Institute Co-leaders: Rachel Mamiya Hernandez & Betsy Gilliland
MOOC Project Lead: Naiyi Xie Fincham
Staff: Jim Yoshioka, & Jillian Breithaupt
At various points in our lives, we each find ourselves immersed in experiences that move us in deeply powerful ways, inspiring intellectual change, personal transformation, and social action. Join us in exploring the use of project-based language learning (PBLL) as a framework for crafting compelling environments and experiences for language learners. During the 2023 NFLRC Summer Institute held at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, participants will learn how to orchestrate rich, experiential language learning opportunities that draw on a diverse array of disciplines and how to develop a plan to research the effectiveness of their project design and teaching.
After participating in a short face-to-face, project-based language learning experience, each participant will design a well-scaffolded project for use in their own language classes. Join a team of experts with background in PBLL, language pedagogy, action research, and assessment to redefine what it means to teach, transform what it is possible for students to learn, discover, and make real-life impacts in the process!
Prerequisites
Applicants must earn a digital badge from the Envisioning Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) MOOC to submit an application.
Seats for the summer institute are limited and applications are competitive. Preference will be given to applicants who meet any of the following:
- currently teaching at a U.S. community college
- currently teaching at a U.S. minority-serving institution (MSI list)
- currently teaching a less commonly taught language (LCTL), defined as “all of the world’s languages except English, French, German, and Spanish.”
Important Dates
February 28, 2023
Deadline for meeting all digital badge criteria for the Envisioning PBLL MOOC
March 17
Summer Institute application deadline
March 31
Notification of Summer Institute selection results
May 31-June 7
PBLL in Action Summer Institute at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
2023 Summer Institute Purpose
The goal of this project is to empower participants to develop, implement, and research high quality models of experiential, project-based language learning in K-16 contexts in a variety of languages. As part of this project, participants will generate a body of Action Research (AR) on PBLL which exhibits consistency in the way PBLL is defined, designed, and implemented. In other words, participants will have a unique opportunity not only to advance our understanding of PBLL, but also to identify areas in need of further inquiry and exploration.
Action Research (AR) is a perfect fit to embark on a systematic exploration of PBLL because in addition to the new knowledge it generates through findings, it will provide participants a critical lens through which they can empirically examine specific pedagogical interventions and teaching practices within their own unique PBLL contexts. Through AR, language teachers are able to a) improve their practice in relation to the design and implementation of PBLL, b) improve and align their understanding of effective teaching practices with high quality PBLL guidelines, and c) improve the design of learning environments and materials that are conducive to high-quality PBLL.
At the end of this program, successful participants will have produced a much needed product for the profession: a published chapter in a book that examines PBLL design and implementation from a practitioner’s perspective. The book will be published and made available as an open resource to the profession.
2023 Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- design projects that develop the learners’ language and engage them in exploring global issues, social justice, sociocultural contexts, and content from other academic disciplines;
- make informed selections of scaffolding strategies for making language, content, and culture accessible; for facilitating the development of 21st century success skills; and for supporting language output;
- evaluate technological tools for communicating with authentic audiences, facilitating group interaction, and supporting students’ creation of public products;
- develop assessment plans to evaluate learner performance;
- build opportunities for reflection into a project plan;
- develop a plan for documenting students’ learning through action research methods;
- design data collection tools relevant to research questions; and
- understand ethical concerns in teacher research and prepare to conduct an ethical action research study.
Financial Support
To help defray travel expenses to attend the institute, travel awards (up to $1,000 for foreign language faculty/staff from the U.S. mainland or $350 for Hawai‘i neighbor island institutions) will be offered to our top 10 applicants as funding permits. Preference will be given to language educators representing less-commonly taught languages, minority-serving institutions, or community colleges.
Other accepted applicants will need to self-fund or seek financial support from their home institutions or other sources of funding in order to cover costs.
Please be advised that travel awards may be considered taxable income under US tax laws. US citizens and permanent residents may receive a 1099 form to figure into their annual tax return for 2023. Non-US citizens may have the applicable taxable amount (typically 30%) deducted from the award prior to receipt.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Due to restrictions on the federal grant which funds the NFLRC, we can offer this partial financial support only to participants who currently live in the United States and whose job impacts language research, learning, or teaching in the United States. Educators and researchers in foreign countries are ineligible for this partial funding. Students are also ineligible for partial funding, unless they are employees of their institution (e.g., paid teaching assistants, lecturers, etc.).
- If you previously received partial financial support for a previous NFLRC PBLL summer institute, you are ineligible to receive further funding and will need to self-fund or gain funding from your institution. We will, however, waive your summer institute registration fee, in these special cases.
- Participants may submit their completed project to be considered for inclusion in the PBLL Project Repository.
