Our lives are full of so many acronyms! Have you ever heard of IALLT or MWALLT, or wondered what they stand for? This tip is for you.
IALLT, (pronounced "eye-alt"), stands for the International Association for Language Learning Technology and is a professional organization that provides leadership in the integration of instructional technology into the foreign language classroom. IALLT's roots go back to the 1960s as a community for language lab directors, A/V specialists, and language instructors to exchange ideas and support one another. The focus is on developing tools, designing and managing learning spaces, and integrating technology in language learning in pedagogically meaningful ways.
IALLT is completely volunteer-run and hosts an international conference every two years, often in June. The 2023 conference will be in New Orleans from June 14-17. In addition to free webinars and a website with helpful guides and tips for language centers and directors, IALLT also publishes a free online language technology magazine, FLTMAG, with reviews of new tools and praxis-focused articles submitted by instructors and academic technologists. IALLT also runs an established mentorship program for its members which is open to graduate students, early career professionals, and those who have recently changed positions. Marie Mangold, U of M graduate student in Hispanic Linguistics, participated in the program in 2021.
MWALLT (pronounced "em-walt"), stands for the Midwest Association for Language Learning Technology, and is one of the eight regional branches of IALLT. MWALLT seeks to create a sense of local community amongst language learning technology professionals at universities, colleges and schools across a 12 state region including Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Michigan - Minnesota - Missouri - Nebraska - North Dakota - Ohio - South Dakota and Wisconsin. MWALLT's major activity is its annual conference. This year it is being held virtually on Saturday, Feb. 11 and registration is now open! MWALLT welcomes new members by keeping membership and registration costs to a minimum. Students pay a total of only $15 per year to be a member, attend the conference, and access the conference recordings on the website. Instructors and staff pay only $20! The University of Minnesota has a long history of active participation in the MWALLT, ranging from hosting and presenting regularly at virtual and on-campus conferences to leading the organization through service on the MWALLT Board.
Look for a future post in which we introduce CALICO, another language technology professional organization!