Experience Village Weekends
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That first night, having passed through customs, picked a new name and exchanged their money for the weekend, they already begin settle in to their surroundings and multiple opportunities to use the language to accomplish things. Despres-Berry thinks increased language usage is just one of the outcomes, one of the things the students take away from the weekend. “The way the program flows you need to speak the language to eat or if you want to buy something at the village store.” He continues “The students really listen and want to understand what the goofy and fun counselors are saying. It really helps that there are native speaking staff there as well.”

“As a teacher, what I like is that this program facilitates the authentic use of language in a non-instructional way.” He likes attending year after year because the Language Villages create a setting where teachers also get a chance to play and in the process learn something themselves. “It’s a good opportunity for teachers to get a chance to speak the language with others beyond the language that is defined by the units in the classroom.” Despres-Berry continues “The weekend program theme really is worth a whole unit, so I use it to supplement a unit or substitute it for a unit I might otherwise try to do in class.”

And at Waldsee his students last winter were especially intrigued by the new BioHaus Environmental Living Center where learning about science meets learning a world language. His students came away with a sense that what they learn about in science class really matters and has some real important applications. “It’s pretty cool when you get to do science in German.”

Byron Despres-Berry’s involvement with the Villages does not stop with co-organizing a weekend for his middle school students. In fact his involvement started when he attended a summer program session not quite 25 years ago. Even after stints of living in Berlin, Austria and the state of Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany, being involved with the Villages is a highlight. Most recently he contributed to two teacher development programs offered by Concordia Language Villages this past July. Of extending himself that way he says “You don’t know how good that was for me”. As an instructor of current and future language teachers, he found he increased his own understanding of the National Standards and the power of storytelling as a teaching strategy while guiding participants through the development of thematic units.

Recently Wrapped Up:

Teacher seminars and the First Course Series for the New Master’s in Global Language Instruction

During the month of July, Concordia Language Villages welcomed more than 60 language teachers to graduate-level courses in second language and immersion methodologies. Participants in this summer’s programs came from across the United States and around the world:  New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Michigan, Alaska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Illinois, Idaho, Virginia, Georgia, New York, Florida, California, Minnesota, and Taiwan.

Dr. Andrew Cohen from the University of Minnesota presented a workshop on learning styles and strategies-based instruction for the participants.  Dr. Carol Ann Dahlberg, professor emerita from Concordia College, presented a workshop on thematic unit planning.  Participants also visited the Language Villages for firsthand observations of various teaching methods discussed in class. As one participant wrote: Today was a marriage of language theory and practice as we visited the site at the Chinese Language Village, Sen Lin Hu. All of our readings and discussions came to life as we witnessed students engaged in a fully immersive language-learning environment.”

Launching the World Language Master’s

In a month, eight candidates from across the United States will come to Bemidji, Minn., to embark on a new academic adventure: they will become the first teachers in the country to participate in Concordia College’s Master of Education in World Language Instruction program.

The success of the teacher seminar program and requests for additional courses prompted Concordia Language Villages and Concordia College to establish this first-of-its-kind master’s program.  To ensure the program would fulfill the needs and gaps in teacher education, the Language Villages conducted a survey among Concordia graduates, past participants in the teacher seminar program, and world language teachers in Minnesota. Survey responses contributed to the program design and specific course offerings.

The Master’s candidates will soon pack their bags for three weeks at their specially tailored “boot camp.” The program instructors will be sharpening their minds, ready to provide the challenge. We are pleased to announce the first set of faculty for the Master’s degree program.
 
Dr. Paul Pablo Hoff, currently teaching Spanish and methods courses at the University of Wisconsin (Eau Claire), will teach Second Language and Immersion Methodologies. Pablo was dean of El Lago del Bosque and has held other leadership roles at the Villages.

Dr. Heidi Hamilton, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University, will teach Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Heidi is currently senior researcher for Concordia Language Villages and has held a variety of leadership roles at Waldsee.

Dr. Bernard Mambo, chair of the foreign language department and instructor of French & ESL at St John’s Catholic Preparatory School, will teach Motivating Students via Technology. In the past he has coordinated the four-week high school credit program at Lac du Bois. His dissertation focused on the integration of technology into the foreign language classroom.

Concordia College faculty Dr. Viann Pederson from the Spanish department and Dr. Gay Rawson from the French department will teach the fall online courses.

The program includes:

1. Summer one: three-week block of six hours of instruction per day at Concordia Language Villages in northern Minnesota
2. Academic year: one online course each semester
3. Summer two: three-week block of six hours of instruction per day at Concordia Language Villages in northern Minnesota

Course of study:

1. Second Language and Immersion Methodologies
2. Introduction to Qualitative & Quantitative Research
3. Motivating Students via Technology
4. Technology for Effective Language Instruction
5. Accessing Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives via Technology
6. Assessment in the World Language Classroom
7. Content-Based Language Learning
8. Intensive Communication Skills in the Target Language
9. Teacher Thesis: an independent research thesis supported through an online seminar facilitated by the faculty of the Master’s program

Program priorities:

1. class of 8 to 12 students allows instructors to adapt coursework to address the needs of individuals and their particular classroom situations
2. ample time for students to share ideas, ask questions, and discuss relevant issues and concerns in second language teaching and learning
3. innovative mix of online learning and on-site classes and observations at Concordia Language Villages
4. designed for any educator interested in world language pedagogy

Visit the Concordia College graduate program Web site for more information. You may also call 1-800-222-4750 or e-mail educators@cord.edu with questions. Download the program brochure (PDF).