The 2023 MWALLT Conference was held virtually on February 11, 2023 and several staff from the CLA Language Center both presented their work and attended sessions led by language instructors and academic technologists from around the country. Amanda Dalola also served as host for one of the conference livestreams and posted highlights on social media throughout the day. In this blog post, Anna Hubbard, Carter Griffith and Beth Kautz (that's me) share our highlights from the conference experience.
Anna Hubbard, from the Language Testing Program, really enjoyed these two sessions: “YouTube, TikTok and VoiceTube: Tools for Introducing Bilingual and Multilingual Speech Models in the Language Learning Classroom” presented by Becky Kato from the University of Michigan and “I spy something #invisible: Using Instagram to sharpen second language learners’ pragmalinguistic awareness” from our very own Amanda Dalola from the University of Minnesota. In both sessions, the presenters talked about using social media as a tool in language classes. Anna was amazed at how creative Kato and Dalola were in creating class assignments and projects using something most students use on a daily basis. She remarked, "I would have had so much fun in both of their classes if I were still a student!"
Dalola's presentation on Instagram in a French-language course also was a favorite of Carter Griffith, Research Specialist. He appreciated how she used social media as a vast source of authentic, real-life language, in stark contrast to a simple vocabulary list. Her lessons using social media allow students to gain an appreciation of the subtle aspects of the meaning of a word. Griffith also was impressed by “Phonology, Fluency, and Perception - using praat in the language classroom” by Macy Maas and Azul Trejo Zetina from the University of Iowa. Their presentation on Praat illustrated the potential of using a visual tool for the analysis of auditory perception and oral fluency in spoken Spanish. They demonstrated how the addition of a visual medium, the spectrograms generated in Praat, create a broader analysis of spoken language, which is (naturally) often considered to be an auditory experience. Praat is currently installed on all LC computers and laptops, so contact us if you want to try it out!
Throughout the day of 15 or 30-minute sessions, presenters demonstrated how to use a variety of online tools and newer forms of technology to promote cultural competency and language acquisition. Anna and I both thought that one of the most innovative examples came from Claudia Quevedo-Webb and Juliano Saccomani from the University of Chicago, who created immersive cultural experiences using virtual reality (VR) technology for students in beginning and intermediate Spanish and Portuguese courses. With a combination of partners from Spain and Brazil, YouTube videos and ThingLink (a platform that can augment images, videos, and virtual tours with additional information and links), they were able to create virtual experiences with interactive elements to help students learn more about a city or country and any cultural or historical significances that were in the visual frame - all without leaving their chair. The best way to experience this virtual tour is with a VR headset to be fully immersed with the visuals and sounds, but you could also participate on your phone.
If you have a favorite tool or application of technology, we would love to hear from you. Tell us how and why you use it and we can help you be a presenter at next year's MWALLT conference!