I. Scholarships and Fellowships
— Postgrad: WILLIAMS COLLEGE Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Environmental Studies
— Postgrad: WWF-US announces 2010 Fuller Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Competition
— Postgrad: Wallin Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Studies Focus on Islamic World Studies
Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
II. News you can use
— Introducing the AMSER Science Reader Monthly
— BioSciEdNet
— Bueno? Dobre? How to learn a foreign language online
I. Scholarships and Fellowships
WILLIAMS COLLEGE Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Environmental Studies
The Program in Environmental Studies at Williams College invites applications for two post-doctoral fellowships in Environmental Studies, beginning July 1, 2010. We welcome applications from candidates who will have the PhD. in hand by the start date or who have completed their PhD. within the last five years.
We seek candidates trained in the humanities or social sciences to contribute to the curriculum and vitality of an interdisciplinary program. The position requires vision and initiative and a desire to join our vibrant community of environmental scholars, practitioners and activists. Relevant fields include, but are not limited to: literature, art history, religion, anthropology, philosophy, history, and food studies. An international focus is also highly desirable. Williams is an institution that places a high value on undergraduate teaching; consequently, we strongly prefer applicants who can demonstrate a capacity for excellent teaching.
The successful candidates will be appointed for a term of either one or two years and will carry a teaching load of one course each semester. The baseline stipend for these positions is $38,940 per year plus an allowance of $4,500 for research and professional travel expenses. Fellows will also be provided with full benefits including health and dental insurance. These positions are made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
To ensure full consideration, applications must be postmarked by December 31, 2009. Please send cover letter, curriculum vitae, a two-page statement of research project and teaching interests, and three letters of reference
to:
Jennifer L. French, Director
Center for Environmental Studies
54 Stetson Court
Williams College
Williamstown, MA 01267
Fax and email applications not accepted. Inquiries may be sent to [email protected]
Williams College is a coeducational liberal arts institution located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts with easy access to the culturally rich cities of Albany, Boston, and New York City. The College is committed
to building and supporting a diverse population of approximately 2,000 students, and to fostering an inclusive faculty, staff and curriculum. Williams has built its reputation on outstanding teaching and scholarship and on the academic excellence of its students. Please visit the Williams College website (*http://www.williams.edu*
WWF-US announces 2010 Fuller Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Competition
Kathryn Fuller Fellowships Advancing Conservation through Science
WWF-US is pleased to announce the availability of Kathryn Fuller Fellowships for 2010. The Fellowships will support doctoral and postdoctoral research in the following three areas.
* ecosystem services
* measuring and monitoring carbon stocks in forests
* climate change impacts on and adaptation of freshwater resources
Fuller Doctoral Fellows receive either $15,000 or $20,000 allocated over a period of up to 2 years to cover research expenses.
Fuller Postdoctoral Fellows receive $140,000 to cover a stipend and research expenses over a period of up to two years as well as $17,500 to cover indirect costs at the host institution over the two-year fellowship period.
Citizens of any nation may apply. Applicants for Fuller Doctoral Fellowships must be currently enrolled in a PhD program.
Deadline for applications is January 31, 2010.
For more information on complete eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and how to apply, please visit the Fuller Fellowship webpage
Wallin Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Studies Focus on Islamic World Studies
Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Macalester College invites applications for a two-year Winston & Maxine Wallin Postdoctoral Faculty Fellowship from recent PhDs who focus on the Islamic world, broadly understood. Candidates may come from any social science or humanities discipline. Preference will be given to applicants with the ability to teach transnationally engaged courses which include an interdisciplinary dimension. The Department of International Studies at Macalester is a broad and deep nexus for the multi-perspectival exploration of globalizations old and new, in research and in undergraduate education.
The Fellowship, whose funding is provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Winston & Maxine Wallin Endowment, will begin September 2010 and entails half-time teaching. The Fellow will offer one course each semester: an introductory course in the fall, and a more specialized course in the spring. Candidates should have completed their PhD within the last five years, be interested in teaching in a rigorous liberal arts environment, and hold promise of substantial original scholarship. The Fellowship includes a $57,000 salary plus benefits and funds to support research and travel.
Initial applications, which consist of a detailed cover letter that includes a description of teaching interests, plus a CV, may be delivered electronically by going to the listing of this position at www.academicjobsonline.org, and following the instructions given there.
