Spotlight

Conference Update
CAL will be presenting and exhibiting at the following conferences in March 2013.

AAAL 2013 Conference
March 16-19, 2013
Dallas, TX

Look for our table at AAAL.

View CAL staff presentations at AAAL 2013.

TESOL 2013 International Convention & English Language Expo
March 20-23, 2013
Dallas, TX

Visit us at booth #404.

View CAL staff presentations at TESOL 2013.

Professional Development Opportunities in Washington, DC
CAL is continuing to expand its successful series of professional development institutes focusing on key issues for educators. CAL Institutes provide research-based strategies and practical, hands-on tools to help you develop effective classroom activities, including meeting the demands of the Common Core State Standards. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about each institute and register.

Visit our website to learn more and register.

SIOP in Action: Instructional Videos Featuring Complete SIOP Lessons at Three Grade Levels New!
Three videos, available on one DVD with a companion viewers’ guide, illustrate three SIOP lessons at different grade levels: second grade, eighth grade, and high school/GED. Designed to deepen understanding of SIOP Model implementation at the classroom level and to support professional development initiatives, these videos are also used in CAL SIOP professional development workshops and online learning.
Learn more and watch a video clip.

SOPA Online Training Courses Set for February 2013
CAL offers innovative oral proficiency assessment instruments designed to allow young students to demonstrate their highest level of performance in oral fluency and listening comprehension. SOPA Online Training courses teach participants how to administer and rate students' oral language using the SOPA (Student Oral Proficiency Assessment) or the ELLOPA (Early Language Listening and Oral Proficiency Assessment).

Registration is open for the February Moderated Introduction to the SOPA and Rating the SOPA online courses. Learn more and register.

Assessment for Language Instructors: The Basics Online Course Now Available
CAL is offering a free online training course that teaches world language instructors about the fundamentals of assessment. Learn more.

Tools for Rating Oral Proficiency

A Computer-Based Test of Oral Proficiency Available in Modern Standard Arabic and Spanish
CAL developed the Computerized Oral Proficiency Instrument (COPI) as an alternative to the audiotape-mediated Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI). The COPI is a computer-based, semi-adaptive test of Modern Standard Arabic or Spanish oral proficiency intended for high school junior and seniors, college students, and professionals. Learn more.

Multimedia Rater Training Program (MRTP) Now Available in Modern Standard Arabic
The MRTP is a computer-assisted professional development tool that serves as a companion to the COPI, described above. The MRTP teaches professionals to rate oral proficiency according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, using over 190 authentic language samples from the COPI. The MRTP is also available in French, German, and Spanish. Learn more.

The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics
This comprehensive reference work covers the highly diverse field of applied linguistics and is available online or as a 10-volume print set from the publisher, John Wiley and Sons. Bringing together historic and emerging areas of research within applied linguistics, the encyclopedia includes over 1,100 entries written by an international team of scholars from over 40 counties, including contributions from CAL staff and board members.

Browse the encyclopedia at the Wiley Online Library.

Connecting Diverse Cultures: A Video Guide for A New Day and Be Who You Are
Connecting Diverse Cultures features practical and effective activity plans designed to help facilitators, teachers, and trainers increase understanding of and appreciation for other cultures and beliefs. Developed as a companion to the DVD Refugee Families and Youth in the United States, this practical and informative guide incorporates segments of the video into engaging activities. Learn more.

Listening and Speaking: Oral Language and Vocabulary Development for English Language Learners
This teacher-oriented practical workbook provides research foundations for listening and speaking and principles of instruction for English language learners. It includes real-world examples, research-based principles of instruction, and a companion DVD with new authentic classroom videos. This practical tool is designed for classroom teachers in elementary and middle schools (Grades K-8). Learn more.

Math and Science: Skills and Strategies to Adapt Instruction for English Language Learners
This workbook addresses research foundations and principles of instruction for teaching math and science to English language learners. It focuses on the language of math and science, making math and science comprehensible, developing higher order thinking, and the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. A companion DVD provides authentic classroom videos that demonstrate key concepts. Learn more.

Using the SIOP Model: Professional Development Manual for Sheltered Instruction,
2nd Edition
This updated and expanded professional development manual is designed to assist teacher educators, staff developers, and leaders at the school, district, and state levels as they prepare teachers of English language learners to use the SIOP Model. By incorporating this instructional model in their classroom, teachers can improve the language proficiency and grade-level content knowledge of their linguistically and culturally diverse students. Learn more.

What’s Different About Teaching Reading to Students Learning English?
This resource provides teacher trainers and other educators with a research-based curriculum to guide the professional development of classroom and ESL teachers who teach reading in classes where some or all of the students are English language learners. This widely used professional development tool includes a comprehensive trainer’s manual, a study guide designed for use by individual teachers, and a DVD of the popular video, Why Reading Is Hard. Learn more.