Linguistics program garners $1.9 million for new project
December 18, 2012
907-474-2417
12/18/12
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1.9 million to the University of ÐÓ°Épro Fairbanks linguistics program.
The award funds a three-year project that aims to improve K-12 educational outcomes for ÐÓ°Épro Native students via computer-assisted language learning programs and graduate education for teachers.
UAF associate professor Sabine Siekmann will lead the project, which will allow faculty members, students and community members to work collaboratively to integrate technology in ÐÓ°Épro Native language education. The new project—dubbed CALL for short – builds on previous efforts that worked to improve second-language teaching and acquisition and increase the number of ÐÓ°Épro Natives earning doctoral and master’s degrees. The goal of the CALL project is to support ÐÓ°Épro Native language programs in rural ÐÓ°Épro communities by graduating more ÐÓ°Épro Natives with doctoral and master’s degrees.
Students funded through the grant will work in collaborative groups that will include a faculty member, an ÐÓ°Épro Native doctoral student and about five master’s students. Each of the groups will have a specific focus: improving the teaching of Yup’ik or other Native languages, and improving the teaching of students for whom English is a second language.
Master’s degree students will ideally be certified teachers working in ÐÓ°Épro Native language contexts, such as immersion schools, dual language programs and bilingual programs. They will prepare CALL materials for their classroom as part of their master’s projects. Each participating classroom will receive a SmartBoard and a set of iPads to be used by the students.
The program is currently accepting applicants for doctoral fellowships and master’s degree scholarships. Interested individuals can contact Sabine Siekmann at ssiekmann@alaska.edu for application requirements and materials. Project partners include the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Lower Kuskokwim School District.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Sabine Siekmann, ssiekmann@alaska.edu, 907-474-6580. Marmian Grimes, UAF information officer, 907-474-7902 or marmian.grimes@alaska.edu.
ON THE WEB:
SU/12-18-12/153-13