Through Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, library users can nominate their favorite librarians for the American Library Association’s (ALA) esteemed I Love My Librarian Award at www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian. This national award recognizes outstanding public, school, college, community college, or university librarians who go above and beyond for their patrons and the communities that they serve.
Librarians across the country continue to do exceptional work during the COVID-19 pandemic, from hosting virtual programs and providing remote reference assistance to expanding internet access in underserved areas. Library users are encouraged to submit nominations explaining how their librarians continue to serve their communities during these challenging times.
The ALA will select 10 librarians to receive a $5,000 cash award and $750 gift for their library to recognize their public service. They will also be honored during ALA’s Virtual Midwinter Meeting at an online ceremony on Jan. 23, 2021, and receive complimentary registration to the conference.
Last year’s award winners included a school librarian who helps rural students discover new worlds through virtual reality technology, an academic librarian who leads a first-of-its-kind book club for adults with intellectual disabilities, and a public librarian who created an innovative resource center for refugees and immigrants.
Since the award’s inception in 2008, library users nationwide have submitted more than 20,000 nominations detailing how librarians transformed their communities’ inclusivity, digital access, and literacy. Over the last decade, only 120 librarians have received this prestigious honor.
Eligible nominees must hold a master’s degree in library and information studies from a program accredited by the ALA or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Each nominee must be currently working as a librarian or have been employed as a librarian on March 1, 2020, at a qualifying institution in the United States: public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or library at an accredited K-12 school.
The philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York has generously sponsored the I Love My Librarian Award since its inception. The New York Public Library is also a supporter of the award. The ALA administers the award through its Communications and Marketing Office, which promotes libraries and librarians’ value.
Once technology enters the classroom, it rarely leaves. These days, as online learning emerges as the next technology to find a home inside the classroom, we have an opportunity to look further into the future. This is a great time to consider the next digital horizon for education—specifically the emerging fields of augmented reality and virtual reality. Both technologies are already being experimented with for learning in general and language learning in particular. As our teaching practices continue to evolve, I want to explore what the technology looks like and what best practices could help us engage successfully in virtual language teaching.
Extended Reality Extended reality generally describes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or a combination of the two. It allows a user to engage with interactive digital enhancements—individually or with others—in real or digital worlds (Bonner and Reinders, 2018). Like other technologies, both AR and VR have become smaller, faster, and more affordable, allowing institutions, educators, and learners to afford a vast array of devices.
AR is used through a digital interface, like a smartphone or smart glasses, where information, visuals, and characters are revealed to the user. A fantastic example was just launched at Changdeok Palace in South Korea, where Haechi, a virtual tour guide, takes visitors on a tour that explores history, culture, and a bit of magic (Nexus Studios, 2020). VR is also experienced digitally, usually through a headset with controllers that drops the user into a fully immersive new reality. Recently VR has become vastly more accessible, with stand-alone portable units like Oculus Go and Quest allowing for full immersive interaction.
While AR and VR both offer exciting options for instructor-created experiences that drive language use (Yuan, Wang, and Eagle, 2019), the time and skills necessary to build programs make adoption and instructional use challenging (Ertmer and Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010; Howard and Mozejko, 2015). Beyond the technical knowledge required, there is a need to consider how best to support meaningful communication when using these tools (Bonner and Reinders, 2018; Cook et al., 2019). As tools for developing language learning in AR and VR worlds improve, teachers will have opportunities to facilitate entire lessons inside a variety of virtual-learning worlds. As we prepare for those technologies to emerge, using already-developed and robust applications is an easy way to begin to experiment with our digitally enhanced future.
Language Learning and Extended Reality Language learning is at its most motivational, engaging, and lasting when learners have opportunities to participate in authentic conversations of personal relevance (Dörnyei, 2014; Richards, 2006; Scarcella et al., 1992). Task-based learning (TBL) experiences allow educators to develop meaningful tasks focused on learner interests at appropriately challenging levels to create deep engagement with language (Ellis, 2003; Willis and Willis, 2007). This is especially useful when working with off-the-shelf AR and VR applications—experiences not always designed for learning (Collentine, 2011; Lin and Lan, 2015; Melchor-Couto, 2019). One way for educators to experiment now with extended realities is through the use of these free applications, matched with TBL, to build opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and creation using extended realities as a core feature of the learning experience. TBL is a practical option for structuring language-learning experiences and a useful pedagogical foundation for exploratory work with new technologies.
