Tag: reflection

  • End of Semester Review

    End of Semester Review

    As I’ve mentioned before, my larger scale unit of planning is the semester, and I’ve discussed how I make my semester plan for Fall and Spring.  At the end of each semester, before making the plan, I also conduct an end of semester review, looking at what went well and what didn’t, and what I…

  • Reflecting with Students

    Reflecting with Students

    As is probably clear to readers of this blog, I think reflection is a crucial skill for learning and teaching. I’ve discussed making time and space for reflection as a language teacher, and ethnographic projects as a way to encourage reflection during study abroad. In this post, I’ll discuss reflecting with students, another valuable practice.

  • Curriculum Development Part 8: Week 6 Recap, and Final Thoughts

    Curriculum Development Part 8: Week 6 Recap, and Final Thoughts

    In my last post, I described Weeks 3, 4, and 5. In this post, I’m back with a recap of Week 6 and some final thoughts on the project. I’ve also placed links to all of the curriculum development posts leading up to this unit at the end of this post if you want to…

  • Ethnographic Projects for Study Abroad

    Ethnographic Projects for Study Abroad

    In my very first post on this blog, I discussed how despite popular belief, language and intercultural learning are not automatic outcomes of study abroad.  I also mentioned three key components of study abroad programs necessary to promote these outcomes: language and intercultural contact, reflection upon this contact, and connecting the pre, during, and post…

  • Making time and space for reflection as a language teacher

    Making time and space for reflection as a language teacher

    In my very first post, I noted the importance of reflection for intercultural learning during study abroad—that is, it’s not enough to simply have intercultural contact, but it’s also necessary to reflect upon this contact. This is also true for teaching—it’s not enough to receive training, and design curricula, and implement lessons, we also need…

  • Ideologies of Language and the Beginning Language Class: Part 2

    Ideologies of Language and the Beginning Language Class: Part 2

    Last week, I discussed several popular methods of organizing beginning language classes under the overarching critique of focusing on either decontextualized sets of language or prioritizing transactions over social relationships. This week, I’m focusing on what I am interested in implementing in my classroom, drawing from both functional theories of language and translanguaging pedagogy. Language…

  • Does study abroad lead to intercultural learning?

    For U.S. students, study abroad has never been more popular—according to the Open Doors data from the U.S. State Department, the number of students studying abroad has more than doubled since the turn of the 21st century, and about 10% of U.S. students will study abroad during their undergraduate career.  As a study abroad researcher,…