Language Magazine

March 2010

Keeping the Message Clear

President Obama’s appointment of Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the Department of Education represents an enormous opportunity for English language educators. For the first time, an English learner with first-hand experience of succeeding in a second language is in a position to make a real difference to federal policy.

At last month’s National Association for Bilingual Education convention in Denver, Ms. Meléndez spoke of her struggle for educational excellence and how just one kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Silverman made a special effort to help her believe in herself, inspired her to become an educator, and changed her life.

Once in first grade, she was put in the lowest reading group despite the protests of her immigrant parents that she could already read proficiently in her native Spanish. In high school, counselors consistently told her that community college should be her aspiration and that she had no chance of going to her dream school, UCLA.

Since her appointment, Meléndez has been commended for her ability to listen and take on board various views which is a valuable attribute especially now that the Administration has made it clear that they intend to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act and are looking for input.

At a recent meeting to hear governors’ views on education funding, Obama emphasized ways to align federal and state efforts to boost student achievement. The President said his administration would propose requiring states to adopt new math and reading academic standards as a condition for qualifying for the more than $14 billion in federal Title I funding available each year. States that put these standards in place would then be able to compete under a separate new fund to adopt the highest quality, “cutting-edge” standard assessments, the president said.

According to the Administration’s budget, Title III spending on English learners will increase by $50 million to $900 million in 2011 and the Administration’s reauthorization proposal will support strengthened professional development for educators, improved accountability, and the development and implementation of innovative and effective programs. The proposal also would strengthen the conditions governing states’ receipt of formula funds and would shift more funds to competitive grants in order to support the development and implementation of high-quality programs for English learners, including dual-language and transitional bilingual programs.

These measures are steps in the right direction but there is so much more that could be done to make No Child Left Behind adhere to its main objective of closing the achievement gap.

Teachers of English as a second (or other) language, bilingual educators, and their various associations need to work together to construct a cohesive message and make the most of the opportunity offered by Meléndez’ appointment. Now that the White House has a sympathetic ear, let’s give it a unified and clear message before it succumbs to the deafening chatter of competing demands.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Teaching the Specific Meanings of Words
Susan Watts-Taffe explores instructional strategies to develop your students’ vocabulary and increase their reading comprehension

When English Doesn’t Add Up Natalie Grover, a math teacher, argues that all educators need to be adequately trained to teach English learners

Learning to a Beat Susanna Zaraysky offers practical ways to incorporate music
into any language classroom

An Early Childhood Case Study La Joya Independent School District

Mois de Vivre
Kate Sommers-Dawes celebrates the month of Francophonie

Last Writes
Richard Lederer on Tom, Swiftly celebrated

Plus all the latest news in language learning technology, book reviews, and source information on language funding

March 3rd, 2010 | Leave your comments

American Councils for Education: Seeking Fellowship Placements

The American Councils for Education, in association with the U.S. Department of State, is seeking to place five young professionals in non-governmental internships across the country during the fall 2009 intern season (September-December). Prospective interns will be arriving in the United States in mid-August under the auspices of the federally funded Legislative Education and Practice program (LEAP) and will be ready to report to work in early September. LEAP Fellows are dedicated public servants between 23 and 33 years of age from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. They are college-educated (many have advanced degrees in law or international studies), speak fluent English, have had previous U.S.-based experience, and are eager to learn how Americans address rule of law, civil society, work in advocacy, infrastructure, energy, human rights, and related topics, so that they may better their own societies. Interns will be available to work a full-time schedule and will be fully supported by American Councils and the U.S. Department of States in terms of compensation, health insurance, etc. To learn more, please contact RaeJean Stokes at 202-833-7522 or via email at: leap@americancouncils.org.

February 26th, 2010 | Leave your comments

Making Dreams Come True

A Dream Deferred…

See April 2009 Editorial for more on the DREAM Act

Each year, thousands of promising students go to school eager to achieve their dreams of success, only to realize at some point along the way that their immigration status prevents them from reaching their full potential in American society. Among them are gifted scholars, dedicated community members, and future leaders who desire nothing more than to give back to our country. Their stories highlight the need to reform our broken immigration system and the urgency for leadership and action on this issue. This week, our friends in the United We DREAM coalition are hosting a “Week of Action” to bring attention to the struggles faced by these youth and call for action on immigration reform.

Join them and tell your members of Congress that it is time to take up immigration reform that gives immigrant youth an opportunity to contribute fully to our society once and for all!

