Graduates Celebrate with Loved Ones at Winter Commencement 2024
| by Jason Warburg
Thirty-seven Middlebury Institute graduates from 12 homelands were feted by family, friends, faculty, staff, and alumni at winter Commencement 2024.
Jason Martel
Professor; Program Chair, TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language
- Office
- 400 Pacific Street D205
- Tel
- (831) 647-3547
- jmartel@middlebury.edu
Jason Martel is professor of language education at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Prior to joining the Institute in 2013, he earned his M.A. in French from the Middlebury College School of French, taught secondary-level French in Massachusetts, and earned his Ph.D. in second languages and cultures education from the University of Minnesota. In addition to teaching courses in language pedagogy, French language, and English language, he has held several administrative positions at the Institute, including associate director of the Summer Intensive Language Program, TESOL/TFL program chair, and most recently, online MA TESOL program director.
Jason maintains an active scholarly agenda in the domains of language curriculum design, language assessment, and language teacher learning. His book, titled Moving Beyond the Grammatical Syllabus: Practical Strategies for Content-Based Curriculum Design, was published by Routledge in 2022. His articles can be found in well regarded journals such as Modern Language Journal, Foreign Language Annals, TESOL Journal, French Review, and Journal of Applied Language Learning.
An active voice in the field of language pedagogy, Jason participates in a range of professional activities. Recent accomplishments include serving as chair of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ Teacher Development Special Interest Group and consulting with organizations such as the College of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, the Middlebury School in Jordan, and the College Board. Jason has received several awards for his work, including the Stephen A. Freeman Award for Best Published Article from the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the Excellence in Teacher Development Award from the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ Teacher Development Special Interest Group, and most recently, the Institute’s Faculty Excellence Award.
Above all, Jason is proud to be a “Triple Panther,” meaning he has studied and/or worked in three distinct Middlebury entities: the Middlebury School of French, the Middlebury School in Paris, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Courses Taught
EAPP 8475
ProfessionalPresentationSkills
Course Description
Professional Presentation Skills
This course is designed to equip you with the skills and confidence to deliver professional and articulate speeches in English. You will deliver informative, persuasive, panel, training, and commemorative presentations to prepare you for the wide range of speech styles you may encounter in your professions. Consistent practice, analysis of award-winning speeches, and detailed feedback on your performance will provide you with ample opportunity to improve your public speaking skills.
Terms Taught
Fall 2022 - MIIS
EDUC 8502
Principls/Practcs Lang Tchng I
Course Description
Principles & Practices in Language Teaching 1
Along with Principles and Practices 2, this course provides students with a foundational pedagogical training in preparation for careers in foreign/second language teaching. Topics covered include an introduction to the field and its expectations, course/syllabus design, needs assessment, and unit design. Students will engage in a variety of real-world performance tasks, such as creating needs assessment instruments, summative language assessments, and unit plans. Students will also deepen their understanding of course concepts by conducting classroom observations.
Terms Taught
Summer 2022 - MIIS, MIIS Second Half of Term, Summer 2023 - MIIS, MIIS Second Half of Term, Fall 2023 - MIIS
EDUC 8503
Current
Principls/Practcs LangTchng II
Course Description
Principles & Practices in Language Teaching 2
Along with Principles and Practices 1, this course provides students with a foundational pedagogical training in preparation for careers in foreign/second language teaching. Topics covered include (but are not limited to) skills-based lesson planning, authentic texts use, summative and formative assessment, differentiation, classroom discussion strategies, and oral corrective feedback. Students will engage in a variety of real-world performance tasks, such as creating curricular documents (e.g., unit plans, lesson plans, assessments) and performing teaching events.
Terms Taught
Spring 2022 - MIIS, Spring 2023 - MIIS, Spring 2024 - MIIS, Spring 2025 - MIIS
EDUC 8598
Directed Study
Course Description
Terms Taught
Summer 2022 - MIIS, MIIS Second Half of Term, Fall 2022 - MIIS
EDUC 8660
Intro to Language Prog Admin
Course Description
This two-unit J term course addresses key issues related to language program administration (LPA). The course is predominately asynchronous, with a few synchronous sessions to be determined in consultation with students. Course topics include (but are not limited to) innovation, customer service, decision making, governance, ethics, human resources, project management, quality assurance, and strategic planning. The course will help students to recognize macro- and micro-level issues involved with LPA work and evaluate strategies for handling future situations in LPA contexts.
