Workshop instructors and TAs
Studio FLTA Alena Shestopalova led an event on February 15 in which faculty members and teaching assistants from the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures exchanged teaching strategies and teaching experiences.
Shestopalova is currently participating in the International Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant Program as an FLTA from Russia. As part of this program, Shestopalova is an education researcher at the World Languages and Digital Humanities Studio, where she plans and hosts events for advancement.
Event highlights
The event will feature 16 speakers from a variety of language programs, including French (Maria Comsa), Italian (Daniela D'Eugenio, Valentina Morello, Claudia Devich), German (Alexandra Hagen), Spanish (Brenda Magnetti), and Russian. A number of TAs and coordinators gathered together. All TAs already have extensive experience teaching world languages and cultures. Therefore, the goal was to bring together a diverse group of educators to share classroom best practices, empirical data, and lessons learned, creating an environment where everyone can learn from each other.
Participants were divided into three different stations and discussed how to develop communication skills, deal with mistakes in speaking activities, and explore more effective correction techniques.
“I am thrilled that the event went so well! I really appreciate how much thought and time the WLLC coordinators and TAs put into sharing their experiences and strategies for student success. From developing communication skills to effectively correcting errors.”
In addition to instructional educational events at the WLDH studio, Shestopalova hosts a biweekly Russian conversation table, “The Nose.” The table will be held Thursday from 5pm to 6pm in the JB Hunt Center for Excellence Studio, Room 207. The conference will take place on February 22nd and will explore nonverbal communication, which is part of modern Russian culture.