Bring-Your-Own-Device Extended Reality Experiences One low-cost solution for AR and VR experiences is working with the technology learners currently own. In the corporate world, it is increasingly common to leverage the various technologies an employee owns. Using the same attitude for learning, we can leverage the various devices our learners own, or can access, as a way to provide new learning experiences. Many AR applications are available and compatible with a wide variety of smartphones, allowing a larger number of learners—even those with older technology—to explore extended reality.
Since many of our digitally native students often embrace new technologies before their teachers, you may be surprised by just how many of your learners are ready and have the technology to use AR and VR today. If all your students have newer smartphones, AR applications will be easy to incorporate into the classroom. Should your learners already have access to VR headsets, you could also incorporate some differentiated task work and use both AR and VR.
Developing Tasks for ‘Off-the-Shelf’ AR and VR Applications Until applications are available that allow us to create our own lessons in virtual worlds, we can use TBL practices to create interactive lessons that use AR and VR to inspire productive communication. This has the benefit of engaging our learners in new technical skills while providing new and exciting shared experiences for discussion.
As with TBL in general, the most important part of creating effective language-learning tasks is to consider the following: • Why learners will interact • How language learning is meaningful to the interaction • Ensuring the challenge of the interaction is appropriate and accessible
When transferring TBL principles, it is necessary to consider how both the language and the technology become core features of the learning experiences. A variety of language reference frameworks for language learning can be used to ensure that task work is in the right zone of proximal development (Davila, 2017) to be accessible to learners.
Considering all these elements and requirements—combined with a bit of exploration in the various app stores—inspired the following task-based lessons (with levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) that will allow almost all language educators to explore extended reality as a language-learning experience.
Describe and Place Objects Using AR (AR) Can describe the position of things in a picture using a range of fixed expressions. Speaking, A2 (33) Can describe the position of things in a picture using a few simple fixed expressions. Writing, A1 (29)
Pre-Task: Have students download and explore the IKEA AR application. This app will allow learners to take virtual items from the store and see what they would look like in their current location. Begin by having students listen to your instructions to find a specific item and place the item in a room based on your instructions.
Task: Arrange learners in pairs. Have students work together to explore the app and make a list of items from IKEA. Once the items are selected, ask students to create a list of directions for placing items using various prepositions of place. Jigsaw students to create new pairs. In new pairs, learners take turns guiding partners to place the objects in the room using prepositions of place, and take pictures to record their work.
Post-task: Have learners post their favorite pictures from the experience in a class forum or social media group and share a short description of the item and its position in the room.
Describe and Improve User Introduction Experience (AR or VR) Can give simple instructions to complete a basic task, given a model. Speaking, A2+ (37) Can write basic instructions with a simple list of points. Writing, A2+ (39)
Pre-Task: Share examples of AR or VR applications that students can access for free in the app store. Have learners look up and create a list of potential extended reality apps of interest.
Task: Organize learners in pairs. Ask pairs to choose one of the apps from the list of interest, download the app, and work through the app introduction. Most AR and VR apps have an introduction mode that highlights how the app works (initializing the camera, placing objects in a room, pinching, zooming, swiveling, etc.). Have learners take screenshots and create storyboards of how to use the app, including tips or tricks they discovered while exploring the application.
Post-Task: Jigsaw to arrange students into new mixed groups. Have students share their storyboards with others. Listening students ask questions about and make notes on using the app. Each learner has an opportunity to present an app.
Share Detailed Accounts of Personal Experiences (AR or VR) Can give detailed accounts of experiences, describing feelings and reactions. Speaking, B1 (49) Can make personal online postings about experiences, feelings, and events and respond individually to the comments of others in some detail, though lexical limitations sometimes cause repetition and inappropriate formulation. Writing, B1 (50)
Pre-Task: Review these questions with students: • Which of your senses are most engaged (see, hear, taste, touch, smell)? • What emotions are most engaged? • Were you surprised by your own reactions? Why or why not?
Review questions with students. Note that each question is related to physical and emotional perception. Explain that in today’s class the group will review AR/VR apps to see how digital technology engages physical and emotional responses. Review the app store and look for experiences like a theme park roller coaster, a dinosaur island, ocean adventures, etc.
