multilingual

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Steve Iams (FSMLE 2021) is a recipient of the 2023 NYU Shanghai Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes exceptional teaching at the undergraduate level. At NYU Shanghai, Dr. Iams is a Clinical Associate Professor of English for Academic Purposes and was recently appointed as the new Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. In this role, he works alongside the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs on initiatives which support student success and maintain academic policies and standards.

BAAL 2023 symposium

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Artanti Sari and I are presenting today at the 56th Annual Conference of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) at the University of York. We are part of the symposium ‘The Learning of Sacred Languages’, which features papers from a forthcoming special issue of the International Journal of Bilingualism, edited by Bene Bassetti. Our paper examines the use of digital spaces by transnational Indonesian-Muslim families to support their children’s Qur’anic Arabic language and literacy development.

 

AERA 2023 paper & symposium

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AERA 2023 in Chicago is wrapping up today. I am part of 2 symposia. I am the discussant for the symposium Illuminating Sociality and Learning in Diverse Educational Environments by Interrogating Movement, Touch, and Affect, organized by Sarah Jean Johnson (UTEP) and Ananda M. Marin (UCLA). I am second author on Jackie Ridley’s (Kent State) paper “¡Mira, the coche has wheels!” Supporting young children and families’ translanguaging through informal science’. The paper is part of a symposium organized by Jackie and Lindsey Rowe (Clemson U), In Supporting Children and Families in Early Childhood Education Contexts Through Translingual Practices and Pedagogies.

U Cambridge workshop

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End of this month I will be a panelist and participant in a workshop focused on Language Learning in/as Religious Education. Dr. Artanti Sari and I will present together on Qur’anic Arabic learning in digital spaces. The workshop is the 3rd part of a series of events hosted by the Cambridge Interfaith Programme at the University of Cambridge. We will reflect on approaches, methods, and next steps in the research and teaching of religious languages. We will discuss the core questions: (1) What have we learned about how and why people teach and learn religious languages? (2) What do we do with that learning? (3) How does interdisciplinary discussion about such research impact our own work as teachers and/or researchers? This workshop will be of interest to educators, researchers, and practitioners of religious languages and literacies. We welcome participation and insights from attendees drawing from their own experiences with religious languages and literacies. This hybrid workshop takes place, Monday, 27 March, 2023, 13:15 to 16:45 GMT. For more information and registrations, click on the link above.

Jin-Wei Hung awarded OIA grant

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My advisee Jin-Wei Hung has been awarded the International Research and Scholarship Grant for his dissertation research ‘Language Socialization and Academic Adaptation of Chinese Heritage Language Learners in Study Abroad Context’. This grant is awarded by OSU’s Offices of International Affairs, Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge, and Student Academic Excellence.

U of Cambridge Interfaith Week webinar

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As part of University of Cambridge’s 13th World Interfaith Harmony Week programming, we are holding a webinar Language Learning in/as Religious Education on February 2, at 15:45 GMT. I will join Adel Mozammel (Darul Ihsan School), Anastasia Badder (Cambridge U), Jo-Ann Myers (Leo Baeck Institute), and Youmna Helmy (Cambridge U) to explore how religious communities draw on language as a semiotic resource aimed at specific goals, and how different methodologies can reveal aspects of the aims, processes, factors, and outcomes of sacred language learning and use. The event is free, just register in advance to get the Zoom link.

6th FLRT Symposium

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FLRT held its 6th Graduate Student Symposium for Foreign Language Research and Teaching January 20th. In addition to 13 great papers by students, keynote speaker Professor Ester de Jong (University of Colorado Denver) gave a talk on multilingualism and language teacher preparation.

Sessions at AAA 2022 in Seattle

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I am participating in 2 sessions at the 2022 Meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Seattle. The panel ‘Using Anthropology Of Language And Literacy To Address Equity In Unsettling Times’ brings together educational anthropologists who draw on anthropological theory and methods to examine the teaching and learning of language and literacy, drawing on theoretical frameworks that challenge dominant understandings. The round table ‘Refugee Education Across The Life Span In Unsettling Times’ showcases research on/with the language and literacy dimensions of the refugee experience.

Seminar for U of Cambridge UK Inter Faith Week

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I will be part of a virtual seminar ‘Language Learning in/as Education’, hosted by the University of Cambridge as part of the upcoming UK Inter Faith Week. The seminar will feature talks by Dr. Anastasia Badder (University of Cambridge) and Dr. Jo-Ann Myers (Leo Baeck College), and responses from Dr. Farah Ahmed (University of Cambridge) and me. We will explore the nature of ‘progress’ n Progressive religious contexts and the significance of language and literacy learning for religious community identity, focusing on Jewish and Muslim educational contexts. The seminar will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, 16 November, 12:30 – 1:45pm (UK time). Check out the short article on InterFaith Week events and a recording of our panel.