Our country gains nothing by squandering the dreams and talent of these students—urge your members of Congress to support the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act” (S. 729) and “American Dream Act” (H.R. 1751) today!

February 23rd, 2010 | Leave your comments

February 2010

Invest in Teachers

Teacher quality is key to the success of our schools and our children. No matter how you judge success, there can be no doubt that students do better in testing, are more motivated, more interested, and fundamentally happier when they have good teachers. Nowhere is this more important than the English as a Second Language classroom, where children are often more reliant on their teacher than other classes, as their families may be unable to provide the support structure so important to children, yet teachers in high-poverty and high-minority schools are less likely to be well-trained. However, although we are rushing to judge teacher “effectiveness,”we are doing very little to help our teachers excel.

In the Race to the Top (RttT) guidelines, teacher effectiveness is measured by value-added student assessments – comparing how students perform on standardized tests before their classes with a teacher to those afterward. While value-added student achievement data can be used to reward and recognize certain achievements by educators, it is patently absurd to use it as the sole method by which teachers are judged. This system ignores the benefits of high-quality induction and professional development, strong and supportive school administrators, and opportunities for collaboration and leadership. Teachers need professional support and opportunities to develop their practice, including focused induction during their initial years in the profession. Measuring teachers’ impact on standardized tests without providing the means to help educators strengthen their practice do little to help us improve schools.

If RttT is to be an effective policy, it needs to recognize the importance of teacher development. RttT should require states to focus on the development of their teachers, not merely identify those who are succeeding at preparing their students for standardized tests.

Only one part of the Recovery Act – Title I School Improvement Grants – makes professional development part of the equation by requiring schools to “provide staff ongoing, high-quality, job-embedded professional development…to ensure that they are equipped to facilitate effective teaching and learning and have the capacity to successfully implement school reform strategies.”

In addition, we have to encourage and train a more diverse supply of teachers. Too few minority teachers are encouraged into the profession and other teachers receive too little cultural training. Recently, University of Southern Mississippi education professor Tom O’Brien explained how the demographic realities of the South demand a change in teacher training, “Historically, we prepare teachers who are white, female and middle-class. That’s not going to change. What needs to change is how we prepare people by teaching them to be competent across cultures.”

Even corporations, which seem to be the current model for school districts, recognize that they cannot expect to improve results without investing in training, and that training is much more cost-effective than hiring and firing. However, maybe the problem lies in the fact that teacher quality is extremely difficult to measure. The specific qualities that constitute an effective teacher are not easily defined, nor are they easily quantifiable. And, in this age of quick fixes and instant results, we do not dare to even try to promote reforms which cannot be easily defined with simple measurement.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Going in the Right Direction
Iliana Alanis explores the differences and similarities within Dual Language Programs

Scaffolding Success
Five Principles for Succeeding with Adolescent English Learners: An Interview with Aída Walqui

Read All About It
Judy Hoffpauir recommends taking a multifaceted approach to reading comprehension

Teacher Preparation Programs
Language Magazine’s selection of colleges and universities offering post-graduate programs for language professionals

El Norte
Kate Sommers-Dawes recommends Spain’s northern regions for a Spanish immersion experience

God’s Collage
Daniel Ward wonders at the contrasts that Chile offers the Spanish learner

Last Writes
Richard Lederer on teaching, metaphorically

Plus all the latest news in language learning technology, book reviews, and source information on language funding

