Overview

Dates:  December 2009-May 2010.

Beginning in December 2009 and continuing through Spring 2010, CIT will host a fellowship program to support language faculty interested in exploring with colleagues the best (most effective and most efficient) ways to increase students’ oral production in the target language, in order to increase students’ language learning.  The original call for applicants is here.

Fellows Activities

Fellows attended a one-day orientation in December 2009 which included discussions of philosophical issues related to assigning and grading oral production, such as whether instructors should listen and personally respond to all student assignments, how to use peer or self-evaluation of oral production, and how to design and apply appropriate evaluation rubrics to oral assignments. In addition technologies useful for oral assignments such as Voice Tools, Voice Thread, Skype, Flip cameras, Jing and Adobe Connect were demonstrated.

The fellows will use a Blackboard course site and a WordPress blog to create and maintain profiles and project plans, and to discuss new activities and reactions to oral assignments. During the spring 2010 semester, Fellows will meet at least twice more (other meetings for collaboration and sharing are optional and at the Fellows’ request). The fellowship will conclude in May 2010. Fellows will receive a stipend of $500 ($250 for graduate students) for attendance at meetings and the completion of all agreed upon Fellowship activities.

Outcomes

To be posted in May 2010.

Participants

Edith Allen, Instructor, English for International Students

Germain Choffart, Lecturing Fellow, Romance Studies – French

Joan Clifford, Lecturer, Romance Studies – Spanish

Laura Florand (Faculty Lead for Fellowship), Senior Lecturing Fellow, Romance Studies – French (w/ Brenna Heitzman, graduate student)

Mbaye Lo, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies – Arabic (w/ Shadi Ali Al-Abdual-Razaq, graduate student)

Lisa Merschel, Lecturer, Romance Studies – Spanish (w/ Alejandra Rodriguez Villar, graduate student)

Joan Munne, Lecturer, Romance Studies – Spanish

Maria Parker, Program Director, English for International Students

Karine Provot, Senior Lecturing Fellow, Romance Studies – French

Deborah Reisinger, Lecturer, Romance Studies – French

Emily Sposeto, Senior Lecturing Fellow, Romance Studies – Italian

JoAnne Van Tuyl, Associate Professor of the Practice, Slavic and Eurasian Studies – Russian

Graciela Vidal, Senior Lecturing Fellow, Romance Studies – Spanish

Dan Wang, Instructor, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies – Chinese