Published: Nov. 20, 2017

varsity pondGSLL recently hosted a two-day workshop for CU language instructors on proficiency-oriented instruction and measures of language proficiency, organized by Merete Leonhardt-Lupa, GSLL Swedish instructor. Guest speaker was Walter Hopkins, Assistant Director of Language Instruction for Spanish in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University (MSU). He is also the co-host with professor Bill VanPatten of the popular “Tea with BVP”, a podcast that discusses linguistics and SLA topics. On the first workshop day, professor Hopkins carried out a classroom demonstration of methods and assessment techniques characteristic of the proficiency-oriented instruction at the MSU undergraduate Spanish department. On the second day, professor Hopkins explained how his department has redesigned their Spanish 101-202 courses, course goals, teaching and learning materials, and assessments to reflect their new and competitive language proficiency goals.

The workshop was made possible by a 2017-2018 CU UEDP Grant to Merete Leonhardt-Lupa, GSLL. The objective of the Language Proficiency project is to prepare students for success as foreign language speakers by examining and redesigning language proficiency goals and assessment methods to make them consistent with the most current standards in measuring language proficiency, and shaping the curriculum so that it supports the students in reaching the language proficiency goals.