About the DMA
Who are we and what do we do?
The Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC) at San Diego State University (SDSU), is one of fourteen Title VI funded Language Resource Centers (LRCs) whose purpose is to improve the teaching and learning of foreign and second languages in the United States. Particular attention is paid to less commonly taught languages, cross-cultural issues, language skills assessment, teacher training and technology.
Where are we heading with the DMA?
As we face the challenge of populating the DMA with authentic materials representing different languages, cultures and levels of proficiency, we realize that we are incorporating a combination of technology and methodology that can and does provide fast, easy access to rich digital media with a built-in pedagogy based on instructional design principles. This type of digital dexterity extends itself to interdisciplinary users connecting from different learning environments, thus enabling them to find the resources they need easily without time-consuming Internet searches.
In exploring how learners learn a language and the types of variables that affect their capacity to learn, we review the importance of teaching culture with the foreign languages. We first examine the importance of culture and how it can be integrated in foreign language teaching. We then pause to consider the role of technology in second language acquisition and how it is be integrated in foreign language courses.
New features
The outcome of our design and development results in a second version of the DMA with new and improved features that will help strengthen the use of this online resource for language teaching and learning. Those features are:
- dynamic multimedia web page creation and media upload via a browser
- search content via keywords and language, topic and learner level categories
- instructional design-based content creation structure
- activity creation using a second language acquisition (SLA) matrix/wizard
This project is now open to potential contributors. Please register to see how the system works and contribute your own materials.