2025 MAFLT LCTL Innovation Awards

These awards, offered by the National LCTL Resource Center (NLRC) and generously funded by the Michigan State University Online Graduate Programs in Foreign Language Teaching (MAFLT and Certificate), recognize outstanding, innovative, and transformative uses of technology in the teaching of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). For the purposes of this award, we consider LCTLs anything other than English and the commonly taught world languages of French, German, and Spanish. Three prizes ranging between $250 and $500 will be awarded this year. Last year’s award winners are featured on our blog.

Eligibility

All LCTL instructors are eligible to apply for this award, either as individuals or as part of a team. To be considered, innovative uses of technology must have been implemented in courses running between Summer 2023 and Fall 2024. Eligible innovations could have been implemented in online, blended, or F2F courses. Both K-12 and Higher Ed LCTL instructors are encouraged to apply.

Nominations

If you would like to be considered for the award, please fill out the entry form below. If you would like to nominate someone else, feel free to contact Luca Giupponi (giupponi@msu.edu), who will follow up with the nominee. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee comprised of MAFLT faculty and personnel from the National LCTL Resource Center (NLRC) at Michigan State University. 

Entry Information

Any technology-based practice used in a LCTL course is eligible for consideration. Innovations can be the course as a whole but also a smaller element such as a project, task, or assessment. Entries were reviewed and evaluated according to the criteria listed in the MAFLT LCTL Innovation Award rubric. The following components are required for each submission:

  • The OLT Innovation Award application form filled out in its entirety. You can download a PDF version here to prepare your submission, but only applications submitted via the official form will be considered. 
  • A brief video (up to 3 minutes) illustrating your innovation and its impact on your teaching practice. The video should be uploaded to a streaming service and accessible by anyone with the link. 

Timeline

Applicants must submit their application by February 10th, 2025. The awards will be presented at the Shared LCTL Symposium, which will be held in conjunction with the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) Annual Conference in Chicago on April 24, 2025 from 1-5:30pm. Attendance at the symposium and award ceremony is encouraged, but it is not mandatory in order to accept the award.

Apply for the Award