Volume 06 - Issue 1

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/113175

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Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Announcements and News
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) SLRP Staff
Changing language program practices in community for sustainability
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Goertler, Senta; Rutemeyer, Mary Ellen
Identity, possible selves, and imagined communities in Spanish language classroom tasks
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Urzúa, Alfredo; Velarde, Gisselle; Woodard, Claudia
This study reports on the use of classroom tasks that rely on the notions of ‘possible selves’ (Markus & Nurius, 1986) and ‘imagined communities’ (Anderson, 1991) in both Spanish-as-a-foreign-language and Spanish-as-a-heritage-language classrooms. The tasks provided opportunities for students in these classrooms to share stories, real and imagined, focusing on topics such as family, education, and professional goals in order to connect past and present experiences with future aspirations. In addition, the tasks encouraged students to place themselves in imagined communities in which they interpreted and broadened their sense of identity. Results from each task are analyzed and discussed, with a focus on examining and comparing how foreign language and heritage language students reflect on their past and current identities and envision possible selves.
Towards a model of assessment competence in Finnish as a second language and literature teaching
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Vesaranta, Helena; Rättyä, Kaisu
This article proposes a descriptive model of assessment competence for teachers of Finnish as a Second Language and Literature (FSLL), addressing a research gap in subject-specific language assessment literacy within Nordic contexts. While existing frameworks, such as the teacher assessment literacy in practice (TALiP), provide general principles for teacher assessment literacy, they do not sufficiently account for multilingual environments or the unique challenges of second language learners. Our model integrates pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) with linguistic depth, emphasizing phonology, morphology, and syntax as critical components for FSLL assessment. It also incorporates the concept of assessment culture, highlighting the role of shared practices and collegial support within school communities. Drawing on theoretical foundations (Grossman, 1990; Xu & Brown, 2016) and Finnish curriculum guidelines, the model aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) principles and promotes functional language use. We argue that FSLL teachers require comprehensive subject knowledge and the ability to apply it in assessment practices that support learning, fairness, and equity. The model aims to guide teacher education and professional development, offering a framework for reflective practice and collaborative assessment culture. Future research should examine its applicability in classroom contexts and explore its potential adaptation to other languages.
Language teacher education through engagement in an educational escape room
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Egbert, Joy; Shahrokni, Seyed Abdollah
To fill a number of gaps in both the task engagement and language education literature, 25 international and multilingual graduate teacher education students in groups of 3 and 4 participated in a stand-alone, face-to-face educational escape room (EER). The purpose of the experience was to model facilitators of task engagement for in-service English teachers while supporting them in engaging in learning about and practicing comma use. This exploratory study employed pre- and post-test statistics of learning outcomes to complement descriptive data. Results support assertions in the literature that EERs can be engaging across learners and language content. Guidelines and implications for future EER development are provided, including ideas for how the next iteration of the EER might be designed more effectively and how additional rooms might be designed for language teacher education.
What do the students say? Integrating student input into participation assessment
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Hostens, Nafal Ossandón; Schoedler, Ellen Jones
The assessment of participation in the classroom has been at the center of debate among pedagogy scholars and instructors for decades, and the discussion gained new traction after the push towards remote learning during the COVID pandemic. Despite the surge of movements advocating to step away from traditional grading systems, this type of assessment is often deemed necessary in settings such as university-level language classes. Moreover, instructors do not always have influence on programmatic decisions, including whether or not to assess participation. This practice report presents two attempts to account for students’ needs and perspectives when assessing participation in the foreign language classroom by actively involving them in the participation assessment process. One approach consisted of the systematic self-assessment and open dialogue of the weekly participation grade, which was then factored into the instructor’s weekly assessment grade. The second approach used student input to create the rubric, which all students then agreed to, and allowed for discussion with the instructor. These two approaches were well-received by students, and regular mid-semester student surveys suggested that the novel approaches promoted a sense of fairness in the classroom and stimulated both willingness to participate (WTP) and to communicate (WTC).
The pedagogy lab: A practice-oriented redesign of the collegiate language pedagogy seminar
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Strietholt, Sophia
This report presents the “Pedagogy Lab,” a practice-based graduate seminar modeled on the structure and logic of a STEM laboratory. Designed to address the limitations of traditional graduate teaching assistant (GTA) preparation in language programs, the Lab replaces one-off workshops and theory-heavy seminars with a recursive, inquiry-driven environment. Drawing on principles from experiential learning and reflective practice, the Lab organizes weekly “experiments” in the form of lesson design, microteaching, peer review, and iterative feedback. Like scientific labs, it treats pedagogical knowledge as something to be tested, observed, and refined over time. GTAs are positioned as practitioner-researchers who explore instructional hypotheses in a controlled, feedback-rich space. Thematic modules anchor each week’s inquiry. Additional components such as classroom observations, discussion forums, and a teaching portfolio (similar to a cumulative lab report) reinforce the course’s lab-based ethos and support the development of reflective teaching identities. Originally implemented in a German graduate program, the Lab offers a replicable, discipline-specific model for GTA development across language contexts. Ultimately, the Pedagogy Lab posits that applied, iterative, and field-specific training is essential for preparing language GTAs to meet the complex realities of instruction shaped by shifting institutional expectations, technological change, and the demand for student-centered pedagogy.
