Our blog post this week was written by Julie Sykes, CASLS Director; Stephanie Knight, CASLS Assistant Director; Ellie Collins, CASLS Graduate Intern; Rebekah Lloyd, CASLS Graduate Intern; Tigre Lusardi, CASLS Graduate Intern.

The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) (casls.uoregon.edu) at the University of Oregon (UO) supports innovative world language teaching and learning. We develop research-based curricula, professional development resources, and assessments to support pedagogical infrastructures and innovation. We are one of sixteen National Foreign Language Resource Centers that work to increase the nation’s capacity for language education. Our resources incorporate best practices in pedagogy, the latest in second language acquisition research, and technology that enhances and extends classroom learning. 

Each year, we have a team of Undergraduate and Graduate Interns work with us at CASLS to gain hands-on experience. The projects vary each term, but, regardless of the project, our Interns’ input, ideas, and work are an invaluable part of our team. During the Spring 2021 term, three Graduate Interns from the Language Teaching Studies Program at UO joined our team – Ellie Collins, Rebekah Lloyd, and Tigre Lusardi. We loved having them! To tell you a little more about the CASLS Internship Experience, we decided to ask them a few questions. Check out their answers below! 

What is your internship at CASLS like?

Ellie: My internship at CASLS is different than anything I have done before. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone, and I mean that in the best way! I have learned new skills, and I have learned to apply skills I already know to new environments. When I was unsure about trying something new, Stephanie and Julie supported and encouraged me. I never thought I would be comfortable scripting and animating a video, but, turns out, it’s pretty fun!

Tigre: The internship with CASLS is such a collaborative, team-centered, and team-driven experience! We have been working on various projects that communicate ideas about language teaching to a wide audience of teachers, language professionals, and learners. These projects included making animated videos and classroom activities for CASLS InterCom e-digest and also making puzzles for one of CASLS’ new interactive learning experiences about the IPIC [Intercultural, Pragmatic, and Interactional Competence] model. All the things I’ve worked on so far have challenged me in the best ways to communicate effectively and to nerd out on language and visual design.

Beka: My internship at CASLS this term has given me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and has allowed me to put into practice what I have been learning in my classes this year. It has been a great experience to work with the CASLS leadership, as they have been so collaborative, encouraging, and flexible. Our projects have been varied and creative and I really feel my experience here will be applicable in the future. This experience has challenged me to engage creatively with language teaching strategies and materials, and it has been amazing to work with a national organization that will be recognized by future employers. 

What did you create you are most proud of?

Ellie: I am most proud of the video I made about language variety. It was the very first video I created, and it covers a topic I am very passionate about! Though it took a lot of time and energy, I am so proud of the final project. I loved seeing it in the InterCom e-digest and knowing it was being sent out to actual language instructors and learners!

Check out Ellie’s video here: https://youtu.be/ObinJEjvBAA 

Tigre: I am really proud of the videos I made for InterCom. Using the animation program had a steep learning curve and was unlike anything I had previously done. I love thinking about visuals, colors and design, and how to best communicate information visually. Plus, I got to revive my childhood theater training by recording the voiceover for the videos too- so fun!

Check out Tigre’s video here: https://youtu.be/BBVls74b9m8 

Beka: I am most proud of the language learning strategy video I created for the YouTube channel and InterCom . It talks about using digital tools to practice pronunciation-particularly voice-recognition apps. I also created a short activity which can be used in a classroom alongside the video to introduce the technique and help learners implement the tool. I am also currently working on a series of puzzles which help learners explore pragmatic functions. It has been so fun and challenging to create content in these educational formats!

Check out Beka’s video here: https://youtu.be/pAaHYoONKIk 

What will you take with you from your internship to your future career?

Ellie: My internship at CASLS has challenged me to be flexible, to think outside the box, and to imagine what language learning might look like both in and out of the classroom. I have gained new perspectives on how to create engaging materials for language learners and instructors, and that is something I will certainly apply in my future classrooms. I have loved the opportunities to use my creativity and my training to make language learning fun!

Tigre: The ability to communicate why language learning is important and how learners can employ language learning strategies to better meet their goals will certainly be helpful in the future. I can imagine these skills as strong assets for wherever I end up in the field of language education. And as a classroom teacher, learning to communicate ideas about language succinctly and in an engaging way is so key!

Beka: I have really been challenged to think outside of the box when creating teaching materials and have already been thinking about how I can incorporate these ideas into my own future teaching. I would like to use short instructional videos in my teaching in the future. Gaining experience with a creative video software has shown me this is very possible. The puzzles we are currently creating are also encouraging me to look for new ways to engage learners in course content!