New language-learning OER textbooks from Michigan State University
Miles, Linda
[Apologies for cross-posting]
Dear Colleagues, I am very happy to announce the publication of eight new OER projects from Michigan State University Libraries!
Advanced Indonesian
Authors: Agustini, Juliana Wijaya & Rajiv Ranjan
Access: Advanced Indonesian
Special funding: This work has been supported by a Title VI International and Foreign Language Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The lessons in this textbook aim to elevate learners’ language skills to an advanced-mid to advanced-high level, aligning with ACTFL proficiency guidelines. They delve into current topics and events related to gender, lifestyle, human rights, environment, economy, and language preservation, utilizing authentic materials sourced from online newspapers, editorials, blogs, vlogs, journals, and YouTube to ensure that learners engage with real-world language contexts.
Basic Bangla
Authors: Prasenjit Dey & Rajiv Ranjan
Access: Basic Bangla
Special funding: This work has been supported by International and Foreign Language Education, IRS, U.S. Department of Education.
This theme based, interactive, open-source online textbook is designed for beginning level learners of Bangla language. By using this book, a learner will learn Bangla vowel and consonant sounds and letters, basic grammar of the language, important vocabulary, useful expressions, and—most importantly—communicative skill.
Basic Punjabi
Authors: Rinku Kathuria & Rajiv Ranjan
Access: Basic Punjabi
Special funding: This work has been supported by a Title VI International and Foreign Language Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Basic Punjabi is an online interactive theme-based textbook for the true beginner of the Punjabi language. It promotes communicative, linguistic, and cultural competence. It has a mixture of pedagogical approaches to fit all types of learning and teaching philosophies/styles to achieve intermediate low to mid-ACTFL proficiency levels within a semester.
Basic Telugu
Authors: Afsar Mohammad & Rajiv Ranjan
Access: Basic Telugu
Special funding: This work has been supported by International and Foreign Language Education, IRS, U.S. Department of Education.
This book is a modest effort to make your learning process in Telugu a practically viable experience. Though it's great fun to learn Telugu, learning script might take a while as it contains secondary symbols and double consonants. We tried our best to make this process a simpler one. As we follow the standard Telugu patterns in planning this book, the learners who get an opportunity to visit Andhra should be aware of various dialects, slangs and colloquial practices. You should be able to transfer your knowledge of the standard Telugu to the real–life contexts accordingly.
Basic Tibetan
Authors: Jampa Khedup, Sonam Tsering, Rajiv Ranjan & Erlin Barnard
Access: Basic Tibetan
Special funding: This work has been supported by International and Foreign Language Education, IRS, U.S. Department of Education.
Basic Tibetan is a first-of-its-kind, multimedia interactive online textbook designed for learners of Tibetan in higher education. Learners are encouraged to listen, repeat, and internalize the sounds of Tibetan through audio recordings. To support vocabulary and sentence structure acquisition, the book offers a wide range of interactive exercises, making learning both effective and enjoyable.
Elementary Chinese 2 Workbook
Author: Wenying Zhou
Access: Elementary Chinese 2 Workbook
Through the power of H5P interactive activities, this workbook, employing an innovative e-writing approach, is designed to help beginning learners lay a solid foundation for the natural development of the Chinese language skills necessary to excel in their learning journey. At the heart of this method lies a focus on Chinese receptive skills that are essential for the development of communicative competences: listening and reading, seamlessly integrated with typing. This unique combination, unlike the traditional handwriting approach, not only fosters accuracy in listening and reading comprehension but also enhances accurate pronunciation and typing in Chinese communication.
Intermediate Arabic I
Authors: Ayman Mohammad & Sadam Issa
Access: Intermediate Arabic I
This is an open textbook on Intermediate Arabic for undergraduate students who are taking Arabic in their third semester. It addresses language structures in theme-based modules that cover the four language skills. The book can be used as a self-study resource or as the main textbook in intermediate Arabic classes.
Intermediate Persian
Author: Nahid Shiran
Access: Intermediate Persian
Special funding: This work has been supported by International and Foreign Language Education, IRS, U.S. Department of Education.
This resource is an online, interactive theme-based textbook for intermediate students in the Persian language that promotes communicative, linguistic, and cultural competence. It has a mixture of pedagogical approaches to fit all types of learning and teaching philosophies and styles to achieve the Intermediate High ACTFL proficiency level within a two sequence semester.
Linda Miles MLS, MA, PhD (she/her - why pronouns matter)
Open Educational Resources Librarian
Michigan State University Libraries
Main Library - W225
366 W. Circle Dr
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517-884-6396
Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodéwadmi peoples. The University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.– Learn more.