Shannon Sauro
@shansauro.bsky.social
Professor at UMBC (USA). Applied linguist | teacher educator |runner | fan. Researching fan practices for language learning in the digital wilds and the L2 classroom, virtual exchange, & computer-assisted language learning. She/her
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
An opportunity has opened at my research group for a curious and driven candidate to do their PhD on multiling and edu on the Dutch/German borderlands. Dutch and/or Ger are desired, and Eng a must. Upon approval, the position would be excellently funded and supported. Email me with questions
November 26, 2025 at 10:34 AM
An opportunity has opened at my research group for a curious and driven candidate to do their PhD on multiling and edu on the Dutch/German borderlands. Dutch and/or Ger are desired, and Eng a must. Upon approval, the position would be excellently funded and supported. Email me with questions
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
One of the bragging rights that the US ed system had in the 20th century is that we didn't have education tracks. Essentially, any kid could go to a CC or state school & major in whatever they wanted to (obviously an oversimplification). I fear this aspect of the American dream is dying.
November 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Earlier this year Jane Evans ran an informal LinkedIn experiment: 2 women & 2 men, posted identical content at the same time. The women had a combined 154K followers, the men had only 9,389. Guess who got the highest reach? Yep, the men.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Bro boost: women say their LinkedIn traffic increases if they pretend to be men
Collective experiment found switching profile to ‘male’ and ‘bro-coding’ text led to big increase in reach, though site denies favouring posts by men
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Earlier this year Jane Evans ran an informal LinkedIn experiment: 2 women & 2 men, posted identical content at the same time. The women had a combined 154K followers, the men had only 9,389. Guess who got the highest reach? Yep, the men.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
"LLMs use fewer resources doing $task than humans so using them isn't an ecological problem."
So what are you arguing for? What happens with the humans we no longer "need"?
That argument leads only to monstrosity.
So what are you arguing for? What happens with the humans we no longer "need"?
That argument leads only to monstrosity.
November 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM
"LLMs use fewer resources doing $task than humans so using them isn't an ecological problem."
So what are you arguing for? What happens with the humans we no longer "need"?
That argument leads only to monstrosity.
So what are you arguing for? What happens with the humans we no longer "need"?
That argument leads only to monstrosity.
This sounds like a series of studies that explains why I am so wary of AI use compared to many others in CALL. Gathering, interpreting and synthesizing are literacy skills that my TESOL student teachers need to foster in their students.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This sounds like a series of studies that explains why I am so wary of AI use compared to many others in CALL. Gathering, interpreting and synthesizing are literacy skills that my TESOL student teachers need to foster in their students.
I am officially done writing this chapter! That was a beast. Whew!
Almost done with Chapter 2 in my book - the theory chapter. This is probably the most boring chapter to read (it's really not as lively as my data chapters!) but also the most substantial for those who want to do transdisciplinary research on fan practices for language teaching and learning!
November 20, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I am officially done writing this chapter! That was a beast. Whew!
A great question. On a related note, when my students write fanfiction for my course on L2 writing, a few find AI useful for translation of idioms, narrowing down ideas, feedback on mechanics but none find it helpful for the creative part of writing.
Discussion on here this morning about 1)whether Gemini is good at "creative writing" and 2)a study showing people preferred AI imitations of writers to the writers themselves. I come back to my trusty all-purpose question: What problem are we solving when we outsource "creative writing"?
November 20, 2025 at 12:36 AM
A great question. On a related note, when my students write fanfiction for my course on L2 writing, a few find AI useful for translation of idioms, narrowing down ideas, feedback on mechanics but none find it helpful for the creative part of writing.
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
My first monograph, 'Between Novel and Network: Technology and Literary Form in Fiction and Fanfiction', will be published by
@lsupress.bsky.social on 16 May 2026!
It connects contemporary fiction, fanfiction and literary theory.
See lsupress.org/978080718642... for more details.
@lsupress.bsky.social on 16 May 2026!
It connects contemporary fiction, fanfiction and literary theory.
See lsupress.org/978080718642... for more details.