Alternatively, you may submit these materials to Kendrick Brown, PhD, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 USA.
Questions about our position are welcomed at [email protected].
We also invite you to visit our departmental website at: www.macalester.edu/internationalstudies
Applications received by November 15th, 2009 will receive first consideration.
Macalester College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college in the vibrant Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately three million and is home to numerous colleges and universities including the University of Minnesota. Macalester’s diverse student body comprises over 1800 undergraduates from 48 states and over 75 countries. The College maintains a long-standing commitment to academic excellence with a special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. We are especially interested in applicants dedicated to both teaching and research/creative activity within a liberal arts college community. As an Equal Opportunity employer supportive of affirmative efforts to achieve diversity, Macalester strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups.
—
Betsy Salvatore
Department Coordinator
Macalester College
1600 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105 USA
651-696-6050
II. News you can use
Introducing the AMSER Science Reader Monthly
http://www.amser.org/AMSER—ScienceReader.php
Internet Scout is pleased to announce the monthly publication of the AMSER Science Reader Monthly. The AMSER SRM provides readers with a useful online collection of information about a particular topic related to applied math and science by combining freely available articles from popular journals with curriculum, learning objects, and web sites from the AMSER portal. The AMSER Science Reader Monthly is free to use in the classroom and educators are encouraged to contact AMSER with suggestions for upcoming issues or comments and concerns at [email protected]. This month’s AMSER Science Monthly Reader topic is Carbon Trading. The AMSER SRM can also be found in the About section on the AMSER ( http://amser.org) homepage.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/
BioSciEdNet
http://www.biosciednet.org/portal/
This impressive portal (referred to in the shorthand as «BEN»), was created by the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) in order to bring high-quality educational resources to science educators everywhere. The entire project is managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the resources here total over 14,000, and they cover 77 discrete biological sciences topics. First-time visitors to the site will note that will they are not required to register to access these resources, however they may wish to do so in order to maintain a thorough list of the resources they find most useful here. The homepage is simple and to the point, and it features a «New Resources» area, and a collection of browsing options that allow users to pick out resources by type, audience, or subject. Persons who haven’t used BEN before may wish to look at the «Using BEN» area for a bit of guidance. [KMG]
To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout’s sister site — AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/
Bueno? Dobre? How to learn a foreign language online
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/23/learn.language.online/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Story Highlights
Web sites such as Livemocha have language exchange among site users
iPhone applications allow foreign language study on the go
Rosetta Stone works by immersion but is expensive
Person’s ability to learn languages never goes away, expert says
By Elizabeth Landau
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — Whether I was squeezing myself into a crowded subway car or admiring the fall leaves around at Tsaritsino Park, I was constantly learning new Russian words during my two-week study trip to Moscow last October.
When I came back from my trip, I had vague notions of continuing my linguistic education through classes and books. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any convenient classes, and the textbooks didn’t hold my attention for long.
I had basically given up when, about two months ago, I came upon the opportunity to use a program called Rosetta Stone. Having refreshed my vocabulary with it, I then turned to the Internet to see what other resources were available to help me stay on top of my language learning.
Here’s what I’ve found:
Free online learning
With the boom in social media, it makes sense that learning a language online would take on a Facebook-like component. My general impression is that these are great ways to exchange languages with people all over the world, but you might not always get helpful feedback. Watch for more on language learning »
With Livemocha, you get to learn the language of your choice while helping others who want to speak your native tongue. Once you complete a structured lesson, you submit your own writing and audio recordings to other users for feedback. Reading a sentence aloud and then sending my recording off was pretty intimidating, but I got a response within 10 minutes from a girl in Russia who gave it five stars and a «Good!!» — although she was surely too kind.
I also got to review English submissions from other users, which felt especially gratifying because I had just been in their uncomfortable situation of sending off my words to strangers.
There’s also Lang-8, which is all about the practice of writing. You essentially keep a journal in the language you are practicing, and others in the online community read and correct it.
Want more structure? The Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium gives out awards every year for outstanding language-learning Web sites: read the full list. No Russian sites made it there, but for Spanish (my second language) they cite a wonderful (and free) interactive refresher called Spanish Language and Culture with Barbara Kuczun Nelson.
