Professional Development
Four of the NLRC’s eleven projects focus on offering high quality professional development to LCTL instructors.
Online Language Teaching Initiative
Virtual Video-based Inquiry for Development of LCTL Teachers
Teachers of LCTLs often come to language teaching from other fields, missing out on crucial training opportunities. Furthermore, LCTL instructors are often isolated in their teaching contexts and may have limited options for materials and curricula. To address these needs, the Virtual Video-based Inquiry for the Development of LCTL Teachers (ViVID) invites cohorts of currently practicing LCTL instructors to engage in reflective teaching and peer-mentoring.
Professional Learning Community
In its professional learning community, the NLRC will provide a cohort-like model in which LCTL instructors throughout the US can engage in sustained pedagogical discussion. The learning community supports LCTL educator development through accessible, relevant readings, hands-on activities and discussion opportunities. Participants will also create and adapt resources to fit their teaching contexts.
Collaborative Professional Development
The NLRC’s collaborative professional development offers financial support to a variety of professional development activities that benefit LCTL instructors across K-16 education. This support builds on already-existing partnerships such as the Language Collaboratory Professional Development Series (a collaboration between language centers at MSU, University of Michigan, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Minnesota). Additional events and initiatives to support will be drawn from the results of a needs analysis of LCTL instructors.