December 3rd, 2021 | Multilingual
In an attempt to improve its communication efforts with multilingual families and students with limited English proficiency (LEP), New York City is investing $4 million into language access measures as part of a program called Language Access for All.
Language Access for All, which was launched Nov. 30, was devised with the aim of improving accommodations for students who live in families where English is not the primary household language — a community of students which makes up about 40% of all New York City children in the city’s public education system. The investment is spearheaded by the city council and the city’s Department of Education.
“One of the great things about our schools is their incredible breadth of diversity — so many of our families speak different languages at home and it’s essential that they have what they need to be active partners in their child’s education,” said Meisha Porter, the city’s schools chancellor. “This historic investment will help us better support each and every one of our students while strengthening our work with families and communities across New York City.”
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December 8th, 2021 | Penn Today
Ensuring equity for Black students in language education was the focus of a conference at the University of Pennsylvania co-organized by Nelson Flores, associate professor in Penn’s Graduate School of Education.
The meeting, “Centering Black Students in Language Education,” included a dozen speakers and panelists and was attended by about 30 educators from across the country. Flores, an expert in bilingual education, organized the conference with Uju Anya, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Tia Madkins, assistant professor at University of Texas at Austin.
The participants worked to understand racial inequities, specifically the manifestations of anti-Blackness, in language education. Based on what they learned, they plan to create a policy brief and a comprehensive research agenda.
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December 7th, 2021 | Voice of America
As the number of English learners in American schools continues to rise, it is not just students that are going to need more help.
Parents and families that do not speak English also need support, say school officials. Parents need to feel like they can be actively involved in their child’s schooling, regardless of any language barriers.
And it is “on us as a district to create that space” for families to be involved, said Leonor Vargas. She is an administrator with the Austin Independent School District in Texas, where almost 30 percent of the student population are English learners.
She and Principal Janet Huger-Johnson of the East New York Elementary School of Excellence shared their experiences last week in an online discussion with the news organization EducationWeek.
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Each year, JNCL-NCLIS delegates and dedicated language advocates across the county unite to meet with Members of Congress and promote the importance of language education and international studies.
As a Language Advocacy Days 2022 attendee you will explore this year's theme, Language at the Intersection, through opportunities to:
- Hear from featured speakers from a variety of language backgrounds and experiences
- Participate in activities that highlight the important intersectionality of language and essential areas of study, work, and home
- Engage in self-reflection of your own personal language intersections to develop your language advocate story and strengthen your advocacy
In addition to new programming related to this year's theme, attendees will have access to updated advocacy training and preparation materials for Congressional Meetings including sessions to:
- Explore the most pressing issues facing language education policy, and how you can get involved
- Share your story with legislators and other stakeholders
- Develop and strengthen your advocacy skills and strategies
- Network with fellow language advocates and professionals
- Work collaboratively to raise the profile of language education and international studies
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December 9th, 2021 | 4PM ET
Envision more robust and equitable study abroad opportunities for all of our students. Prior to COVID, we were facing challenges of inequities in study abroad. Then most study abroad opportunities came to a halt.
While Congress has funded resource centers and programs to improve the nation’s capacity to teach and learn world languages, such initiatives fall short if we are not able to provide robust and equitable access to significant study abroad experiences for more students.
Panelists will consider the unique juncture we find ourselves in due to the pandemic and the political landscape. In this conversation we will explore how we can revitalize and grow study abroad in a more equitable fashion.
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POLICY CLIPS
EDUCATION CLIPS
INDUSTRY CLIPS
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December 3rd, 2021 | Latino USA
Secretary Miguel Cardona grew up in a Puerto Rican household in Meriden, Connecticut; Spanish was his first language. On his first day of kindergarten, he couldn’t speak any English. It was overwhelming, to say the least, and he wanted to go back home. His mother had to pick him up.
But, of course, his time inside schools didn’t end there. He returned, loved it, and eventually became the first person in his family to attend college; he majored in Education. He started teaching fourth grade in the same middle school he attended as a child in Meriden. To this day, being around kids brings him some of his greatest joys.
A few weeks ago, Maria Hinojosa and Secretary Cardona met at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University. They talked about growing up in a Puerto Rican home in Connecticut, the return to school amidst the pandemic, bilingualism, and more.
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Date: December 6-7 & 9, 2021
We are bilingual teacher educators and researchers at the University of Texas-San Antonio, and we are launching a national survey study on parent perceptions of Mandarin-English bilingual programs in the U.S. Please help us spread the word and we'd appreciate if you could share the survey information with your networks and communities!
If you are a Chinese/Taiwanese parent living in the U.S, and you have a child/children between the ages of 2-15, please click on one of the following links to complete an online survey.
This survey is available in three language versions. Please choose one to complete:
You will enter a raffle to win one of three $30 Amazon gift cards once you complete the survey. You may also be asked to participate in a follow-up individual interview. Thank you in advance!
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Date: January 20th, 2022
Many still consider some varieties of English to be inferior to others. Such language prejudice has a clear social and economic impact on certain language communities, whose members are frequently marginalized because of their accents or their choice of words.
To mark the launch of the OED’s Varieties of English page, we invite you to join the OED team, Dr Danica Salazar, World English Editor, and Dr Catherine Sangster, OED Executive Editor for an overview of the OED’s coverage of varieties of English and the resources that are now freely available. They will also be joined in a panel discussion by our guest speakers.
Who is this for?
- Linguists and lexicographers
- Those with a particular interest in minoritized varieties of English
- Anyone interested in attitudes and perceptions around language
- All users of the English language
Please note that this event will be recorded, and all registrants will be notified once the recording is available for viewing.
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PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES |
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Date: December 10-11, 2021
State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, Tribal Legislators, Tribal Nation Leaders, Educators, and Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Director of Tribal Relations Don Wetzel will gather at the MSU Billings Student Union Building from 8 AM – 5 PM on December 10 and 11 for a Class 7 Professional Development Training and Language Revitalization Planning Workshop.
Participants will engage in:
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Tribal Perspectives
- Language Revitalization Planning
- Indian Language Immersion
- Tribal Language Goals, Strategies, and Metrics
- Review of the Cultural Integrity Act
- Tribal Language Curriculum & Language Standards
The Language Revitalization Planning workshop, which is open to the public, will be held in person and on Zoom. If you plan on attending, please register here.
For more information, contact Sunny Day Real Bird, Director of the Native American Achievement Center at MSU Billings, by phone at (406) 657-2144 or by email at sunnyday.realbird@msubillings.edu.
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Deadline: December 31st, 2021
CLTA continues to offer outstanding awards and travel/study grants for deserving CLTA members. We urge everyone to partake of the numerous exciting professional development opportunities for yourself and to nominate a worthy colleague (and there are many!) for one of the prestigious awards. Our philosophy is that as one is recognized, we all benefit from the recognition.
If you know of other options for teacher awards or grants, please email Edward Stanko at awards@clta.net.
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FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES |
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JNCL-NCLIS Sustaining Benefactors |
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JNCL-NCLIS is grateful for the support from our partners. |
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“Ensuring that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.”
Joint National Committee for Languages
National Council for Languages and International Studies
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THURSDAY, December 9th, 2021 ISSUE
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Disclaimer: The articles and news sources included in NewsBrief are not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by JNCL-NCLIS. The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this NewsBrief are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.
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