STARTALK 2009 - Hindi Programs

Belanno (student)

The Next World Ambassadors

The Fox Cities’ premiere private language school, Belanno, will offer a Hindi summer language camp in downtown Appleton from August 3-14. The two-week adventure will take children ages five through ten on a tour of Indian language and culture. Students will be immersed in a fun, learning-by-doing environment where they will explore the sights, sounds, and tastes of India. Belanno’s two native Hindi instructors will teach the language through games, art, dance, music, and other entertaining activities. Students will try out various Indian dance forms (including garba and bhangra), sing Indian folk songs and play the tabla (Indian drums) and sitar, learn yoga and its place in Indian history, and sample culinary delights from Sai Ram, Appleton’s popular Indian restaurant. Whether it’s crafting a model of India out of ice cream, making a timeline of India’s history, or leaning how to play cricket, this summer language camp is geared to not only teach language and culture but also develop teamwork and a sense of global citizenship among children.

Center for Applied Linguistics (teacher)

CAL STARTALK Proficiency Assessment Training Program

This STARTALK workshop will combine online and face-to-face workshop formats to provide training in language assessment. The purpose of the workshop is to help STARTALK program directors, instructors, and/or teacher trainers learn about and plan for assessment in their STARTALK summer programs. The workshop focuses on assessment with particular attention to assessing language growth in short-term STARTALK programs for students with novice-level proficiency. This blended learning workshop combines distance learning and face-to-face interaction. The workshop will begin with a four-module online course on the basics of assessment. Consistent with the blended learning approach, the initial four modules are followed by a two-day face-to-face workshop at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC, in July, 2009. After the face-to-face workshop, CAL will continue the online modules in order to provide assessment assistance, advice, and support during participants’ STARTALK programs. Finally, optional oral proficiency workshops, conducted online, will be available in the fall of 2009. This workshop is limited to staff from STARTALK-funded programs. We hope that at least one person from every program participates. Organizers: Meg Malone, Lynn Thompson, Vicky Nier, and Anne Donovan Application: You can request the application and DRAFT syllabus from mmalone@cal.org.

HindiUSA, Inc. (student)

STARTALK Summer Program 2009

Hindi student program STARTALK Summer Program, 2009 Executive Summary HindiUSA’s main is to popularize Hindi, especially in young students, because it will help them to compete economically in the world market. HindiUSA, a non-profit and volunteer organization based in New Jersey, is actively engaged in teaching Hindi to more than 1,600 students and promoting the language for the last 10 years. We have more than 200 qualified Hindi teachers. With the help from STARTALK, we can further advance and spread this rich language. We strongly believe that the Hindi education should be tailored to students according to their age and proficiency level. This is why we will select 30 students from the age group 12-14 in three groups based on their Hindi skills, and put together separate lesson plans and teaching materials. The overall goal of this course is to make students confident and comfortable in speaking and understanding simple Hindi, and Indian culture, through classroom instructions and field trips. This course will include the five national goals of Foreign Language Content Standards by teaching students about simple greetings, directions, festivals, dresses, foods, interesting facts and reasons about Indian culture and comparison with American culture, language, and various subject topics, and helping students bond with their community. The star attractions of the course will include classroom activities such as Antakshari, vocabulary competition, skits, Indian arts and crafts (rangoli, henna, diya painting), and field trips. A couple of our sample lesson plans are included in the following links: 2009 STARTALK Proposal — HindiUSA, Inc. {73f9ab48-8b76-88ab-29b2-c36222e0fd49} 2 http://hindiusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=1 http://hindiusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=1 Students will be assessed by taking mental notes about their progress, by administering oral tests and quizzes, and by exposing them to hands-on learning experience in classrooms as well as during field trips. The outcome of the program will be determined by students’ willingness and enthusiasm to learn, by their attendance, by their scoring in tests, and by their responses in surveys. Teachers’ response and their satisfaction after the program will also be taken into account for judging the success of the summer course. There is a growing demand for learning Hindi and Indian culture. This program will partly fulfill the demand inside and out of the heritage community. HindiUSA is fully equipped to utilize the opportunity to impart the essential Hindi education to the students through this summer program. Some of the achievements of HindiUSA are indicated in the link below. http://hindiusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76&Itemid=1 HindiUSA’s team for this summer program has fully prepared itself to carry out all necessary contents of the program. After receiving the grant, we will complete the formalities of informing the team members, finalizing our teaching plans, arranging field trips, food, and rewards. Our entire summer course team is extremely qualified to assume all teaching related activities. A link describing duties for each position is provided below: http://hindiusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&Itemid=1 The program will be evaluated using students’ response, teachers’ response, and by survey and follow-up mailing. We are partnering with a premier teaching institution. This course will also help them bring Hindi as an elective language. HindiUSA will also continue to promote Hindi after this summer course.

