Posted by Emily Hellmich on September 29, 2023
The Berkeley Language Center (BLC) is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a FY 2023-26 US Department of Education International Research and Studies (IRS) grant for the project Translating Machine Translation for Language Education to Promote Language Learning, Critical Digital Literacies, and Global Citizenship. The grant will provide funds to support the development…
Posted by Emily Hellmich on March 23, 2023
It’s not easy to find a good assessment for first semester language courses, especially when it comes to speaking skills. Oral exams can be very stressful for learners and, often, these types of assessments don’t offer a clear window into the breadth and depth of learners’ capabilities. For several years, Esmée van der Hoeven, lecturer…
Posted by Emily Hellmich on February 1, 2023
The BLC hosted an undergraduate pizza meet and greet on Thursday Jan 26. More than 40 students stopped by to chat with their peers about all things language. Many students stayed longer than it takes to eat a slice of pizza, enjoying meeting peers, learning about their peers' language-learning journeys, and sharing their own. Thanks…
Posted by Emily Hellmich on November 15, 2022
Cal students choose to study languages and cultures for many different reasons–curiosity, getting a job, family. On October 24, the BLC hosted a panel of outstanding undergraduates who shared exactly why they have chosen to study language/culture at Berkeley. The students are studying a range of languages: Spanish (Damaris Velazquez Lopez), French (Kayne Belul), Kiswahili…
Posted by Emily Hellmich on November 10, 2022
Last month, we asked for your direct input on the new directions of the BLC in the form of a survey. We are sincerely grateful to the close-to-50 people who generously gave of their time to share with us their ideas. Thank you! We are still in the process of analyzing all the results, but, in…