Mar 1 | Incorporating Cultural Content in the Language Classroom


Friday, March 1, 2019
4:00 – 6:00pm, Room 9207

Many language instructors enter the classroom for the first time without knowledge of language acquisition principles. They are often asked to design their classes based on a textbook that doesn’t speak to students’ experiences and fails to appeal directly to them. New instructors often feel pressured to teach following a grammar-oriented approach that seems to leave little room for practical language skills.

These issues and others have emerged as part of a year-long inquiry into the challenges of teaching languages at CUNY facilitated by the Teaching and Learning Center. Join participants in our Focused Inquiry Group to discuss strategies for balancing grammatical and cultural content to create engaging language learning environments. We will examine different source materials, from textbooks to movies, music videos and Open Educational Resources (OER), and will offer concrete ideas on how to adapt these materials to the needs of various classes. We’ll explore selected language acquisition frameworks, such as Task-based learning and Implicit vs. Explicit Knowledge, that can allow faculty to use culturally relevant content while meeting class goals. Participants are invited to bring any instructional materials that they use. All language instructors are welcome.

RSVP here: http://cuny.is/tlc-spring-19.