Berkeley Language Center

Newsletter

Volume 23 Issue 2 Spring 2008

Published by the A Conversation with Elana Shohamy Berkeley Language Center by Lisa Little, Academic Coordinator, Berkeley Language Center

B-40 Dwinelle Hall #2640 LL: I wanted to start the interview by saying LL: How do we do that? University of California, Berkeley how lucky we’ve been to have you here at Berkeley, CA 94720-2640 Berkeley all this time, and that we hope you ES: With a kind of mutual assessment or come back. My first question is a general one: with the kinds of tasks—teaching tasks— Fax 510.642.9183 What should be the role of assessment in the that get evaluated in different ways, and foreign language classroom. Should we be as- with process assessment which is not one- Phone 510.642.0767 sessing our students, and if so, how often and time—you revise and do it other ways—and Administrative Services ext 10 in what ways? with multiple assessment like portfolios, Classroom Services ext 19 self-assessment, and projects. I think at uni- Duplication Services ext 29 ES: In a perfect world we wouldn’t need versities and other places they are still using Library Services . . . . ext 24 assessment at all because we assess infor- tests, but less and less so, I would say. mally all the time. I think there’s no need Recording Studio ext 12 LL: So in some ways you’re actually saying that Technical Services ext 17 for assessment as such, but since it is a part of teaching, and culture, and politics, we in the real world, since we do need grades, we should try to do it in the best way we can, should almost be doing more rather than less assessment. Editor & Designer in terms of very informal, but very good, feedback. While feedback is probably the Victoria K. Williams ES: Right, integrated assessment. If teach- most important thing, assessment should [email protected] ing, learning, and assessment are combined, not be limited to feedback alone. We have assessment shouldn’t be a separate thing. to think about diagnosis, repair, and reas- Submissions for the This is how we should assess in the class- sessment. We also have to make the process fall 2008 Newsletter are room, I would say. Externally, we have no more egalitarian so that students can assess due by choice, although I see many school sys- teachers, too. Assessment has to be brought tems that, after things like No Child Left up not as a one-sided kind of thing, but May 22, 2008 Behind, now want some air, some oxygen. more as an interactive process, a dialogue. They want to get away from testing, so they What we see a lot of now is dynamic as- See http://blc.berkeley. remove testing as a formal thing altogether. edu/Newsletter.html sessment, which means that assessment and for guidelines. teaching are integrated and not separated in LL: Then how do you come up with the grades the way they used to be. To a large extent at the end of the semester? this is a result of studies that I was a part of Berkeley Language Center that looked at the wash-back effect of tests. ES: That’s really the problem. But I think What we are finding out is that tests are continuous assessment is a very different Founding Director doing harm in that they are bringing about approach. First of all, everything that you do Claire Kramsch a situation in which students are only study- in class that you want to count gets counted ing for the test, they’re being judged solely and this is why the portfolio, even as a Director on how well they do on the test, and they metaphor, is so good. It’s not that every- Richard Kern are being graded on only one performance. thing gets counted, but everything that you 510.642.2895 All these studies have brought us to the con- want to count gets counted. You don’t want clusion that tests are actually not very good. bad things that you’ve done to be included, Associate Director I’m speaking mostly about external tests or although some people say that actually Mark Kaiser end-of-semester tests. They narrow the cur- the real test is to do a bad talk or whatever 510.642.0767 riculum and learning. What should we do and improve on that and that that’s a truer about it? Now that this is documented and assessment. The idea is to have a portfolio the harm of tests is known, we’re looking for whereby lots of procedures and lots of be- http://blc.berkeley.edu different approaches. haviors, so to speak, are included over time and with feedback. And of course not just only listening to content. So the multiple think some of Heidi Byrnes’s content-based cur- your teacher assesses you because some- audiences you are talking about, which I riculum is wonderful, but you do wonder then, times your teacher is looking for certain really like, would be very good as one more for instance, why it isn’t better to have that things and noticing errors while your peers criteria. But the question we have to ask, of content taught by a specialist in the primary are saying, “No, that was a great presenta- course, is criteria for whom? I think what language of that university, probably at a more tion; it was funny, it was good.” Or even we often ignore is that not every language sophisticated level. self-assessment, in that respect. I’m sure it’s production is done for the same purpose. happened to you when you’ve given a talk Of course, to become a lecturer in Estonia, ES: The way universities are structured, it’s and have had people not think it was great at Talinn University, that’s one thing, but to very difficult because here we have different while you’ve thought it was quite good. For talk to friends in a bar, that’s another thing, subjects and then we have language. I think some reason it just didn’t come across. And to impress them with your foreign accent language, when it’s integrated with con- the opposite situation, where you think it may be another thing … tent, needs a different infrastructure of key didn’t go well and others thought it did, is teachers. I’m surprised that even in thinking also true. So I think if we adopt a more fluid LL: That does seem like the problem. At the about Berkeley, there’s not one course that’s and more open approach where everything university, what are we teaching language taught here via another language. All foreign can count, it’s okay. In terms of the grades, for? I have students in my Russian class who languages are taught as “this is a foreign lan- I’ve argued with the administration at Tel come there for all kinds of reasons, and many guage.” We never see a content being taught Aviv University. For example, we have to of them are graduate students. So what do we via another language, in other words, with give an MA test at the end for students who teach in the class? We have to assess what we’re the language as the medium of instruction. are not doing a thesis. We argued against the teaching, and they have to be connected, but LL: Perhaps some literature courses within test, and for multiple assessments, and we it really comes down to what we should teach language departments. won and were able to do it. The administra- when we all have different reasons for being there? tion doesn’t necessarily want a test; it wants ES: Versus what people are talking about a grade. In terms of how to get to the grade, ES: Yeah. So I think the whole idea of now…the multilingual university. In Eu- I think teachers have lots of freedom. teaching foreign languages is problematic rope it’s becoming a big thing. Sometimes all they mean is “let’s do some courses in LL: From what you are saying, it sounds like in the sense that it’s a thing detached from English,” but it’s changing a lot. I know in you are grading partly on effort, partly on reality because you don’t know what you’re Basque country, every course you can take is improvement, and also partly on different using it for. That’s why I’m so much for offered in two languages, in Basque and in points of view. And of course, the one thing content-based instruction, content-based Castilian. I think it requires a very different that we don’t seem to ever bring in is the people learning, because I think the content should way of doing things from the way we are to whom this is addressed, the people in that be primary and the language itself should be doing them now. country or countries where this language or secondary. This is why I’m pushing, more when it comes to English, these fusions and varieties of this language are being spoken. LL: Although English, since it is a global hybrids that you’ve heard me talk about. Somehow, they’re never part of that assessment language, has become the medium for a lot of That’s something I’m pushing to have process. I’ve always wanted them be part of it things in other countries… in some way, but I don’t know how one would happen from a very early age, even with actually do that. first-grade students in Israel where, instead ES: English is not a good example… of just teaching them English, we integrate ES: Good point. Just send a file of presenta- English into the classroom. Say it’s math, for LL: What would it be in this country, for tions, a video presentation to . . . example. We can do math in Hebrew, math instance? How would we choose the language? in English, math in Arabic. The whole idea LL: . . . a class and have them rate it or some- is to put math first and show that you can ES: Oh, Spanish—there is no question! But thing like that. . . do math in all kinds of languages. you could do it with other languages as well. I think if you have enough students who are ES: Yeah, yeah. That’s a nice idea and I re- LL: How would that look at the university? interested and you have this combination… ally like it in terms of communicating, and I can see in elementary education how that It means, though, that people from other nowadays it’s so easy. would work. departments need to be willing to come to the foreign language departments. Often it’s LL: And everything that we’re talking about ES: Universities are very problematic in the like separate territories, but it could be very here is probably going to make it a little bit sense that everything is organized by disci- nice if the professor of history meets with easier for them all to make that A, right? pline. But what we see at Georgetown with you and you teach a course together. Heidi Byrnes, I mean a lot of it is content- ES: It’s not that multiple assessments make based. And you see it a lot in business LL: That is being done to some extent in some it easier necessarily. On the contrary, you schools and places like that where the goals places. might think that it was basically okay, they are very defined. used specific structures, and they are fine. ES: Yeah, I know, and I think this is a very The people in the country, on the other LL: It’s easier in something like a business good direction. hand, may be interested in other things: school or law where you have, say, a language we know that native speakers don’t even for business, a language for law, and you basi- LL: Right. Now let’s say in your language de- see those grammatical errors at all; they’re cally know what you’re teaching it for, right? I partment you decide to teach a content course, 2 and let’s say not business, which is pretty com- have a course in education, in law, and phi- LL: Rather than pretending it doesn’t exist, mon, such as Russian for Business or German losophy and they get together. Remember teach them the version that is actually more for Business, but let’s say you’re teaching more Claire told us she was teaching with another native, so to speak. of a Heidi Byrnes kind of course, how do you group a few years ago? choose the content? ES: Exactly! The local variety. LL: Right, language ecology. ES: In terms of what areas? I think George- LL: Can you think of any tests that are widely town is an interesting example. It’s easier to ES: So these are topics that are fantastic. given in foreign language instruction that you choose content there because the university And language is part of the ecology—think think are good? is… I mean it’s very much about politics about that! One of my problems with ES: Hmmm, I can’t think of something and history. language teaching, and this is why I have problems with testing, is that it focuses specific as a test because by definition I don’t LL: Students there do have a certain agenda… on the ‘how’ rather than on the ‘what.’ buy formal tests… But I remember one, for A lot of students have similar interests. For me, it’s a much broader issue because example, when students come to the teach- I really resent the situation where let’s say ers and say, “OK, test me on this,” or “This ES: Sure, that makes it easier there. In my immigrants, and I’m very interested in this is what I know how to do; this is what I view, from teaching here one semester, I work, are being judged by how they speak don’t know how to do.” This is why the idea think people who come to Berkeley are very the language. Right away our ear is so tuned of a portfolio is very nice in the sense that unique. They’re more open, radical, and to ‘yes, he’s from here” or he’s not. It brings it’s a kind of independent study but also interested in change, so I think you would up this whole thing of otherness and who’s a contract, an agreement about language build on this kind of background in terms in charge and majority vs. minority and the learning involving negotiation between of content. I don’t want to generalize the question that I always hate: “So how long the students and the teacher. But I cannot Berkeley student but find some kind of have you been here?” Or the comment, think of any tests. The OPI and the ALTE, orientation that this university stands for. “Your English is very good.” Right away it the Common European framework— they You see it a lot in high schools now. For constructs some people as having the right are all very limiting in terms of the kind of example, you see high schools that are more to be here and other people as being the things we talk about, because they don’t talk arts-oriented or more science-oriented. As others. I wish we could somehow shut down about ideas, they don’t talk about hybridi- we speak, in Israel, in the School of Educa- our ability to hear accents, but since we can’t ties, they don’t talk about concepts. It’s all tion, we bring high school students to the do that, one of the things I’m trying to do about language per se or they choose these university. (Again, the example is English, is undo this discrimination towards foreign artificial topics. Basically I don’t buy these unfortunately; I’m trying to push so it will accents, to make people less sensitive to and kinds of things at all. be in Arabic as well.) The students take five less concerned about accents. This is very LL: Artificiality is something I wanted to talk different areas, medicine, astronomy, biol- difficult, especially for language teachers of about. How can we avoid the artificiality of ogy, and so on. Everything is being done in my generation for whom language correct- most tests? English for a period of two weeks and they ness has always been so important. But it’s live in the dormitories and they speak, like a the very thing that we as language teachers ES: I think classrooms are artificial to begin 24-hour thing, in English. They’re in tenth pay attention to that later in life becomes with. But within this artificiality of class- grade or so but eventually they want to be- this identifier of otherness because this kind rooms, there’s so much we can do. It’s all come experts in these areas, so they choose of language correctness is still in people’s relative—task-based tests are better than the the area. I think kids who are 18 or 19, they minds. In immigration situations they look old tests with questions that we had. know. I don’t think that part should be too at you and pay attention to that kind of difficult. marker. I don’t know if I’m coming across… LL: But a lot of it is negotiation, in your view, between the students and the teacher. LL: Although, again, at the university level, LL: No, it makes sense. I understand, but it’s our Russian students, for example, often have true generally, right, that you judge people on ES: Yeah, I think it should be. And especial- different interests. education as well, and when people are at a ly at the university where we get people who university, there’s a certain type of educated are already from so many different back- ES: But it doesn’t have to be the whole speaker even of the native language that’s grounds and know so much, people who course. It can be sub-sections of the course, assumed or judged. Which varieties of second, have been abroad and those who haven’t. like the course I taught here in which we third, or fourth language should we be teach- Given the limitations, I would say portfo- had one kind of larger course, a plenary, and ing? lios are the best. I really strongly believe in then we had another hour during which portfolios. students were divided into sub-sections ES: We rarely teach street language, but this according to the areas that they are special- is one of the things I’m trying to push a lot LL: Because the student has some say in the izing in … in Israel, because in Israel, all Israelis speak learning process and because it can be… what we call Hebrish, which sometimes has LL: … based on the students’ interests… an accent. We have a group of American ES: … good for reflection and good for all kinds of samples. Because it allows this kind ES: …you could combine! Again, it’s very students coming, and I want them to learn of dynamic assessment at the end of the difficult. Universities are so inflexible. But Hebrish. I want them to learn what they process of negotiating the portfolio, when I’m impressed being at Berkeley, in that I see view as bad language, but that I view as how you discuss it. There are so many possi- lots of crossovers, relatively speaking. So you we speak! 