Announcing Theme Issues in The Language Educator—Beginning August 2013

The Learner * Technology * Instruction * Cultural Proficiency * Assessment and Feedback * Professional Development

Beginning in August, The Language Educator will present a year of six themed issues. The articles submitted for these issues will be read by at least two expert reviewers, in addition to other TLE and ACTFL staff. We hope to include a variety of innovative and cutting-edge articles exploring each broad theme related to language education.

The themes for these issues are:

August 2013—How do we personalize the language learning experience?

Focus on: THE LEARNER

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• Student backgrounds: Who are our learners? What is their prior knowledge and what are their skills?
• Meeting the needs of heritage language learners
• Enhancing learner motivation
• Students’ career and other interests
• Differentiation for special populations, including students with learning disabilities
• Special populations, learning disabilities, individual differentiation
• Languages for Special/Specific Purposes
• STEM and languages

Article submissions due: May 1, 2013

Submit your article for the August issue

October 2013—How do today’s learners shape a new learning environment?

Focus on: TECHNOLOGY

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• Connecting with learners’ means of learning
• Learning environments, learning centers
• Using new technologies in language learning
• Effective use of technology
• Online language instruction
• Web 2.0 tools
• Accessing and utilizing authentic materials
• Hybrid/blended classes
• Social networking

Article submissions due: July 1, 2013

November 2013—How are our practices helping students learn?

Focus on: INSTRUCTION

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• High-leverage practices
• Comprehensible input
• “Flipping” the classroom
• Do effective language teachers still teach grammar and if so, how?
• Research-informed instruction
• Thematic units
• Project-based learning
• 21^st century skills

Article submissions due: August 1, 2013

January 2014—How do encounters with cultures change our learners’ views of the world?

Focus on: CULTURAL PROFICIENCY

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• Interculturality
• Study abroad and intercultural adjustment
• Pragmatic competence
• Service learning
• International collaboration

Article submissions due:  October 1, 2013

February 2014—What kinds of assessments improve learning and teaching?

Focus on: ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• Measuring what has been learned
• Performance and authentic assessments
• Backward Design
• New Advanced Placement (AP) exams and revised frameworks
• Modes and cultures
• Linguafolio
• Assessing proficiency
• OPIs/OPIcs/WPT
• Designing effective rubrics and feedback tools

Article submissions due: November 1, 2013

April 2014—How can educators improve their effectiveness?

Focus on: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Possible article topics include (but are not limited to):

• Teacher preparation and sustained improvement
• Teacher effectiveness
• Professional learning communities/communities of practice
• Collaboration
• Mentoring
• Continual improvement as an educator

Article submissions due: January 1, 2014

NOTE: Articles for these theme issues, while peer-reviewed, should still follow The Language Educator Author Guidelines and should be written in the style of a magazine feature article, with direct quotes from multiple primary sources and intended to appeal to educators of all languages at all levels.