Task: Choose four or five experiences, depending on the number of learners in the class. Allow time for learners to engage with the app independently. In groups, have students share their answers to the guiding questions.
Post-Task: Following the activity, ask students to write descriptions of their physical and emotional reactions to the virtual worlds. Ask students to share these reactions in the class forum, and ask each student to read and respond to at least two posts about the experiences.
Conclusion This year came with many changes, and the one thing we can be sure of is that change will not stop anytime soon. As we continue to integrate new technologies into our learning experiences, it is important to prepare for what is coming; reduce student frustration, anxiety, and fear; and improve the ease with which we can transition into various new methods for learning. While current AR/VR products and offerings may not be perfect, they are useful for exploring extended reality teaching. As the field evolves, now is the perfect time to embrace the opportunity to experiment with something new, engage our own curiosity and joy for learning in these new worlds, and prepare to embrace our advancing digital future.
References Bonner, E., and Reinders, H. (2018). “Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Language Classroom: Practical ideas.” Teaching English with Technology, 33–53.
Collentine, K. (2011). “Learner Autonomy in a Task-Based 3D World and Production.” Language Learning and Technology, 50–67.
Cook, M., Lischer-Katz, Z., Hall, N., Hardesty, J., Johnson, J., McDonald, R., and Carlisle, T. (2019). “Challenges and Strategies for Educational Virtual Reality: Results of an expert-led forum on 3D/VR technologies across academic institutions.” Information Technology and Libraries, 25–48.
Davila, S. (2017). “Teaching in the Zone, Taking the Classroom Forward.” Language Magazine, 8–10.
Dörnyei, Z., and Kubanyiova, M. (2014). Motivating Learners, Motivating Teachers: Building Vision in the Language Classroom. London: Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ertmer, P., and Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2010). “Teacher Technology Change: How knowledge, confidence, beliefs and culture intersect.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 255–284.
Howard, S., and Mozejko, A. (2015). “Teachers: Technology, change and resistance.” In M. Henderson and G. Romeo, Teaching and Digital Technologies: Big Issues and Critical Questions, 307–317. Port Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.
Lin, T. J., and Lan, Y. J. (2015). “Language Learning in Virtual Reality Environments: Past, present, and future.” Educational Technology and Society, 486–497.
Melchor-Couto, S. (2019). “Virtual Worlds and Language Learning.” Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 29–43.
Richards, J. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge University Press.
Scarcella, R., Everett, L., Anderson, E., and Krashen, S. (1992). Developing Communicative Competence in a Second Language, vol. 14. New York: Newbury House.
Willis, D., and Willis, J. (2007). Doing Task- Based Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Yuan, C., Wang, L., and Eagle, J. (2019). “Empowering English Language Learners through Digital Literacies: Research, complexities and implications.” Media and Communication, 128–136.
Based in Chicago, Sara Davila is an expert on English language learning, 21st-century pedagogies, and teacher-training best practices. Author of more than 50 articles and speaker at countless conferences, Sara’s expertise spans the globe. In her spare time, Sara develops curriculum ideas for teachers, available for free on her website, saradavila.com.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is asking for written comments and related materials regarding the proposed rule to eliminate duration of status (D/S) for F students and their dependents, J exchange visitors and their dependents, and I media representatives be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal on or before October 26.
EnglishUSA, TESOL International Association, and University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP) oppose the proposed rule: Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media, which was published in the Federal Register on September 25. You can read the proposed rule published on regulations.gov (if that link takes you to an error page on the beta.regulations.gov site, go to https://beta.regulations.gov/document/ICEB-2019-0006-0001)
Comments on the proposed rule must be identified by DHS Docket No. ICEB-2019-0006, and submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. A Comment Now! button appears at the upper right corner of the proposed rule on Regulations.gov, at: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DHS_FRDOC_0001-1933. Follow the website instructions to submit comments. Comments must be received by October 26, 2020. (If that link takes you to an error page on the beta.regulations.gov site, go to https://beta.regulations.gov/document/ICEB-2019-0006-0001).
A statement released by EnglishUSA, TESOL, and UCIEP, claims that “the proposed rule to replace a decades-long, proven, and flexible policy with one that is complicated, burdensome and unnecessarily punitive to English language students will undermine the continued opportunity for reciprocal exchange between international English language learners, negatively impact international U.S. diplomacy, and harm local U.S. economies that benefit from these students.”