3 bilities, especially in groups. By the way, I ES: I think we had grades from A to D. if you know anything about Russian history strongly believe in group testing, even with We encouraged students to bring in more when you enter the class, right? You’re all going my students at the university. things, not necessarily things that were to take the same test at the end and nobody taught in the classroom. asked if you knew anything before. Whereas LL: What would that look like, group testing? in language we place the students, we test LL: So they put a lot of work into this. them, we say it’s not fair if they already know ES: Like a few students working together something. Should that be a factor—what they and doing presentations in the classroom ES: Oh, yeah, lots! bring, their background knowledge? and all that put together. I really believe LL: Did the grade tend to depend mostly on that nothing in language learning should be ES: I would say improvement is very im- how much work they had put into it or would done by one individual per se. portant. No question about it. But it’s very it depend on the quality and partly how they difficult in a class to really measure that. LL: How do you make sure that one person in justified what they had put in there? This whole issue of beginner, intermediate, the group doesn’t do most of the work? ES: Exactly. They had to explain what this advanced is so problematic. As if when we ES: I don’t mind that. First of all, you’ll had to do with the goals of the course. I talk to one another we all have to have the always have a situation where somebody will wouldn’t say that it wasn’t impressive if same proficiency in order to communicate. do more than the others. You know how life they brought in lots of things. Of course, I mean I’m a native speaker of Hebrew is. And when you have students who don’t the variety was one of the criteria, but it but I can talk to people who are not native do any work, others will tell you. If some- certainly wasn’t the only thing. It’s a whole speakers or are very beginners and still have body slips, so what? We were just having process: you collect a lot throughout the a very nice conversation. So I would very this conversation with one of the teachers whole semester, you have this assessment much like to see—probably what I’m saying here and she was saying that she’s sure that conference, and then give the diagnostic is pretty radical—I’d like to see language a student had written something and then ‘recipe’ for what you’re supposed to do for classes built in a very different way, not nec- had her boyfriend rewrite it before she next time. And the grades were… I can’t essarily according to proficiency because that turned it in. I’m saying, “Okay. So what?” say they all got A’s, but you have good approach tends to legitimize and perpetu- Don’t I, when I write something, have rubrics of what counts and what doesn’t ate this idea that only language correctness somebody go over it and edit for me and we count. Rubrics should also be planned with counts. On the other hand, I don’t want to discuss it? The question is whether or not students. One of the things I do at Tel Aviv teach an advanced course in language policy the student can discuss the ideas with the University, and not just in language classes when students are there who know nothing. teacher, even without the boyfriend being is, at the first class of the semester, I always But with a minimum level of language we around. I wouldn’t even be against bringing discuss grading with the students. It’s not can allow much more variance, much more him to a kind of interview. We used to do solely up to me to dictate. I show them the diversity in classes. And I think it’s also bet- tests like this. We did an alternative assess- goals of the course, we talk about objectives, ter practice for future ways of speaking the ment for immigrant kids where the parents and I ask them how they want the grade to language. come to the testing situation, too. be distributed. LL: Then the content becomes the crucial part, LL: And what did that do? LL: Do they also get to take part in deciding and if you can get it across. Your language what the goals of the course should be? capability may be less than somebody else’s ES: It got the parents involved in the whole but you may be better at actually getting this experience, in the assessment experience. ES: Yeah, we’ve done that. Yeah, the content across. For example, the student would show his student-centered curriculum. We’ve done or her portfolio and the parents would that many times, especially in seminars. ES: And then you’ll constantly have to prac- be there, and not just as external judges, tice with negotiation. You have to negotiate because we taught them how to participate LL: So the students are really involved all they meaning and share information. You have by giving their views, listening, and hearing way through, and they’ve helped determine the to ask, “How do you say that?” It allows more about their children. We ended up this assessment. more group dynamics in the classroom. I’m assessment conference by giving the student reminded of a study on teaching first grade ES: The thing that I think is important is a list of things he or she had to do by the in English. While everybody assumed that to create the rubrics, goals, and assessment next assessment because it’s all dynamic. a teacher using English in first grade must procedures at the beginning of the semester And the parents were there knowing what’s know it really well, we showed that teach- with the students. Now how they get to happening and why the student got this ers whose language proficiency was low, perform, that’s up to them. Some of the contract. They were there during the assess- who hardly knew any English but who were students may think that it’s actually good ment discussion, the assessment conference, interested in first-grade math, found ways to to have weekly quizzes on new vocabulary. so they were part of the learning in a way. get to the English. They used the dictionary, They may decide that, too. they brought people in, they constructed LL: What age were these students? a situation with the students in a very nice LL: How much should the student’s knowl- way so both groups were learners and man- edge when he or she enters the class affect the ES: These were high school students. It’s not aged to do very well. You don’t need a lot assessment at the end? How much should the always easy. I don’t want to simplify it. of language in first grade, and you need less assessment depend on improvement? Because than we think. I think the situation now LL: And how did you assign grades? you know, again, in history here nobody asks where there’s a big rebellion against native 4 speakers suggests that within a few years, could then discuss in class without touch- about and what you would do if you were native speakers will be marginalized. ing a text, and without focusing on a lot of teaching a first-year class which has always grammar and vocabulary. What can you get, seemed like one of the hardest things to do, LL: …in English? for example, just from the shape of the sign right? OK, well thank you very much! or from where it was located? Where in the ES: …in any language. The non-natives space could you find it? What do you think ES: Thank you! It was great. should be as legitimate as others. I think it would have said in your own language? English has paved the way for lots of What do you think it means? Then, beyond changes, lots of innovations. It legitimized a using these kinds of things for making non-native variety. Thanks to Lisa Little for editing her ques- meaning, making sense of the country, of tions and Sarah Roberts for editing the LL: You would like to see us in all our lan- the area, of the space, we always consider it interview. –Editor guage classrooms, say at the university here, from a social, political perspective. Okay, use that as an example to try to change our even the fact that it’s written in only one language classes in some ways? language, only in Hebrew, and you know it says “Danger.” How come it’s not written in ES: I think it’s understandable how other Arabic? Or Russian? How come all the cos- languages, even Spanish, are so behind. We metics are in Russian? What does that make had this session at AAAL about Spanglish as you think about this society? So you can use a legitimate language. There were still people this kind of linguistic landscape to construct who were against it. Spanish is the next one the place where you are and to gain the kind to go through the same revolution I think. of thing that Claire would talk about, more critical, symbolic kinds of values. LL: But does all of this in some way mean that language classrooms as we have them today, LL: And these are the things you can do from language departments, don’t really have a place day one. at the university? ES: And you don’t need a textbook or ES: I think they have a place, but a different anything. one. They have to change. I think the BLC here has changed lots of things—the critical LL: How would you assess performance after aspect. I come here and am so impressed. having done that? I’ve never seen a language program like ES: In the same way. And I don’t think this, that asks so many questions, that is so there’s a problem with asking questions in critical, so politically critical, and so very English, either. If we’re talking about multi- interested not just in language per se but lingualism in the classroom, and if we don’t in things that are taking place in other cul- separate language from content, I think we tures, as part of language learning. I think should allow this means of negotiation or this intellectual part is unique. doing testing in a number of languages in LL: As the final question, let’s say we gave you assessment as well. So, back to your ques- a Hebrew class to teach here at Berkeley, first tion, I would start my first Hebrew class at year, what are you going to do, how are you Berkeley with visuals, with the space, the going to teach it? public space, before I even go into texts. It depends on the context, of course, but you ES: Good question. First of all, I’m a big can be in Russia or in France so easily today. believer in visuals and language in the Just think about Google Earth where you public space. I don’t believe language should can see neighborhoods, you can see signs. be only texts, and so one of the things I’ve This kind of technology allows students to really been thinking a lot about is how to in- bring the environment to class. corporate linguistic landscape into language teaching and assessment. For example, we LL: And then the assessment would follow have a group of American students coming that? The assessment would be based on what to Israel every year to do an MA in TESOL they had done, and would be similar, and at the university. They don’t know a word would be negotiated … of Hebrew and they only speak English to ES: Or you give them another sign: “What one another, but they live in Israel now, so do you think it says? What do you think it they’re exposed to Hebrew in the public means?” You can little by little put in words; space all the time because everywhere they that’s another way of doing it. see signs, instructions, and announce- ments. We decided last year to have them LL: That’s a good concrete example of how you take pictures of the public space that we would take some of the ideas that we’ve talked 5 Did you know that…? News from the Education New EAP Programs Abroad Program The University-wide Committee on Interna- by Richard Kern, Director, BLC tional Education has approved the following Chinese writing is sometimes done with by Jan Kieling, Administrative recently developed programs: numerals? In computer-mediated environ- Director, Berkeley Programs for Berlin European Studies Program, Free Uni- ments like instant messaging and chat Study Abroad versity, Germany—fall and spring semesters rooms, where there is a premium on quick responses, Arabic numerals are often used to Michael O’Connell, Interim Economics and Business Program, Fudan approximate sounds of Chinese syllables or Director University, Shanghai—spring semester words. Writing on a computer in Chinese normally involves typing in either a radical Following the recent retirement of Direc- Introductory Spanish Language and Cul- or a pinyin (roman alphabet phonetic) tor John Marcum, Michael O’Connell, ture, UC Center Madrid—summer session version, and then selecting the appropriate Professor of English at UC Santa Barbara, character from a drop-down table. Because has been appointed Interim University-wide Joint Program on Contemporary Japanese this takes time, Chinese chatters commonly Director of the University of California Culture, International Christian University, use numerals to signify roughly similar Education Abroad Program. Tokyo—fall semester sounding words (or a least a similar leading Language and Areas Studies Program, Ha- consonant) to maintain a brisk pace of com- Enrollments noi University of Foreign Studies, Hanoi— munication. For example, 282 [ ] èr bā èr In the current 2007-08 year, some 4,500 fall semester is commonly used to represent [è UC students will be studying abroad bù è] ‘are you hungry?’ One could reply by through EAP. Although these are pre- Imperial College, University of London— writing 246 [èr sì liù], used to approximate dominately undergraduates, EAP is making year-long immersion program specifically [è sĭ le] ‘starving to death’ and then efforts to increase participation of graduate for engineering and geosciences majors sign off with 88 bā[ bā], sounding like ‘bye and professional students. The majority of bye’. 7456 [qī sì wǔ liù] sounds like [qí sǐ EAP students are enrolled in formal course Introductory French Language and Culture, wǒ le] ‘I'm angry to die’ and 995 [jiǔ jiǔ work at EAP partner institutions; however, UC Center Paris—summer session wǔ] sounds like [jiù jiù wǒ] ‘Help me!’ Take nearly 350 students also participated in special note if someone writes you 520. In out-of-classroom, research, and internship Chinese, it sounds enough like ‘wǒ ài nǐ’ opportunities last year. Reciprocally, 1,300 to pass for ‘I love you’. You could students from partner institutions abroad respond with 775885 for ‘kiss me, hug me’, will be in our UC campus classes and labs but beware: if your correspondent thinks for periods ranging from one UC term to you are being fresh, you might be told 748 the full year. These students from abroad (‘go to hell’). Chinese blogs show that there enrich our academic lives; at the same time, are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of numerical they get a taste of what UC has to offer. transliterations of Chinese expressions like these. And now they have migrated from the EAP Undergraduate Research computer to the sound stage. Mavis, a Tai- Awards wanese pop star, put numerical sweet noth- ings to music in her hit “Digitally Falling EAP offers undergraduate research awards in Love.” One number you will not often annually in each of three disciplinary areas: see in Chinese chat, however, is 64—short- the humanities, social sciences, and sciences hand for ‘June 4’ (the day of the Tiananmen and engineering. Each award consists of a Square killings in 1989). Apparently, filters $1,000 stipend. The purpose of these awards are in place in Chinese chat rooms to screen is to recognize undergraduate students who out reference to sensitive subjects, and ‘64’ have distinguished themselves through is automatically nixed. their excellence in research conducted while abroad on EAP, and to encourage other stu- dents to become involved in research efforts abroad. These awards also recognize UC’s initiatives to internationalize the undergrad- uate educational experience and promote undergraduate research activities.

