pedagogy

It is no secret that over the years, the number of PhD graduates and the number of available permanent academic jobs has been inversely disproportionate. Wendler et al.’s 2010 study revealed that a little under 50% of US PhD graduates found academic jobs, most of which are unlikely to be full-time positions, and majority of which go to graduates of more prestigious universities. Yet these numbers rise dramatically once one looks outside the hallowed walls of the North American university.

This session will be an extension of the discussions during the Let's Work Together: Collaboration and Pedagogy roundtables at the 2017 NeMLA Convention in Baltimore. The goals of this session are to further discourse about the ways in which collaboration can be fostered and implemented at the administrative and curricular level, as well as how individual contributors to the university culture—faculty and students of all levels—can incorporate and emphasize collaboration.

This roundtable will look at pedagogical strategies for examining the 2016 election in Standard Freshman English Composition courses. English Composition instructors are struggling with approaching relevant concepts (ex. argument) and reading selections that do not alienate portions of the classroom with every choice. While it would be ideal, it is not necessarily feasible or responsible to be bi-partisan with every lesson plan. Submissions should present pedagogical approaches that stimulate constructive inquiry, application of course concepts, and/or address concerns of partisan discourse (in the texts, by instructors, or students).

The last few decades have witnessed a growing interest in the benefits of linking the learning of a foreign language to the study of its literature. In fact, the emphasis on working with culturally authentic texts is one of the central claims for curriculum reform in EFL/ESL teaching nowadays. Moreover, the latest developments in text-based teaching point to a curriculum in which language, culture, and literature are taught as a continuum. 

Nevertheless, the incorporation of literary texts into the language curriculum is not easy to tackle. Many linguists refer to literary content as extremely demanding for both teachers and students. Not surprisingly, many teachers tend to avoid using literary texts for this reason. 

Fostering Global Competence: Teaching Language and Culture Through Film

Abstract:

The session aims to reimagine the fundamental pedagogical role of foreign language and culture courses in the college curriculum in the era of globalization. Providing students with cultural experience is the objective and challenge in beginners’ language and culture courses. Films can provide the narrative of our fast-changing time, allowing reflection on global issues as well as cultural values. This session will explore whether it is possible to add relevant content to our instruction to help students reflect on the global era.