Michigan State University Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR).(NEWS FROM SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS)

CLEAR's mission is to promote the teaching and learning of foreign languages in the United States. Projects focus on materials development, professional development training, and foreign language research.

SUMMER WORKSHOPS

The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) at Michigan State University is offering several low-cost summer professional development workshops in July. These workshops offer hands-on experience and concrete ideas for language teachers, and are appropriate for foreign language teachers as well as ESL teachers.

CLEAR has been offering workshops since 1997, and foreign language teachers from all over the country have come to East Lansing to attend them. The workshops offered this year cover a wide range of topics, appropriate as "refreshers" for experienced teachers or as reinforcement on topics in language teaching for newer and pre-service teachers.

Each workshop is three full days, and there are discounts for those attending multiple workshops.

Full descriptions, dates, pricing information, and workshop applications are available here.

An Online Language Portfolio Approach to the Development of Speaking and Listening Proficiency July 9-11, 2009

Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques July 13-15, 2009

Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Advanced Techniques July 16-18, 2009

The Second "C": Culture Teaching in the Language Classroom July 20-22, 2009

Teaching Writing in the Foreign Language Classroom July 23-25, 2009

Revisiting, Reinventing, and Restarting a Language Program: A Step-by-Step Approach July 27-29, 2009

MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

Selected Products

The list below comprises just some of our free and low-cost materials for language educators. Be sure to visit our Web site occasionally for updates and announcements on new products: http://clear.msu.edu.

* CLEAR's Rich Internet Applications initiative has been underway for over a year. RIA is a research and development lab where our programmers are working on free tools that language teachers can use to create online language teaching materials--or have their students create activities themselves!

* NEW! Revisions (process writing and feedback tool)

* NEW! Broadcasts (create your own podcasts)

* Worksheets (add multimedia elements to online worksheets)

* Audio Dropboxes (put a dropbox in any Web page; students' recordings get put into your dropbox automatically)

* Conversations (record prompts for students to do virtual interviews and conversations)

* Mashups (combine media elements to create a new resource for language teaching)

* Viewpoint (record or upload videos to link from other sites or embed inside your own Web pages)

* SMILE (tool for creating interactive online exercises)

* NEW! Introductory Business German (CD-ROM)--This CD-ROM provides a condensed, highly-focused set of activities intended for use by business professionals who conduct business with Germans and German companies and wish to learn more about the German business and economics environment.

* Celebrating the World's Languages: A Guide to Creating a World Languages Day Event (guide)--This publication provides a step-by-step guide to planning "World Languages Day," a university event for high school students designed to stimulate interest in learning languages and to highlight the importance of cultural awareness.

* La phonetique francaise (CD-ROM)--This cross-platform multimedia program consists of interactive lessons that can be used by French teachers to learn how to teach pronunciation, or by advanced students working independently.

* MIMEA: Multimedia Interactive Modules for Education and Assessment (German, Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian; online video clips and activities)

Coming Soon!

* More Rich Internet Applications

* Introductory Business Chinese

CONFERENCES

CLEAR exhibits at local and national conferences year-round. We hope to see you at ACTFL, CALICO, MiWLA, Central States, and other conferences.

NEWSLETTER

CLEAR News is a free biyearly publication covering FL teaching techniques, research, and materials. Download PDFs of back issues and subscribe at http://clear.msu.edu/clear/newsletter/.