On this page you will find a list of ALTEC-sponsored talks given by distinguished speakers in recent years. You can search talks by year or, in the column to the right, by title. If you would like to recommend a speaker or give a talk yourself, please contact us today.
Courtney Fell and Zachery Foster 02/2018
Courtney Fell and Zach Foster came to ALTEC to present some solutions for making Language Class Placement Exams in Canvas. They discussed the format of a Canvas Course specifically designed for testing, with the normal course items removed. Then they went into details on the Canvas quiz system, and how to create questions that might be useful for language placement exams.
Carmen Talegani-Nikazm 10/2017
Dr. Carmen Talegani-Nikazm came to CU to tell us about her research in L2 interactive competence, and how that can be taught.
Bill Van Patten 10/2016
Bill Van Patten discussed why foreign languages cannot be taught. He argued for a different view of language learning, and how teachers are essential to a student's effective learning.
Daniel Trego and Luca Guipponi 05/2016
Dr. Daniel Trego and Dr. Luca Giupponi presented their methods for flipping the classroom, video production, and placing the flipped material online.
Antonio Fava 5/2016
Antonio Fava gave a lecture on Comedia dell'Arte for the Italian Department. He discussed the history of this theatrical genera. And, brought life to a number of stock characters and the methods for playing them.
Terri Nelson 11/2015
Dr. Terri Nelson of CA State University presents Paris Occupé. An instructor-created role-playing game where students take on fictional identities was used to learn about Nazi-occupied Paris.
Alaina Beaver 09/2015
In this workshop, Alaina Beaver, Universal Instructional Design Consultant at OIT, introduced the basic principles of Universal Design for instruction. She helped people understand CU's new compliance policy.
Russell Moon & Nick Einterz 04/2014
Student motivation is an issue of concern for language instructors. By adding gamification methods to outcomes tracking in D2L, faculty can increase learner motivation by allowing students to track their own outcomes online. This presentation provides gamification methods that can be employed in language courses across multiple levels.
Darcy Lear 04/2014
In this workshop, you will design resume content, discuss how to back that up in cover letters and personal statements, and practice face-to-face communications such as networking and answers to commonly-asked interview questions.
Felix Kronenberg 10/2013
Research on L2 motivation is increasingly tied to current notions of identity (Ushioda and Dornyeï, 2009). In this presentation, Dr. Felix Kronenberg discusses the related concepts of language learner identities, motivation, and agency in computer gaming spaces.
Giorgio Corda 10/2013
Giorgio Corda, an Italian lecturer, co-designed and team taught an Italian class during the summer of 2013. He came to ALTEC, and discussed his experiences doing this. His codesigner Judith McDonald was also interviewed.
Judith McDonald 09/2013
Judith McDonald, an Italian lecturer, co-designed and team taught an Italian class during the summer of 2013. She came to ALTEC, and discussed her experiences doing this. Her codesigner Giorgio Corda was also interviewed.
Patricia Mosele 09/2013
Patricia Mosele, a French lecturer, taught a hybrid and a fully online entry level course this summer. She reviewed theses experiences in an interview at ALTEC.
Ed Dixon 04/2013
In 2010, Dr. Ed Dixon taught the first online language course at the University of Pennsylvania. In this talk, he addresses practical concerns for online language teaching including content creation, assessment, student interaction, and time management.
Christopher Jones 10/2012
Dr. Jones reviews the history and discusses the future prospects of Open Educational Resources, using as a case study the French Online course through the Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University.
Kathy Mills 4/2012
Dr. Mills draws on a case study of a multilingual language learner, Paweni, a Thai immigrant, describing how she and her peers negotiated cultural and linguistic difference within a long-term multimodal project that was ostensibly more equitable than an exclusively print-based approach.
Steve Thorne 4/2012
Professor Thorne discusses whether it is feasible or desirable to include out-of-school L2 digital engagement in environments such as social media, fan fiction communities, and online gaming.
Tatiana Mikhailova 3/2012
Tatiana uses the students' blogs to publish their translations of Russian poetry and provide them with a record of their accomplishments.
Kyoko Saegusa 2/2012
Kyoko describes how she's been using student blogs to allow first year Japanese students to reflect upon their language acquisition experience.
Anne Becher 1/2012
Edwige Simon interviews Anne Becher concerning her use of student blogs to teach her fourth year Spanish writing course.
Maggie McCullar 1/2012
When she teaches her Spanish courses, Maggie McCullar uses Blogger as a course management system.
Amber Navarre 1/2012
Amber Navarre describes another case of using blogging as a course managment system. In this case she used Wordpress to teach her Chinese courses.
Sarah Withee 10/2011
In this presentation, Sarah Withee demonstrates that, with properly designed activities, an interactive whiteboard can be a valuable tool for learning and practicing vocabulary, reading strategies, and conversation in the language classroom.
Colleen Coffey 11/2010
In her talk, Colleen discusses the benefits and challenges to developing a virtual immersion program as an integral part of language course curriculum department-wide.
Senta Görtler 4/2010
Spring 2010 Share Fair Keynote Talk: Michigan State University professor Senta Goertler's lecture explores methods through which language instructors can blend traditional classroom tactics with technology.
Julie Sykes 2/2010
Julie Sykes of the University of New Mexico discusses the value of virtual spaces as environments in which language learners may acquire new experiences and perfect their existing skills.
Sandra J. Savignon 5/2009
For ALTEC's first Second Language Aquisition workshop, Sandra Savignon presents communicative competence and ways to overcome obstacles to implementing CLT.