| News for and about language educators |  |
- New school targets French immersion in Southern Calif.
In Signal Hill, Calif., Paris native and educator Chantal Harzig opened what might be Southern California's first French immersion school. In 2008, nearly 1 million students in the state were learning a foreign language and about three-quarters studied Spanish, according to ACTFL. Harzig believes her students will benefit in other areas by immersing themselves in French. "It's a Latin language, so once you learn French, it's much easier to learn other Latin languages like Spanish, Italian and Portuguese," she said. Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.)
(1/25)     
- Fla. district creates a line of communication for Hispanic community
Pinellas County, Fla., schools have been serving an increasing number of Hispanic families and, at times, Spanish speaking parents have struggled to stay involved with their children's education because of language barriers. In response, the schools established the Spanish Parent Helpline, through which a Spanish language translator is available to answer questions and connect parents with resources. About 6% of students in the county are English language learners. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.)
(1/27)
| Technology & Trends |  |  |
|
- Calif. zoo should catch on to society's multilingual trends
 San Leandro, Calif., resident Ricardo G. Huerta Nio writes in this community op-ed piece that the Oakland Zoo ought to take a multilingual approach to how it spends a $1 million donation. Nio believes the zoo should redo all its signage so writing appears in multiple languages, including Spanish and Cantonese. He writes that the multilingual signs would reinforce the bilingual upbringing and education many children have today. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration)
(1/22)
- Computer code gets an Arabic script
Computer scientist Ramsey Nasser has invented a way for programmers to write code in Arabic script, rather than the typical Latin characters. The programming language is pronounced "Alb," which literally translates to "heart." Others have tried and failed to make programming accessible in Arabic script, and Nasser said he was shocked when he learned that a knowledge of English is essential to have before learning to code. "I believe that code and computation should be something anyone can access," he said. The Verge
(1/25)
| Policy Watch | | |
|
- Czech students to be required to learn two foreign languages
The education ministry in the Czech Republic announced last week that the country will start mandating students to learn a second foreign language in school. Students will start taking their first foreign language, typically English, by third grade, and by eighth grade they will begin learning another language. Currently, studying two foreign languages is an option, not a requirement. Prague Daily Monitor
(1/22)
- ELL reform is delayed in Denver schools
Board members of the Denver Public Schools delayed approval of a plan to change instruction for English language learners. The district has about 36,000 ELL students, and it has been under a federal desegregation consent decree since 1984. The plan supported by the district superintendent would strive to more effectively connect students and parents with language services and instruction. Education News Colorado
(1/25)
| ACTFL News | | |
|
-
ACTFL winter webinar series announced
Improving Language Learners' Performance through Integrated Assessments, a series of three webinars, focuses on designing effective Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), providing effective feedback and focusing instruction to prepare language learners for successful performance on the assessments. The series builds on the forthcoming ACTFL publication, Implementing Integrated Performance Assessment. The first webinar will be held tomorrow, Jan. 30, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Learn more and register.
-
Request free ACTFL information packets for your students
Request packets loaded with information about the products and services available from ACTFL. Included are sample copies of ACTFL publications. Encourage your students to take advantage of the many professional and career-related resources offered by ACTFL. ACTFL student membership is only $25/year. To order these FREE packets, send an e-mail containing your name, address and number of packets requested.
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse."
--Florence Nightingale,
British social reformer, nurse and statistician
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent ACTFL SmartBrief Issues:
- Tuesday, January 22, 2013
- Tuesday, January 15, 2013
- Tuesday, January 08, 2013
- Tuesday, December 18, 2012
- Tuesday, December 11, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Melissa Greenwood
Contributing Editor: Wade Malcolm
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
