Most Clicked ACTFL SmartBrief Stories
1. Want a better brain? Learn a new language
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 01, 2012
Northwestern University researchers published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that shows bilingual people have longer attention spans and improved memories. The study tested nearly 50 teenagers. About half spoke English and Spanish, and that group was much more effective in picking out the sound of a syllable amid background noise. Wall Street Journal, The (04/30)
2. Consider these steps when starting a new language
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 08, 2012
Fox News assembled a brief guide for how someone new to a language should approach the learning process. It suggests to first pick a language that you have a natural interest or inclination to learn. Studying a little bit each day will help you grasp more than cramming once a week. It advises being realistic about how long the learning process will take; for example, languages without a Latin alphabet will take longer. Finally, make sure to interact with native speakers. Fox Business (05/03)
3. Is Mandarin really the language of the future?
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 22, 2012
Harvard Crimson columnist Jorge A. Araya writes about being pushed by his father to learn Mandarin, only to resist for several reasons. Despite the hype surrounding the language -- and the explosive growth in the teaching of it -- he argues it's not the language of the future. While trying Mandarin still has value, the English language will remain the universal language of international business, because Mandarin is too complex and difficult to learn to replace it. Harvard Crimson, The (05/21)
4. The importance of proper pronunciation should not be underestimated
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 01, 2012
Atlantic editor Ta-Nehisi Coates blogs about his efforts to learn French, and he writes that learning a new language properly starts with understanding the sounds its alphabet makes. He highlights the argument of another writer that a language learner still would communicate effectively with native speakers, if the learner has poor pronunciation. Coates suggests going through the International Phonetic Alphabet for English, then doing the same for a new language. TheAtlantic.com (04/27)
5. You might want to reconsider -- in another language, that is
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 01, 2012
A study conducted at the University of Chicago found growing evidence that using a second language leads to more thoughtful decision making. Researchers presented people with a scenario in their native tongue and then a second language they had learned. Using their second language, people tended to make less emotional decisions. The discovery could have future implications for international relations between governments and businesses. Wired.com (04/24)
6. Ill. district hires teachers from Spain
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 15, 2012
Urbana School District in Illinois has developed an international exchange program with the Spanish government that will bring temporary teachers from Spain into its classrooms. Students and teachers from Urbana will also have the opportunity to travel to Spain to study. The district hopes the program will enrich its dual language education. "We're looking for the best opportunities for our students," said Joe Wiemelt, the district's director of bilingual and multicultural programs. News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana, Ill.), The (05/12)
7. Fla. high school uses digital equipment to teach foreign language
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 08, 2012
Winter Haven High School in Florida has opened a new language lab for students learning Spanish, French or German. The students wear headphones and each student can interact with the software, the teacher or another student with whom he or she is paired. Each language teacher has 120 students, but the digital program provides individual attention by correcting students' grammar and pronunciation. Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.), The (05/07)
8. Federal government struggles to fill jobs requiring language skills
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
State Department officials testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee last week about the difficulties they experience in hiring qualified people to positions that involve language capabilities. About a quarter of "language-designated" jobs are not adequately filled, according to the testimony. The languages highest in demand are from the Near East, South Asia and East Asia. Washington Post, The (05/21)
9. Colo. district replaces language teachers with computer program
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 15, 2012
A Colorado district has cut the jobs of three foreign language teachers, and students instead will pay $150 per semester to learn a new language on the Aventa computer system. One of the laid-off teachers, to no avail, appealed the changes to the school board, citing the need for foreign language in the modern economy. Foreign language also helps with learning grammar, critics of the plan argue. Spanish is the only language in the high school that will continue to be taught by a teacher. Vail Daily (Colo.) (05/13)
10. Grasping standard English a challenge for second generation Latinos
ACTFL SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Latino students born in America, two generations removed from their immigrant roots, often grow up speaking English. However, their language patterns might be tinged with Spanish influences in the accents of certain words and the cadence of their speech. A new study suggests schools should not try to suppress students' Latino American dialect, but instead teachers should show students how to differentiate it with the standard English needed to succeed academically. FoxNews.com (05/22)
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