MSI Press Blog

Every few days this year (2025), we plan to sift through our author pages and find the hidden video and audio gems because, let's face it, though they often contain fascinating videos and audio gems, often those reading the pages don't have time to listen at the moment and may not find their way back easily. There is often something special about hearing an author's voice. We plan to bring that "special" to you every few days this coming year. The first gem was recorded by the International Transformative Learning Association after a conference at Columbia University and features MSI Press author, Emilie Cleret ( Journal for Distinguished Language Studies ) and MSI Press managing editor, Betty Lou Leaver (author of Achieving Nativelike Second Language Competence  and Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star and co-author of The Invisible Classroom ). Emilie also wrote a book chapter for the book, Transformative Language Learning and Teaching (...

      Available for download, article from JDLS 8:  " Beyond the Language: Debating as High-Intensity Cultural Engagement & Leadership" (Emilie Cleret, French War College) Abstract: This article discusses the use of debating in senior professional military education (PME) at the French War College in Paris to help officers reach native-like English language competence.  In France, senior Professional Military Education (PME) is delivered by two schools – Ecole de Guerre (French War College) and Centre des hautes études militaires, (Centre for Higher Military Studies). This article explores the use of debating by the English Studies Department to support the officers’ effort to achieve a native-like level of second language (L2) competence during their one-year course in the French War College. The author’s perspective is that of a practitioner who heads this department, designs the courses, and manages the faculty that delivers them. All the members of the ...

  Cambridge University Press has made the introduction to Transformative Language Learning and Teaching free to access until 31 May -  https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/transformative-language-learning-and-teaching/introduction/52FA1941150765CB5D292294338651AC   This book is considered ground-breaking in the foreign language field and written by 30 leading L2 educators, three of whom are pictured here. Left to right: Betty Lou Leaver (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, USA), Emilie Cleret (French War College, Paris), Jerome Collin (French War College, Paris). About the book: Transformative learning has been widely used in the field of adult education for over twenty years, but until recently has received little attention in the field of world languages. Drawing on best practices and the research of distinguished international world language experts, this volume provides theoretical and classroom-tested models of transformative education in world langua...