“Eliminating the flexibility that the duration of status allows will undercut a student’s ability to pursue English language, undergraduate, and/or graduate study, as well as practical training. Eliminating duration of status (D/S) puts up artificial boundaries for these students to transition from one phase of their education to the next. The proposed rule is a significant and unnecessary intrusion by DHS into academic decision-making. Restricting English learners to a lifetime aggregate of 24 months of study (including breaks and annual vacations) is arbitrary and unfairly singles out language programs and their students. Limiting the period of language study is inappropriate; language learners have personal, academic, and career goals that take different lengths of time to achieve. English language professionals, supported by their administrators and Designated School Officials (DSOs), are the only parties who should determine the amount of time needed to study and obtain proficiency, not the government.” continued the statement.
According to Open Doors Data on intensive English Programs (IEP), 49% of IEP students intend to continue post-secondary education in the U.S. The English language program industry in the U.S. attracts over 136,000 students each year and plays a significant role contributing to the $41 billion (in 2018 alone) that all international students add to the U.S. economy.
Act would include $2.25 billion for professional development
U.S. Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have announced their plan to introduce the Learning Opportunity and Achievement Act (LOAA), which would “improve distance and blended learning in U.S. public schools during the coronavirus pandemic.” LOAA is intended to combat instructional loss, particularly for at-risk and marginalized students, by providing support for professional development and training programs for teachers, tutoring and academic services, research and best practices, and other initiatives to enhance equity and access for all students.
The bill would provide funding to address instructional loss for at-risk and marginalized students, including English learners, low-income students, minority students, migratory students, children with disabilities, homeless children and youth, and children or youth in foster care. Specifically, LOAA would provide the following resources:
$2.25 billion in formula grants for ESSA professional development and training programs (Sec. 5).
$100 million in competitive grants for states and school districts, working with K-12 schools, colleges and universities, national organizations, and community-based organizations (including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian organizations), to develop training programs (Sec. 7).
$50 million in competitive grants for states to provide supplemental professional development for educators, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, and school leaders, focused on distance and hybrid learning models (Sec. 6).
$50 million in grants for states and school districts, working with K-12 schools, colleges and universities, national organizations and community-based organizations, to provide tutoring services for at-risk and marginalized students (defined as low-income students, minority students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, homeless students, and foster youth), and Native students (Sec. 8).
$25 million in grants for school districts to support educators, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, and school leaders with innovative ideas to improve distance learning, especially for at-risk students and Native students (Sec. 9).
$25 million in grants to support on-campus “learning hubs” for at-risk students and Native students with limited access to broadband and devices.
“Over the past few months, I’ve heard from students, parents, and educators across Hawaii who are doing their best to adjust to distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic. My own education was fundamental to my success, and this generation of students deserves a quality education—regardless of the challenges the pandemic poses. LOAA provides vital resources so educators can support their students, particularly those who are most at risk for instructional loss. I will continue to advocate for robust funding that supports healthy and safe learning environments for students in Hawaii and across the country,” said Sen. Hirono.
“Moving to a virtual learning environment to protect the health and safety of our students, teachers, and support staff has presented new challenges for teachers, students, and their families. Our bill will invest funds in states and communities to ensure that our students, especially the most vulnerable, are getting the attention they need and our teachers are getting the support they deserve,” added Sen. Booker.
LOAA would also require the U.S. Department of Education, through the Institute of Education Sciences, to conduct research and identify and disseminate best practices for addressing instructional loss due to COVID-19—especially for at-risk and marginalized students.
The bill (text available here) has received broad support from national and local organizations, including the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies, whose policy director, Alissa Rutkowski, commented, “This bill provides a crucial initial step in ensuring equitable and quality educational opportunities for students facing a higher risk of instructional loss, including and especially the five million students who speak a language other than English and the educators and professionals who serve them.”
JoAnn Bartoletti, CEO of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, argued in support of the bill, “Education can succeed only if we invest in the people who do the educating, especially under pandemic conditions that heighten student needs and press the limits of teachers’ ability to deliver virtual and hybrid instruction,”
And Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, pushed home the point,“Now, the whole country knows all too well that the ability to teach online is a core competency that all teachers must possess. We thank Senator Hirono for introducing legislation that recognizes the importance of technology professional development and provides significant funding for it. ISTE enthusiastically endorses this bill and looks forward to working with Senator Hirono to ensure it is enacted.”
