Changing Language Centers

Language Centers continue to change rapidly. Since their lab-era days they have always been built around technology. Until recently. The decreasing cost of computing devices, ubiquity of mobile devices (laptops, tables, smartphones, …), and dwindling size have changed the nature of the Language Center in recent years. As fewer computers, especially desktops, have to be installed and offered, the more space we have gained.

This has led to some interesting new possibilities and a renewed emphasis on the physical aspects of the space. At the residential liberal arts college that I teach at this fits in right with our mission, and so the changes were not only natural and logical but also very freeing. As the computers go out, the flexible furniture becomes truly flexible.

One new piece of seating surface – we have many different types in our space – is the yoga mat. Our two sessions of “Yoga in German” were very successful, and fit right in with the TPR (Total Physical Response) language teaching method. In case you were wondering – no, I did not teach the sessions, my colleague did. I bought the yoga mats for the Language Center…