Information and applications can be found at http://eap.ucop.edu/eap/discipline/re- searchawards/

6 A French Perspective mumble, quite audibly, after a doctoral Notes from the Director student had intervened at the end of a con- on American Academic ference: “De quel droit elle parle celle-là?!… by Richard Kern Culture elle ferait mieux de finir sa thèse.”(Who gave her permission to speak? She'd be better Greetings and best wishes for this new by Nicolas Guichon, University of off finishing her dissertation.) This is quite semester and new year! The United Nations Lyon 2 revealing as to who can say what, and when, General Assembly has declared 2008 the in the French university hierarchy. INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LAN- Last October, thanks to the France-Berkeley GUAGES (IYL) in an effort to promote Fund, I was one of four researchers (along Second, interactions between researchers unity in diversity and global understanding. with Christine Develotte, Samira Drissi, and were fluid and totally uncompetitive. This Drawing attention to the world’s shrinking Caroline Vincent) from the ICAR (Interac- supportive atmosphere made it possible to linguistic resources, Koichiro Matsuura, tions, Corpora, Learning, and Representa- express ideas, even if they were sometimes Director-General of UNESCO, writes: tions) Research Laboratory of the University confused or the “right” words were missing. “within the space of a few generations, more of Lyon 2 to go to UC Berkeley to take part There was the feeling, which is quite exhila- than 50 percent of the 7,000 languages spo- in a three-day seminar organized by Rick rating for a French researcher, that taking ken in the world may disappear. Less than Kern. risks in front of others by openly exploring a quarter of those languages are currently new and sometimes ill-defined concepts was used in schools and in cyberspace, and The seminar, entitled Rethinking Language better than just capitalizing on well-defined most are used only sporadically. Thousands Teaching in the Digital Age: French and notions. In France, researchers tend to allow of languages—though mastered by those American Perspectives on Technology and themselves to exchange with their peers only populations for whom it is the daily means Pedagogy, had two objectives. The first was once they have written several articles on of expression—are absent from education to improve the pedagogical and technical a given subject (as well as having demon- systems, the media, publishing, and the organization of an ongoing online teach- strated that other specialists are not as good public domain in general.” UNESCO there- ing project that allows Berkeley French 3 as they are). by urges governments and organizations to students enrolled in Désirée Pries's class to develop language policies that promote mul- meet with Lyon tutors for weekly online ses- Three days were not sufficient to discover if tilingualism. How? By enabling linguistic sions. The second purpose of this visit was there is an academic climate that is specific communities to use the mother tongue “as to study this type of setting from different to UC Berkeley and I do not have David widely and as often as possible “ (including perspectives (SLA, semiotics, education) and Lodge's talent for comparing the old and in educational contexts) while also learning assess its potential for language learning. new worlds' academic cultures, but I do and using a national or regional language as know now that these bi-cultural seminars well as one or two international languages. Although we had already built a common provide excellent opportunities to identify This is obviously hugely important, and culture thanks to frequent email exchanges good research practices and to bring them even if nothing else comes of this Inter- and Skype conversations prior to this back to France. national Year of Languages, if the physical visit, we enjoyed spending time together at punishment or shaming of children for Dwinelle Hall, exchanging impressions of speaking their mother tongue in schools can the pedagogical experiment, sharing ideas be eliminated it will represent an immense and references and devising methodolo- step forward for humanity. gies to investigate the different phenomena linked to online language learning. The Languages, however, have some competition pleasure of meeting was complete when, at this year, even within the United Nations, the end of three intense days, we discovered which has also proclaimed 2008 to be the zinfandel in Berkeley's great restaurants with International Year of Planet Earth, the our American hosts. International Year of the Potato, and the International Year of Sanitation. This seminar also gave us the opportunity to experience a different academic culture from Additionally, international environmental the French one. There were two specific ele- groups have named 2008 the Year of the ments during this seminar that struck me as Reef and the Year of the Frog. Will lan- quite un-French. guages get lost in the mix? Indeed, reading the official UN press release gives one the First, everybody's input (including that impression that most of the real thrust of of undergraduate students and doctoral IYL is on internal UN policies having to students) to the scientific exchanges was do with multilingualism in the organiza- encouraged, welcomed, and actively taken tion’s daily activities. There is precious little into account. In a similar French setting, guidance on what people should do outside undergraduate students would simply not the UN. be invited and PhD students would barely feel authorized to utter even a few words. David Crystal, in a paper given at the Cen- I once heard a famous French researcher tre UNESCO de Catalunya last September, 7 sees it as a potential advantage that languag- Fellows will present their language research Notes from the Associate es are thrown into the hat with the planet, projects. the potato, and sanitation. After all, he says, Director We will also continue our reading groups for humans need a viable environment, food, by Mark Kaiser and drinkable water to exist. But to co-exist Lecturers. Claire Kramsch will host an eve- ning reading group and potluck at her house they need language, and linguistic diversity I often reflect on a story that Claire and I will host a daytime reading group in is essential to the intellectual and emotional Kramsch has told about the student of B-37 Dwinelle, with lunch provided by the health of the planet: “Without exposure to French who, in French, was opposed to the BLC. Dates will be announced soon. All the alternative visions of the world expressed death penalty, but who, in English, was for language lecturers are invited to attend one by other languages, our view of ourselves it. Initially, this struck me as preposterous. or both reading groups! and of our planet remains inward-looking, Surely, I thought, our core values are im- unchallenged, and parochial.” Have you thought about presenting a mutable and we only use language to express those beliefs. On further reflection, however, To a campus already well steeped in ecologi- teaching innovation at FLANC or other I came to realize just how influential the dis- cal approaches to language, such ideas are so conference? Lecturers should keep in mind course community that I was steeped in at familiar as to be taken for granted. Indeed, that the BLC has modest funds available any particular period in my life had been to the problem with language itself is that to defray registration and travel costs. This creating my identity. If learning a language it’s like the air we breathe—we don’t pay is a great way to meet colleagues at other does involve a layering of new identity, as much attention to it until there’s a problem institutions and to share ideas. The deadline language instructors we should encourage with it. But the real point of any kind of for applying for support is April 1, 2008, for our students to be reflecting on this aspect “International Year of…” is consciousness travel through August 1, 2008. of language learning. raising—to make us think about things we Thank you all for your continued interest don’t ordinarily think about much, to lend and support. I look forward to seeing you at David Divita explored this very point in visibility to what routine has made invisible. our spring 2008 events. his BLC Fellowship in the fall of 2006. As As language teachers, we have a leg up on he reported in his newsletter article, http:// most people—it’s our job to think about Carpe annum! blc.berkeley.edu/newsletterF2006.pdf, language on a daily basis and we’re good at “Through a regular engagement with the self raising others’ consciousness about language. http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ as constructed and performed in a foreign So, in the spirit of 2008 International Year ev.php-URL_ID=35559&URL_DO=DO_ language, students hone their skills of self- of Languages, I propose a New Year’s resolu- TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html assessment.” Further, he suggests various tion: to think and talk about language and reflexive activities that would function to http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ languages with as many people as you can— “expand students’ awareness of the possibili- ga10592.doc.htm your students, colleagues, family, friends, ties of self-invention through language.” and acquaintances. Let them know why it’s Available at http://www.crystalreference. important to know multiple languages. Let In addition to the activities cited by David, com/DC_articles/Langdeath20.pdf them know about ACTFL’s National Stu- another way instructors might consider dent Video Podcast Contest to celebrate the encouraging their students to reflect more value of language learning (details at www. deeply is by having them become involved ACTFLVideoContest.org; deadline Febru- on the BLC’s blog site, Found In Transla- ary 15). Let them know that many languag- tion (http://foundintranslation.berkeley. es are endangered and why that matters. Let edu/). It is worth noting that the category them know what is happening in our own of “Language and Identity” is the most fre- backyard with California Indian language quently used, and the second most common revitalization efforts, such as the Language is “Language and Culture.” Many of the is Life Conference (April 4-6 in Marin) and postings are very thought provoking, (e.g., the Breath of Life Workshop held here at the most recent on “Linguistic Assumptions Berkeley (June 8-15). Let them know why and Expectations” by Usree Bhattacharya) linguistic diversity benefits everyone. and would certainly encourage reflection by our students. To stimulate your own thinking, the BLC will provide a great lineup in its Spring Please consider using Found In Translation Lecture Series. In February, Jay Lemke in your courses this semester. Please contact will speak about affective dimensions of me if you any questions on how you might language-in-use and language learning. In use the blog. Best wishes for a successful March, Deborah Anderson will talk about semester. language preservation efforts through digital encoding of written scripts. In April, Patricia Baquedano-López will talk about language socialization processes, and in May the BLC

