FEATURED NEWS
September 18, 2019 | Langevin Press Release
Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today introduced the Supporting Providers of English Language Learning (SPELL) Act.  The legislation aims to address the English learner (EL) teacher shortage by making highly-qualified EL teachers eligible for up to $17,500 in student loan forgiveness . Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) joined Langevin on the bill as original cosponsors.

“In Rhode Island, we have a rapidly growing English learning student population, but we lack qualified teachers needed to educate these students,” said Congressman Langevin, who also introduced the  Reaching English Learners Act  earlier this year.

September 16, 2019 | JNCL Advocacy Alert

We are within reach of seeing the  World Language Advancement and Readiness Grant Program  authorized by Congress.

Your advocacy over the past few years has already gotten us so far.

Now, your voice will be absolutely critical during these next few days as the House and Senate consider authorizing the program.

Please  TAKE ACTION TODAY  to show your support for this expansion of World Language Programming in K-12 districts across the country!
------
Additional Coverage : A look back at progress in the House and in the Senate
September 16, 2019 | Slator
On September 11, 2019, the California State Senate voted to pass  gig-worker bill AB5 without an exemption for translators and interpreters. Final vote was 26 to 11 and AB5 now goes to California Governor Gavin Newsom,  who will likely sign the bill  that kicks in January 1, 2020.

AB5 or “Worker status: employees and independent contractors,” clarifies the definition of what a contractor is under California law. It is based on the State Supreme Court’s Dynamex ruling, which defines an independent contractor by the  ABC test .

AB5 exempts a host of professions from this definition — from insurance agents to doctors to hairdressers — but not translators and interpreters (T&I). The definition of what constitutes a contractor under California law has been the subject of much debate and intense lobbying, raising the question of whether T&I professionals should be compared to the gig workers of Lyft or Uber. Several T&I groups have said not, and have fought to be exempt from AB5.

September 18, 2019 | Vox
The New York Times announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its Spanish-language coverage — the third news organization to do so in recent months, following the demise of BuzzFeed News Mexico and HuffPost Mexico.

All three Spanish-language news divisions were launched in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s election. Reporters and readers alike on Twitter mourned the demise of the New York Times en Español — which produced both original reporting and translations of some English-language stories in its three-year run — as a loss for the Latino community .

Ceasing production was ultimately a corporate decision and the paper will still occasionally publish Spanish translations of its English reporting, but it’s not immediately clear how that will be done.

POLICY CLIPS






EDUCATION CLIPS







INDUSTRY CLIPS




COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Each year at  Language Advocacy Day , the members of the  Joint National Committee for Languages  recognize excellence, dedication and life-time leadership throughout the Language Enterprise in advancing our shared mission in three unique awards. Nomination Deadline is Friday, September 20th.

Have someone in mind that matches this description?

Excited about the opening of Planet Word? We are too! Check out this sneak peek of one of their interactive galleries. The Spoken World gallery, which will fill Planet Word’s expansive Great Hall, brings together spoken and signed languages from across the globe , including Navajo, Amharic, Zulu, and Iranian Sign Language.

Want to learn more? Catch the Planet Word crew at the H Street Festival in D.C., Saturday, September 21st.


Podcast host Dr. Natalie McCauley and her guest Benjamin Rifkin, discuss a number of topics related to language teaching and assessment , such as:

  • how attending an ACTFL oral proficiency workshop changed Dr. Rifkin's teaching;
  • why it is important to study abroad and why just “being there is not enough";
  • how teachers can reduce their presence in the classroom so that students get more time to use the language
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Webinar Date: October 8th
11 AM EST

Discover practical ways that educators can honor and elevate linguistic diversity across an entire school, not just in the ELL/ESL/ENL/MLL/ESOL/EAL Department, through a "language lens". Three focus areas will be explored:

1) relationships built on mutual respect and trust,
2) inclusive language and learning spaces,
3) intentional collaboration that bridges language, content and culture.


Registration Deadline: September 20th
Thursday, September 26th
11:00 AM-12:30 PM
Center for Applied Linguistics

As part of its year-long 60th anniversary celebration, CAL is bringing together federal, state and local decision makers for an engaging discussion on educational policy implications for multilingual learners. As an established leader in the field of best practices for culturally and linguistically diverse learners, CAL will lead the way in convening thought leaders to move the conversation forward. 

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Solicitation Number: N0017419Q0044
Agency: Department of the Navy
Office: Naval Sea Systems Command
Location: NSWC IHEODTD
Response Date: September 24
JNCL-NCLIS Significant Contributors
JNCL-NCLIS is grateful for the support from our partners.
THURSDAY, September 19, 2019 ISSUE
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 .