Laize Corse

2020 Certificate of Appreciation at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Department of State, USA. Special Act: For rising to the challenge of a sudden transition to remote instruction with enthusiasm, professionalism and agility at the onset of the global health crisis. 

• 2020 Winner of the Professional Development Attendance of the Year at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Department of State, USA.

• Teach and employee principles of Communicative Language Teaching to instruct Portuguese 
Language and Culture to a full range of adult students, including, Foreign Service Officers and 
Specialists, Foreign Service Eligible Family Members, i.e. the Consular, Management, 
Political, Economic and Regional Security Officers, and senior officials at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), and obtain high satisfaction rate among students. 

• Teach listening comprehension, reading, writing, pronunciation and speaking skills in an immersion based environment, including classrooms, language laboratory, and online distance learning.

• Provide language training and cross-cultural awareness to prepare Department of State employees and other foreign affairs professionals for their specific assignments. Train and instruct foreign officers and specialists for consular, diplomatic and political economic tradecraft before departure to post. Arrange consular simulation activities at the visa window office at FSI for officers to master their consular interviewing techniques in the Portuguese Language. 

• Instruct all Portuguese language courses and levels available at FSI including Spanish to Portuguese Conversion Courses, Consular, Economic, Political and Diplomatic Security Tradecrafts, and FAST (Familiarization and Short Term Courses). 
• Develop, revise and adapt language courses, curriculum, syllabus and instructional materials on a daily basis.

• Develop and adapt daily lesson plans and write learning objectives for each lesson plan.

• Evaluate student progress and course effectiveness. Provide corrective feedback to students.

• Establish clear classroom rules to create a safe and inclusive learning environment that students can solve problems collectively, express their conflicting viewpoints, reconcile and reach solutions to controversial issues, and build cohesiveness among diverse individuals.

• Successful teaching transition from FSI campus to FSI remote language classrooms using several online instructional technology resources such as Zoom for Government Platform, FSI Padlet, Smart Learning Suite, Smart Board Notebook, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other resources.

• Retained my composure under stressful situations such as the current pandemic COVID-19 by assisting other colleagues and students to adjust and transition to online distance learning environment through daily motivation, maintenance of daily routine, breaks, and weekly student group meetings with fun and relaxing language activities such as happy hours, games, movie, music, dance and cooking activities.

• Integrate technology in the classroom and in homework assignments daily. Employ my computer and technology skills to organize data and create multimedia online teaching and instructional materials. Employ currently available computer hardware and software for the development of authentic learning materials to enhance foreign language teaching and learning. Employ technology resources such as Smart Boards, the Internet (online dictionaries, online newspapers, web pages, web chats, video conferencing, pod casting, blogs, and bulletin boards), iPods and Tablet PCs. Available educational hardware and software i.e., Smart Notebook, BlackBoard, Rapid Rote, Soloist and SharePoint are used to develop online learning materials. Employ language learning mobile applicative and flashcards such as Mango to enhance vocabulary and learning experience beyond the classroom. Use iPhone application such as Voice Memos to record students' speaking and to help with student self-monitoring and self-correction. 
• My background in Speech, Language Pathology and Audiology aids me to develop and present tailored materials for students with specialized needs. Develop personalized speech, listening, reading and writing exercises and techniques to improve pronunciation and oral speech. Developed the Portuguese/English Language Grammar Review Course for students to improve their foreign language learning experience in Portuguese from an English language grammar perspective. Developed speech articulation techniques for students to enhance their pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese language. Developed Portuguese listening materials employing different regional accents for students to improve their Portuguese accent comprehension skills. 

• Develop instructional language videos with dialogues among native speakers; grammar rules; task-based life situations; and instructional games using Kahoot.

• Evaluate student progress and course effectiveness. Develop weekly quiz. Provide corrective feedback to students. Developed the Student Feedback Evaluation Forms for the Portuguese Section. 

• Support students in the FSI Multimedia Lab and FSI Innovation Lab with specific language materials available that helped them with their self-study. Employ computer technology such as Sony Soloist, Rapid Rote and created audio files to record students speaking. Develop audio language materials to help students to enhance their listening comprehension and self-monitor their speaking and pronunciation. 
• Provide language training and cross-cultural awareness to prepare Department of State employees and other foreign affairs professionals for their specific overseas assignments.

• Organize and participate in staff meetings and staff development courses. Provide direction, guidance, or instruction to staff on distance learning environment best practices and other related educational topics. 
• Develop trusting, productive working relationships with colleagues and supervisors to achieve goals and objectives. Support and substitute other classroom Instructors as needed. Work cooperatively with Learning Consultants on a weekly basis to track student progress and language benchmark achievements. 