Howard Community College (student)

STARTALK Intensive Critical Language Learning Experience for Howard County Students

Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (student)

STARTALK Gateway to Asia

The Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, is proud to host the STARTALK Gateway to Asia, an intensive three-week language academy open to rising 7th graders in the district as well as students from surrounding public and private schools. Students enrolled in either Hindi or Mandarin Chinese will be given an opportunity to explore both the language and the cultures of South Asia and East Asia. The program is limited to 100 students— 50 for each language, 25 in each classroom—so that the class sizes remain small and the quality of the program is maintained. The academy runs from June 11-June 26, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. During the academy, daily conversational exercises will allow students to practice their vocabulary. Student portfolios will include self-assessments, completed work and projects, and summative assessments. Field trips to the Crow Museum of Asian Art and other centers of learning are planned to enhance the learning experiences of our students.

India Studies Program, IU-Bloomington (student)

STARTALK SIPHUR 2009

STARTALK SIPHUR (Summer Intensive Program for Hindi and Urdu) 2009 is a four-week summer immersion program equivalent to one semester of university-level instruction. This free residential program, designed for high school students, will run from June 22 to July 17, and it offers classes at two levels. The program is composed of classroom instruction, a guest speaker series, and evening culture classes. Our goals are for the participating students to acquire the linguistic and cultural competence to communicate successfully in the language and obtain various learning strategies and skills. Classes will meet for four hours a day, five days a week, and students will be exposed to cultural aspects of the target country through culture classes and various extra-curricular activities, such as yoga, karam, cricket, Indian/Pakistani classical music, and dancing. Students will go on field trips to various religious/cultural sites in Bloomington and its neighboring areas. By the end of the program, students will have the ability to exchange information on a range of topics, produce the standard written style of the language on conventional themes, and comprehend Hindi/Urdu realia and simple stories. Students will have a deeper understanding of the culture and learn the importance of culturally appropriate behaviors.

Kent State University (student)

Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Russian

The 2009 Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy is a 4-week immersion program offering elementary instruction in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Russian to rising juniors and seniors in Ohio high schools who are new learners of these languages. The academy will serve 58 students, and preference will be given to students from high schools that do not teach the languages offered in the Academy. The theme of the 2009 program is “My Space—Our World,” and instruction is organized around problem-solving projects. A mandatory academic year follow-up program consists of monthly mini-immersion sessions supported by distance learning.

Los Angeles Unified School District (student)

Passport To India

Students at Bell High School, during the summer of 2009, will have an opportunity to learn Hindi. This enriching experience will give them a glimpse into a popular world language. The students will enjoy an immersion into various aspects of Indian culture. Through Hindi, students will learn the history, culture, traditions, geography, and economics of India. This learning experience will enhance their understanding of global dynamics. Using Hindi language as a medium, the instructor will teach units that emphasize currency, weather, festivals, family structure, schools, clothing, and so forth. Students will learn the Hindi alphabet, phonetics, numbers, colors, calendars and dates, interwoven in a rich cultural experience. The course will also use technology as an audio-visual aid; the Internet, PowerPoint, television, videos, and MP3 players will be used liberally, keeping learning relevant to current times. Students will visit an Indian restaurant and display familiarity with elements of Indian hospitality. Throughout the course, a variety of opportunities will be provided to assess student understanding. Weekly quizzes, group and individual presentations, and MP3 recordings will be part of formal assessment. Informal assessment will be based on simulated situations, ordering food in a restaurant, and showing courtesy while speaking Hindi.

