Perspective-Making in World Language Classrooms
Presenters: ÌýDr. Erin Kearney and Dr. Tasha Austin
Original webinar date & time:Ìý Tuesday, January 27th, 2026, 4:00-5:00 pm
Webinar description: ÌýEncouraging development of learners’ intercultural competence is more than teaching about cultural products and practices. It is deeply rooted in helping students appreciate target culture perspectives by more fully recognizing their own. Ultimately, intercultural learning in the world language classroom has the potential to reshape students' and teachers’ perspectives. In this webinar, the presenters will draw on their research and the NYS Learning Standards for World Languages to illustrate how perspective-making can guide language instruction at all proficiency levels. Participants will be invited to pause and reflect as they model ways to connect language, identity, and perspective across Checkpoints A, B, and C. Teachers will leave with concrete ideas for designing lessons that expand learners’ interculturality and communicative depth.
Click here to access the webinar flyer.
°ä±ô¾±³¦°ìÌý to access the Handouts folder from this webinar.
°ä±ô¾±³¦°ìÌý to access the recording of this webinar.
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Post-assessmentsÌý (Coming soon!)
To receive a certificate of completion (including a CTLE certificate), NYS educators must view the recording of the webinar (see link above) in its entirety and then answer at least seven out of ten questions correctly on the post assessment.Ìý If the minimum required score (7 out of 10) is achieved, the educator will receive a certificate via emailÌýwithin an hour.Ìý For the convenience of our World Language educators, there are multiple versions of the post assessment available, should the required score not be achieved on the first attempt.Ìý Educators may take each version of the post assessmentÌýonce.
Important notes:
- Educators may take each version of the post assessmentÌýonce.ÌýÌýCredit will not be given for taking a single version of the post assessment more than once.Ìý
- Credit will not be given forÌýmore than one passing scoreÌýon any of the post assessments for a webinar (listed below)Ìýin a single academic year.ÌýÌý
- Educators may receive credit for viewing the webinar recording and passing a post assessment once in each academic year and are encouraged to take a different version of the post assessment on a yearly basis to review and test their knowledge of the webinar's content.Ìý
- It is the responsibility of the individual educator to keep track of the information on the professional learning they complete each year, including the number of CTLE hours.
- Questions about this webinar or the post assessments, should be directed toÌý.
- Post assessment version 1
- Post assessment versionÌý2
- Post assessment versionÌý3
- Post assessment versionÌý4
- Post assessment versionÌý5
- Post assessment versionÌý6
- Post assessment versionÌý7
- Post assessment versionÌý8
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Webinar Summary
# of attendees: 234
# of CTLE certificates issued: 202
# of certificates of attendance issued: 32ÌýÌý
# of organizations represented by attendees: 189
208 participants from district schools
8 participants from non-public schools
7 participants from charter schools
5 participants from colleges and universities
3 participants from government agencies
3 participants from BOCES/RBERN
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Quotes from participants
"Great ideas for bringing in perspectives. Thank you for sharing your ideas." ~ Sharon T.
"Thank you so much for this amazing webinar!" ~ Salvatore R.
"Gracias! Thank you for approaching this complex concept!" ~ Julieta M.
"I really love the model of student as a cultural investigator.Ìý Especially at the Checkpoint C level, this seems like the way to go." ~ Denise M.
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Webinar presenters:
Erin Kearney, PhD is a professor of world language education at the University at Buffalo, where she works with future and current language teachers as well as emerging language education researchers. A former French teacher, her research explores how language instruction can foster learners’ cultural understanding, expanded meaning-making capacities, and identity development. She also investigates how world language teachers evolve in their practice – how they learn, grow, and refine their pedagogical approaches over time. In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Kearney has been a long-time advocate for the profession, serving on the ACTFL Board of Directors and representing higher education and teacher education in NYSAFLT leadership roles. Her work appears in journals such asÌýForeign Language Annals,ÌýLanguage Awareness, andÌýThe Modern Language Journal, and she is the author of a book on intercultural language teaching. She is deeply committed to supporting educators in centering and growing students’ linguistic and cultural identities.
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Tasha Austin, PhD is an assistant professor of teacher education, language education, and multilingualism at the University at Buffalo. A former Spanish teacher, she draws on her classroom experience to inform her research, which explores how discourses of racialization impact both students and educators – especially how anti-Blackness can emerge in language classrooms and teacher preparation programs. Grounded in critical race theory and Black feminist thought, her work highlights the voices of Black language educators and reimagines how teachers learn alongside their students. Dr. Austin’s scholarship has been recognized with multiple national awards, including two Outstanding Dissertation Awards from the American Educational Research Association. She is currently leading a Spencer-funded study on the oral histories of Black world language teachers, and her work appears in journals such asÌýApplied Linguistics,ÌýForeign Language Annals, andÌýEducational Linguistics.
Webpage last updated on February 7, 2026