November 19, 2025 at 5:34 PM
My first monograph, 'Between Novel and Network: Technology and Literary Form in Fiction and Fanfiction', will be published by
@lsupress.bsky.social on 16 May 2026!
It connects contemporary fiction, fanfiction and literary theory.
See lsupress.org/978080718642... for more details.
@lsupress.bsky.social on 16 May 2026!
It connects contemporary fiction, fanfiction and literary theory.
See lsupress.org/978080718642... for more details.
Almost done with Chapter 2 in my book - the theory chapter. This is probably the most boring chapter to read (it's really not as lively as my data chapters!) but also the most substantial for those who want to do transdisciplinary research on fan practices for language teaching and learning!
November 17, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Almost done with Chapter 2 in my book - the theory chapter. This is probably the most boring chapter to read (it's really not as lively as my data chapters!) but also the most substantial for those who want to do transdisciplinary research on fan practices for language teaching and learning!
Oooh!
Meine Diss, jetzt zum Lesen / Download erhältlich! /
My thesis, now available for reading / downloading!
bibliographie.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstr...
#FanStudies
My thesis, now available for reading / downloading!
bibliographie.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstr...
#FanStudies
November 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Oooh!
I checked Ao3, and of course there's fanfiction.
November 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I checked Ao3, and of course there's fanfiction.
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Today I wrap up the Fanfiction Project in my L2 writing class. I'm planning to introduce findings from the recent study Maria Razcon and I carried out on previous classes. This is my favorite quote from one of my past students who was extremely skeptical about the value of fanfiction for teaching:
November 13, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Today I wrap up the Fanfiction Project in my L2 writing class. I'm planning to introduce findings from the recent study Maria Razcon and I carried out on previous classes. This is my favorite quote from one of my past students who was extremely skeptical about the value of fanfiction for teaching:
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
🌏 Educators & researchers from 15+ countries are coming together for Task-Based Language Teaching in Action: Global Perspectives & Practices!
🇺🇸🇨🇳🇨🇦🇯🇵🇨🇴🇹🇳🇸🇬🇻🇳🇹🇼🇹🇷🇮🇪🇧🇷🇪🇸🇦🇷🇦🇪 & beyond
💻 Online Symposium | 📅 Nov 14–15 | 🔗 Register now: tinyurl.com/TBLTinAction-register
#TBLT #TC #CU
🇺🇸🇨🇳🇨🇦🇯🇵🇨🇴🇹🇳🇸🇬🇻🇳🇹🇼🇹🇷🇮🇪🇧🇷🇪🇸🇦🇷🇦🇪 & beyond
💻 Online Symposium | 📅 Nov 14–15 | 🔗 Register now: tinyurl.com/TBLTinAction-register
#TBLT #TC #CU
November 11, 2025 at 5:04 PM
🌏 Educators & researchers from 15+ countries are coming together for Task-Based Language Teaching in Action: Global Perspectives & Practices!
🇺🇸🇨🇳🇨🇦🇯🇵🇨🇴🇹🇳🇸🇬🇻🇳🇹🇼🇹🇷🇮🇪🇧🇷🇪🇸🇦🇷🇦🇪 & beyond
💻 Online Symposium | 📅 Nov 14–15 | 🔗 Register now: tinyurl.com/TBLTinAction-register
#TBLT #TC #CU
🇺🇸🇨🇳🇨🇦🇯🇵🇨🇴🇹🇳🇸🇬🇻🇳🇹🇼🇹🇷🇮🇪🇧🇷🇪🇸🇦🇷🇦🇪 & beyond
💻 Online Symposium | 📅 Nov 14–15 | 🔗 Register now: tinyurl.com/TBLTinAction-register
#TBLT #TC #CU
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Call for Papers: Reading Fanfiction/ Fanfiction Reading
If you have a 3000-4000 literary close reading of a fanfiction story burning to get out, please be in touch! :D
rb.gy/8hqqzb
If you have a 3000-4000 literary close reading of a fanfiction story burning to get out, please be in touch! :D
rb.gy/8hqqzb
rb.gy
October 27, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Call for Papers: Reading Fanfiction/ Fanfiction Reading
If you have a 3000-4000 literary close reading of a fanfiction story burning to get out, please be in touch! :D
rb.gy/8hqqzb
If you have a 3000-4000 literary close reading of a fanfiction story burning to get out, please be in touch! :D
rb.gy/8hqqzb
This kid, a fan of both Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, is living the dream!
