UNIVERSITY

Inaugural Conference
viu.edu
VIU at the Forefront of Academic
CLLC Conference Attracts Educators from Around the World
Leadership
VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Conference on
Language, Learning, and Culture
About the Participants
With well over 200 participants
from all around the world, the inaugural
Conference on Language, Learning, &
Culture (CLLC), organized by the VIU
School of Education, was a major success.
Attendees represented institutions from
four continents including North America,
South America, Africa, and Asia; the
CLLC additionally hosted teacher-practitioners,
researchers, business leaders, and
community services from over 70 organizations.
The 2014 theme, “Innovations at
the Intersection of Language, Learning,
and Culture,” sought to frame educational
experiences as ideally meeting the needs
of diverse students, their communities,
and the various stakeholders who can benefit
from high-quality, socially responsive
language programs.
“The speakers were what most attracted
me to this conference. It is remarkable
that the CLLC was able to attract such
renowned and sought-after speakers its
very first year,” said one participant. The
event kicked off with a keynote address
by Dr. Ken Petersen, Technical Director
for Online Learning and Assessment for
American Councils for International Education.
Dr. Petersen provided insight into
how technology is currently used in the
classroom and the direction that the field
of education is moving. He observed that
today’s classrooms need to meet the needs
of learners when, where, and how they
currently participate in society. His call to
action urges that teachers connect to the
technology their students are already using.
Dr. Petersen demonstrated that the
field of education and language teaching
needs to keep pace with the technology at
hand.
After the first keynote address, participants
broke out into paper sessions
and workshops. Since the conference was
organized around four relevant strands in
the field of language learning, there were
a variety of fascinating presentations. The
strands included: language learning and
development; pedagogical considerations;
program evaluation and policy; and language
in society. Session topics as diverse
as a psycholinguistic approach to second
language learning to using Mariachi as
pedagogy attracted participants and engendered
much lively discussion.
It is remarkable that the
CLLC was able to attract
such renowned and
sought-after speakers its
very first year.
Following the first set of sessions, Dr.
Shelley Wong, a professor at George Mason
University and past TESOL president,
addressed the audience. With a critical
focus on inclusion in the classroom, Dr.
Wong’s talk was centered on the rights of
students in our classrooms. She urged that
the call to social action and social responsibility
around the issue of immigration
rights is a key responsibility of teachers,
policy makers, and the US government.
She also stressed that the key issue in improving
communities as a whole is ensuring
that all students are able to receive an
education and improve their lives.
The later sessions included several
workshops, including one by VIU’s own
Dr. Marietta Bradinova on non-verbal
communication and cross-cultural differences.
Dr. Bradinova started off her
workshop by having attendees think about
whether certain non-verbal signals were
appropriate in their cultures or not. Nodding
her head, she asked “does this mean
‘yes’ or ‘no’?” Conflicting responses from
across the room led participants to the
first of many signals that differ across cultures
and continents. In small discussion
groups, participants worked out a practical
approach to solving cross-cultural
communication challenges. “This is the
best communication workshop I have ever
attended,” commented a smiling participant
from the southern United States to a
colleague from Canada, as both walked to
their next workshop.
The 2014 CLLC ended with a keynote
address by Dr. Terrence G. Wiley, President
and CEO of the Center for Applied
Linguistics. As a guiding light in the fields
of education and linguistics, Dr. Wiley
framed the discussion around focusing on
priorities in language education policies in
the United States. In particular, he noted
that the United States is a multilingual society
built upon a long history of immigration,
a fact which is often missed in a narrative
around “English only” policy and
thought. This discussion demonstrated
that the US is a diverse society in which
various languages color and enhance the
multicultural tapestry that is at its core.
The conference received much positive
feedback from its many participants.
VIU Vice President of Academic Affairs,
Ms. Badamsukh Yadamsuren, noted, “This
conference has impacted so many people
on such a wide scale, within several different
academic areas. I am especially impressed
by how many people traveled from
such great distances.” Participants praised
the quality of speakers, the highly relevant
topics, and the interesting strands of CLLC
2014, which allowed for many fascinating
papers, workshops, keynotes, and poster
sessions. Many have written back stating
that they have shared their newly-acquired
knowledge with colleagues and are utilizing
the best practices in their own teaching
and research.
“I am incredibly grateful for the support
of my colleagues at VIU and across
the globe,” beamed VIU School of Education
Director and CLLC organizer Mr.
Kevin Martin. “We could not have organized
this conference without them. The
event was completely sold out, and we already
have a lot of interest in next year’s
topic. We are excited to grow and expand
in 2015!”
30% Foreign
70% North American
North American Locations
Canada, Maine, Mississippi,
California, Missouri, Texas, New
York, New Jersey, North Carolina,
and Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Maryland, Washington, DC
Affiliations
Participants were affiliated with: Georgetown University,
George Mason University, American University, Center for Applied
Linguistics, Fayetteville State University, CUNY, Florida
International University, ICLS, Mentora College, SUNY, Literacy
Council of Montgomery County, Literacy Council of NOVA, Old
Dominion University, Qatar University, Northern Virginia Community
College, the Global Language Network, University of
Pennsylvania, Trinity University Washington, UMASS, University
of Maryland, and Texas A&M University, among others.
30 University Magazine, VIU Summer 2014
Summer 2014 University Magazine, VIU 31