8 When MERLOT is not cogent and lively manner (“Web 2.0 and its ers and instructors will create their own Impact on Language Teaching and Learn- content and not just use what exists. a wine: Technology in ing”), following an introductory statement Language Learning and about “Too much info! Too many tools!” “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” Their conference notes and PowerPoint file Mimi Yu and others developed this issue Teaching, a Report on including photographs of the different tools that was originally raised in Marc Prensky’s Recent Conferences can be retrieved from http://unrnihongo. 2001 article. Digital Natives are the N-gen pbwiki.com/SWALLT+2007+Fall+Confere (net generation) or D-gen (digital genera- by Françoise Sorgen-Goldschmidt, nce+at+Stanford: a succinct and lively sum- tion), i.e., the people that have grown up Senior Lecturer Emerita, French mary for anyone, no matter how much they with digital technology, for whom com- already know on the subject. munication on the Web is as important and Starting with the inevitable cliché, tech- normal as real face-to-face interaction. In nology and its applications to language Recurring Topics, Tools, contrast, Digital Immigrants are their seri- learning and teaching evolve at breakneck ous, plodding, slow-learning, pre digital-age speed. As language instructors, we have an Technologies, and Themes instructors. important responsibility to stay current, It is clearly impossible to review in detail all and constantly reassess and reflect on what twelve days of pre-conference workshops, Wikis. Everyone is familiar with the most we will use to best serve our pedagogi- plenaries, and parallel sessions from IALLT, famous one—Wikipedia. A wiki is software cal purposes. Technology and Language SWALLT, and GLoCALL. In addition, that allows users to create, edit, and link Learning Conferences are both exciting only at SWALLT was it possible to attend Web pages, thus allowing collaborative and overwhelming to attend. One may at all presentations: with no parallel sessions, work on line. For a two-minute video (You- times feel dizzy from the constant barrage presenters and attendees spent the two days Tube) presentation of how to easily create of new words and concepts with names together in Stanford’s Digital Lab, a rare a wiki, one can visit http://swallt.pbwiki. such as delicious—or rather del.icio. and wonderful occurrence when compared com/FrontPage. us—Flickr, mashup, Twitter, aggregation, to usual conference formats. Drupal, learning objects, not to mention Vered Shemtov from Stanford illustrated the ubiquitous Web 2.0, and references to Here are some of the recurring tools, tech- how she first teaches her students how Web 3.0. These and many more relentlessly nologies, topics, and underlying themes. to create content for the Web, until they resounded throughout the sessions at the Most of these were discussed in more than eventually contribute to Wikipedia in International Association for Language one presentation. Hebrew, e.g., guiding visitors through the Learning Technology (IALLT) conference Stanford campus. Students do not just use “Social Networking” and Web 2.0 at Tufts, the SouthWest Association for and consult the Web for authentic language As Vered Shemtov from Stanford Univer- Language Learning Technology (SWALLT) and culture resources; they become a part sity brilliantly demonstrated at SWALLT, conference at Stanford, and the Globaliza- of the Hebrew writing community, and cre- we no longer just utilize information from tion and Localization in Computer Assisted ate in the target language for a worldwide the Web; we share information, create and Language Learning (GLoCALL) confer- audience. interact there, and become part of online ence in Vietnam, a joint conference of the communities. Technologies allow everyone Blogs (Web logs) and Vlogs (Video blogs) Pacific Association for Computer Assisted not merely to hear and watch what others Blogs lend themselves well to collaborative Language Learning (PacCAL) and the Asia have posted, but also to publish on the Web projects since anyone can read (or listen Pacific Association for Computer Assisted for the world to see. or watch in the case of vlogs) as well as Language Learning ( APACALL). contribute. Contributions are organized In his links for the Pomona faculty http:// chronologically, and typically will not be Retrospective Presentations flrc.pomona.edu/faculty/links, Felix Kro- edited by others (unlike wikis). Several Retrospective presentations are very helpful nenberg lists close to thirty “Social Soft- speakers pointed out that with an enlarged for taking stock of the fast-paced (r)evolu- ware/Web 2.0 Resources.” readership or audience that may include tion from pre-Web 1.0 to Web 3.0. native speakers, students’ sense of respon- In that Web 2.0 context, the “from” in sibility towards their productions tends to At GLoCALL, Don Hinkelman from Sap- the title of Iain Davey’s (Doshisha Univer- increase, and they are more engaged in their poro Gakuin University included in his pa- sity) paper at GLoCALL on “Multimedia work. per, “Wireless Notebooks in Project-based resources from the Internet: Practical ideas Learning, an Institutional Case Study,” a and solutions,” had a quaint 20-century fla- Podcasts. A podcast, also called “The clear and useful background review of the vor to it, which did not prevent his presen- People’s Radio” by Andy Affleck in a 2005 evolution of the profession from Second tation from being thorough and engaging. TidBITS article http://db.tidbits.com/ Language Instruction (SLI) to Second article/7986, is a series of audio or video UGC, UCC, LGC within Computer Language Acquisition (SLA) to Second clips that one can subscribe to for free. Mediated Communication (CMC): User Language Socialization (SLS). More importantly in the context of Web Generated Content, User Created Content, 2.0, students can also create their own At SWALLT, Mimi Yu and Yoshie Kad- Learner Generated Content: these self- podcasts. Alan Bessette from Poole Gakuin owaki from the University of Nevada at explanatory concepts describe how learn- University in Japan demonstrated how he Reno, retraced the last twenty years in a guides his ESL students in producing their 9 own interviews and radio podcasts, and how Let me now venture a summary based on His misgivings gave rise to very lively discus- the prospect of a “real audience” adds to the the various presentations I attended: Col- sions. challenge. laboration seemed to be the main feature of the new paradigm that new technologies Second Life, Facebook, and Disruptive technologies (Moodle, Skype) bring about. A Wikipedia article describes “a disrup- other social networks or virtual tive technology or disruptive innovation” In spite of the enthusiasm that prevailed games as “a technological innovation, product, or throughout the conferences, most people The discussion as to their pedagogical worth service that eventually overturns the existing involved with CALL know that Web 1.0, is sure to continue, but privacy may also dominant technology or status quo product 2.0, or 3.0 will not be a panacea or miracle be an issue. Barbara Sawhill from Oberlin in the market.” Will Moodle or Sakai com- solution for language learners and their College, the President of IALLT, raised pletely replace commercial Course Manage- teachers, any more than the tape recorder the question of how much students want ment Systems (CMS) such as Blackboard or proved to be decades ago. What problems instructors and other “digital immigrants” WebCT? Will Voice-over IP (VoIP), most and issues do these innovations bring with in their “private” (though in fact public) notoriously Skype, eventually replace the them? Some have been discussed since the spaces. telephone as CDs replaced LPs? beginnings of CALL and still are, while new ones have appeared. Assessment Moodle A small number of the presentations I at- Moodle was much in evidence (presented, Issues discussed, or used) at all the conferences, es- tended addressed the issue of how to assess pecially at GLoCALL, where Moodle expert “The pedagogy must drive technology, not the new types of student productions, e.g., Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo Univer- the other way around” is an old saw that wikis or podcasts, that Web 2.0 technolo- sity was one of the organizers. Moodle is a bears repeating. As Nina Garrett from Yale gies have made possible. Fortunately, the free Open Source online CMS—or Learn- University suggested in her paper at IALLT, abstracts from the upcoming CALICO with ing Management Systems (LMS), or Virtual “Perennial questions about the relationship IALLT Conference (Bridging CALL Com- Learning Environment (VLE)—designed of CALL to ongoing pedagogical issues are munities http://calico.org/conference/) seem to help educators create online courses sometimes ignored in the excitement of to indicate that this issue will be addressed with opportunities for rich interaction. It is bringing new technologies to support learn- in several of the papers. more widely used than Sakai, which powers ing activities we could not address before.” bSpace here at Berkeley. Conclusion In her IALLT presentation “Even The Best I look forward to again being overwhelmed Skype, Skypecasting, and Skype Recording Tools Need A Pedagogy—Shaping the by presentations at upcoming confer- Skype allows us to talk to people all over the Foreign Language Learning of the Fu- ences taking place at nearby locations: San world via the Internet for free. Skypecasts ture,” Stephanie Kufner from Bard College Francisco will host the first CALICO with allow us to start or join a conversation. stressed the need for intralingual and intrac- IALLT conference (Bridging CALL Com- Conversations can be recorded and sent as ultural literacy, and used the five C’s of the munities https://calico.org/conference/), podcasts. National Standards as a framework for her ABC of Technology (What Tool to Use and Monterey will host the tenth annual Digital Tags and Folksonomy (or collaborative Why) posted at http://inside.bard.edu/cflc/ Stream Conference (http://wlc.csumb.edu/ tagging) FLLTProjects/IALLTBOSTON%202007/ digitalstream/2008/), and Santa Barbara the A Wikipedia article describes a tag (metada- fourth UC Language Consortium Confer- ta) as “a (relevant) keyword or term associ- Overabundance of riches (Or ence on SLA Theoretical and Pedagogical ated with or assigned to a piece of informa- again: “Too much info! Too Perspectives (http://uccllt.ucdavis.edu/ Events/index.cfm). They are sure to generate tion (a picture, a geographic map, a blog many tools!”) entry, a video clip, etc.), thus describing the excitement while also raising further ques- item and enabling keyword-based classifica- Already in the Web 1.0 era, we needed to tions. See you there! tion and search of information.” The use learn how to make choices from the over- As for MERLOT not being a wine? It is of tags has become an important tool for whelming array of easily accessible authentic a Multimedia Educational Resource for finding and retrieving information on the multimedia materials on the Internet. Now Learning and Online Teaching (http://www. Internet. Here again, metadata can be gener- that posting has been added to accessing, merlot.org/merlot/index.htm). Cheers! ated by anyone, i.e., language learners and the choices are even wider. Media Literacy not only the “experts” officially in charge of was discussed in the new context of Web teaching them. 2.0. Andrew Ross from Brown University Privacy discussed ways of “developing a common Joseph Kautz, our SWALLT Conference taxonomy of description for these [learning] host at Stanford, expressed fear as to how objects, and producing together a standard free tools give too much power to Google framework for their creation, archiving, and other corporate entities that can gather and cataloguing that includes both formal immense amounts of information on us. metadata and folksonomies.” 10 World Views on World German as a Foreign Language), a subject The question: What are the not officially taught in German schools and topics being discussed at the Languages hence not subject to regulations and budget- ary restrictions from the cultural ministries. copy machine concerning L2- Towards a Multilingual In materials development as well as in cur- teaching at the University of Society? Current Issues in ricular design, increasing attention is given Jyväskylä? to learner autonomy, to individual learn- Language(s) Learning and ing strategies, and to the question of how by Sirpa Tuomainen, Lecturer in Teaching in Germany new media and technologies can be most Finnish, Scandinavian by Nikolaus Euba, Lecturer and effectively utilized for teaching and learning. Many scholars and practitioners advocate (Sirpa is spending a year at her alma mater, Language Program Coordinator, age-specific methodologies and curricula, the University of Jyväskylä, in Finland, and German which provide early access to foreign lan- sends us these thoughts. –Editor) guage learning, oftentimes before kindergar- When I approached my colleagues with Upon surveying recent publications, con- ten age, and are no longer solely associated the above question, each one looked at vention topics, and conference proceedings, with institutional contexts such as schools me quizzically. I quickly realized that the current issues in foreign language teaching and universities. It is truly encouraging to question was framed incorrectly–culturally and learning in Germany present themselves see that some of these ideas have quickly speaking. In fact, when people here need to as a rather open list in which it is oftentimes been implemented in public pre-school discuss issues, they set a lunch date or meet difficult to identify the explicitly new. In the programs in several of the German states. in the virkistyshuone (literally, a ‘refreshening aftermath of the introduction of the Com- Amidst a vivid public debate of educational room’). In our building, there’s a spacious mon European Framework of References goals, immigration policies, and questions virkistyshuone with a large table, refrig- with the subsequent modification, re-design, of national identity, it almost seems possible erator, coffee machine, nice dishes, house- and re-labeling of curricula and materials, it that the visionary ideal of a multilingual, plants, coffee, and tea. Those returning from seems as if the once heated discussion about pan-European, and transnational citizen will a trip often bring goodies introduced with constructivist theories of learning and their indeed one day become reality. relevance, applicability, and methodological the appropriate greetings—the latest from Aruba (with “hello” in Papiamento) and potential has come to an end. The focus has References shifted from mental processes of language Budapest (with “good morning” in Hungar- learning to emotional and affective aspects Bausch, Karl Richard. 