A study abroad director’s response to unanticipated program disruptions
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Sebastian, Paul
Those involved in study abroad education know that unanticipated program disruptions present unique challenges. Such disruptions range from minor issues such as forgotten items to truly catastrophic events including natural disasters, health emergencies, and political unrest. This report is guided by an interpretive study approach to better understand the experiences of one study abroad program director as they navigated their own programmatic disruptions caused by COVID-19 during the spring 2020 semester. Reflective journal entries comprise the primary data for the report which are then analyzed using narrative inquiry as an interpretive guide. Recommendations include a call for better study abroad onboarding programs for faculty and staff program directors and for increased attention to faculty and staff perspectives in study abroad contexts.
Is it worth it? Instructor perceptions of a university-wide transformation to blended language learning
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Schenker, Theresa; Méndez-Seijas, Jorge; Thompson, Andrea; Goren, Shiri
Blended language learning (BLL), an instructional model that counterbalances face-to-face tasks and asynchronous online tasks, enhances language development by providing learners with a wide variety of engagement possibilities that are difficult to offer through monomodal methods. The effectiveness of BLL, as has been noted in the literature, depends greatly on the positive perceptions and support of stakeholders, including instructors. To further tap into the perceptions of instructors, a population that has received relatively little attention in scientific research about BLL , the current study analyzed data from 29 language faculty members across ten different programs: American Sign Language, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Chinese, and Spanish. All participants were involved in a university-wide transition from exclusively face-to-face instruction to BLL. The results reveal strong support from most instructors, most of whom judged BLL to be effective for enhancing students' learning. The primary reasons for their positive perceptions include the model’s flexibility, the possibility of individualized and self-paced learning, and the added opportunities for personalized feedback. Additionally, instructors noted that BLL positively impacts students’ and instructors’ mental health by providing a break from traditional in-person instruction.
Reach out, research, and reform: Advocating for the future of world language education
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Morris, Kimberly
The landscape of world language education (WLE) in the U.S. has shifted significantly in recent years due to a variety of issues including language enrollment declines, teacher shortages, program cuts, and polarizing ideologies, among others (ACTFL, 2025a; Lusin et al., 2023; Tang, 2023; Thompson, 2024). To maintain the vitality of WLE programs, practitioners have been required to reconceptualize their curricula and recruitment pathways to adapt to this “new normal,” inevitably increasing their workload and emotion labor. This report outlines how a small WLE program at a mid-sized comprehensive university in Wisconsin confronted their local challenges by adopting a three-pronged advocacy approach involving outreach, research, and curricular reform. By expanding outreach efforts, conducting local research, and applying the findings to perform curricular redesign, this approach seeks to expand pathways into an ever-evolving program that is centered on career-readiness. The implications of such advocacy work can serve to mitigate the aforementioned challenges, creating a positive ripple effect throughout the field.
Applying systems thinking to address labor in language programs
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Ferry, Megan
The paper discusses a case study of how a Modern Language Department at a liberal arts college in the U.S. addressed a college-wide call for departments to propose their own workload model in reaction to shifting education initiatives. Despite the autonomy to propose their own model, the language department faculty struggled to articulate their situation, much less a proposal. It was not until the department applied a visual analysis of its workload that it was able to discover how unarticulated assumptions and behaviors contributed to the larger conundrum of its invisible and emotional labor concerns. This paper proposes systems thinking (Meadows, 2008), an approach that takes a holistic view of interconnected elements, their behavior and function, as a framework to reveal the complexity of our labor, thereby rendering tangible the hidden structures and dynamics of language programs. Systems thinking is a method for critically examining and evaluating our work as language educators, especially as we adjust to new post-pandemic norms that are adding stress to an already overstrained faculty. An applied systems thinking model can identify multiple facets of language faculty labor concern, including the relationship between unobvious or unintended components and thus, potentially provide a pathway towards specific behavioral outcomes of change.
Thriving or surviving? Language educators’ post-pandemic health and wellbeing
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Goetze, Julia
Teaching is a stressful profession, with language educators more susceptible to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and attrition than their colleagues in other disciplines (Moser & Wei, 2024; Sulis et al., 2022). Novice language educators, in particular, are more affected by disciplinary stressors and require different support than experienced peers to attain workplace wellbeing (e.g., Babic et al., 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic added emotional and professional stressors to language teaching (Crane, 2020), as the shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) heightened care work and pedagogical demands(MacIntyre et al., 2020; Warner & Diao, 2022). While these challenges are well-documented, little is known about language educators’ post-pandemic workplace wellbeing. Adopting a career stage lens (Day et al., 2007), this study examined the emotional and psychological wellbeing, physical health, and emotion regulation capacity of 254 early and mid-to-late career language educators in 2023. While participants reported strong health and wellbeing overall, early-career educators (i.e., whose careers started in or after spring 2020) reported lower wellbeing and emotion regulation capacities than their more experienced colleagues. Given that workplace wellbeing can protect against stress and burnout, results point to the benefit of tailoring professional development programming to career stage-specific needs to support effective and sustained workplace wellbeing.

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