Terms Taught
Spring 2022 - MIIS, MIIS Winter/J Term only, Spring 2023 - MIIS, MIIS Winter/J Term only, Summer 2023 - MIIS, MIIS Second Half of Term
EDUC 8661
Language Teacher Supervision
Course Description
This seminar provides language teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the challenges of becoming language teacher supervisors. It examines current models of, and research on, language teacher supervision. Students practice observing teachers and conducting post-observation conferences, developing their ability to provide professional feedback, differentiate between evaluative and developmental supervision, and examine the variables related to working with teachers in a variety of specific contexts.
Terms Taught
Spring 2022 - MIIS
EDUC 8670
Upcoming
Practicum Capstone
Course Description
The Practicum Capstone combines reflective practice and professional development in preparing students for a career in language education. Participants integrate theory, research, and conceptual foundations into a coherent and well-informed approach to planning and executing lessons. They also incorporate these three components when developing and deploying instructional materials and assessment instruments. Activities and products prepare participants for entering the language teaching professional and performing admirably therein.
Practicum Capstone Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
Articulate their approach to language learning and teaching with explicit reference to sound pedagogical principles
Demonstrate their expert knowledge of language, learning, and teaching
Select appropriate materials for effective language instruction
Plan productive instructional units and lessons to maximize second language learning in all skill areas
Assess student learning meaningfully using a range of formative and summative tools
Reflect critically on their teaching practice in order to build on their strengths and address areas for improvement
Terms Taught
Summer 2025 - MIIS
FRLA 8234
Food(In)SecurityFrancophone
Course Description
Did you know that French is the fifth most spoken language in the world? As such, proficiency in French is a vital tool for helping to solve the global hunger crisis. In this blended synchronous course, you will deepen your understanding of la francophonie and food (in)security by engaging in activities that reflect ACTFL’s Five Cs of communication, culture, comparisons, connections, and communities. By the end of the course, you will be able to explain the nature of la francophonie, define food (in)security, characterize the state of food (in)security in various Francophone countries/regions, and explain ways that food (in)security intersects with your fields of study. You will demonstrate your learning by completing real-world performance tasks such as interpreting authentic policy-oriented texts and composing policy memos.
Terms Taught
Fall 2024 - MIIS
LING 8670
Upcoming
Applied Linguistics Capstone
Course Description
The Applied Linguistics Capstone is designed to help TESOL/TFL students refine their skills as applied linguistics professionals. Course participants will develop either a curriculum project, a, empirical research report, or an assessment tool, using original data that they have collected and analyzed. The course also aims to induce students to reflect on their previous coursework, as well as explore and clarify their future plans for careers as language teaching professionals.
Applied Linguistics Capstone Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
Understand processes of inquiry relevant to language education
Plan research activities for designing curriculum and language instruction, assessment, or empirical investigation
Execute data collection procedures
Analyze data using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods
Synthesize and report findings clearly, convincingly, and creatively for a professional audience
Apply research skills in educational settings
Terms Taught
Summer 2025 - MIIS
Areas of Interest
Jason’s scholarship spans the domains of content-based language curriculum design, language assessment, and language teacher learning. Recently, he has taken a deep interest in online curriculum design, with a focus on asynchronous language teacher professional development.
Programs
Academic Degrees
- Ph.D., Second Languages and Cultures Education, University of Minnesota, 2013
- M.A., French, Middlebury College, 2003
- B.Mus., Viola Performance, Boston University, 2003
Professor Martel has been teaching at the Institute since 2013.
Publications
- Martel, J., & Jourdenais, R. (2024). Practicum in language teacher education. In Z. Tajeddin & T. Farrell (Eds.), Handbook of Language Teacher Education. Springer.
- Martel, J. (2023). Introduction. In F. Troyan, B. Adair-Hauck, & E. Glisan, The Integrated Performance Assessment: Twenty Years and Counting (pp. vii–viii). ACTFL.
- Martel, J. (2022). Moving Beyond the Grammatical Syllabus: Practical Strategies for Content-Based Curriculum Design. Routledge.
- Martel, J. (2021). Designing interpretive communication activities in Canvas. French Review, 94(3), 63–67.
- Martel, J. (2021). Implementing “enhanced rehearsals” in a practice-based TESOL methods course. TESOL Journal, 12(2), e540.
View Jason’s Google Scholar Profile for his complete list of publications
News Feed
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TESOL Program Inspires and Fuels Educator’s Learning Circle on the Opposite Coast
| by Mark C. Anderson
Educator Kara Mollano is taking what she’s learning in her TESOL courses at the Middlebury Institute and not only putting them to work in her classroom, but sharing them in a learning circle with her colleagues.
Putting Research into Action to Redesign Curriculum at the Defense Language Institute
| by Jessa Zerpoli
When Claire Eagle completed her degree in teaching foreign language, her dream was to teach at a school like the Middlebury Institute. Now she’s redesigning curriculum at one of the biggest language schools in the world.