2002. Plädoyer für ian). of people and language, taking into account eine Didaktik und Methodik der echten So back to the topics discussed over pastries the more immediate needs of an increasingly Mehrsprachigkeit. Neue curriculare und un- in the virkistyshuone: the big question is globalized, multicultural, and multilingual terrichtsmethodische Ansätze und Prinzipien how Finland—a country that tends to take society, and necessitated by changes in für das Lehren und Lernen fremder Sprachen. a perfectionist approach—will deal with its migration patterns and immigration laws Eds. Karl-Richard Bausch, Frank G. Königs, increasing number of immigrants. There as well as by the almost unlimited mobility and Hans-Jürgen Krumm. Tübingen: Narr. has been a change in national employment of people and goods within the European 26-32. policies because Finland is very concerned Union member states. Leupold, Eynar. 2002. Anmerkungen zum about the shortage of employees in certain This is paralleled by a conceptual expan- Problem der Innovation im Fremdsprache- sectors: in other words, the country needs sion and a shift in terminology: added to nunterricht: ‘Le chien aboie et la caravane immigrants. These immigrants come with the traditional distinction between ‘first’ passe?’ Neue curriculare und unterrichts- families and all of them need to be educat- and ‘second’ are the concepts of ‘third’ or methodische Ansätze und Prinzipien für das ed. How can the Finnish educational system ‘multiple’ language teaching and learning, Lehren und Lernen fremder Sprachen. Eds. guarantee that the children will achieve a and at the same time more specific and dif- Karl-Richard Bausch, Frank G. Königs, and language level at which they can be edu- ferentiated language learning goals are being Hans-Jürgen Krumm. Tübingen: Narr.112- cated in Finnish? What is the adequate level articulated, even farther removed from the 118. anyway? Who can be considered a ‘native native-speaker yardstick of the seventies and speaker’? Which registers should be empha- Königs, Frank G. 2004.Mehrsprachigkeit: eighties. Methodologically, the concept of sized? In order to ease the students’ transi- Von den Schwierigkeiten, einer guten Idee multilingualism is accompanied by an inter- tioning, there is native language support in zum Durchbruch zu verhelfen. Mehr- cultural interpretation of language learning many schools, but the variety of languages sprachigkeit im Fokus. Eds. Karl-Richard which includes a pragmatic dimension, at- is reaching such numbers that this cannot Bausch, Frank G. Königs, and Hans-Jürgen tention to culturally specific and non-verbal be provided for all. Appropriate, clear, and Krumm. Tübingen: Narr. 96-104. patterns of behavior, and an open, non- easily approachable materials in Finnish are desperately needed. A colleague showed me prescriptive interpretation of culture. Königs, Frank G. 2003. Teaching and the current junior high-level history and Learning Foreign Languages in Germany: Concerning the subsequent need for new biology textbooks. The language is quite A Personal Overview of Developments in instructional materials which adequately abstract, and the books offer no scaffolding Research. Language Teaching 36: 235-251. reflect this changed philosophy, much prog- to help the L2-learners’ receptive skills. ress and innovation seems to come from the field of DaF (Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 11 In addition to immigrants, increasing story of her trip to Napoli at Christmas time meeting over coffee for the following morn- numbers foreign students are also flooding and of the garbage crisis in the country. ing. We got together, set the rules for our the quality, free-of-charge higher education However, before we had a chance to digest weekly interactions, and we’re good to go. system. Programs are offered in English, but any of this, she translated it all into Finn- Andiamo! if the professionals educated in Finland are ish. The only communicative exercise we to become productive members of Finnish did was reading aloud in pairs the dialogues The issues around language teaching and society, they do need to learn to get by in printed in the book. I was so annoyed that learning are many and complex. They also the language of the country. Furthermore, I even started to be bothered by the Finnish seem to be quite similar to those in the UC if Finland educates students at no cost to accent in her otherwise excellent Italian, the system. Globalization, media, and technol- them, the country cannot afford to lose effect of my ‘Italian’ daughter’s finely-tuned ogy are all issues of great interest. In fact, them immediately upon graduation. Should ear and her comments on accents. the University of Jyväskylä is a pioneer in a Finnish language exam be part of gradua- virtual language teaching, and my job here tion requirements? How about academics? Obviously, I couldn’t stay in that class. I includes creating new modules for existing Graduates can survive fine in English in found out about another one at the same virtual Finnish courses as well as creating a their workplace, but is that enough? level, taught by an Italian professor. After new online literature course. I also teach an his si to my emailed request to attend the Internet-based course with students from At the same time, the jobs of those teach- class, I happily marched into my second China to Macedonia and everywhere in ing in academia are becoming increasingly Italian class of the day, two hours later. The between. What makes Jyväskylä especially bureaucratic. There’s auditing and certi- professor walked in, greeted us with Buona exciting to me is the range of languages fication of quality, intricate negotiations Sera and launched into an explanation of taught and the research carried out around for individualized pay for each new hire, what was to follow—in Finnish! He did the issues. Language learning and language and changes in graduation requirements. promise more Italian by March! I decided teaching are considered important academic All this leaves very little time for research, to stay as he did explain grammar for two fields, strongly supported by the govern- which is what most of the university faculty hours—a good match for my non-existent ment. They are in no way less valued than would prefer to spend their time on. Sound knowledge of Italian grammar. We’ll see literature studies. So many new ideas! I’m familiar? how this will work! eager to share more after my return to Berkeley. The department responsible for the train- I discussed the lack of target language use ing of future language teachers at the with a fellow student who is also a high- University of Jyväskylä is questioning the school English teacher. She completely educational level of their students, gradu- agreed with the teaching philosophy of ates of one of the world’s best high school minimal use of the target language, and systems. Finns always score extremely high explained that at such a basic level we on the Programme for International Student needed the teaching done in Finnish. I Assessment (PISA) tests. “If the incom- disagreed and shared my experience of a ing language majors could at least find the Berkeley night class of absolute beginning direct object!” lamented a colleague. Many Italian, conducted completely in the target students also seem to have a dismal knowl- language. What I left out was that we did edge of the literature and history of Finland. quickly lose several monolingual American In some ways, the universities are getting students who just couldn’t handle it. what they have asked for: students straight from high school into ‘the bakery’ and out I refused to give up! The University Lan- as quickly as possible. guage Center came to the rescue! They offer many interesting programs, among In addition, teaching methodologies are them, Each One Teach One, also known as being questioned. New approaches are EOTO. This is how the website describes it: needed as multiculturalism affects foreign EOTO is a program for you who want to language teaching as well, especially that get to know students from different coun- of English, as most students study it from tries and learn different languages. During early on. Having been in awe of the level this two-credit program, students teach and consideration of all issues related to lan- each other their mother tongues and learn guage, I experienced a harsh reality check a the language of their partner. In addition few weeks ago. I eagerly sat in the front row to working in pairs, you can also study lan- among about twenty students in my first guages in small groups, or start up conversa- Italian (level 2) class, taught through the tion groups or study circles that concentrate University Language Center. The teacher, a on only one language. young Finnish woman, smilingly welcomed us with Buon Giorno, Buon Anno Nuovo When I checked the site message board, I and launched into a long explanation of the found two Italians. In just ten minutes, I course—in Finnish! I assumed she would was emailing with a professor from Italy, continue in Italian and she did, telling a now teaching at Jyväskylä, and setting up a 12 Foreign Language Issues in education is a direct means for our survival.” 2008-09 BLC Professional Korea In addition, he points out that English is overly emphasized while other languages fall Development Fellowships by Clare You, Lecturer in Korean, by the wayside, and he therefore advocates for Language Lecturers Department of East Asian Languages for a future language policy requiring that Deadline: March 1, 2008 and Cultures, and Chair, Center for languages such as Chinese, French, Ger- man, Japanese, and Spanish be taught from The Berkeley Language Center is pleased Korean Studies middle school onward. to announce the availability of two one- semester fellowships for Unit 18 lecturers Few countries surpass Korea in its enthusi- Conversely, our recent research on the or language program coordinators for the asm for foreign language learning, above all Korean language diaspora shows that it is a academic year 2008-09. for learning English. The desire and inex- two-way phenomenon: not only are Korean haustible demand for acquiring fluency in speakers trying to learn foreign languages & English has created English Villages, replicas but foreigners are trying to learn Korean. of American cities, where participating stu- The number of learners of Korean has dents must use only English. (There is much exploded in recent decades, especially in 2008-09 BLC Instructional debate on the value and efficacy of the pro- China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Research Fellowships for gram.) “Kirugi (wild geese) parents” is the US. situation in which one parent (usually the Graduate Students mother) takes up residency in an English- The most important contributing fac- Deadline: March 1, 2008 speaking country such as the United States, tors for the popularity of Korean language The Berkeley Language Center is pleased to Canada, Australia, or New Zealand with the learning are Korea’s economic growth and announce the availability of up to six one- children while the other parent (usually the its globalized society, and hallyu or “Korea semester GSRships (IV) for the academic father) flies between Korea and the foreign Wave.” With the economy of Korea ranking year 2008-09 (pending authorization of residence. Early Study Abroad students are eleventh in the world, Korean companies funding). sent to foreign boarding schools at a young are now a global presence from the Ameri- age. There are numerous English hakwon’s cas to Africa. They hire and support sizable If you are interested, we strongly encour- (institutes or academies) throughout the city numbers of local employees who find it to age you to discuss your research project of Seoul—one of the world’s largest cities their advantage to know Korean. This was proposal with Richard Kern or Mark Kaiser. with over 10 million people—to which pointed out in a June 2, 2007 article by For an application form, please contact children as young as three are bussed. Dur- Miriam Jordan in The Wall Street Journal the BLC Business Manager, Ana Arteaga, ing summer vacations and the winter breaks, which states that “many Spanish- and 642.0767 ext 22, [email protected]. students go abroad to gain a real-world Korean-speaking immigrants are choosing English experience. to learn each other's language before they tackle English.” Many immigrants are taking In December 2006, the Korean Ministry of lessons in Korean rather than in English in Finance and Economy announced a plan to Los Angeles, for example. establish English-only Town on the Island of Jeju with a government land grant of 3.79 A second salient factor is known as the million square meters and a government “Korean wave” or hallyu, which refers to capital infusion with the hope of slowing the popularity of Korean language and the flow of capital to the US. “According culture that began with the exported Korean 2007-08 Title VI Travel to the Bank of Korea, Korean students dramas, movies, and songs of the early Grant for Foreign Language spent over $3.3 billion to study abroad last 2000s. These two factors—the job market year. We think that if we create a superior and hallyu—count as the most influential Lecturers educational and residential environment on reasons for taking Korean classes given by Jeju as planned, there will be fewer students non-heritage Asian American students in Spring Deadline: April 1 going to foreign countries to learn English.” an informal survey taken at Berkeley (Clare (travel through 8/1/08) (Korea.net) You, 2006).

