Our Mission
Since 1987, the Center for Language Studies has facilitated
contacts and cooperation among faculty with teaching and
research interests in second languages. Our mission is to
strengthen language study at Brown University through promoting
research, developing teaching techniques, courses, programs,
and learning resources, and creating new curricular configurations.
CLS supports the application of technologies in language
learning, promotes the professional development of language
faculty and graduate students, and forges collaborations
at Brown and beyond.
Who Are We?
Members include teaching faculty from each language department
on campus. CLS is the academic home for Arabic, American
Sign Language, Hindi/Urdu, Modern Persian and the Program in English for
International Teaching Assistants. Our operations also include
the technological facilities of the Language Resource Center.
CLS Functions
The Center for Language Studies serves as a clearinghouse
for issues of second language learning at Brown. Each year
we sponsor an array of events on campus including roundtable
discussions, workshops, lectures, colloquia and conferences.
We coordinate an interdepartmental graduate seminar on the
theory and practice of language teaching, orientation sessions
for new TAs, workshops and conferences for language faculty,
language placement testing, the Language Partners Program,
and advising for self-study in less-commonly taught languages.
CLS assists its members in applying for grants to conduct
research into second language acquisition, to incorporate
curricular innovations and creative teaching approaches,
to develop innovative teaching materials, and to adapt existing
and emerging technologies. The Center functions as the University
liaison to the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning,
a group comprised of the Ivy League institutions, MIT and
the University of Chicago, which facilitates contacts between
faculty in its member institutions, provides funds for projects,
and convenes workshops and conferences on topics pertinent
to the profession.
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