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Teaching Online Readiness Survey
As we look ahead to the Fall semester, the Language Center, together with CARLA, CEI, and LATIS, is gathering information to help us create professional development activities and resources that support the teaching of language and literary-cultural content in an online environment. To help us with this task, we ask that you please complete this short survey by Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

NEW – CARLA Summer Institute Funding for Graduate Students
CARLA and the Language Center are pleased to offer a new opportunity for graduate students  in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) at the University of Minnesota (UMN): a special scholarship to attend one of the 2020 online CARLA summer institutes. Students will be required to pay a non-refundable $50 commitment fee, but the balance of the institute cost will be paid by CARLA and the Language Center–a value of $350!

Ideas for Curricular Revision in the Online Environment
As we wrap up this semester, many of us are busy planning for fall semester. In this time of curricular revision and the development of new course models, I encourage you to consider how online conversations between your students and students in your target cultures could be truly integrated into your curriculum. We often have approached TandemPlus as an add-on to whatever assignments we already have created. Sometimes we have figured out ways to substitute a Tandem conversation for another activity.

The Remote Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) Launches
Until this semester, the listening, reading and writing components of the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) were administered solely in the Language Center computer classrooms. Life at the University of Minnesota has changed in many ways this spring, but this essential exam remains available for students, who can use it towards completion of the second language requirement, certification of proficiency and as part of the fourth-semester curriculum.

Congratulations to Rachel Cagle and Family!
Congratulations to Rachel Cagle (formerly Faynik) and family who welcomed a healthy baby girl on April 9, 2020, Rosemary Kisten Cagle. Rachel worked at the Language Center as an undergraduate and graduate student, and most recently as a staff member. Her last role was in 2018 and she managed the Language Center’s transition to Elevator for streaming content. She and her family are safe at home.

Certificates of Advanced Proficiency Move Online
This month, approximately fifteen students of Chinese, French, German, and Spanish have the opportunity to complete the Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in their language. These certificate programs are intended for undergraduate students who are interested in achieving advanced-level proficiency, and having their skills formally recognized. One difference from previous semesters: the final ACTFL tests are administered online, rather than in a computer classroom.

Language Success Stories
Share your successes from the new world of remote language teaching and learning! The Language Center would like to hear your stories of successful instructional activities, connections with students, teaching experiences, encounters with technology, and the like to share with our community. No success story is too small to share! We’ll feature one story per week in ElsieTalk, and below we provide an example from the LC’s own Carter Griffith to give you inspiration. Please send your success stories and any questions to Kate Paesani at kpaesani@umn.edu.

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