- Participants are encouraged to submit their completed AR study to be considered for inclusion in the edited book.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS INSTITUTE? HOW DO I APPLY?
We invite practicing K-16 world language educators to apply to participate. In order to join, applicants will need to first earn a digital badge from the Envisioning Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) MOOC as a prerequisite. Seats are limited and applications will be competitive. Preference will be given to participants currently working with less commonly taught languages or at U.S. community colleges and/or minority-serving institutions, but all practicing world language educators K-16 are invited to apply. District supervisors and world language curriculum specialists are ineligible to apply.
Participants are expected to participate fully, present on their PBLL project, and undertake a PBLL Action Research project after completion of the summer institute.
If you meet the above criteria and are interested in the summer institute, we encourage you to apply. Please submit an online application form by the March 17, 2023 deadline. Be sure to allow adequate time to fully answer the questions. Also, don’t forget to proofread your entries before submission. If you experience any difficulty with the online form, please contact us for assistance.
Notification of selection results will take place by March 27, 2023, via email. We will be accepting up to 24 participants for this summer institute.
2) I RECEIVED A DIGITAL BADGE FOR COMPLETION OF A PREVIOUS FUNDAMENTALS OF PBLL ONLINE INSTITUTE (2015-2018) OR A PREVIOUS ENVISIONING PBLL MOOC COURSE. CAN I USE IT FOR MY APPLICATION?
Yes, you can. That being said, if you need a PBLL refresher or are thinking of designing a new PBLL project, we highly encourage you to take our current Envisioning Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) MOOC, as some content and activities will be different from previous years. The new MOOC course will also help you design or re-design your Product Square, also a requirement for the summer institute application.
3) I TEACH ESL/EFL. CAN I APPLY FOR THE INSTITUTE?
The National Foreign Language Resource Centerʻs mission is to help improve the U.S. capacity in foreign language education, especially in less commonly taught languages. English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) is outside the scope of this summer institute. Applicants should be teachers of languages other than English.
4) ARE THERE ANY INSTITUTE FEES?
There are no fees for submitting an online application form. However, accepted participants are required to pay a non-refundable $125 registration fee. Please DO NOT SEND PAYMENT UNLESS NOTIFIED OF ACCEPTANCE.
5) WHERE WILL THE INSTITUTE TAKE PLACE?
The summer institute will be held on May 31-June 7, 2023, at the Center for Language & Technology in Moore Hall, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Only accepted participants are allowed to attend.
The UH Mānoa campus is 3 miles from Waikiki (about a 10-minute drive). If you are coming from the Honolulu International Airport, it is about a 20-minute drive (non-rush hour traffic).
6) ARE THERE LODGING OPTIONS AVAILABLE?
There are a number of housing options available. For those who are on a budget or prefer the convenience of staying on campus, rooms in Lincoln Hall can be reserved by accepted institute participants. Room rates range from $77 to $111 per night, depending on room type (studio, corner studio, or kitchenette unit). Rooms available are limited, especially in the summer. Please note that Lincoln Hall requires that guests provide proof of full COVID vaccination.
For those who wish to stay in a hotel and have easy access to Waikiki and its beaches, shopping, and restaurants during institute after-hours, we will be making arrangements with a Waikiki hotel ($145-165/night rate). More information about housing options will be made available to summer institute participants once they are accepted.
7) ARE MEALS PROVIDED?
Participants will be provided with continental breakfast refreshments each morning as well as afternoon snacks. There will also be a welcoming reception on the first day of the institute and a closing luncheon on the last day. Apart from that, participants are responsible for their own meals. Information regarding on-campus and off-campus dining options will be provided to participants upon their arrival.
8) IS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED?
No transportation is provided. Transportation is the responsibility of the participant.
The island of O‘ahu is serviced by the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). Airlines that fly to Hawai‘i include Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United Airlines, and a wide variety of airlines from abroad. The airport is about a 20-minute drive (non-rush hour traffic time) from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa or Waikiki.
For more information about available ground transportation services (including shuttles, taxis, The Bus, ride sharing, etc.), go to the Ground Transportation section under the Getting To & From menu here.
9) IS CHILDCARE PROVIDED AT THE INSTITUTE?
No childcare is provided. Also, there are some restrictions regarding children staying in the East-West Center residence halls. Please contact us for more information.
10) WHAT DIGITAL BADGES CAN I EARN?
Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) Intensive Summer Institute Designer
This badge certifies that a participant has finalized the design of a project and that the project meets the minimum quality standards specified in the Developing column of the Project Design rubric.
Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) Intensive Summer Institute Teacher
This badge is granted to a participant who has designed and subsequently implemented at least one additional distinct project (over and above the originally implemented project) in a language class.
Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) in Action
This badge certifies that a participant contributed a chapter to the Action Research Monograph published by the NFLRC.