At this time, a date has not been set for its introduction to the Senate and it remains to be seen if the bill will become part of the latest stimulus package.
With the international threat of COVID-19, educators and families face the problem of keeping students separated while still providing language enrichment programs when faced with shuttered schools and reduced capacities. These are challenging times for language learners who cannot attend classes or meet face to face with tutors and need inspiring, convenient spaces to practice language and grow vocabulary.
Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) with smartphones and personal digital assistants bridges the knowledge gap and expands the boundaries of where and how languages are taught and learned. Several benefits of mobile-assisted learning in using visual arts to teach language are discussed. How can existing literature, core beliefs, standards-based learning frameworks, and virtual resources for using visual thinking strategies (VTS) with art help to improve language skills?
Fig. 1. Bey (1878) Young Emir Studying, [Oil on Canvas] Louvre, Abu Dhabis, Saudia Arabia.
The new Louvre in Saudi Arabia, which opened in 2017, is a partner of the world’s most famous art museum, the Louvre of Paris. It features Eastern and Western artworks from prehistory to modern times. It has one of the most virtually accessible children’s museum learning experiences, with an app for tablets in six languages: Arabic, English, French, Mandarin, German, and Hindi.
Mobile and wireless technologies have created an ever-changing environment for learning that is more directly connected to real-world artifacts and living artists. Kukulska-Hulme (2009) offered reflections on how, alongside formal education, the outside-of-school opportunities to access learning resources on both fixed and mobile devices have multiplied. For example, in the MyArtSpace project (Sharples et al., 2007), students went to a museum and used their mobile phones to view, analyze, and discuss multimedia content linked to specific exhibits. They shared with peers their observations, artifacts, audio, video recordings, and notes. The results showed the effectiveness of using a mobile device to support and extend second-language learning in self-directed ways, especially to build knowledge of vocabulary.
Shadiev, Liu, and Hwang (2020) reviewed the literature from 2007 to 2016 concerning mobile language learning and concluded that elementary through college students had positive perceptions of mobile language learning and that it had positive effects on language proficiency.
The researchers suggested teachers design learning activities based on a student-centered approach in authentic environments focused on solving real-world problems. Instructors and students were recommended to create and share content on various subjects with other students and instructors from the same or different schools.
Visual thinking strategies (VTS, 2019) are used by schools and museums to incorporate art as the medium by which students discuss and share their opinions. VTS are used for exploring artwork to improve the language output of speaking and writing for first- and second-language acquisition students.
Online art galleries display artwork from current, past, future, or real-time exhibitions. VTS ask three questions of learners: What’s going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find?
Student oral and written production about a variety of artworks demonstrated increased critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, and collaboration with peers. A study by Bomgaars and Bachelor (2019) indicated that by way of engaging in VTS, L2 high school students showed significant gains in various writing skills as well as the quantity of speaking production.
Becker (2019) reviewed the arts integration, language, and literacy studies and found positive outcomes in print knowledge, alphabet knowledge, syntax, vocabulary, narrative, reading, and writing for children with language impairment and other disabilities using the visual arts. Additional insights from her review included that visual-based experiences capitalize on students’ nonverbal learning strengths and can help compensate for the effects of L1 language impairment, which impedes expressing ideas, feelings, and personal feelings.
Core Beliefs Students in the digital 21st century have been brought up in a culture dominated by visuality. With a critical eye, students learn that artworks often tell stories. The art shifts the focus from the self-conscious learner to the work of art. Multilingual learners use and develop language through activities that intentionally integrate multiple modalities, including oral, written, visual, and kinesthetic modes of communication (WIDA, 2020). Visual stimulation promotes active exploration of the language. Language and art can be used together productively (Vasquez, 2018). When a concept is not clear in its written form, the visual form can assist the learner to comprehend. Likewise, when the visual form is confusing and unclear, the written form can facilitate understanding. To comprehend both texts and art requires sustained observation and attention to detail. There are many competing screen images in students’ cyberspace. Slowing down is required to find the story awareness of how artists visually tell their stories through the use of color, line, gesture, composition, and symbolism. Some art does not tell a story and is less about lives, history, and things but more about the exploration of color, line, and shape.
According to Becker (2019), arts-integrated lessons can address a range of language and literacy components aligned with multiple standards, such as the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, 2014; WIDA, English Language Development Standards, 2020). Students’ learning experience may be maximized by viewing examples of standards-based learning activities for beginning, intermediate, and advanced language learners. Teachers can develop lesson plans and communicate these to students. Included in the plans should be the purpose, objectives, activities aligned to standards, recommended websites, and rules of cyber etiquette and safety. This can promote collaboration among students and help establish groups to accommodate students who may not have smartphones or internet access. Teachers should use set procedures for receiving and sending messages.
A practical process for using art with MALL for beginning, intermediate, and advanced language learners as a means of instruction follows.
Beginning Language Learner
Fig. 2. Wyeth (1923) The Giant, [Oil on Canvas], Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, PA.
ELP 1 Reading: Search for topics on websites, in libraries, or using other sources with a partner from a list. VA: Re7.2.Ka: Describe what an image represents.
Essential Questions: “What’s going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find?” (VTS, 2019)
Activities: Ask students to break the ice and chat with friends to see what virtual museums they like and why. Take notes on the museum exhibits and send the notes as a text message to the class or to the teacher. Use the camera feature to copy and store favorite works of art. Create a scavenger hunt for finding interesting exhibits. Make drawings of paintings seen and share with others (Reinders, 2010).
Intermediate Language Learner
Fig. 3. Rockwell, (1958) Runaway, [Oil on Canvas], Saturday Evening Post, Indianapolis, IN.
ELP 1 Writing: Integrate information from multiple sources to list, summarize information, and/or produce poems or short stories. VA: Cn11.1.1a: Understand that people from different places and times have made art for a variety of reasons.
Essential Questions: “What is the story being told? What do you think happened before this scene? What do you think happened next? What emotions do you notice in the artwork? What is the meaning or message? What title would you give this artwork?” (Ingram, 2017)
Activities: Use the device’s voice recorder to share stories about artwork. Do collaborative writing in which students create a story together by sharing and adding one text message at a time.
Advanced Language Learner
Fig. 4. Nelson (2017). So Together [Watercolor] picture book, Blue Sky, White Stars.
ELP 1 Writing: Answer questions to agree or disagree with current issues from models depicted visually or graphically. VA: Cn10.1.2a: Create works of art about events in the home, school, or community life.
Essential Questions: 1. Describe: What do you see? How are the elements of line, color, texture, and shape used? 2. Analysis: How is the work arranged? How did the artist use contrast, emphasis, unity, and balance? 3. Interpretation: What mood or message does the art communicate to you? How did the artist use color, space and contrast? 4. Judgement: Is this a successful work of art? How does the message of the art make you feel? (Feldman, 1994)
Activities: Use a mobile phone to keep a multimedia blog about personal experiences, museums visited, and favorite exhibits. Do a language exchange where two students who want to learn each other’s languages work together and swap text messages. Act as a tour guide for a virtual museum (Wigglesworth, 2020).
Conclusion MALL using VTS with art provides teachers, students, and their families a promising medium for instruction that is supportive of a range of needs, interests, and ages of L1 and L2 students.
A review of literature and studies revealed that MALL supports a range of language and literacy outcomes that are aligned with multiple standards. Multilingual learners use and develop language through activities that intentionally integrate multiple modalities, including oral, written, visual, and kinesthetic modes of communication.
References Becker, P. A. (2020). “Teaching Language and Literacy through the Visual Arts: An interdisciplinary, literature-based approach.” Teaching Exceptional Children, 52(3), 166–179. Bomgaars, J., and Bachelor, J. W. (2019). “Visual Thinking Strategies: Exploring artwork to improve output in the L2 classroom.” Journal of Foreign Language Education and Technology, 5(1). Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2009). “Will Mobile Learning Change Language Learning?” ReCALL, 21(2), 157–165. Feldman, E. B. (1994). Practical Art Criticism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Ingram, C. (2017). “82 Questions to Ask about Art.” Art Class Curator. artclasscurator.com/82-questions-to-ask-about-a-work-of-art National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. (2014). National Core Arts Standards. https://www.nationalartsstandards.org Reinders, H. (2010). “Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom.” English Teaching Forum, 3. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ914893.pdf Shadiev, R., Liu, T., and Hwang, W. Y. (2020). “Review of Research on Mobile- Assisted Language Learning in Familiar, Authentic Environments.” British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(3), 709–720. Sharples, M., Lonsdale, P., Meek, J., Rudman, P. D., and Vavoula, G. N. (2007). “An Evaluation of MyArtSpace: A mobile learning service for school museum trips.” Proceedings of 6th Annual Conference on Mobile Learning, 238–244. Vasquez, D. (2018). “Teaching a Second Language through Art.” Yale- New Haven Teacher’s Institute. http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1981/4/81.04.12.x.html Visual Thinking Strategies. (2019). https://vtshome.org WIDA (2020). English Language Development Standards. https://wida.wisc.edu/teach/standards/eld/2020 Wrigglesworth, J. (2020). “Using Smartphones to Extend Interaction beyond the EFL Classroom.” Computer Assisted Language Learning, 33(4), 413–434.
