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April WAFLT eVoice: Bilingual Buddies, World Language Instruction in the Netherlands, and More!

Advocacy in Action

Lead with Languages

By Karen Fowdy



This month we have great news to share!

On March 3, ACTFL launched its national language proficiency awareness and advocacy campaign and website, Lead with Languages. This multi-year campaign aims to build awareness about the increased demand for language skills and supports the growth of learners who are competent in other languages and cultures. Check out its website, follow @LeadWLanguages on Twitter or send out your own #leadwithlanguages tweets, or download a badge and put it in your email signature, LinkedIn, or wherever you see fit. Read more.

Americans are Falling Behind in Foreign-Language Learning

SOURCE: EdWeek Update

A critical shortage of qualified foreign language teachers in the United States could leave the nation at a competitive disadvantage in an increasingly global, multilingual society, according to a new American Academy of Sciences report.  In what is billed as the first national study of foreign-language learning in nearly three decades, the Commission on Language Learning—a group of education, research, business, and government leaders—recommends a five-step approach to providing access to languages other than English for people of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Education Week's Learning the Language Blog

UN Lessons Helping Students Study the World

SOURCE: ACTFLSmartBrief

A large white envelope with "Embajada de Colombia" on the Washington, D.C., return address arrived at Humboldt Park School in Milwaukee last month, and Jacobson Young couldn't wait to open it.  A week earlier, Jacobson, 9, and his fourth-grade research partners at Humboldt Park sent a letter to the Embassy of Colombia, introducing themselves and explaining their class project on the country. The next week they received a response with additional resources on Colombia's history and culture. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Washington Students Learn Languages as "Bilingual Buddies"

SOURCE: ACTFL SmartBrief

Students at a culturally diverse Washington state elementary school are learning Spanish and English. Besides learning in both languages, students serve as "bilingual buddies," in which one student who speaks mostly Spanish and the other who speaks mostly English can help each other with assignments and build proficiency in the second language. KING-TV (Seattle)

Four Lessons on World Language Instruction from the Netherlands

SOURCE: EdWeek Update

In spring 2016, I had the opportunity of a lifetime and spent 5 months in the Netherlands as a recipient of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching. The veteran foreign language teacher in me was particularly interested in exploring the Dutch reputation for being excellent with languages. That reputation, paired with the European Union's focus on increasing bilingualism and multilingualism, inspired my project. (UPDATE: Despite increasing anti-global, pro-nationalist rhetoric and sentiment around Europe and the rest of the world, the EU's commitment to multilingualism has not changed as of this writing and is not the focus of my research.) My time in the Netherlands afforded me the space to research best practices in language instruction and observe the implementation of those practices in the classroom. Education Week's Global Learning Blog

 

May 15, 2017
WAFLT Professional Service Award Nomination Deadline
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July 31-August 2, 2017
WAFLT Summer Institute
Taking the Lead: Proficiency-Oriented Programs in Practice
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August 3-4, 2017
Modified OPI (MOPI) Assessment Workshop
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September 25, 2017
WAFLT Scholarship for Tomorrow's Teachers Application Deadline
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Not Lost in Translation

SOURCE: Foreign Language Teaching Forum (FLTEACH)

In today’s globalized world, businesses need employees who can serve customers not only in English, but in a wide range of other languages as well. In 2013 a record 305,000 U.S. companies reported exporting goods abroad. Similarly, customers here on U.S. soil are growing increasingly diverse. While just one in nine Americans spoke a language other than English at home in 1980, more than one in five did by 2014.2 Given this, it is not surprising that by 2020, proficiency in more than one language will be among the most important skills a job seeker can have. Research has already shown that foreign language skills can lead to enhanced job opportunities and higher wages for today’s workers. New American Economy

Demand Increases for Bilingual Workers

SOURCE: ACTFL SmartBrief

US employers are increasingly seeking bilingual employees, according to a report released by the New American Economy. Demand has more than doubled in the past five years, according to the report, with Arabic, Chinese and Spanish being among the most sought-after languages for workers.  NBC News
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