New York University (teacher)

STARTALK Intensive Teacher Training Program 2009: Hindi and Urdu

This is an intensive residential program that enhances the knowledge and skills of current and prospective school, community and college teachers of Hindi and Urdu. Participants with no training learn the most-up-to-date teaching methodologies, based on standards, projects and communication and are required to develop, observe and critique classroom procedures, strategies and teaching techniques. They also learn how to use community resources. Participants with training learn principles of curriculum development and activity design on the Hindi/Urdu Standards Manual. The course emphasizes pedagogical grammar, material development and adaptation, and assessment. The two sections of the program are based on state-approved courses from NYU’s Master’s program in Foreign Language Teaching. Sessions consist of interactive presentations of theoretical frameworks, followed by hands-on language-specific application. The participants will prepare to teach mock demonstrations. The workshop runs for five hours daily (9:00 am -3:00 pm.) Participants receive an NYU transcript. The grant covers $700 out of the $920 continuing education tuition. Two scholarships for credit students are also available. The grant also covers accommodations in NYU residence halls, breakfast, lunch and textbooks.

Queens Gateway to Health Science High School/Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School (student)

STARTALK Summer Concentrated Hindi Program for High School Students

Students coming to the United States from India need to maintain their heritage language and appreciate their culture and identity. In the past decade, India has become a large global economy. Hindi language and culture have been attracting worldwide attention in schools, colleges, and universities. This program will provide opportunities for those interested in the international job market and may lead to the study of Hindi in high schools. This program will run for 3 weeks from July 6-24, 2009, Monday to Friday. There will be 3 classes of 15 students each, and there will be in class and out of class instruction. The STARTALK Summer Program will admit any students interested in learning Hindi with some background or exposure to Hindi. The STARTALK Summer Program will be a preparation for the New York State Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Regents Exam that is required for high school students to earn an Advanced Regents Diploma. Students will earn college level foreign language credits and receive 75 contacted hours by NYU. Instruction will focus on developing conversational skills (C1-Communication) in Hindi language using simple words, phrases, and sentences. Students will also acquire awareness of cultural practices (C2-Cultural Awareness) and artifacts of India. NY City licensed and experienced teachers will be teaching the STARTALK Summer Hindi Program.

The University of Pennsylvania (student)

Penn STARTALK Intensive Hindi Student Program

The Penn STARTALK Intensive Hindi Student Program will be held on Penn campus in Philadelphia on week days from July 6 to July 24, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with provisions for extended stay until 6 p.m. It is a non-residential program for high school students entering grades 9 through 12 as of September 2009. Prior knowledge or exposure to Hindi is not a prerequisite for eligibility to this program, which offers the participants an opportunity to partake of Penn’s quality programs. Participants will be placed in separate tracks depending on the level of their proficiency. The students will receive personal tutorials if needed. The students will engage in a wide range of fun activities (e.g., art, films, cuisne, music, dance, field trips, etc.) to practice their language skills. Experienced Penn faculty will follow a standards-based thematic curriculum that will bring about a deep connection with the culture and the community. Each student will be granted a scholarship of $500 to be applied to the $800 tuition; the final cost to each student will be $300. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. The program has limited seats, and the admission will be on first come, first served basis. For more information, please visit: http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/documents/Events08-9/STARTALK/HindiStudent-mainpage.html Or contact Dr. Surendra Gambhir at sgambhir@sas.upenn.edu

The University of Pennsylvania (teacher)