What accounts for the English-mania in The Berkeley Language Center provides recent years in Korea? limited funding for foreign language lec- We may find an answer in this interview turers to attend professional conferences. with Professor Chul Park, President of the Include a copy of the program, an abstract, Association of Korean Foreign Language and/or a letter of invitation with your ap- Education: “We [Korea] lack natural plication form. resources and the land is limited. Our only If you have further questions or would like reliable asset is human resources. By destiny, an application form, please contact the BLC we can only survive by reaching out to Business Manager, Ana Arteaga, 642.0767 foreign countries. Thus foreign language ext 22, [email protected]. 13 BLC Fellows’ Reports

Reevaluating and Written in 1971 at the height of Brazilian The last part of the lesson involves focus- dictatorship, Construção narrates a day in ing on the organization of ideas. This may Redesigning the Portuguese the life of a nameless bricklayer. His day be achieved by asking students to consider Language Curriculum begins like any other but culminates in his what the political situation was in Brazil at tragic death, a death perceived, sadly, as a the time this song was composed and what by Clélia F. Donovan, Lecturer in disruption. The salient features of this text the author might be saying about work- Portuguese, Spanish and Portuguese are the use of the simple past and the im- ing conditions under military dictatorship. perfect subjunctive, metaphor, proparóxitona What is the link between the repetitiveness Last year, the professors in my depart- words (where the stress falls on the antepen- of his daily activities, which become increas- ment asked me to design an upper-division ultimate syllable), and repetition. ingly illogical, and his death? How does the reading and textual analysis course for the situation depicted in Construção compare to Portuguese program, as they have found At the 101-level, the text would be used how certain workers are treated in the US? that a large number of students who con- when students are learning the simple past. By asking students to look outside the frame tinue studying to an advanced level lack As a pre-reading exercise, they would discuss of the text, they focus on the larger socio- the fundamental skills of discourse analysis daily activities in terms of common and cultural context in which it was produced, in Portuguese. My initial BLC project, specific as well as place. This part of the and they are encouraged to make connec- therefore, was to create a course that would lesson exposes students to concepts and sets tions and comparisons to their own culture prepare students for upper-division litera- the stage for them to connect the known and their expectations of it (Swaffar). This ture courses. to the unknown. Through minimal-pair would be followed by a production or discrimination (common vs. specific), they transformation activity in order to assess With this goal in mind, I turned to Richard locate members of a category (Swaffar). students’ global understanding. Kern’s Literacy and Language Teaching and Students would continue with a directed Janet Swaffar’s and Katherine Arens’ Remap- reading, a directed thinking activity, asking In Portuguese 102, the song would be ping the Foreign Language Curriculum: An them to express their thinking about how presented along with other texts during Approach through Multiple Literacies. Having a text presents information, to confirm or a weeklong lesson on Chico Buarque, in read no more than the first several pages, disconfirm what has been said, and to make which students acquire a much deeper however, I realized that a course such as predictions about forthcoming information understanding of the social conditions in the one I was asked to devise would be no (Swaffar). I would do this by distributing Brazil during the 1960s and ‘70s. The song more than a mere band-aid on an ancient the text in sections and by asking what they would be examined in terms of its genre, sore. What these scholars, along with many think will happen next, in terms of place or that is, Brazilian Popular Music, consider- others in the field, argue convincingly is that actions, why they think so, and then having ing for whom and in what conditions Chico the most effective way to bridge the nagging them compare their answers with the text. is writing, and presented alongside other gap between language and literature courses Provided with limited amounts of text at a texts (poems, an interview, a film). The is to integrate the study of literature and time, they establish the facts on which to importance of using genres in the foreign culture into every level of the foreign lan- base their interpretation. Additionally, this language classroom has been deftly argued guage curriculum. It was abundantly clear exercise of hypothesizing, describing, and in both of the books referenced. Addition- to me that were we to do this, our students confirming models how interpretation is ally, because one of the most salient features would have the tools necessary to expand constructed (Swaffar). of the song is the use of metaphor, it would and bolster their ability to interpret and be an excellent choice of a text to discuss critically evaluate texts of the Lusophone After rereading to identify, reproduce, and how this rhetorical figure functions. A world, and consequently would excel not express textual messages, by reading silently, writing exercise at this level could consist only in upper division literature courses in and listening to the entire song, students of comparing the representation of Brazil at our department, but in any endeavor involv- would reconstruct in their own words what different moments in time as presented in ing reading. happened as well as comment on the con- the various texts, thereby affording students struction of the text (namely the use of rep- a much deeper understanding of the social Accordingly, my revised BLC project etition throughout the song). Here, students conditions surrounding the work. consisted of reexamining and redesigning perform tasks that link content to language the Portuguese language program. Within choice. As readers, they attempt to retrieve Lastly, at the 103-level, Construção would be the timeframe of the grant, I decided to de- textual messages in order to reconstruct in presented during the portion of the course velop, for the three levels I teach (101, 102, their own language. They look more closely dedicated to poetry. Students would fully and 103), lesson plans centered on a single at the linguistic choices made by the author, explore the text’s literary features (meter, text, a song entitled Construção, by one of link formal text features to meaning–the rhythm, and stanzas), as well linguistic as- Brazil’s greatest popular music composers, use of repetition, for example. They move pects (the rhetorical figures and vocabulary). Chico Buarque, and show how the emphasis from formal analysis to interpretive activity Through comparisons with other poems, becomes more complex over the semesters. (Swaffar). students would reflect on what might be 14 implied about the life of the unidentified E agonizou no meio do passeio público Died in the one way street disrupting the mason who dies a tragic death as narrated in Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o tráfego traffic alexandrine verse. Amou daquela vez como se fosse o ultimo [He] made love that time as if he were the As students’ knowledge of language grows, Beijou sua mulher como se fosse a única last so does their capacity for critical analysis E cada filho seu como se fosse o pródigo Kissed his wife as if she were the only in the target language. By choosing to use E atravessou a rua com seu passo bêbado And each son as if he were the prodigal the same text at three different levels, we Subiu a construção como se fosse sólido And crossed the street with his step drunken have seen how it may be presented in isola- Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes mágicas Went up the construction as if he were solid tion to expose a social critique of a dark Tijolo por tijolo num desenho lógico Raised on the foundation four walls magical period in history; how juxtaposing it with Seus olhos embotados de cimento e tráfego Brick by brick in a design logical other genres from the same period affords a Sentou prá descansar como se fosse um príncipe His eyes blurred with cement and traffic greater understanding of not only the evolu- Comeu feijão com arroz como se fosse o Sat to rest as if he were a prince tion of cultural conditions surrounding the máximo Ate beans and rice as if it were amazing/ work, but also how it fits into a larger body Bebeu e soluçou como se fosse máquina outrageous of work; and finally how it compares with Dançou e gargalhou como se fosse o próximo Drank and hiccupped/cried as if he were a other poems. To me, it’s as if we had been E tropeçou no céu como se ouvisse música machine operating under the assumption that first E flutuou no ar como se fosse sábado Danced and guffawed as if he were a fellow students must obtain linguistic competence E se acabou no chão feito um pacote tímido man in order to subsequently study literature, E agonizou no meio do passeio náufrago And tripped in the sky as if he were listening when in fact, that linguistic competence Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o público to music may be attained through literary and other And floated in the air as if it were Saturday kinds of texts. Amou daquela vez como se fosse máquina And ended up on the ground like a package Beijou sua mulher como se fosse lógico timid References Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes flácidas Agonized in the middle of the sidewalk Sentou prá descansar como se fosse um pássaro shipwrecked Kern, Richard G. 2000. Literacy and Lan- E flutuou no ar como se fosse um príncipe Died in the one way street disrupting the guage Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University E se acabou no chão feito um pacote bêbado public Press. Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o sábado [He] made love that time as if he were a Swaffar, Janet and Katherine Arens. 2005. machine Remapping the Foreign language Curriculum: Kissed his wife as if it were logical An Approach through Multiple Literacies. Construction Raised on the foundation four walls flaccid New York: The Modern Language Associa- Sat to rest as if he were a bird tion of America. [He] made love that time as if it were the last Kissed his wife as if she were the last And floated in the air as if he were a prince And each son as if he were the only And ended up on the ground like a package And crossed the street with his step timid drunken Construção Went up the construction as if he were a Died in the one way street disrupting the machine Saturday Amou daquela vez como se fosse a última Raised on the foundation four walls solid Beijou sua mulher como se fosse a última Brick by brick in a design magical E cada filho seu como se fosse o único His eyes blurred with cement and tears E atravessou a rua com seu passo tímido Sat to rest as if it were Saturday Subiu a construção como se fosse máquina Ate beans and rice as if he were a prince Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes sólidas Drank and hiccupped/cried as if he were Tijolo por tijolo num desenho mágico shipwrecked Seus olhos embotados de cimento e lágrima Danced and guffawed as if listening to Sentou prá descansar como se fosse sábado music Comeu feijão com arroz como se fosse um And tripped in the sky as if he were a drunk príncipe And floated in the air as if he were a bird- Bebeu e soluçou como se fosse um náufrago And ended up on the ground like a package Dançou e gargalhou como se ouvisse música flaccid E tropeçou no céu como se fosse um bêbado Agonized in the middle of the sidewalk E flutuou no ar como se fosse um pássaro public E se acabou no chão feito um pacote flácido