• Support time and attendance reporting and maintain student leave information. 
• Support weekly student chats and cultural events that promote network and development of relationships among students and enhancement of oral communication skills 

• Develop, organize and collaborate together with other colleagues at the Portuguese Section different student activities such as student oral presentation projects, weekly happy hours, games, movies, and other cultural events to enhance students’ communication skills and promote the development of friendship and sense of community among students. 

• Conduct training for instructors and share best practices on online educational resources, remote teaching strategies and online language learning activities.

• Conduct special language training to senior officials, televised media Portuguese Language Training to Ambassadors and other government officials.
• Participate continuously and actively in SLS Staff Development Courses on Administrative Days.

• Interpret and translate written materials and several official documents in English language to Brazilian Portuguese language. 

• Add value to the organization and collaboration by writing, drafting and editing picture illustrations of the FSI ROM Portuguese Section cultural events on the weekly item of interest and making the news in the FSI Director's message “News From the Front Office”.

• Presented two projects at the 2020 FSI ROM Virtual Fair Share: “Using Zoom for collaborative fluency activities to motivate and engage students”; “Borderless, Virtual Classrooms: Interviewing Brazilian Professionals and Specialists at and from Home”. 
• Certified Portuguese Language Tester at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Collaborated in teams to conduct FSI Portuguese Language Proficiency Tests and Evaluate candidates' performance according to the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Proficiency levels while strictly adhering to FSI test procedures.

• Conducted FSI Brazilian Portuguese high stake tests, and video and telephone language testing such as BEX tests at the Language Testing Unit (LTU).

• Selected and revised Portuguese Language testing materials for the LTU. 

• Provided feedback to the LTU on the usefulness of the Performance Level Descriptions (PLDs).

• Assisted training FSI testers and examiners on their FSI Test Certification Training Program at the LTU.

• Recorded studio voice materials in Brazilian Portuguese language for the Development of the Spanish to Portuguese Conversion Online Course in 2019
• Developed and Instructed the Diplomatic Security Tradecraft Course for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games for Diplomatic Security Officers.

• Leveraged my interpersonal communication skills to develop a Portuguese online instructional materials database in 2014 resulting into the development of the online weekly lesson plans at the SLS ROM Portuguese SharePoint website, online instructional activities, among other materials. Inspired colleagues to share their lesson plans and classrooms activities online to promote cross-student training. Collaborated with the development of the Brazilian Portuguese Online Intensive Reading Book e-reader in 2015/2016, and online and remote Brazilian Portuguese instructional materials for the FSI Language Training Learn Center webpage.  

2020 Certificate of Appreciation at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Department of State, USA. Special Act: For rising to the challenge of a sudden transition to remote instruction with enthusiasm, professionalism and agility at the onset of the global health crisis. 

• 2020 Winner of the Professional Development Attendance of the Year at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Department of State, USA.

• Teach and employee principles of Communicative Language Teaching to instruct Portuguese 
Language and Culture to a full range of adult students, including, Foreign Service Officers and 
Specialists, Foreign Service Eligible Family Members, i.e. the Consular, Management, 
Political, Economic and Regional Security Officers, and senior officials at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), and obtain high satisfaction rate among students. 

• Teach listening comprehension, reading, writing, pronunciation and speaking skills in an immersion based environment, including classrooms, language laboratory, and online distance learning.

• Provide language training and cross-cultural awareness to prepare Department of State employees and other foreign affairs professionals for their specific assignments. Train and instruct foreign officers and specialists for consular, diplomatic and political economic tradecraft before departure to post. Arrange consular simulation activities at the visa window office at FSI for officers to master their consular interviewing techniques in the Portuguese Language. 

• Instruct all Portuguese language courses and levels available at FSI including Spanish to Portuguese Conversion Courses, Consular, Economic, Political and Diplomatic Security Tradecrafts, and FAST (Familiarization and Short Term Courses). 
• Develop, revise and adapt language courses, curriculum, syllabus and instructional materials on a daily basis.

• Develop and adapt daily lesson plans and write learning objectives for each lesson plan.

• Evaluate student progress and course effectiveness. Provide corrective feedback to students.

• Establish clear classroom rules to create a safe and inclusive learning environment that students can solve problems collectively, express their conflicting viewpoints, reconcile and reach solutions to controversial issues, and build cohesiveness among diverse individuals.

• Successful teaching transition from FSI campus to FSI remote language classrooms using several online instructional technology resources such as Zoom for Government Platform, FSI Padlet, Smart Learning Suite, Smart Board Notebook, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other resources.

• Retained my composure under stressful situations such as the current pandemic COVID-19 by assisting other colleagues and students to adjust and transition to online distance learning environment through daily motivation, maintenance of daily routine, breaks, and weekly student group meetings with fun and relaxing language activities such as happy hours, games, movie, music, dance and cooking activities.

