Students at a Florida high school have been teaching basic French to first-graders at an elementary school as part of a pilot program. During the 30-minute weekly lessons, the younger learners learn French greetings, numbers, colors and vocabulary, after which both groups give feedback to their teachers on the collaboration.
Juniors and seniors at a Connecticut high school recently held a languages and cultures day to inspire sixth-graders from a nearby middle school to learn about the culture and languages of other countries. The younger students used their "passports" to tour countries and cultures displayed by the high school's French and Spanish honor societies.
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Teachers can improve their instruction by videotaping their classrooms, writes high-school math teacher Michelle Russell. In this blog post, she outlines her method and how it has helped her improve not only her teaching but her classroom demeanor.
Several US senators are asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to provide guidance to help students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid paperwork after an online data-retrieval tool from the IRS was taken down for security reasons. The lawmakers also asked the department to consider allowing applicants to submit signed copies of tax returns to fulfill FAFSA requirements.
The government of the Canadian territory Nunavut may delay from 2019 to 2029 a commitment to provide students with a bilingual education in English and Inuktut. The proposed change has advocates worried about the future of the Inuit language.
History students at an Arizona high school are preparing to show the community their historical film that tells the story of the fight for Mexico between Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and Aztec emperor Moctezuma. Students, who acted in the film as well as edited it, also painted a mural in the style of Mexican artist Roberto Cueva del Rio that depicts a meeting between Cortes and Moctezuma.
Lead with Languages features podcast about bilingualism in America
America the Bilingual -- a podcast for Americans who are learning their second language or who want to begin -- is now featured on leadwithlanguages.org, with new episodes appearing every two weeks. The podcast explores our national journey toward a future where everyone speaks English and nearly everyone speaks another language, too -- including inspiring stories from successful adult learners, heritage speakers, and teachers. Learn more.
Sign up for a summer oral proficiency workshop
ACTFL-sponsored OPI workshops have been scheduled at the following locations this summer: San Diego State University, Portland (Ore.) Public Schools, Glastonbury (Conn.) High School and Washington & Lee University (Lexington, Va.). These workshops introduce the ACTFL rating scale, the structure of the OPI and techniques of administering and rating the OPI. Learn more.
The news reported in SmartBrief is a collection of articles originating from news outlets in the U.S. and around the world, and does not necessarily reflect the official position of ACTFL.
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