Student-Driven Symposium to Celebrate Foreign Language Education

February 9, 2012

The student-driven event “Celebrating Foreign Language Education: A Monterey Bay Symposium” will take place on Saturday March 10, 2012, at the Monterey Institute campus. This symposium will bring together local teachers, students, administrators and other professionals from the Monterey Bay area to discuss current trends and issues in the field of foreign language education.

Students from the Teaching a Foreign Language (TFL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) degree programs had the idea to bring together local professionals and members of the Monterey Bay community to share ideas and insights about foreign language education. With the support of MIIS faculty and staff they now have a full schedule of exciting presentations and discussions set for March 10.

The keynote speaker will be Monterey Institute Professor Dr. Leo van Lier. Dr. van Lier joined the TESOL/TFL program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 1986 and has authored a number of essential books and articles in the field of second language acquisition and applied linguistics. He has been the editor-in-chief for the Modern Language Journal since 2007 and is on the board of numerous other journals.

The American Translators Association has issued a call for presentation proposals for ATA’s 53rd Annual Conference in San Diego, California (October 24-27, 2012).

Speaking at an ATA Annual Conference is a challenge, but also a personal and professional opportunity. It is a business-smart strategy that can build your reputation in the language services industry—a conference presentation puts your skills and experience in front of more than 1,800 onsite translators, interpreters, language services providers, and government agencies. There is no better way to gain recognition for your services.

Submissions are invited from all areas of translation and interpreting, including finance, law, medicine, literature, media, science/technology, terminology, independent contracting, language services providers, and training/pedagogy. Sessions may be language specific or general.

The deadline for submitting a presentation proposal is March 12, 2012.

Click https://www.atanet.org/conferencesandseminars/proposal.php to submit your proposal today!

ATA 53rd Annual Conference in now online! Look for special events, schedules, hotel details, and registration rates at http://www.atanet.org/conf/2012.

by Marc Wensveen

MIIS Alumnus Matthew Robinson is a lecturer at the Institute of Culture and Language Studies in Bhutan. The institute is hiring more lecturers as it continues to grow. See vacancy announcement below:

The Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), part of the Royal University of Bhutan, is looking for Lecturers for their English Department. Opportunities for these year-long contracts begin in July, 2012. ILCS is Bhutan’s foremost center for preserving and promoting the national language (Dzongkha) and Bhutanese culture. The institute is now situated in a new campus in the remote and scenic Trongsa district, a half-day drive from the capital.

All other expenses will be the responsibility of the lecturer, and working conditions will be the same as those of regular faculty members of ILCS. Note that the new campus of ILCS is still under construction, and while it is improving every day, one can expect a degree of challenge in living & working conditions. It’s also noteworthy that the position gives lecturers unprecedented access to learning about Bhutanese culture/ languages, and, of course, to see stunning scenery and sites around the country.

MIIS TESOL grad Jaala Thibault has two articles published in the NY Times (see links below). Jaala served as a Peace Corps volunteer in China and Kiribati before coming to MIIS. She also served as an English Language Fellow in Afghanistan. She hopes to get other articles published in the future.

1st Article: “Changes in Kabul Classrooms”

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/changes-in-kabul-classrooms/?ref=world

2nd Article: “A Teacher’s Learning Curve in Kabul”

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/a-teachers-learning-curve-in-kabul/

The Fisher International MBA Program is offering the Business Foundations Certificate to students interested in general business knowledge.  The certificate is designed to better prepare graduates for management positions within areas of language education, international policy, and translation or interpretation careers.  The Business Foundations Certificate (BFC) will build skill sets in various areas of business disciplines. For more information, please visit the Fisher International MBA Program website.