Mini Center for the Teaching and Learning of Languages
The School's Mini Center for the Teaching and Learning of Languages had a very productive year. In addition to conducting the annual Fall Orientation for new and returning TAs, the Mini Center sponsored a pedagogical workshop for TAs, standardized responsibilities of TAs, including classroom duties and protocols; communicating expectations at beginning of semester; policies on classwork; exam writing; and TA administrative duties; developed a substitution policy, and held its annual Distinguished Speakers Series.
Professor Bonny Norton visited campus on October 16, 2002 and spoke on the topic of "Imagined Identities in Language Learning Communities." A panel discussion held on April 14, 2003 on the Future of Foreign Languages in the U.S. featured Dave Edwards, Joint National Commission on Languages, Dr. Mimi Met, Deputy Director, NFLC, and Marty Abbott, Head of FLs for Fairfax County and President of ACTFL. Dr. Roberta Lavine, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, facilitated the session. Both of these sessions were extremely well attended. Finally, according Dr. Alene Moyer, Mini Center Director 2002-2003, the Mini Center was pleased to be able to fund almost a dozen graduate students to attend the annual conference of the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) and the Northeast Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL).
For more information about the School's Mini Center for the Teaching and Learning of Languages, its programs and Advisory Committee, visit http://www.languages.umd.edu and click on Mini Center.
Advisory Committee
Top row (left to right) - Dr. Alene Moyer, Dr. Teresa Cabal Krastel, Dr. Kira Gor
Sitting (left to right) - Dr. Manel Lacorte, Dr. Mary Ellen Scullen