Penn STARTALK Teacher Training Institute for Hindi & Urdu

The Penn STARTALK Teacher Training Institute for Hindi & Urdu is a two-week (July 13-24) intensive residential program for all current or potential teachers of Hindi and Urdu at community, school, or college levels. Participants will learn theory and best-teaching practices aligned with the national standards. Topics will include curriculum design, lesson plan, performance-based assessment, oral proficiency interview, authentic materials, differentiated learning, and Hindi structures. Expert Penn faculty and visiting professors will impart knowledge through lecture demonstrations and workshops. The training will be learner-centered with lots of hands-on practice. A special feature of this institute is that participants will have a chance to observe live classes of Hindi & Urdu taught by master teachers of Penn’s concurrent STARTALK Hindi & Urdu student programs. Participants will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon the successful completion of the program. There is no tuition fee, and participants can get free accommodation on Penn campus. Everyone will receive a certificate of attendance for MOPI training from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), in addition to a certificate of program attendance from the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, please go to: http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/documents/Events08-09/STARTALK/Teacher-mainpage.html Or contact Dr. Vijay Gambhir at vgambhir@sas.upenn.edu

UCLA Center for World Languages (student)

Hindi for Heritage Speakers of Hindi

This intensive six week course is for high school students who speak Hindi at home and want to develop literacy and a deeper understanding of historical and contemporary South Asian culture. The project-based curriculum will allow students to build academic proficiency in Hindi, using culturally relevant themes as a vehicle for listening, writing, speaking, and reading tasks. Projects will focus on developing academic skills in a content-based curriculum designed to impart cultural literacy. Students will have access to individualized instruction and feedback. The course is the equivalent of 1 year of high school world language study. This class meets a need for Hindi speakers, who have been underserved by world language instruction. A sizable Hindi speaking population lives in Los Angeles County and is committed to preserving its language and culture. However, survey data shows that most heritage learners of Hindi have had minimal or no schooling in the language, and that their reading and writing skills are often rudimentary or nonexistent. Their skill set is typical of many groups of heritage speakers, and their pedagogical needs are different from those of foreign language students. Their development in their home language must be nurtured by literacy.

UCLA Center for World Languages (teacher)

Heritage Language Teacher Workshop

In today’s “foreign” language classes, teachers are faced with many students who are heritage language speakers. For these students, the target language is not foreign, but rather a home language whose development was interrupted by a switch to English. A typical heritage learner has grown up hearing the language and begins classroom instruction with measurable oral and aural proficiency but with few literacy skills. This workshop is designed to help language teachers better understand the differences between L2 and HL learners, and learn how to differentiate curriculum to address the range of skill levels present in HL classes. Participants will explore ways to design their own curriculum and select materials and assessment tools. They will learn how to start where the students are and involve them as ACTIVE participants in the learning process. The workshop will include information on how to research a heritage language community and create a community-based program. A grasp of demographic data will give teachers an advantage in teaching and promoting heritage language instruction in their own departments, institutions, and districts. The goal for the workshop is to develop a cohort of language teachers who will be leaders and mentors in heritage language instruction.

West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (student)

STARTALK Hindi Immersion Camp

West Windsor-Plainsboro regional school district, in collaboration with NYU, is running a two week STARTALK student Hindi immersion camp for high school-level, non-heritage learners. Students will virtually visit different places in India. They will visit historic monuments and fairs, as well as participate in the festivals held in the region. The curriculum follows standards for foreign language learning and emphasizes on communicative goals. By learning about the artifacts and practices of the Indian culture, students will gain perspective on Indian culture. Students will learn to appreciate the language, people, and culture of India. Keeping in mind the different needs of learners, the program offers both beginner- and intermediate-level programs. Students will engage in a variety of activities and go on field trips and work on projects to improve their language skills. They will be assessed on their performance regularly through quizzes, journal entries, projects, and self evaluations. Students who desire to have Hindi language on their transcript can apply for credit by requesting an Option ii form and demonstrating proficiency on the STAMP or OPI. Highly qualified teachers will make the program engaging and challenging for the kids. All experiences will be conducted completely in Hindi.