• Integrate technology in the classroom and in homework assignments daily. Employ my computer and technology skills to organize data and create multimedia online teaching and instructional materials. Employ currently available computer hardware and software for the development of authentic learning materials to enhance foreign language teaching and learning. Employ technology resources such as Smart Boards, the Internet (online dictionaries, online newspapers, web pages, web chats, video conferencing, pod casting, blogs, and bulletin boards), iPods and Tablet PCs. Available educational hardware and software i.e., Smart Notebook, BlackBoard, Rapid Rote, Soloist and SharePoint are used to develop online learning materials. Employ language learning mobile applicative and flashcards such as Mango to enhance vocabulary and learning experience beyond the classroom. Use iPhone application such as Voice Memos to record students' speaking and to help with student self-monitoring and self-correction. 
• My background in Speech, Language Pathology and Audiology aids me to develop and present tailored materials for students with specialized needs. Develop personalized speech, listening, reading and writing exercises and techniques to improve pronunciation and oral speech. Developed the Portuguese/English Language Grammar Review Course for students to improve their foreign language learning experience in Portuguese from an English language grammar perspective. Developed speech articulation techniques for students to enhance their pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese language. Developed Portuguese listening materials employing different regional accents for students to improve their Portuguese accent comprehension skills. 

• Develop instructional language videos with dialogues among native speakers; grammar rules; task-based life situations; and instructional games using Kahoot.

• Evaluate student progress and course effectiveness. Develop weekly quiz. Provide corrective feedback to students. Developed the Student Feedback Evaluation Forms for the Portuguese Section. 

• Support students in the FSI Multimedia Lab and FSI Innovation Lab with specific language materials available that helped them with their self-study. Employ computer technology such as Sony Soloist, Rapid Rote and created audio files to record students speaking. Develop audio language materials to help students to enhance their listening comprehension and self-monitor their speaking and pronunciation. 
• Provide language training and cross-cultural awareness to prepare Department of State employees and other foreign affairs professionals for their specific overseas assignments.

• Organize and participate in staff meetings and staff development courses. Provide direction, guidance, or instruction to staff on distance learning environment best practices and other related educational topics. 
• Develop trusting, productive working relationships with colleagues and supervisors to achieve goals and objectives. Support and substitute other classroom Instructors as needed. Work cooperatively with Learning Consultants on a weekly basis to track student progress and language benchmark achievements. 

• Support time and attendance reporting and maintain student leave information. 
• Support weekly student chats and cultural events that promote network and development of relationships among students and enhancement of oral communication skills 

• Develop, organize and collaborate together with other colleagues at the Portuguese Section different student activities such as student oral presentation projects, weekly happy hours, games, movies, and other cultural events to enhance students’ communication skills and promote the development of friendship and sense of community among students. 

• Conduct training for instructors and share best practices on online educational resources, remote teaching strategies and online language learning activities.

• Conduct special language training to senior officials, televised media Portuguese Language Training to Ambassadors and other government officials.
• Participate continuously and actively in SLS Staff Development Courses on Administrative Days.

• Interpret and translate written materials and several official documents in English language to Brazilian Portuguese language. 

• Add value to the organization and collaboration by writing, drafting and editing picture illustrations of the FSI ROM Portuguese Section cultural events on the weekly item of interest and making the news in the FSI Director's message “News From the Front Office”.

• Presented two projects at the 2020 FSI ROM Virtual Fair Share: “Using Zoom for collaborative fluency activities to motivate and engage students”; “Borderless, Virtual Classrooms: Interviewing Brazilian Professionals and Specialists at and from Home”. 
• Certified Portuguese Language Tester at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Collaborated in teams to conduct FSI Portuguese Language Proficiency Tests and Evaluate candidates' performance according to the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Proficiency levels while strictly adhering to FSI test procedures.

• Conducted FSI Brazilian Portuguese high stake tests, and video and telephone language testing such as BEX tests at the Language Testing Unit (LTU).

• Selected and revised Portuguese Language testing materials for the LTU. 

• Provided feedback to the LTU on the usefulness of the Performance Level Descriptions (PLDs).

• Assisted training FSI testers and examiners on their FSI Test Certification Training Program at the LTU.

• Recorded studio voice materials in Brazilian Portuguese language for the Development of the Spanish to Portuguese Conversion Online Course in 2019
• Developed and Instructed the Diplomatic Security Tradecraft Course for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games for Diplomatic Security Officers.

• Leveraged my interpersonal communication skills to develop a Portuguese online instructional materials database in 2014 resulting into the development of the online weekly lesson plans at the SLS ROM Portuguese SharePoint website, online instructional activities, among other materials. Inspired colleagues to share their lesson plans and classrooms activities online to promote cross-student training. Collaborated with the development of the Brazilian Portuguese Online Intensive Reading Book e-reader in 2015/2016, and online and remote Brazilian Portuguese instructional materials for the FSI Language Training Learn Center webpage.  

Doctorate Degree in Audiology