Images Bey, Osman Handid (Artist) (1878). Young Emir Studying, Oil on canvas, 45.5 x 90 cm, Louvre, Abu Dhabis, Saudia Arabia.
Nelson, Kadir (Artist) (2017). So Together,Watercolor, 20 x20 cm, picture book, Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, Dial Books.
Rockwell, Norman (Artist) (1958). Runaway, Oil on canvas, 35¾” x 33½ cm, Cover, Saturday Evening Post.
Wyeth, N.C. (Artist)(1923). The Giant, Oil on canvas, 182.9 × 152.4 cm, Brandywine River
Nile Stanley, PhD ([email protected]), is a regular contributor to Language Magazine with 15 articles published. He is associate professor of literacy and arts education at the University of North Florida and a visiting scholar to China, Vietnam, and Germany.
The magistrate floundered his hands bewildered. The accused, a Chinese gold miner, allegedly shot his workers twice in their thighs when they asked for their wages but he could not be tried promptly because very few court officers in Zimbabwe understand a word of Mandarin.
Zhang Xuelin, 41, who earned global notoriety in June over the alleged offense, got an easy reprieve because the Zimbabwean court refused to listen to the uncertified Mandarin interpreter his attorney had engaged.
“This happens daily in courts. Zimbabwe is in a catch-22 situation when it comes to Chinese offenses and the language dilemma,” says Brian Ngwenya, an independent sociologist in the capital, Harare. “The tripling volumes of Chinese investment and political influence is matched with the uneasiness of some of our Chinese residents committing crimes.”
Zimbabwe’s courts cannot swiftly prosecute Chinese residents who run afoul of the law. This is not only due to language complications but also diplomatic fears of annoying China which is the country’s largest foreign direct investor too, adds Ngwenya.
Mandarin language teaching institutes are actively being opened in Zimbabwe, in universities, charities or select secondary schools. Zimbabwe is the leader in Africa when it comes to training of local Chinese language instructor, says Pedzisai Mashiri, a professor and founding director of the Confucius Language Institute at the University of Zimbabwe. The University of Zimbabwe opened the Confucius Language Institute in 2007, thus becoming part of the family of the 400 Confucius Institutes worldwide. “There is no prize for guessing that speakers of Mandarin are going to be the most sought-after and highly paid workers here in Zimbabwe, but such interpreters don’t work in courts where salaries could be as low as $30,” says Brian Ngwenya the sociologist.
So despite the allure of Mandarin, a dire shortage of accurate interpreters of the language means justice is suspended in court proceedings where Mandarin dialect interpreters cannot be found.
This leaves prosecutors and judges in a quandary when it comes to crimes committed by Chinese residents in Zimbabwe be it in wildlife trafficking, customs goods fee-dodging or importation of unsanitary foodstuffs. In Zimbabwe´s social media broadcasts, errant Chinese employers are accused of whipping their workers with pistols, grabbing land to mould bricks or diverting fresh water streams. Some citizens view Chinese residents with hostility and accuse them of siding with the country´s powerful army-led government to siphon gold or diamond minerals in unscrupulous deals.
No one is sure about the number of Chinese residents living in Zimbabwe with casual estimates claiming 10 000 in a country of 15 million inhabitants, but there´s a feeling that Chinese who break the law can use language as a way to escape punishment. “Quite a number of Chinese residents here in Zimbabwe can speak credible English, but once they land in court they suddenly forget English and use confusing hand signs or Mandarin dialect. This could be a clever act,” claims William Bande, a retired criminal defense lawyer in Harare.
