Conferences

The Coalition of Distinguished Language Centers conducts annual (and, in some years, semi-annual) conferences about teaching to and reaching Level 4 (near-native) proficiency. The conferences include theory and research, as well as updates on high-level-language program activities, along with a healthy dose of shared practical experience.

Fall 2010

The Fall 2010 Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency will be held on December 3-4, 2010 in Maryland

(exact location to be posted later)

Fall 2009

The Fall 2009 Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency
will be held in Hanover, Maryland at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel

Fall 2008

The Fall 2008 Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency will be held in Linthicum Heights, Maryland at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute

Winter 2007

The Winter 2007 Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Conference Center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Spring 2007

The Spring 2007 Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency will be held in Irbid, Jordan as a strand of the Eighteenth International Conference on Language, Linguistics, Literature, and Translation.

Fall 2006

The 2006 Fall Conference of the Symposium on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency was held in Washington, DC October 28-29, 2006.

The keynote speaker was Richard Brecht, who was also the recipient of the Friend of Distinguished Language Proficiency award. 

The Proceedings will be combined with papers from the Spring 2006 conference in the 2006 CDLC Conferences Proceedings; editors of the volume are Donna Bain Butler and Yalun Zhou.

Spring 2006

Fall 2005

The Third Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency, co-sponsored by the CDLC and American Councils for International Education was held in Washington, DC on October 24, 2005.

The keynote speaker was Prince Firas bin Raad of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The Friend of Distinguished Language Proficiency Award was presented to Renee Meyer.

The Proceedings will be published in 2006; editors of the volume are Inna Dubinsky and Donna Bain Butler.

Fall 2004

The Second Annual Workshop on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency was sponsored by the CDLC Washington Branch for Instruction at Howard University and held at Howard University in Washington, DC November 13, 2004.

The keynote speaker was Ambassador Ruth Davis, former Director General of the Foreign Service.

The Friend of Distinguished Language Proficiency Award was presented to Dr. Dan Davidson and Dr. Maria Lekic.

The Proceedings have been published; editors of the volume are Inna Dubinsky and Richard Robin.

Fall 2003

The First Annual Workshop on Teaching and Learning to Near-Native Levels of Language Proficiency was held at Howard University on November 15, 2003.

The keynote speaker was Tara Sonenshine from the U. S. Institute of Peace.

The Friend of Distinguished Language Proficiency Award was presented to Ambassador Ruth Davis.

The Proceedings have been published in one volume with the proceedings of the Spring 2003 conference; editors of the volume are Betty Lou Leaver and Boris Shekhtman.

Spring 2003

The First Annual Symposium on the Development of Nativelike Foreign Language Proficiency was held on May 10, 2003 at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and was co-sponsored by the CDLC and the MIIS.

The keynote speakers was CAPT Michael E. Lopez-Alegria of NASA. The keynote was delivered in Spanish and English and translated into four languages: English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

The Proceedings have been published in one volume with the proceedings of the Fall 2003 conference; editors of the volume are Betty Lou Leaver and Boris Shekhtman.