Fall 2010 BLC Fellows William Allen Heidenfeldt, Hepzibah Sunkari, and Traci Lindsey presented the results of their semester-long research projects to improve the understanding and practice of language instruction. Here are some photos from the event; abstracts from the presentations appear below the images. Congratulations to all the fellows, and thanks to all who were able to attend this event.
Writing as a Social Act: A Genre-based Approach to Writing Pedagogy in the Foreign Language Classroom
by William Allen Heidenfeldt, GSR, French Department
This project approaches the development of translingual and transcultural competence through writing. Integrating theory and practice in the form of writing lessons that build on the existing curriculum in the second year French language program, my project aims to help instructors teach different genres of composition effectively. The lessons provide instructors and students with a shared metalanguage for discussing the elements of composition, allowing students to gain a broad understanding of different discourse models and to systematically strengthen discrete components of their writing. This project will help prepare students to transition successfully into upper division coursework, as well as expand their repertoire of analytical writing in any language.
Integration of Language and Culture in the Elementary Telugu Curriculum
by Hepzibah Sunkari, Lecturer, South and Southeast Asian Studies
Telugu is the second most-spoken language in India with more than 80 million speakers around the world, yet no comprehensive textbook exists that can be used by both heritage and non-heritage students at the university level. Moreover, the Telugu language materials that do exist have been developed only for traditional grammar-based methods. The goal of my project is to integrate grammar with culture and communication in a new Telugu curriculum that offers students the opportunity to learn about how culture and language interact in day-to-day use of the language as portrayed in film clips.
Creating Classroom Audio Material from Bulgarian Radio
by Traci Lindsey, GSR, Slavic Languages and Literatures
For many less-commonly taught languages like Bulgarian, there are few listening materials suitable for the beginning student. Although real-world texts like radio programs provide access to the sounds of a language and cultural nuances of usage, language students find them difficult to parse and understand without the assistance of their instructor. My project is an attempt to bridge the divide between the language learner and authentic radio pieces by breaking down some radio programs into smaller components and creating a series of exercises to help learners understand them, with the goal of improving not only listening comprehension in Bulgarian, but also insight into the Bulgarian culture.
3 – 5 pm
Friday, December 3
B-4 Dwinelle Hall