People around the world will only be more connected as time goes by, and having a second, third, even fourth language will be in demand. Technology has revolutionized language learning, offering students far more opportunities to connect with others and make language learning relevant and fun.
Dr. Sonia Rocca, Secondary Italian teacher at the Lycée Français de New York, was an early adopter of technology-enhanced language learning, and she’s become an evangelist of the subject. So much so that she received a research grant from the school to create the first school-based international language learning conference focused on technology, ever. MOBILLE, as she has named it, will take place at the Lycée Français de New York from February 21-22, 2019.
We sat down with Dr. Rocca to learn more about it.
What is MOBILLE?
MOBILLE is a new international conference focused on language learning and teaching with new technologies. MOBILLE is a made-up word that stands for Mobile Language Learning Experience. The two Ls stand for Language-Learning, and the idea is simple. Language learning for students is no longer confined to the classroom. Thanks to technology, it is an utterly portable, accessible experience that can bring languages to life for students, everywhere and anywhere!
Why organize this conference now?
The challenge in language learning boils down to the question of how to teach a language that is not part of your students’ daily lives. Paper materials, like textbooks and vocabulary sheets, were never enough to bring languages to life, and it’s not always possible for students to travel to another country for real-world learning. In the past cassettes and videotapes were used. You might think of a “language lab” of yesteryear, with very heavy headphones and tape recorders.
How do you bring a foreign language into the classroom in a real way today? That’s through content, and technology makes it easier and far more powerful for student learning. Some teachers fear using technology in the classroom. This conference will make technology-enhanced language learning accessible and easier for teachers to understand. It’ll also showcase research on best practices that demonstrates just how powerful a tool it is.
Can you give an example?
A number of years ago, the Lycée Français de New York adopted a one-to-one iPad-Laptop learning program that provides each student with access to an iPad or laptop each day for their classroom work. I was thrilled when we introduced the program and created a prototype “mobile” language lab with the iPads for my students. They are able to record themselves, listen to themselves and monitor their own oral performance, rather than wait for me to correct them. It encourages autonomy in the classroom, because it helps them self-evaluate, and listen to themselves before submitting an assignment to me, and it pushes them to perform better.
This is just one example of the kinds of learning approaches conference attendees will learn about at MOBILLE.
What will attendees find at MOBILLE?
Teachers, academics-researchers, technology officers, heads of school, all will find something of value here. We’re proud that our conference has been endorsed by the European Scientific Committee as an Academic Conference of Excellence.
This conference is a hybrid of workshop and “best of” research, and I believe the first of its kind for a school to host, and that’s significant. The Lycée Français de New York is at the forefront of teaching and learning in general. We’re offering a real-world classroom experience to catalyse thinking and discussions rather than a university setting. What better place to help people improve their practice than in the very environment in which they work or will be working!
Attendees will find leaders in best-practice and theory and research from all over the world. We have papers and presentations submitted from as close as Columbia University to as far away as Spain, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and the Philippines! They’ll find a variety of presentations, from research to practice-oriented to discussions, where hot topics will be discussed.
How to register?
Registration is now open until November 15th on the MOBILLE Conference website.
What if I can’t get to New York?
We’ve got loads of fun activities organized for our guests, including a night at the theater on Broadway, but we also know that not everyone can get here. We’re hosting virtual presentations for people who can’t be here and would like to share their work. They can be uploaded directly to the conference website.
Like all academic conferences, we’ll be publishing conference proceedings, in our case online. All papers will go through peer review, and I am grateful to the Scientific Committee we’ve assembled to oversee the conference to help assess and make sure we’re publishing thorough research.
Find out more:
MOBILLE
Mobile Language Learning Experience
International Conference
February 21-22, 2019
Lycée Français de New York
505 East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
Contact: Ivan Kozlov, coordinator, ikozlov@lfny.org
About Sonia Rocca
Dr. Rocca is a Secondary Italian teacher at the Lycee. She graduated in foreign languages and literature from the Università Cattolica in Italy. She obtained a PhD in applied linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, specializing in the acquisition of a second language in childhood. She has taught French and English in Italy, and Italian at primary, secondary and university levels in Britain. She has also taught Linguistics and Applied Linguistics graduate courses at New York University. She is the author of Child Second Language Acquisition published by John Benjamins in 2007.
Author’s note: Interview has been edited to fit format for this blog.
About the Author :
Elisabeth King joined the Lycée team in November 2011 as the school’s first director of communications. A francophile at heart, Elisabeth spent her junior year of college in Paris, and held her first job at the French Trade Office here in New York. She brings to the Lycée over 15 years of experience in media and communications in non-profits, government, news and business. She was previously executive vice president and director of strategy at ABI, Inc., a boutique public relations agency, and she worked as associate editor on two books co-authored by Todd Brewster and the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings.