Teach-a-LCTL
The Teach-a-LCTL project consists of two resource guides (for novice and intermediate level students) to provide pedagogical support for instructors and coordinators involved in community language education for less-commonly taught languages.
About the Project
Many students pursue the study of LCTLs to continue learning a language spoken at home or in their communities or to communicate more effectively within immigrant or diaspora communities. However, given the limited opportunities to study LCTLs in formal educational contexts, the responsibility of LCTL instruction often falls on family or community members. Parents, guardians and community members take on the role of language educators, many with little or no pedagogical training. In an effort to provide support for community language educators, the Teach-a-LCTL initiative has created two resource guides, one at the novice and the other at the intermediate level, specifically for use in community LCTL instruction.
Research
The Teach-a-LCTL project team laid the foundation for their resource guides by first conducting a needs analysis. This research sought to highlight issues related to curriculum design, program structure and administration, funding models and teacher recruitment and training in the various community LCTL programs. Surveys and interviews were conducted in Spring 2023 and data provided a wealth of information. The needs analysis addressed questions that the team sought to explore, while also shedding light on new issues across community LCTL programs. Read the findings in the Research Report: Teach-a-LCTL Needs Analysis.
Guides
The Teach-a-LCTL Resource Guides combine scholarship on community language education, research on heritage language learners, and literacies-based approaches to language learning. The guides aim to provide teachers and coordinators in community LCTL education programs with an easy-to-use resource, adaptable to their languages, cultures, and learners. Each guide has an introduction that describes the project’s rationale, as well as some of the things that make community LCTL programs unique. Both guides contain sample lesson plans on 5 themes: music; sports and movement; clothing; expressions and emotions; and food. They also direct community language educators to additional resources. Access the guides using the buttons below!
Guide Feedback
If you have read or used our Guides, please let us know about your experiences! You can help us understand your needs and improve future resources by filling out this brief, anonymous survey.
Presentations
The Teach-a-LCTL team has presented at the Michigan World Languages Association (MIWLA) and Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA) conferences. These presentations have been a unique chance to share the work and to learn from colleagues in the audience. Get an overview of our project by exploring the OFLA 2024 presentation slides.
