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NERALLT 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

October 11th and 12th 2018

Boston University, Boston, MA

Hosted by the Geddes Language Center at Boston University 

 


Theme:

FOSTERING AND ASSESSING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

 

Apart from communicative competence, developing intercultural competence has become one of the main goals of language instruction in the 21st century. Technology has opened new ways to connect language learners with the world and has brought about interesting ways to allow students to sharpen their cultural awareness, increase target culture knowledge, and expand their global competence. How can technology be used to foster the development of intercultural competence? In which ways can technology help instructors assess students’ intercultural competence and global awareness? How have technological innovations been applied to classroom settings to emphasize intercultural learning?

 

Keynote Speakers

 

Gisela Hoecherl-Alden, Assistant Dean and Director of Language Instruction, Boston University

Sue Griffin, Master Lecturer in Spanish, Department of Romance Studies, Boston University

* Download this Program in Word *

 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11TH

 

11:00-12:30 Board meeting for NERALLT board members

CAS 533B inside the Geddes Language Center

 

1:00-2:00 Registration Thursday – Hillel House, 213 Bay State Rd., 4th Floor

Friday – School of Theology Building (STH), Room B-23

 

 

2:00 Opening – Conference Host: Mark Lewis

 

2:15 -3:15 Lightning Round and Discussion 1:

  1. Collaborative Writing Activities Using WhatsApp (Luluah Mustafa, Boston University)
  2. (Daria Valentini, Stonehill College)
  3. Creating online community of learners: “fishbowl” vs “breakout rooms” (Svitlana Malykhina, Boston University)
  4.  Assessing "Savoir Etre" (Sarab AlAni, Yale University) 
  5. Increasing Intercultural Competence Using Mixed-Reality Technology (Alexandra Dema, Bridgewater State University; Emily Spitzman, Bridgewater State University)

 

Q&A

 

3:15 – 3:30 Break

 

3:30-4.30 Lightning Round and Discussion 2:

  1. Increasing cultural awareness in study abroad through photo-blogging (Theresa Schenker, Yale University)
  2. Tools for Developing Intercultural Competence and Digital Literacies (Lee B. Abraham, Columbia University) 
  3. Practicing Intercultural Competence in a Massive Open Online Course (Molly Monet-Viera, Boston University)
  4. Hedera: A Personalized Language Learning Environment (Ivy Livingston, Harvard University; Rebecca Miller Brown, Harvard University) 

 

Q&A

 

4.45-5.30 Lightning Round and Discussion 3:

 

 

Q&A

 

  1. How to design a searchable Chinese satire and humor cartoon gallery/database to support a Chinese literature course (Qiuli Wang, Colby College; Hong Zhang, Colby College)
  2. Online newspaper making: An attempt to develop intercultural competence with what is available (Mizuho Aussicker, University of Rhode Island)
  3. Using technology to enhance intercultural dialogue about visual art (Rosamaria Leon, Yale University)
  4. L2 Learners blindspots and the use of web search engines (María Martínez, Phillips Academy)

 

 

5:30-6:30 Wine and Cheese Reception

The Geddes Language Center

685 Commonwealth Ave., 5th Floor – Room 537

Boston University / Boston, MA 02215

 

7:00 Dinner at Eastern Standard, 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston (Kenmore Square T Stop), https://www.easternstandardboston.com/

 

 

 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12TH

 

8:00-9:00 Registration & breakfast

 

8:30-9:00 Welcome:

NERALLT President: Jean Janecki

 

9:00-10:15: KEYNOTE

 

Gisela Hoecherl-Alden, Assistant Dean and Director of Language Instruction, Boston University

Sue Griffin, Master Lecturer in Spanish, Department of Romance Studies, Boston University

 

Fostering and assessing intercultural competence through technology

 

10:30-11:05: Presentation

Meaningful Language Learning by Virtual Technologies: Vision for Future Language Learning (Takako Aikawa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Global Studies and Languages)

 

11:15-11.50: Presentation

Teaching intercultural citizenship and criticality: The use of technology in transnational collaborative projects (Manuela Wagner, University of Connecticut)

 

12:00-1:00 Lunch/Business Meeting

 

1:15-1:50 Presentation

Talking to the Other: Authentic Conversations with the Hispanic World (Elena Carrión-Guerrero, Boston University; María Datel, Boston University)

 

2:00-2:35 Presentation

The Case for the Language Lab: Why and How a Lab Helps Improve Interpersonal Communication Skills (Loreen Sullivan, Phillips Academy; Katherine Matheson, Phillips Academy)

 

2:45-3:20 Presentation

Go Global: Digital Connections

(Catherine Ritz, Boston University; Christina Toro, Arlington High School; Na Lu-Hogan, Ottoson Middle School)

 

3:30-4:05 Presentation

H5P: Interactive Assessment Tool for Moodle, Wordpress, and Beyond (Jean Janecki, Mount Holyoke College)

 

4:15-4:50 Presentation

How Can Corpus Linguistics Foster Intercultural Competence? (Denis Samburskiy, Syracuse University)

 

5:00 Closing Remarks