Transforming Language Learning through Technology:
What Does It Take?

Biographical Notes
Clara Yu is the Cornelius V. Starr Professor of Linguistics at Middlebury College. She is the Director of Project 2001, a group of integrated programs designed to encourage collaboration in the development and implementation of technology-enhanced language instruction at 62 liberal arts colleges and13 consortia in the United States. She served as Vice President for Languages and Director of the Language Schools of Middlebury College from 1993-1996. Since1994, she has directed an expanding initiative, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to transform the teaching of languages through the use of technology. The most recent phase of this initiative is Project 2001, which constitutes the core program at Middlebury’s Center for Educational Technology, founded by Yu in 1997. Before joining Middlebury College in 1987, Yu was an AI (artificial intelligence) consultant in the Washington D. C. area, specializing in knowledge engineering and expert systems. She holds a Ph. D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Illinois.

Abstract
We are standing at the cusp of a brave new century, a century that will be defined by emerging technologies. The Internet Protocol version 6 will allow true world-wide participation in the information age. Digital subscriber lines, wireless technology, information appliances and wearable computers, speech recognition and generation, and the amalgamation of silicon and carbon intelligence will combine to change our lives dramatically. We will see the globalization and commercialization of education; we will take advantage of new learning paradigms just as life-long learning becomes necessary and commonplace; real-time inter-cultural communication in multimedia will be possible because of the availability and affordability of hardware, connectivity, and high bandwidth. For the first time, we can speak of "transforming language learning" not just wistfully, as if it were a distant dream, but as something within our reach. Dr. Yu will explore the issues and share her experience with us.