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November 13, 2012

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News for and about language educators

Spotlight on Languages

Distinct language gives Catalans sense of identity
In Barcelona, Spain, the language of choice is not Spanish. Unlike much of the rest of the country, people there speak Catalan, a Romance language with characteristics of French and Spanish. Local laws require businesses and people who work in the public sector use the language. Children learn in Catalan, and can enroll in Spanish as a separate class. The Baltimore Sun (11/12)

Educators share their innovative takes on teaching language
The Guardian's Emma Drury talked to foreign language educators to get their ideas on engaging students. One educator likes to introduce language with music from that culture. Another has her students studying body language and the connections between different tongues. Educator Gemma Fordyce has her students go to websites such as www.storybird.com, which allows them to make ebooks in the language they're learning. The Guardian (London) (11/7)

Other News

ELL programs win education innovation awards
Education Week/Learning the Language blog (11/8)

"Gangnam Style" shows foreign language can make for a hit song
Slate (11/7)

Technology & Trends

Recent college grad is Skyping her way to a new language
Blogger Shara Azad has spent the past six weeks learning Spanish through a speaking partner she has never met. She used a language exchange service to help pair her with a Guatemalan woman, who has assisted Azad in learning the language. She feels her Spanish has improved by interacting with a native speaker, but the method has drawbacks: because she's on a computer, she is tempted to use translation programs to facilitate the conversation, which she knows is not the best way to become bilingual. The Huffington Post/The Blog (11/6)

Website provides math, science lessons in Spanish
Latin American students underperform in math and science, largely because they don't have access to the resources that can help them master these subjects, says Hernan Jaramillo, founder and CEO of Tareasplus.com. The San Francisco based company has developed an online library of instructional videos and lessons on topics, such as algebra, geometry and trigonometry for Spanish speaking families and educators. VentureBeat (11/8)

Other News

International students change culture of college campuses
The Boston Globe/The Associated Press (tiered subscription model) (11/12)

Let's Talk Technology at ACTFL!
Join us for a Technology Session on Building Interpersonal Communication Skills. Learn "How-to": Use authentic content to engage your students. Develop standards-based activities. Extend language learning to 24/7. Get resources you can use today. Visit SANS Booth #909 and let's talk about 21st century technology for your program. sansinc.com.

Policy Watch

Del. early immersion program recruits teachers from abroad
Starting this year, public schools throughout Delaware have launched an aggressive effort to teach students a foreign language at an early age by rolling out a state backed immersion program. Bringing native speakers from other countries to teach has been key to the effort. Along with Utah, Delaware is one of only two states with such a comprehensive approach to dual immersion, state education officials say. The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.) (11/9)

Educators: Learning language should be about more than economics
As Australia pursues an expansion of Asian languages, a group of art deans want the focus of the effort to go beyond strengthening economic ties with China, India, Indonesia and Japan. "Research suggests that language education policies that are successful are based on developing humanistic values rather than on developing economic gains," said Krishna Sen, president of the arts deans. The Australian (tiered subscription model) (11/12)

ACTFL News

ACTFL 2012 only days away
We can't wait to welcome you to Philadelphia in a few days for ACTFL 2012. Be sure to plan your schedule before your arrival! Check out the online program planner or download the ACTFL 2012 mobile app for iPhone/iPad and Android devices. Are you on Twitter? Be sure to use hashtag #actfl2012 when tweeting from and about the convention!

Submit videos for this year's ACTFL video contest
ACTFL is proud to present its national student video contest to celebrate Discover Languages month during February 2013! This effort is part of the sustained Discover Languages public awareness campaign, which is designed to bring media attention to the critical need of all students to have the opportunity to learn a second language. Cash and product prizes will be awarded to the students who produce the winning videos. The deadline is Dec. 20. Learn more and submit.