[EDLING:1047] Year of Languages Radio Series

[Francis M. Hult]

By way of ILR...
  _____  

Subject: Year of Languages Radio Series

October 21, 2005

 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

 

            I'm happy to report that the Talkin' About Talk radio series is
finished.  The last of the 52 segments was recorded about 10 days ago; and
after labels and inserts printed, are printed, the materials will be
packaged on CD's for distribution.  Audio files and scripts for most of the
segments are already on line on our website.

 

            The series is on the air in 9 states and in use by language
professionals across the country.  At the end of this letter I've attached
some snippets of e-mails from people who were happy to get the material --
and who found a variety of ways to use it.   There's an announcement about
the series on the website of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (www.yearoflanguages.org <http://www.yearoflanguages.org/> ), in
the fall issue of Foreign Language Annals (p.445), and in the newsletters of
regional professional associations.  We are still working to get the
material to more radio stations, and I continue to get requests from
language professionals for information.  Finally, in an unexpected turn of
events, Equinox Publishing in London wants to put the essays out as a book
next summer, with the title: The Five-Minute Linguist (subtitled: Bite-sized
Essays on Language and Languages).  

 

            For the convenience of people who want to use the series but may
not have time or equipment to download audio files, we will make it
available at what it cost to produce it ($9.65 for all 4 CD's + postage).
It's free as a download, of course, but if you'd like to order a set with
attractive labels and inserts, maybe to give someone as a gift, there's an
order form on the website (www.cofc.edu/linguist
<http://www.cofc.edu/linguist> ).  The CD's should be ready to ship in
mid-November (just in time for the holidays!)

 

            I have to tell you that when the idea of 5-minute radio programs
to celebrate the "Year of Languages" celebration bubbled up, I never dreamed
that 1) it would take so long to do it; 2) that so many people would
volunteer time and expertise to make it happen; or 3) that it would turn out
so well.  Kudos to Joan Mack at the College of Charleston, who hosted the
series on her weekly radio program Conversations; to Victor Mazyck, who made
time in a busy life to do technical editing week after week; to our Review
Board, who read and commented thoughtfully on every script;  and to the
authors who gave us such marvelous essays.  To all, my deepest thanks. 

 

            It's been a great experience, and I'll long remember it as one
of the most gratifying things I've done in the language profession.  One of
the best things is that -- through the magic of e-mail -- I've met so many
talented and generous people, whom I now count as friends.  

 

            With very best wishes, this is the Five-Minute Linguist at the
College of Charleston, signing off.

 

            Rick

 

            

 

Comments about Talkin' About Talk:

 

*	From the University of Wisconsin-Madison: "I would like to make the
Talkin' About Talk clips available on the website for the Language
Institute:  <http://www.languageinstitute.wisc.edu>   Would it be possible
to get your permission to link to a new program on our website each week?
The series is just fantastic!   

 

*        From the University of Georgia: "I think the scripts you've
co-created are outstanding material for introducing issues of language
education at all grade levels but particularly I think a dynamic high school
guide would help teachers use the material.  Discussion questions, extension
activities etc.  I am likely to create these items during the fall semester
2005 as I plan to use one program each week in my course for pre-service
foreign language educators."

 

*	From Georgia State: "I teach Spanish and Second language acquisition
and there are a lot of topics from the series I could use. Other topics will
be great for my colleagues teaching linguistics. I will pass them along."

 

*	From Alfred University: "I'm the advisor for the College's radio
station, WETD 90.7 FM.   I'm planning on the weekly broadcast of Talkin
about Talk.   The topics look interesting, and with our growing
international student base, seems appropriate utilize what you have to
offer."

 

*	From the University of Missouri: "I would like to use them in my
upper-level undergraduate courses, Anthropological Linguistics and Language
and Culture."

 

*	From Orange County, California: "I listened to about 5 of the
segments on real audio, and they're fascinating!!!  I'd love to broadcast
them at my school site....   These broadcasts are really well done, short
and sweet (perfect for the morning announcements), and they are
cross-curricular in nature so they'd be ideal for use in a variety of
subject areas."

 

*	From Corvallis, Oregon: "I am a teacher of English for speakers of
other languages (ESOL) at the local community college and recently with an
Even Start family literacy program. But I am writing you in the capacity of
a board member for a new non-profit, Corvallis Multicultural Literacy
Center, which is a community center for connecting people of all cultures.
One focus is language and encouraging people to meet together to practice
languages they are learning. This series sounds perfect for us to have as a
featured series at the center."




 

*	From Delaware: "I plan to use the Year of Languages 5" segments at
our Academy of Lifelong Learning at the U. of Delaware. We do not have as
such a 
public address system, but will I prepare ca. 60" collections of the 
segments to be played continuously in a common room where faculty and 
students gather and wait for classes etc, probably with some sign in a 
corner showing that this is the Year of Languages. Those interested  
can move toward the loudspeaker to listen to parts or all of a given 
collection."

 

*	From England: "I work for Alliance Francaise in London, organising
corporate and private tuition and teach French and Spanish to children on a
private basis. I also organise French speaking dinners and social events on
a monthly basis. I do hope you will be willing to send these recordings to
me."   

 

*	From New York: "I am a teacher of Spanish and Italian at Plainview
Old-Bethpage JFK High School.  I read about the audio files about language
and linguistics that include 5 minute radio spots about language.  My school
has its own radio station manned by the students.  Would it be possible to
have these spots broadcast from our station as a way to help celebrate this
2005 "Year of Languages"?  

 

*	From Pennsylvania: "I am teaching a first year seminar this fall on
language(s) in America and would love to use some of these clips. Can I
download all of the 52 audioclips?"

 

*	"I will be teaching Spanish to 6th Graders and I would like to
include the collection of your segments in our curriculum."

 

*	"I am the chair of the California Language Teachers' Association
Working Committee on Year of Languages and I am in the process of preparing
a 1 1/2-hour seminar for the nurses and clinicians of Kaiser Permanente on
language learning and the Year of Languages. I would like to use the segment
referenced in the subject line above for this presentation.  This series is
wonderful and out of all of the ones I listened to, this segment struck me
as being very appropriate to the intended audience of my presentation."

 

*	"I plan to assign these as part of homework for some of my students.
I will refer them to the links on the ACTFL page, and we'll discuss them
during the final ten minutes of class (when I allow students to speak and
ask questions in English). Thank you for providing this great resource!"

 

*	"Your program has been very successful with our students of
education. Students also have the option of carrying out a Talkin' about
Talk lesson and writing it up for extra credit. We are working on
incorporating Talkin' About Talk in our curriculum. The sequence of tracks
during the semester was determined by our students' preferences who voted
for them and decided which ones to use and when."

 

*	"This is wonderful and I have sent it on countless times to many
friends and colleagues."