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...
Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo
Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux has become an internet sensation after an Associated Press photo captured him outside the Louvre on the day of a crown jewels heist.
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:13 PM
This kid, a fan of both Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, is living the dream!
Spotted on campus on my way to class just now. Their statement of holding faculty and staff accountable interests me greatly.
November 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Spotted on campus on my way to class just now. Their statement of holding faculty and staff accountable interests me greatly.
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Opening #TWC46's New Currents on Fans and AI, guest editors @suzannerblack.bsky.social & @ladylark.bsky.social identify potential areas of disruption to contemporary fandom & fan studies arising from AI and suggest what the consequences might be. Read the editorial here:
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Opening #TWC46's New Currents on Fans and AI, guest editors @suzannerblack.bsky.social & @ladylark.bsky.social identify potential areas of disruption to contemporary fandom & fan studies arising from AI and suggest what the consequences might be. Read the editorial here:
Linguistic dad joke in costume form!
October 31, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Linguistic dad joke in costume form!
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Judge rules George R.R. Martin and other authors can sue OpenAI for copyright infringement
• Said ChatGPT generated 'Game of Thrones' content similar enough to infringe copyright
• OpenAI’s motion to dismiss was denied
• Said ChatGPT generated 'Game of Thrones' content similar enough to infringe copyright
• OpenAI’s motion to dismiss was denied
October 30, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Judge rules George R.R. Martin and other authors can sue OpenAI for copyright infringement
• Said ChatGPT generated 'Game of Thrones' content similar enough to infringe copyright
• OpenAI’s motion to dismiss was denied
• Said ChatGPT generated 'Game of Thrones' content similar enough to infringe copyright
• OpenAI’s motion to dismiss was denied
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
A traditional Irish ghost turnip for Halloween #OicheShamhna #Samhain #Halloween #thinveilbetweentheworlds #NaSídhe
October 29, 2025 at 11:22 AM
A traditional Irish ghost turnip for Halloween #OicheShamhna #Samhain #Halloween #thinveilbetweentheworlds #NaSídhe
I may not have gotten away with the crown jewels but I did win a free pair of running shoes at the pub run costume contest tonight 🏃🏻♀️🎃👻
October 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I may not have gotten away with the crown jewels but I did win a free pair of running shoes at the pub run costume contest tonight 🏃🏻♀️🎃👻
Reposted by Shannon Sauro
Our friends @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social are gathering information about "soft censorship" happening in the US According to School Library Journal, soft censorship is a "quiet banishing that often comes without explanation." If you've seen it in your community, please respond to their survey
Soft Censorship of Diverse Books
WNDB is collecting information on the soft censorship of diverse books across the US. Have you witnessed soft censorship in your community? Please share your experiences below. Your response can be…
docs.google.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Our friends @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social are gathering information about "soft censorship" happening in the US According to School Library Journal, soft censorship is a "quiet banishing that often comes without explanation." If you've seen it in your community, please respond to their survey
I’m here for European heist news and related shenanigans. Also I love that the heist has inspired Halloween costumes. Maybe the ad will too 👻
‘Quiet as a whisper’: German firm launches campaign after lift was used in Louvre heist
‘Quiet as a whisper’: German firm launches campaign after lift was used in Louvre heist
After watching the news about the Paris robbery, managers at Böcker decided to make the most of the publicity
A family run German business unwittingly became wrapped up in the crown jewel heist at the Louvre museum in Paris and is turning the use of one of its furniture lifts into a publicity coup.
“When you need to move fast” is the new tongue-in-cheek advertising tagline for the company Böcker, which is based in the town of Werne near Dortmund, in a campaign on Facebook and Instagram mounted within a day of the brazen thefts. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I’m here for European heist news and related shenanigans. Also I love that the heist has inspired Halloween costumes. Maybe the ad will too 👻