About the writer: Ray Mwareya is a freelance journalist for Reuters, Coda Story Magazine and China Plus.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21 6 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. CT/ 3 p.m. PT, Unidos US is hosting a free online webinar on what voters in the United States need to know in order to vote safely and securely. The roundtable, titled Eleva tu Voz. Vota Seguro. is hosted in conjunction with AARP and sponsored by Univision.
“From voting early, to mail-in voting and voting on election day, we need to ensure every vote is counted. We must make our voices be heard and encourage leaders to develop policies that address the issues affecting our community,” Unidos US said in a statement.
“La comunidad latina tiene el poder de dejar su huella en estas elecciones, desde el nivel presidencial hasta elecciones locales incluidas en sus papeletas. Acompáñanos en esta mesa redonda, patrocinada por AARP y con el apoyo de Univision, donde mostraremos lo que necesitas saber para votar de manera segura.
Desde votar temprano, votar por correo o votando el día de las elecciones, necesitamos asegurarnos de que cada voto cuente para que nuestras voces sean escuchadas y nuestros líderes desarrollen políticas que respondan a los problemas que afectan a nuestra comunidad.”
Until October 31st, a feature film and eleven animated shorts from francophone filmmakers are available to watch online free of charge and without registration by clicking here. For the 10th consecutive year, the Institut Français and the AFCA (Association française du cinéma d’animation) is offering French speakers and learners the chance to enjoy these movies. But this year, due to social restrictions, the festival is online, so moviegoers worldwide can enjoy these animated treasures, the majority of which come out of African countries with a francophone tradition.
Twelve-year-old Adama lives in a remote village in Western Africa. Beyond the cliffs, the World of Breaths can be found, where the Nassaras reign. One night, Samba, his older brother, disappears. Defying the laws of the elders, Adama decides to set out to find him. With the unwavering determination of a child becoming a man, he launches into a quest that will take him beyond the seas, to the North, to the front lines of World War One. It is 1916.
Tales of Africa– 6 animated short films made in different African countries (Cinémathèque Afrique offer):
Shamazulu by Jérémie Nsingui, Shamazulu has just married the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, she has a complex: she has a very big nose. The evening of her wedding, a magician appears and proposes to change her nose, against a promise: to never abandon her husband.
Le Chasseur et l’antilope by Narcisse Youmbi, the first pilot episode of the series was elected Best Animated Film at the Night of the Short Film in Cameroon. Through the character of Papa Nzenu, a griot (a West African historian, storyteller, poet, or musician) of the 21st century and the guiding thread of the series, Tales of Africa offers a journey on the African continent through his tales.
Malika et la sorcière by Nabaloum Boureima, Papa Nzeu is convinced that one always needs someone smaller than oneself. To demonstrate this, he embarks on a fantastic tale: in a dark forest, a witch kidnaps a group of women and a little girl, Malika. Will she succeed in getting them out of there?
Conversemos COVID-19 (Let’s Talk COVID-19) is an initiative produced by the Indigenous and Diasporic Language Consortium at the NYU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies in collaboration with CUNY Mexican Studies Institute, Kichwa Hatari, and the Linguistics Summer School Bolivia, aimed at offering valuable information about the coronavirus pandemic in various Indigenous and diasporic languages widely spoken in New York, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The information is delivered in minute-and-a-half-long video capsules narrated in Quechua, Haitian Kreyòl, Nahuatl, Mixteco, Garifuna, and Kichwa, spoken by NYC immigrant communities from Mexico, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia, and others.
Intended for students, teachers and educators, LUMNI is a new audiovisual resource site cataloguing entirely free resources, allowing you and your students to explore a wide range of cultural offerings. Appropriate for learners from 3-18 years old, LUMNI covers almost every school subject with over 12,000 videos, classes, quizzes, audios, games, and much more that can teach students to understand more about the world in a real-life context. Teachers also have access to pedagogical files with hundreds of ideas for new and innovative learning plans.
Available in five languages, the France Education (FRED) platform offers access to more than 2000 pedagogical resources produced by diverse actors including the Institut Français, Canopé, CNED, TV5MONDE, and Radio France International. Create an account and use the search engine to instantly find thousands of curated resources. You can also propose and add your own resources!
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