15 BLC Fellows’ Reports

Reading Les Misérables: A Research Design second, whether they could explain how those features contributed to the meaning or The developmental focus of my study led Study of French Learners’ ideas expressed by the text. Developing Ability to me to select two subject groups: a group of intermediate learners, enrolled in an Here’s a brief summary of the results for Comprehend and Interpret advanced lower-division language course each learner group: French Literature (French 4), and a group of advanced learners enrolled in upper division literature courses. Intermediate learners (French 4 level): by Miranda I. Kentfield, PhD I managed to find twenty-seven interme- Reading Comprehension: Success with basic Candidate, French diate subjects, but only seven advanced questions and developing skills with more subjects. When compared with the interme- complex questions. As a literary scholar and French language diate learner group (French 4), students in Thematic Analysis: Partial success–students instructor, I am committed to helping my the advanced learner group had completed a are developing their skills, but the major- students master the French language while minimum of one additional course (French ity had difficulty with the more complex also honing their ability to read, interpret, 102) in literary writing and analysis. questions. and write about French literature. My BLC Formal Analysis: Some skill with interpret- project evolved out of a desire to investi- Since I am particularly fond of the French ing imagery. About one third of students gate how college French learners at varying novel, I created an assessment task that succeeded in identifying poetic language levels of language mastery read and interpret focused on the reading and interpretation of in the text. Very few students successfully works of French prose fiction. A certain prose fiction. I presented students with a se- linked these formal features to the meaning amount of research has addressed the con- ries of excerpts from Victor Hugo’s novel Les or ideas of the text. nection between language learning and liter- Misérables that recounted the transformative Advanced learners (upper division level) ary study, most notably the work of David experiences of the novel’s hero, Jean Valjean. : Hanauer and James N. Davis. However, not The excerpts were several paragraphs in Reading comprehension: Success with basic much is known about the level of interpre- length. Students were asked to read the text questions. The majority of students achieved tive sophistication achieved by learners at in the original French, and then respond mastery of more complex questions and all various stages in the language acquisition to a series of questions. Each student chose are developing their skills. process. As David Hanauer observes, “there whether to respond in French or in Eng- Thematic analysis: Many students show is very little actual empirical data related to lish. Students were also given an optional mastery, and all are developing their skills. the reading and comprehension of literature feedback sheet to fill out. They completed Formal analysis: Considerable skill with within the language classroom” (295). I the task in forty-five to seventy-five minutes imagery. Partial success in identifying poetic hoped that by analyzing how students’ liter- (no time limit was imposed). Most students language. Students are beginning to develop ary skills develop over time, I might discover were not allowed to use a dictionary, al- an ability to connect such language to the which skills were the most difficult to ac- though translations were provided for many meaning or ideas in a prose narrative, but quire. These skills could then be reinforced difficult words. However, ten intermediate have yet to achieve mastery. subjects were allowed to use a dictionary. pedagogically, allowing us to better serve These results confirm what we would hope students’ needs. The availability of a dictionary influenced student performance on just one of the eight and expect to find: that advanced learners questions posed. show greater interpretive and comprehen- Research Objectives sion abilities than intermediate learners. Al- My research was guided by a central objec- Written Task Results though the general findings of this study are tive: to evaluate students’ ability to com- not very surprising, this form of assessment prehend and interpret literary texts as they Three types of skills were evaluated: read- is useful to instructors because it offers spe- pass from the intermediate to the advanced ing comprehension, thematic analysis, and cific information about which skills students stages of language learning. What types of formal analysis. Reading comprehension master at different stages of language learn- interpretive skills do students master at the involved understanding and accurately ing, allowing us to identify areas that could intermediate as opposed to the advanced reproducing factual information conveyed be reinforced pedagogically. Results suggest levels of language learning? Can they iden- by the text. Thematic analysis involved that students at both learning levels might tify formal elements of prose narratives and offering a justifiable interpretation of the benefit from explicit instruction about the evaluate the relationship between form and themes, ideas, or implied meanings in a text formal aspects of prose narratives and how ideas or meaning in a text, or are they more by relying on the use of textual evidence. they contribute to the establishment of comfortable with strictly thematic forms of While formal analysis encompasses a broad meaning in a literary text. In addition, a analysis? While students are often taught to range of interpretive tasks, I chose to focus written task of this kind provides a helpful focus on form when reading poetry, I won- on students’ ability to work with imagery opportunity for students to practice reading dered whether they would be able to transfer and poetic (including figurative) language an unfamiliar text and demonstrating their these skills to the study of prose narratives. in the text. I evaluated, first, whether they skills independently, without the benefit of could recognize such formal features, and 16 classroom discussion and instruction. Suc- Yiddish as a Vernacular Jews in particular. Consequently, the native cessful performance under such conditions or near-native speakers of Yiddish are, for shows that students have truly integrated Language: Issues in the most part, elderly. In addition, very little their classroom learning. The task itself Teaching a Language in contemporary culture works are produced could be adapted for classroom use, provid- for contemporary students to have at their ing students with an opportunity to practice Obsolescence disposal in a Yiddish classroom. With the various forms of interpretive analysis and by Robert Adler Peckerar, PhD diminishing number of native speakers, discuss the results with their instructor. Candidate, Comparative Literature Yiddish instructors are confronted with an ever-growing unnaturalness of speech, a References Initially, my project set out to address what situation that is tragically ironic, consider- Davis, James N. 1989. The Act of Reading I saw as the three greatest problems affecting ing that Yiddish was the vernacular of the in the Foreign Language: Pedagogical Im- Yiddish language instruction at the univer- vast majority of Jews in the world prior to plications of Iser’s Reader Response Theory. sity level. These problems, I believe, stem the Second World War. Students rarely, if Modern Language Journal 73: 420-428. from the inherent difficulty of teaching a ever, hear Yiddish the way it was spoken: language in the aftermath of a genocide that inflection, idiomaticity, and pragmatics have Davis, James N. 1992. Reading Literature in murdered one out of every two speakers of disappeared from the classroom, leaving the Foreign Language: The Comprehension- the language. students not only ignorant of the cultural Response Connection. French Review 65: context in which Yiddish was spoken but 359-370. The first issue is that, unlike nearly every also lacking communicative and expressive language taught at the university, Yiddish competence. Not hearing native speakers Hanauer, David. 2001. The Task of Poetry lacks a physical territory, a nation-state or a using dialectal varieties of pronunciation Reading and Second Language Learning. distinct entity on a map to which one can systems also leaves students unable to com- Applied Linguistics 22: 295-323. indicate a set of colors that represent Yid- prehend Yiddish when they do meet native dophone space. In its dispersion, number of speakers, listen to older music recordings, Iser, Wolfgang. 1978. The Act of Reading: A living speakers, and lack of a geographical or view movies, as the students are only Theory of Aesthetic Response. Baltimore: Johns center, Yiddish is perhaps most similar to exposed to the so-called standard variety of Hopkins University Press. Romani (a language taught almost exclu- the language used in textbooks and in mod- Mattix, Micah. 2002. The Pleasure of Poetry sively in departments of linguistics). A ern classes. This variety of Yiddish was only Reading and Second Language Learning: lack of territorial boundaries accounts for adopted as a standard in the 1920s and its A Response to David Hanauer. Applied the problem of placement in the national phonology is based on a minority pronun- Linguistics 23/4: 515-518. languages and literature departments. In ciation (Northeastern Yiddish) while most the handful of Yiddish language programs spoken or performed Yiddish is Southern or in North America, Yiddish is taught in the Southeastern Yiddish. departments of German (as it is at Berke- ley), departments of Jewish Studies, and, This brings us to our third problem and the curiously, in departments of Near Eastern one I hoped to address in my project, the Studies. In its status as a tagged-on, ill- language textbook. Anglophone Yiddish fitting course, Yiddish language instruction courses, by and large, use one of two text- is often on the top of the list of classes cut books at the university level. The most wide- for budgetary reasons and instructors lack ly used is College Yiddish (1949), by Uriel the resources available to instructors in the Weinreich. College Yiddish is a language text- “major” languages. book typical of the 1940s. The structure of each chapter follows a particular template: In addition to the lack of departmental exemplary text, vocabulary list, relevant support, Yiddish suffers from a lack of a grammar, and drills (translation exercises speech and cultural community that will between English and Yiddish). Weinreich’s interact with contemporary, secular students book also has a particular agenda (language of Yiddish. This is significant because, even standardization) and audience (American though Yiddish is a language with a rapidly students who have had a great deal of prior growing population of native speakers, this exposure to Yiddish and need to be guided growth is confined to Hasidic enclaves (in away from their home varieties of Yiddish Brooklyn, upstate New York, Israel, and into the standard language). The book as- Belgium, for example) and with the rare sumes that students already have the basics exception, Hasidim avoid contact with of Yiddish conversation and does not even secular culture in general and with secular approach the material modern textbooks

