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Newsletter - September 2025
Dear all,
We hope you are having a great start to your fall semester! As your classes and projects get underway, we just wanted to invite you to take a minute to explore our free resources in case they could be helpful for you this academic year:
LCTL DOORs
Downloadable Open Online Resources (DOORs) are designed specifically for instructors of less commonly taught languages who may struggle with a lack of resources for teaching their language. Special focus is given to creating adaptable resources which instructors can then convert into their relevant linguistic and cultural contexts. The NLRC will continue to develop additional adaptable resources, as well as build a library of language-specific resources. View existing DOORs resources here.
Local LCTL Assessment Templates
Assessment in LCTLs can be difficult due to few (or no) standardized test options or lack of alignment with assessments and curriculum. The Local LCTL Assessments (LoLA) project will develop test specifications and a test-template kit for online, computer-adaptive LCTL placement and diagnostics. The LoLA project will also train LCTL educators in using the templates to develop and edit test items so that they can continue to refine assessments locally.
Teach-A-LCTL
Because opportunities to study LCTLs in formal educational contexts are limited, LCTL instruction often falls on family or community members. Many students want to study LCTLs to continue learning a language spoken at home or in their communities or to communicate more effectively within immigrant or diaspora communities. Yet many parents, guardians and community members take on the role of language educator without the support they need. The Teach-a-LCTL initiative will create two resource guides for community LCTL instruction, one at the novice and one at the intermediate level.
New to our newsletter? Explore all eleven of our projects in our three core areas of professional development, open resources, and strategic collaboration on our website!
Check out other events on our joint LRC calendar (also linked below under PD Opportunities and Resources).
Updates
Sustaining and Strengthening LCTLs in the Big Ten in Precarious Times:
A Grassroots Town Hall
Friday, October 10, 2025
12:00-1:15 pm PDT, 2:00-3:15 pm CDT, 3:00-4:15 pm EDT
Programs in less commonly taught languages are particularly vulnerable in this time of unprecedented uncertainty in U.S. higher education.
This grassroots town hall meeting is for faculty, instructional staff, advisors, and administrators at Big Ten universities who teach, support, or advocate for programs in less commonly taught and Indigenous languages (LCTLs) to come together to share innovative program models, information about institutional strengths, and interests in forming new inter-institutional partnerships to strengthen LCTL programs. The goal of the meeting is to encourage new forms of collaboration across Big Ten universities to sustain–and even strengthen–LCTL education in very challenging times.
The meeting will begin with brief presentations about the Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare Program and other models for expanding access to LCTLs across institutions. These presentations will be followed by short, informal, 3-minute “lightning talks” to share information about local strengths in LCTLs that might be leveraged in new partnerships with other Big Ten universities, examples of innovative models for expanding access to LCTLs, and exemplar LCTL projects that might be of interest to others in the Big Ten.
Free Consulting/Coaching
with the NLRC
Did you know that the NLRC offers FREE consulting/coaching?
Do you or your language department want to talk through something related to LCTL teaching or learning? From grant writing feedback to proficiency-based teaching, from online language learning to OERs, you can book time with the NLRC to gather resources, get feedback, and process ideas about the teaching and learning of LCTLs.
Don't hesitate to reach out to us to book an initial 30 minute call!
OER Textbooks from MSU
Did you know that we have a wide range of OER (Open Educational Resource) LCTL textbooks published at MSU? OER Textbooks are a great form of accessible teaching and learning, for all subjects and languages! MSU and the NLRC will continue to promote and provide resources for LCTL teachers and students. Check them out here:
PD Opportunities and Resources
To view all current LRC offerings in an aggregate format, please see this calendar:
Many of our fellow Language Resource Centers and National Resource Centers (and some of our collaborative partners) have their own professional development opportunities. This section highlights some recent opportunities/resources.
Yale University has developed a series of free resources for teaching of Hindi/ Urdu. The resources on this website can be easily modified / adapted to teach other South Asian and less commonly taught languages. Additionally, most of these can be easily turned into projects.
The Coalition of Community-Based Heritage Language Schools will be holding their 12th Annual Community-Based Heritage Language Schools Conference on October 3-4, 2025, and will be in a hybrid format. Register here to attend!
