From Past Issues
From Spring 2007
![The idea of tandem learning typically revolves around a partnership of two native speakers, students of each other’s language who learn from each other and help one another to learn. The CLA Language Center’s TandemPlus Program matches and provides support in tandem partnerships, but also offers other opportunities for students seeking language practice and cultural awareness. In the past year TandemPlus has organized numerous electronic exchanges between CLA language classes here and counterpart classes in Spain, Chile, France and China. This Spring we piloted yet another language exchange — peer-led conversation groups — for students of foreign languages in which we have a very high demand for language partners: Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. These conversation groups, limited to 3 or 4 students, gave motivated students intensive conversation practice in the target language. Language Center student employees, who are either fluent (many have completed a learning-abroad experience) or native speakers of the target language, led the conversation groups. Students commit[ted] to meeting with their group once per week for the semester, and thanks to special CLA funding, had the opportunity to participate and talk about a variety of activities (making food, seeing plays and movies in the target language...whatever the group decided) at no cost to the students.](elsiespeaks/2009/spring/images/tandemPlus.jpg)
from Spring 2002
Survivor: Episode 5
The CHALLENGE: Use computer-based exercises to provide timely error-correction to improve accuracy in student writing
Felicitaciones! Elsie salutes this week’s IMMUNITY Challenge winner, Spanish Ed. Spec. Frances Matos-Schultz, for her pioneering incorporation of Mallard Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) materials in first-year courses. Mallard is a web-based course system that gives students access to written, video and audio materials, as well as exercises. One of Frances’s most notable achievements has been her success in integrating the technological components of the course into the classroom dynamic.
ˇHASTA LUEGO! to Borg drone Kelly McHugh, who never allowed time after video or Internet lessons for students to practice incorporating the material learned into their speaking and writing skills. “She treats us like robots!” complained one student. “She thinks we should just assimilate all this instantaneously.” The herd has spoken, Kelly. Resistance is futile.