner (Arizona State University)
Affordances and Constraints of Genre-Based Writing Pedagogy: Language Learner and Teacher Perspectives
Monday, March 30, 2020
3:00–3:30 PM
Genre pedagogy is an approach that moves away from viewing foreign language writing as a cognitive process or act of translation, positing instead that writers should develop explicit understandings of how texts are structured and the socially situated nature of their creation and use (Hyland, 2003). In this presentation, we explore learner and teacher perspectives of genre pedagogy through a qualitative case study of three teachers and 14 students in second-semester postsecondary French courses. The study addresses three research questions: (1) What do teachers perceive as affordances and constraints of genre pedagogy?; (2) What do students perceive as affordances and constraints of genre pedagogy?; and (3) How do classroom interactions between teachers and students shape these affordances and constraints? Findings highlight the challenges of applying genre pedagogy in postsecondary FL courses and the need to help teachers and students more effectively implement genre-based practices.
Presenters: Kate Paesani (CARLA-University of Minnesota), Heather Willis Allen (The University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Lauren Goodspeed (University of Minnesota)
Roundtable Discussion: “You Should Thank Your Parents”: An Analysis of Conversation at a Korean Family Breakfast Table
Monday, March 30, 2020
3:30–4:30 PM
The importance of grandparenting in contemporary society has been acknowledged with much attention to the role of grandmothers as “kin-keepers” (Roberto et al., 2001). In three-generation families, the scope of grandparenthood is further widened, ranging from providing childcare to socializing grandchildren into culturally appropriate ways of interacting (Park, 2006) and learning (Kelly, 2004). However, few studies exist on how grandparents participate in grandchildren’s learning of a language and associate cultural norms in three-generation families. This project addressed this gap by examining a recording of the breakfast table talk of a Korean three-generation family. Findings illustrate that although the interaction in the family breakfast looked loosely connected or disjointed, detailed analysis revealed close collaboration and intimacy between grandparents and their grandchild.
Presenter: Saem Heo (University of Minnesota)
Contested Identities: Multilingualism as a Tool for Identity Negotiation Among Moroccan Immigrants in Granada, Spain
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
10:10–10:40 AM
Moroccan immigrants' culture, religion and identity are suspect in Spanish society as they are perceived to be irreconcilable with Spanish culture and identity (Rogozen-Soltar, 2017). Integration is considered crucial for Moroccan immigrants to participate in Spanish society. For many, proper integration requires Moroccans to eschew linguistic and cultural practices. Language choice or use of multiple features in the same utterance (see García-Sánchez, 2014) may be used as a strategy for Moroccan immigrants to construct, legitimize, and redefine their ethnolinguistic identities in a society where they are considered the “Other.” In this paper, I expand this line of research by addressing how Moroccan immigrants use resources from their multilingual repertoires to position themselves in discourse in a society which blames them for their lack of willingness to integrate. Study findings show that fluid language practices were frequently leveraged in interviews to negotiate speakers' positions as members of various communities. The speakers' positions within these contexts facilitated social identities which challenged previously taken for granted ethno-nationalist or ethnolinguistic identities. Moroccan immigrants’ various identity positions mobilized support for multilingual practices which, in turn, allowed them to demonstrate and perform belonging in various social spaces to which access may typically be denied.
Presenter: Carol Ready (University of Minnesota)
The Impact of Task Complexity on the Written Production of Spanish Heritage Speakers
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
2:25–2:55 PM
Previous research on the written production of Spanish heritage speakers tends to be divided into studies of their writing strategies (Schwartz, 2003); comparative studies between learners of Spanish as a second language (L2), Spanish monolinguals, and heritage speakers (Camus & Adrada, 2015; Elola & Mikulski, 2016; Abchi & De Mier 2017); and research on the influence of instruction in their writing (Bowles and Bello-Uriarte, 2019). However, little research has examined task complexity in the written production of Spanish heritage speakers (Torres, 2013), a variable that could influence their written performance and shed light on pedagogical processes for instructors teaching this population. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by examining how changes in task complexity impact the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of Spanish heritage speakers’ writing. Results revealed between the two groups, there was only a statistically significant difference for the accuracy parameter, with the advanced level group exceeding the intermediate level group in the most complex task. It was evident that although the intermediate group showed greater fluency and complexity, this was not statistically significant to differentiate these two groups of participants. This research has revealed pedagogical implications of task complexity for the design and sequence of academic writing activities for Spanish heritage speakers.
Presenter: Vivian Hirlandy Franco Diaz (University of Minnesota)
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