SPS Today: More Than a Language Lab

Language Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Language Department Head Patty Ilzarbe guides students in the Language Center.

Descending the steps to the Schoolhouse basement, you can hear the controlled cacophony of multiple languages being spoken at once. Sounding more like an international terminal at an airport than a classroom, the vibrant space has been a fixture of the SPS student experience for 25 years. The footprint of the room is largely unchanged since 1994, but the use of the space and the tools available have metamorphized. And, whatever you do, don’t call it a language lab.

“The term ‘language lab’ is really more from the 70s or 80s,” notes Language Department Head Patty Ilzarbe, conjuring up images of the listen-and-repeat labs of decades past. “Everyone refers to it as the Language Center because it is much more interactive, due in large part to the changing platforms and evolving technology.” Since language classes are a graduation requirement, nearly every student at the School has some interaction with the Language Center, which can host up to four different classes at any time. Ilzarbe is quick to praise Margo Burns, a dedicated technology integration specialist, who works with faculty to integrate the latest tools in their teaching and ensures the center is up to date and being used to its fullest potential.

“Sometimes teachers won’t take risks with technology,” says Burns, “but I’m here to train them ahead of time and make sure it rolls out the right way.” Burns was integral in opening the Language Center in 1994, introducing an audio lab from Tandberg into the language curriculum at SPS. The cassette-tape-based system allowed for a surprising amount of administrator control, and featured tapes that allowed students to listen and record at the same time. Because the Tandberg system was so robust, what Burns now refers to as “the last of the great analog labs,” SPS didn’t immediately switch to digital, waiting for the right system to be developed with comparable features – the Digital Language Lab (DiLL) system it uses today. The center is complemented by the Language Resource Room, a quick jaunt down the hall to a configurable space, devoid of individual stalls and ideal for group work and presentations.

Ilzarbe and her staff continue to be excited about the incredible opportunities for teaching and learning the center provides, helping the language program remain a signature piece of an SPS education.