<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><br><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span id="m_-1377282591467919297m_-1738742647614938130gmail-docs-internal-guid-c6081ddb-7fff-b987-3fa0-8ad5b582241b" style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The UMBC Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Program Presents</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">a Virtual Session</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Fandom, Fan Translation and Language Education</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:medium;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:137px;height:144px"><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcs3e1a_DYQT7PCHuNUhfxs05cq766y1zHtsZX8KtvWKQ_S5iTcxKsxEbPJov1lnz6OCPv9qwxfdkEHAfYXO4Lp6166vnNhenrNoes_5XhkN08bcU2IWoZGA0kP1wr-B7-F-db8Lg?key=BWg0sHzKUwqYmJ6BTgz17eCP" width="216.40326291570798" height="144" style="margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dr. Boris Vazquez-Calvo</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Assistant Professor, University of Málaga</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Monday, April 28th, 2025</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">4:30 - 5:30 pm</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Online - Eastern US Time</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Summary</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In this talk, I explore how fandom culture, fan translation, and memes transform language education. Drawing on insights from the New Literacy Studies and the concept of affinity identity, I examine how practices like fansubbing, scanlation, and fanfiction found in digital affinity spaces empower learners to learn and use languages, negotiate meaning, co-construct knowledge, and shape their identities.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I will demonstrate how community-driven fan translation offers a dynamic space for plurilingual and intercultural literacy, promoting self-directed learning, peer feedback, and creative problem-solving with digital tools. I also highlight the educational power of memes—drawing on my “Story by Memes” project—to foster reflective and creative language use in the language teacher training classroom.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">By the end of the talk, you’ll walk away with preliminary, practical ideas for integrating fan practices like fan translation and meme creation into your language teaching, blending formal and informal learning to create engaging, digitally informed environments.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Boris Vazquez-Calvo</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> is an assistant professor of language education (English and Spanish). His research explores technology-mediated language learning, informal language learning, and digital literacies, including fan practices that foster language use, development, and socialization in online environments. Recently, his work has focused on preservice language teachers’ identities and digital literacies. With 40 publications and over 60 conference presentations, including keynotes, he is preparing to transition from the University of Málaga to the University of Seville, established in 1502. There, he will assume a top-tier, research-focused assistant professorship in language education, supported by the Ramón y Cajal grant and funded by Spain’s and the EU’s research agencies.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Free Registration</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Free registration in </span><a href="https://forms.gle/gkr6K8ncYgELJVgN8" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">this form </span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">About the UMBC TESOL Program</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) offers a master of arts (MA TESOL) and a four-course postbaccalaureate certificate (TESOL PBC) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.  Options are available for those seeking to teach any age group from children to adults in the United States or abroad, including Maryland P-12 teacher certification in ESOL.  Both the MA TESOL and the TESOL certificate can be completed on campus, online, or through a combination of online and campus courses. Find out more at</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://tesol.umbc.edu/learnmore.php" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://tesol.umbc.edu/learnmore.php</span></a></p></span></div><br></div>
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