Talk
Voices of Place: Language Learning Beyond the Classroom
Lara Lomicka Anderson
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, Jessie Chapman Alcorn Memorial Professor of Foreign Languages, University of South Carolina
This talk explores place-based pedagogy (PBP) as a framework for language learning that extends instruction beyond the classroom into physical, social, and digital spaces. Following a brief overview of place-based learning, the presentation examines how place, understood as physical, cultural, and social space, shapes authentic, embodied, and contextualized language learning. Drawing on concepts such as the porous classroom and the Teaching Framework on Place (Granit-Dgani, 2021; Yemini et al., 2023), the talk highlights practical applications of PBP through concrete examples, including historical and interpretive walks, street art, and international collaboration. These practices illustrate how place-based approaches support students in noticing and reflecting on their surroundings while fostering learner agency, critical observation, and multimodal literacy. The talk concludes by addressing future directions for integrating PBP into language curricula.
Bio:
Dr. Lara Lomicka (Ph.D., Penn State) is Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of South Carolina. A Professor of French and Applied Linguistics, her research focuses on computer-assisted language learning, intercultural learning, study abroad, interactive mapping, and digital semiotics. She is a Chevalier dans l’ordre des Palmes académiques and Jessie Chapman Alcorn Memorial Professor. A former Pearce Faculty Fellow, she is Past President of CALICO, NFMLTA, and AAUSC and serves as Co-Editor of Language Learning & Technology
Friday, February 27, 2026
B-4 Dwinelle & Zoom, 3-5 pm
This lecture is sponsored by the College of Letters and Science.
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