This site uses popular Spanish songs, photo essays and other activities to teach grammar and vocabulary. It’s intended for people who have had some exposure to the language, however.
iPhone apps
If you’ve got an iPhone, you’ve got a way to get exposure to your language of choice wherever there’s adequate reception. In general, I’m kind of in awe of the idea that I can have a pre-recorded voice pronounce words as many times as I want so I can match it (although standing in the subway and repeating the same foreign word over and over might draw some unwanted attention).
First, I checked out AccelaStudy, an iPhone app that offers practice in 15 languages, including Russian. The free version shows and pronounces 132 words in «study» mode. In «flashcard» mode, you get a word in English and then touch the screen to «turn over» the card and hear and see the Russian translation. I like that you can listen to each word as many times as you want before you think you’re pronouncing it right.
The quiz, though, is only 10 words, which are the same in the audio version and don’t seem to vary. However, $7.99 will get you access to more than 2,100 unique words. This seems like a good supplement for language learning but not ideal on its own, especially since there’s no speaking or writing practice.
For some, Byki, also available in multiple languages, may be more useful. For $7.99, you get flash cards with audio and pictures, and I feel that both elements are essential for my own learning of new words. The app comes with 1,000 words, which is less than half that of AccelaStudy, however.
I am intrigued that you can use this app to see how your vocabulary words are being used in real time on Twitter. For those without an iPhone, you can get free version of Byki for Mac or PC, or a «deluxe» version you can use to import vocabulary lists to the iPhone.
Paying more for immersion
The gold standard of computer-based language learning seems to be Rosetta Stone. Here’s what I love: It forces you, like a real situation in a foreign country, to stretch the limits of your understanding but gives you feedback so that you learn and progress.
Instead of memorizing words, you confront pictures and learn to describe what’s going on. In the two months since I started the beginning Russian levels, I’ve been exposed to a variety of everyday vocabulary words through pictures and constant audio reinforcement. It is gratifying at the end of each unit to have a «milestone» activity in which you interact with the people in pictures, simulating the frustration you feel when you forget how to say something basic off-the-cuff in a new language.
The obvious downside for this program is the cost: $229 for Russian Level 1, for instance. Some people, such as myself, are able to get Rosetta Stone through corporate programs or universities. The other downer, depending on what your needs are, is that there is no explicit explanation for why the grammar is used the way it is.
In other words, I have no idea what the different «cases» are in Russian, even though I understand that endings of words change in different constructions. On the other hand, small children who grow up fluent in English don’t learn that in English the phrase «if I had known» is in the «pluperfect subjective tense»; they just learn to say «if I had known.»
A rival to Rosetta Stone is Transparent Language, which is less expensive ($179 for the complete edition) and owns the Byki products mentioned above. But Mac users beware: It’s only for PC.
Use it or lose it?
All of these resources have shown me that, although I let many months lapse before trying to resume my Russian, I haven’t lost it all. In fact, Grant Goodall, linguistics professor at the University of California, San Diego, says that if you spent a significant amount of time interacting in a language at some point — even a decade ago or more — a lot of it may return.
«It seems to be that the higher your ability level that you attained to begin with, the more likely it is to come back later in life,» he said.
He also noted that, although your ability to learn a new language goes down with age, it never goes away completely. A 20-year-old will learn faster than a 40-year-old, who will learn quicker than a 60-year-old, but anyone at any age has the ability to take on a new tongue.
I believe these digital resources are worthwhile tools for improving your language skills. Of course, nothing replaces the learning, and the joy, that comes with negotiating daily life in a different language in a foreign place.
All AboutLanguage and Linguistics • Second Language Acquisition
Links referenced within this article
my trip
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/11/12/moscow.nightlife/index.html
Watch for more on language learning »
#cnnSTCVideo
Livemocha
http://www.livemocha.com/sihp
Lang-8
http://lang-8.com
read the full list
https://calico.org/page.php?id=297#WebsiteAward
Spanish Language and Culture with Barbara Kuczun Nelson
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php
AccelaStudy
http://www.accelastudy.com/
Byki
http://www.byki.com
Rosetta Stone
http://www.rosettastone.com/
Transparent Language
http://www.transparent.com/
linguistics
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Language_and_Linguistics
Language and Linguistics
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Language_and_Linguistics
Second Language Acquisition
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Second_Language_Acquisitio