17 BLC Fellows’ Reports generally begin with, such as greetings and able to further develop a textbook that can Ecological Perspective of Language Learning introductions, until the very middle of the assist in the teaching of Yiddish as a more to the teachers’ pedagogical repertoire. text. natural-sounding language that teaches not only grammar and vocabulary by a series of The English learners in their classrooms Fifty years after the publication of College translation drills, but also allows for students speak a variety of home languages offering Yiddish, a new text was published by Sheva to develop a communicative and cultural teachers a rich mosaic of opportunities to Zucker, called simply Yiddish. The moti- competence in language facing a complex draw upon from the students’ local environ- vation for her textbook is quite clear; she form of obsolescence. ment and personal experiences. Teachers hopes to update the Weinreich text and to were encouraged to make connections from modernize its layout. But, on the whole, the information they had about students Zucker’s book maintains the same template from the home, neighborhood, playground, as College Yiddish, although her exemplary Designing Instruction for and classroom, as well as from the teachers’ texts are more or less contemporary and Young English Learners own professional knowledge. there is some awareness that the students using this textbook may have had no prior from an Ecological For example, the veteran teacher in the exposure to Yiddish. Perspective of Language study, a Spanish-English bilingual teacher, said that she often observed that some chil- So what is a Yiddish instructor to do? Yid- Learning dren arrived at the school monolingual in dish, as the latest MLA report on languages by Lyn Scott, PhD Candidate, School Spanish in kindergarten and then appeared has shown is experiencing an upsurge in stu- to be unable to speak much Spanish when dent enrollment. Percentage-wise (though of Education they arrived at her bilingual third grade not in the number of students) Yiddish When elementary school teachers plan classroom a few years later. Later, she con- is second only to Arabic in its increase in instruction for English learners in their nected this to her own experience growing students. This year, for the first time in the classrooms, a variety of constraints and op- up in a Spanish-speaking home, but losing history of Yiddish courses at Berkeley, the portunities shape the pedagogical resources her Spanish proficiency and only speaking beginning Yiddish class had a waitlist and available to teachers. In the current era of English until she was politicized as a college had quadrupled its enrollment over the past increased standardized testing, federal No student, re-capturing her heritage and her four years. Yet, after finishing two semes- Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, proficiency in Spanish. As a teacher she ters of Yiddish, students report a sense of and a narrowed curriculum, teachers often strived to discourage home language loss disappointment and frustration at not being feel their pedagogical resources are con- among her bilingual students. able to understand Yiddish as it is spoken strained to scripted textbook materials or and performed by native speakers of non- feel encouraged to streamline instruction Theoretical Background Standard Yiddish. with repetitive or de-contextualized drills. An Ecological Perspective of Language Yet, opportunities still exist for teachers to My project, in which I initially planned Learning has gained currency in Second delve into their own repertoire of pedagogi- to develop a textbook or textbook model, Language Acquisition (SLA) research and cal knowledge in order to tailor instruction made an early turn to the Web. In its ability theoretical work in recent years through the to individual student’s needs, capitalize on to integrate multimedia and de-fragment work of Kramsch (2002), Larsen-Freeman teachable moments, and help students to acoustic, visual, and textual material, the (2002), Lemke (2002), and van Lier (2004). build upon their background knowledge. Web seemed like an ideal space for Yiddish Several features of this research have special instruction. I was also intrigued by the idea prominence with regard to young children. My BLC project was an exploratory case Language learning is emergent, with differ- of creating a virtual space where Yiddish study of a team of three third grade teach- could have its own pseudo-territory, where ent meanings appearing at different times ers in an urban California elementary and on different timescales. As meaning students could interact with a world of other school. The teachers illustrated that the art Yiddish speakers and learners outside the emerges, teachers have opportunities to of teaching includes not only classroom capture teachable moments. Language learn- classroom. Most importantly, a Web-driven management, assessing student learning, textbook allowed for a shift away from drill- ing is also mediated, for example, through and delivering textbook instruction from social encounters, pictures, or texts—thus, based instruction to an interactive space the teacher’s manual, but also engaging of enhanced collaborativity. The end result for children, through their own personal students in their own learning, inspiring experiences. of the project was the development of a multilingual learners, and building upon concrete Web-based first unit of a textbook background knowledge. My goals were to Especially critical for classroom instruc- (http://yiddish.berkeley.edu/lesson1/) and understand the teachers’ collaboration in tion is the notion that the language ecology a hard-copy workbook that could accom- planning instruction for English learners is fractal. Broader issues of language may pany the Web book. There is still much to in their classrooms and to focus teachers’ be found within much smaller fractals of be done to facilitate a full modernization of attention on the holistic language ecology of interaction. By capitalizing on appropriate Yiddish language pedagogy and I hope to be their students’ daily lives in order to add an fractals, teachers can present their students 18 with classroom lessons drawn from the they could capitalize on household and ten-one, ten-two…) rather than English’s outside language ecology that are connected other non-school resources as they prepared irregular (…nine, ten, eleven, twelve…) to their background knowledge. classroom English Language Development counting system. (ELD) instruction. Overlapping, complementary relationships During the teacher’s collaborative planning in the ecology of language are complex and The School, Students, and time, teachers shared concerns about the seemingly chaotic. The key for teachers is Teachers narrow parameters for the school’s success as appreciating the connections between points determined by the Adequate Yearly Progress in this complexity. An Ecological Perspec- The school is in an ethnically diverse, work- (AYP) score of the NCLB Act. One teacher tive of Language Learning allows teachers ing class neighborhood of predominantly asked, “Which area did we miss it (AYP) to both 1) analyze the existing language Latino, African-American, and Asian/Pa- in?” The response (“ELD. We needed to go ecology and 2) plan and design classroom cific Islander families. Twenty-nine of the up by 10 points.”) showed a focus on collec- instruction based on knowledge of the exist- fifty-four students in the three third grade tive test improvement rather than individual ing language ecology and research-based classrooms are designated as English learners student growth. SLA methodologies. with 82percent having been in a California school since kindergarten. Students’ home Teachers also expressed shortcomings in Early discussions among the teachers languages include African-American Ver- the school district’s mandated student ELD made it apparent that elementary school nacular and American English, Mexican and texts and teachers’ manuals although each teachers must also incorporate an Eco- Central American Spanish, Mam, Tongan, teacher felt differently about a plan of ac- logical Perspective of Child Development Vietnamese, Cambodian, Cantonese, Mien, tion. The following condensed exchange (Bronfenbrenner, 1986) into SLA theories. and other African and Asian languages. shows the range of concerns expressed by Bronfenbrenner, a developmental psycholo- the teachers and the principal’s representa- gist, articulated that children develop in The three collaborating teachers in this tive—the instructional coach—during their nested micro-systems that may include fam- case study are a white, monolingual novice planning time for the afternoon ELD lesson. ily, school, peer, or religious settings. With teacher in her second year of teaching, respect to language learning, each micro-sys- a bilingual Latina veteran teacher in her Exemplary teacher: “Do we have any flex- tem has its own language ecology that offers eighteenth year of teaching, and a white, ibility with this program?” the child unique experiences and contributes monolingual exemplary teacher (as referred Veteran teacher: “The old publisher was to the child’s background knowledge. In this to by colleagues and administrators) in her much better.” case study, teachers observed that children ninth year of teaching. Teachers integrate Exemplary teacher: “There are no pictures from Mien-speaking families encountered ELD into the two-hour morning language now.” Spanish and African American Vernacular arts block and a specific ELD lesson time for Instructional coach: “We only have 20 English in their peer culture, but little of 20-30 minutes each afternoon. Their col- minutes.” their home language outside the home. In laboration for ELD instruction planning is Novice teacher: “The new program is too the classroom, standard American English ongoing, through informal daily meetings, easy for some and too hard for others who was the expected norm with home languages weekly grade level cohort meetings, monthly get blown over by the high group.” other than Spanish rarely used. peer observations, and biannual school-wide Exemplary teacher: “Could we make this a professional development in ELD. culture class?” In collaborative planning sessions, teachers Veteran teacher: “Special activities are OK shared information about their students’ Teacher Research and for some students who don’t need extra linguistic and life histories in the school and Collaboration help.” family domains. They drew upon theoretical work that emphasizes that children bring Using informal assessment of students’ The teachers’ comments illustrate three funds of knowledge to the classroom from linguistic biographies, teachers gathered in- instructional perspectives in many teachers’ the various domains of their life. This work formation through a home language survey pedagogical repertoires. The first, the diag- by Moll, et al. (1992) encourages teachers to and parent communication, observation of nostic approach, is based on formal, school- examine household and classroom practices students’ language preference among peers, based assessment of the student through qualitatively to “develop innovations in and examination of the neighborhood’s lin- standardized test scores, English proficiency teaching that draw upon the knowledge and guistic landscape. Teachers found linguistic scores, and a narrow focus on student skills found in local households in order to background information: one, for example, deficiencies. The veteran teacher was willing organize classroom instruction that exceeds noted, “I didn’t realize she spoke Mam (an to de-emphasize the mandated text during the rote-like instruction children commonly indigenous language of the Guatemalan instruction in favor of re-teaching phonetic encounter in schools.” Thus, when meet- Highlands).” Drawing upon the student’s and consonant blending drills that a group ing parents or visiting the home, teachers funds of knowledge, a base-ten math lesson of the students was unable to master. These encouraged ideas to emerge through an was designed to utilize the Mam language’s drills were de-contextualized and repetitive. open-ended interviewing strategy so that regular counting system (e.g., …nine, ten, 19 Fellows’ Reports

The second, the reactionistic approach, relies References on the mandated texts and teacher’s manual to provide the totality of pedagogical tools Bronfenbrenner, U. 1986. Ecology of the needed for ELD instruction. The novice family as a context for human develop- teacher appreciated the shortcomings of a ment: Research perspectives. Developmental one-size-fits-all curriculum but felt unable, Psychology 22: 723-742. at this stage in her career, to differentiate Kramsch, C., ed. 2002. Language Acquisi- instruction for the diverse learners. She tion and Language Socialization: Ecological preferred re-grouping students so that each Perspectives. London: Continuum. 1-30. teacher could teach her preferred approach. Larsen-Freeman, D. 2002. Language The final approach, an ecological perspec- acquisition and language use from a chaos/ tive, was preferred by the exemplary teacher complexity theory perspective. Language who wanted to capitalize on connections be- Acquisition and Language Socialization: tween students’ home language and school Ecological Perspectives. Ed. C. Kramsch. language practices. She applied her knowl- London: Continuum. edge of skills and resources found in chil- dren’s households and encouraged students, Lemke, Jay. 2002. Language development for example, to reflect critically on how they and identity: multiple timescales in the address elders and siblings at home in their social ecology of learning. Language Acquisi- home language variety, then mirror this in tion and Language Socialization: Ecological English in the classroom as they reflect upon Perspectives. Ed. C. Kramsch. London: how they address classmates and teachers Continuum. 68-87. at school. Students dramatized playground interactions in the classroom, which they Moll, L., C. Amanti, D. Neff, and N. had generated earlier. Thus, ELD instruc- Gonzalez. 1992. Funds of knowledge for tion became a time for conflict resolution teaching: Using a qualitative approach to and expressing language appropriate for the connect homes and classrooms. Theory into situation and to the person addressed. As Practice 31:2: 132-141. students’ ideas emerged, the teacher was able to adapt instruction as students played with van Lier, L. 2004. The Ecology and Semiot- language during role-play, experimented ics of Language Learning: A Sociocultural with poetry, or rhymed musical lyrics. Perspective. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Press. The three approaches offer insight into the potential and the limits of collaborative efforts to foster instruction informed by a holistic examination of the language ecology of student’s day-to-day life. While an Eco- logical Perspective of Language Learning is a well-grounded hypothesis that is receiving considerable discussion in SLA and language pedagogy research, it needs rigorous empiri- cal work among practitioners and research- ers. At the elementary school level, it can encourage teachers both to reflect holistical- ly about their students’ ELD environment and to innovate when designing instruction that builds upon the multilingual resources which children bring to the classroom from their homes and peer interactions.

20

University of California, Santa Barbara April 25-27, 2008

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ Applied Language Studies & Linguistics University of Auckland

On April 27th, Rod Ellis will also lead a half-day workshop

We invite submissions for presentations from scholars in all disciplines who are involved in research on second language learning and teaching.

Please see the UC Consortium Website for details concerning submission of abstracts http://uccllt.ucdavis.edu/

FUNDING Note to lecturers, faculty, and graduate students affiliated with the University of California: There will be limited funding provided by the UCCLLT for travel and lodging expenses for both participants and attendees. 21 22 BLC Lectures Conferences

Pedagogical Workshop on Literacy-based Southwest Conference on Language Teaching Language Teaching (SWCOLT) January 25 February 28–March 1, 2008 B-4 Dwinelle Salt Lake Ciy, UT Richard Kern, Professor of French and BLC Director, University http://www.swcolt.org of California, Berkeley 10th Annual DigitalStream Conference Meaning and Feeling: The Semantics and March 17–19, 2008 Pragmatics of Affect California State Universtity Monterey Bay February 8 http://wlc.csumb.edu/digitalstream/ B-4 Dwinelle Jay Lemke, Professor of Educational Studies, School of CALICO with IALLT: Bridging CALL Education, University of Michigan Communities March 18–22, 2008 The Script Encoding Initiative and Language San Francisco State University Teaching and Scholarship for Minority and http://www. calico.rog/conferenec/index.php Historic Languages on the Web March 14 American Association of Applied Linguistics 370 Dwinelle (AAAL) 2008 Annual Conference Deborah Anderson, Linguistics, University of California, March 29–April 1, 2008 Berkeley Washington, DC http://www.aaal.org/aaal2008/index.htm The Question of Competence in Language Socialization Research: An Analysis of 42nd Annual TESOL Convention & Exhibit Rehearsals in Children’s Religious Ritual April 2–5, 2008 Practice New York, NY April 18 http://www.tesol.org/2008convention 370 Dwinelle Patricia Baquedano-López, Professor of Language and Literacy, Foreign Language Association of Northern Society and Culture, School of Education University of California (FLANC) Fall Conference California, Berkeley November 7–8, 2008 TBD, Berkeley, CA BLC Fellows’ Forum: Instructional Development http://www.fla-nc.org Research Projects May 9 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign 370 Dwinelle Languages (ACTFL) Amelia Barili, Jennifer Gipson, and Julia McAnallen November 20–23, 2008 Orlando, FL All lectures are Friday, 3–5 pm http://www.actfl.org The Berkeley Language Center Lecture Series is sponsored The 124th Annual MLA Convention by the College of Letters and Science December 27–30, 2008 and by Berkeley’s eight National Resource Centers San Francisco, CA under a Title VI grant http://www.mla.org from the US Department of Education. 23 About the Berkeley The BLC provides audio-video-computer- BLC Executive Committee, ized lesson materials, listening, viewing, Language Center recording, duplicating and archiving facili- 2007–08 The Berkeley Language Center (BLC), es- ties and related technical and administrative Charles Derden tablished in 1994, serves as a resource center services. The BLC also administers the Dwi- Wakae Kambara for all language teachers on the Berkeley nelle Computer Research Facility (DCRF) Mark Kaiser campus. which supports humanities faculty, engages Richard Kern in computer-based research projects, and Jan Kieling The mission of the BLC is to improve and provides equipment and technical expertise Claire Kramsch strengthen foreign language instruction on for the development of instructional Lisa Little the Berkeley campus by keeping teachers materials. Karen Møller informed of new developments in the fields Marilyn Seid-Rabinow of language pedagogy, second language Victoria K. Williams acquisition, and applied linguistics. The BLC promotes and facilitates the use BLC Newsletter Committee, of new language learning technologies in the classroom. The BLC is particularly 2007–08 interested in helping lecturers develop new Mark Kaiser materials, attend conferences and in-service Richard Kern training workshops, and publish their ideas Lisa Little and materials. It has modest funds to help Sarah C. Roberts lecturers attend professional meetings and Victoria K. Williams develop new teaching projects.

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Newsletter Volume 23 Issue 2 Spring 2008