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Project News
Invitation to Participate
The National LINC Online Curriculum (NLOC) project is pleased to invite LINC instructors to test the online courseware units we have developed and hosted in Avenue.ca starting in January 2022. Please click on the Invitation to Participate link for more information, such as a list of available eUnits, how to preview them and how to get these units added to your Avenue course.
http://learnit2teach.ca/wpnew/invitation-to-participate/
Web News
Microsoft taps AI techniques to bring Translator to 100 languages
Today, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Translator, its AI-powered text translation service, now supports more than 100 different languages and dialects. With the addition of 12 new languages ... Microsoft claims that Translator can now make text and information in documents accessible to 5.66 billion people worldwide. ...
https://venturebeat.com/2021/10/11/microsoft-taps-ai-techniques-to-bring-translator-to-100-languages/
Canada struggling to meet refugee target number for 2021
Canada is nowhere near to meeting its goal of welcoming 81,000 refugees by the end of 2021, according to numbers obtained by CBC News. Figures provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) show the department was about halfway to its refugee intake target on Oct. 31. As of that date, Canada had welcomed more than 7,800 government-assisted refugees, well below the federal government's target of 12,500....
https://www.cbc.ca/news/immigration-refugees-canada-1.6258067
In-person ESL learning returning to Labrador after halting when the pandemic hit
Six months after the federal government cancelled citizenship tests due to COVID-19, many immigrants say they fear a growing backlog in the citizenship queue will delay indefinitely their goal of becoming Canadians. Before the pandemic hit, the entire citizenship process took an average of 12 months. Now, applicants have no idea when in-person tests will resume ...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/esl-in-person-labrador-1.6241320
How immersive learning experiences will revolutionize education
Immersive learning experiences are a new type of educational experience that can be used in place of traditional lectures and classrooms. Immersive learning is meant to mimic the real world by providing students with an environment that is as close to reality as possible. It’s designed for learners who are interested in hands-on experiences, problem-solving, and discovery over non-traditional methods ...
https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/10/19/how-immersive-learning-experiences-will-revolutionize-education/
Google Announces AI for Individualized Tutoring and Advising
Amid advancements in the field of machine learning, ed-tech companies have been building artificial intelligence into platforms to provide students with homework feedback and instructors with content management services, among other applications. Noting a growing interest in AI’s potential uses in schools, Google has announced a new interactive AI tutor ...
https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/google-announces-ai-for-individualized-tutoring-and-advising
Blogs
What Can Duolingo Teach You about Creating an Addictive Course?
Duolingo has created an elearning experience that is rewarding and effective. Here’s how to apply its best features to your course. ...
https://www.learndash.com/what-can-duolingo-teach-you-about-creating-an-addictive-course/
3 Strategies for Better Meetings
Want to hold a better meeting, whether virtual, face-to-face or hybrid? Then make sure you have three elements in place: an engaged meeting leader, engaged meeting attendees and a decent grasp of technology. ...
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/11/02/3-strategies-for-better-meetings.aspx
The Changing Face of Instruction: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous E-Learning
Eleven years ago, researchers warned ... that universities would one day need to deliver courses in alternative ways to ensure continuity of instruction for students in case of impending pandemics. In 2020, their prediction came true. ... a growing number of schools are turning to synchronous hybrid learning (SHL), where students can learn together face-to-face and online at the same time through a blend of synchronous and asynchronous modalities. ...
https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2021/10/changing-face-instruction-synchronous-vs-asynchronous-e-learning-perfcon
Does listening to languages in your sleep help you learn them faster?
From in-person classes at school to remote learning, and from apps to tandem partners, there seems to be no end to tools and approaches that help you learn a new language. One seemingly wild idea is that you can even learn a language by listening to it at night while you’re asleep. ... to benefit from exposure while you sleep, you need to be listening to material that you have some familiarity with. ... From current research, it looks like the most beneficial thing to play would be an audio recording of your classes. ...
https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/language-learning-during-sleep/
10 Ways To Reduce Eyestrain During eLearning
The past year and a half has been hard on people in a lot of ways, including on eyesight. Increased screen time has meant doctors and students alike have noticed an uptick in eyestrain and screen-induced struggles, like headaches, eye fatigue, dryness, and trouble sleeping. But we don’t have to accept this trend as an unfortunate side effect of eLearning! Here are 10 tips you can share with the students and families to help prevent eyestrain.. ...
https://elearningindustry.com/ways-to-reduce-eyestrain-during-elearning
Five Ways to Improve Your Virtual Body Language
Body language can take time to perfect even in the best of settings—and virtual settings aren’t always that. With that in mind, here are five strategies for ensuring that you’re making your point on camera. ...
https://associationsnow.com/2021/09/five-ways-to-improve-your-virtual-body-language/
Professional Development
LearnIT2teach Annotated Bibliography New Resource: Twenty-five years of digital literacies in CALL
An accessible and comprehensive review of the evolving importance of digital literacies in the context of computer-assisted language learning, and a persuasive argument for inclusion of digital literacies in the language learning process.
http://bib.learnit2teach.ca/blog/twenty-five-years-of-digital-literacies-in-call/
How Is Hybrid Learning Different From Blended Learning?
What exactly is hybrid learning and what does it include? What is blended learning and how important is it? What are the differences that exist between hybrid learning and blended learning? You'll find everything you need to know regarding these burning questions as you read through the rest of this article. ...
https://elearningindustry.com/how-is-hybrid-learning-different-from-blended-learning
Current Realities and Future Challenges for CALL Teacher Preparation
The topic of preparing teachers to use technology has been addressed by researchers from various perspectives. In recent years, many of these have often been focused on specific instructional tasks or learning contexts, while very few have attempted to address the topic in an overarching or holistic manner. This lack of broad perspective has contributed to an overall lack of benchmarks regarding what should be expected from such preparation across the profession. One exception to this is the TESOL Technology Standards ...
https://journals.equinoxpub.com/CALICO/article/view/43500/40598
e-Resource Corner
Absolute Beginner Resources Used During Pandemic Lockdown
This document offers ideas for activities appropriate for literacy or CLB 1 and 2 learners. It comes from a PD session in the settlement language training sector in Australia.
https://avenue.ca/static/communication/Absolute-Beginner-Resources-used-during-lockdown-2021-with-screenshots.pdf.
Indigenous resources from the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO) website
This web page is a collection of resources that can be used to to raise awareness of indigenous peoples in Canada, and especially Manitoba.
https://mansomanitoba.ca/resource-category/indigenous-awareness/
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New Language Solutions is based in Ottawa, Ontario. We acknowledge that our head office is on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. Beyond Ottawa, we have staff working in locations across Canada. New Language Solutions is grateful to have the opportunity to work as a guest in communities and territories across the country, and we honour the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on and cared for these lands since time immemorial.
We make our acknowledgement as a sign of respect for all Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, past and present. We accept the true impact of the past and the pain suffered by generations of Indigenous Peoples. As an agency that works to support the integration of newcomers into Canadian society and cultures, we express our commitment to support activities that are inclusive of Indigenous Peoples. We resolve to address a history of injustice to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.
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