February 3rd, 2010 | 1 Comment

Educating Young Haitian Refugees

Children under 18 years old make up almost half of Haiti’s population of 9 million. As many as 8,000 schools that served 1.8 million children have been destroyed or damaged in the Port-au-Prince area alone, according to the United Nations. Pierre Michel Laguerre, director general of Haiti’s Education Ministry, said all of the schools on the western side of the city were totally destroyed, while 40 percent in the south were severely damaged. A preliminary U.N. estimate calls for at least 4,000 temporary classrooms.
As the U.S. welcomes thousands of Haitian children fleeing the devastation in their country, schools with French programs are facing increasing enrollment demands from parents concerned about continuing their children’s education in French. Already at capacity, these schools will only be able to admit a few dozen newcomers without additional help. Fortunately, the French Embassy’s highly successful French Heritage Language Program (featured in April 2009 edition of Language Magazine) is ideally suited to the critical task of providing Haitian refugees with French-speaking classes, and they are seeking support in order to meet such a large influx of new students.
The French Heritage Language Program, which was launched in 2005 in New York, is primarily funded through private donations from individuals or institutions, and additional funds are urgently needed. Donations are tax deductible, and can be made easily at www.facecouncil.org/donation. They will be put towards hiring new French-speaking teachers, purchasing teaching materials, and coordinating with local school authorities and the Haitian community. Funds will be directed to the New York program, which is already well established, but they will be used especially in order to accelerate the launch of a Heritage program in Miami (which is home to a large Haitian diaspora), following urgent requests for help from Miami’s Haitian Cultural Alliance. The Embassy plans to help in other cities with sizeable Haitian communities as well, such as Washington D.C. and Boston.
Created by the French Embassy’s Educational Service, the French Heritage Language Program is administered by FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), the nonprofit foundation partner of the French Embassy in the US. The program seeks to address the linguistic needs of students of Francophone backgrounds. Launched in 2005 in several New York City public schools, and in 2009 in Miami, the FHLP promotes English-French bilingualism and biculturalism by offering free, for-credit French classes that build on the cultural heritage of the students by providing them with a key asset in today’s globalized economy (French is spoken in over 50 countries). Please, help make a difference in the education and the life of these children. Donate today. www.facecouncil.org/donation

January 29th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship

National Council of Teachers of English: Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship

The Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship provides funding for professional development experiences for English/Language Arts teachers in public educational institutions to enhance teaching skills and/or career development in teaching.
Maximum Award: $500
Eligibility: Teachers of English/Language Arts in a publicly funded institution.
Deadline: January 31, 2010
http://www.ncte.org/second/awards/wheadon

For more language funding opportunities, click here.

January 27th, 2010 | Leave your comments

Language Aid for Haiti

MSF_Remy_Jan10

California’s Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) is providing thousands of language “survival” products to U.S. forces assisting relief operations in Haiti. Out of the nearly 20,000 language products that have been shipped, most are going to SOUTHCOM and the 18th Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg. These products are designed to give “survival” phrases to troops who will be interacting with Haitians. DLIFLC is sending two types of language tools; a quick reference card for critical phrases and a more in depth, language survival kit, which consists of a booklet of vital phrases and an audio CD companion for pronunciation.

Should you wish to make a personal donation, please consider Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) – an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion, and natural or man-made disasters.

January 19th, 2010 | Leave your comments

January 2010

You Can Lead a Child to Books…

Language and literacy are the tools with which knowledge is built. Without their acquisition, no child has the chance to become an astronaut, a scientist, a doctor, a movie star, or even a musician. Without aspirations, children cannot flourish and life loses some of its magic. Yet, we continue to deny so many of our children the opportunity to develop their own language and literacy skills by refusing them access to books that are suitable for them and might even excite them.

According to a newly released study (see News, p. 10 by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), in more than 90 percent of school libraries, books in languages other than English account for less than five percent of the collection and, in nearly 60 percent of school libraries, they account for less than one percent. While nearly 14 percent of responding schools reported that at least 25 percent of their students were English Language Learners (ELLs) and a quarter of all respondents rated free-choice reading as the most effective ELL initiative.

Now, I can already hear the English-only brigade proclaiming that all books in school libraries in America should be in English because that’s the language spoken here, but even the most hardened English-only advocate must appreciate that children will never become literate in any language if they don’t enjoy reading. And reading in a second language is hard work at first —imagine being obliged to pick up War and Peace every night for your bedtime read.

Librarians consider “school-wide reading initiatives that encourage free choice reading” to be the most effective teaching strategy for ELLs. Many teachers and experts agree (see Opinion, p.26). Restocking our school and public libraries with books that will interest today’s kids is a relatively low cost policy with no drawbacks and an enormous upside. Not only is it a long term investment which will serve children for many years to come, but, for those who are counting, nearly all the money will end up with American publishers (yes, there are many American publishers of books in languages other than English) so the investment will satisfy stimulus package requirements.

Britain’s Cambridge University recently released the results of a three-year study (see News p.11) into elementary education, which warns “that prescribed pedagogy combined with high stakes testing and the national curriculum amounted to a ‘state theory of learning.’ Prepackaged, government approved lessons are not good for a democracy, nor for children’s education…Pupils do not learn to think for themselves if their teachers are expected to do as they are told.” This completely contradicts the blindly accepted notion that more standards and testing make better schools —the basis for the federal education funding.

Another $250 million was allocated to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teaching earlier this month. About the same amount of funding would buy an appropriate library book for every child in public school across the nation. Instead of pinning all its hopes of school reform success on standards, assessment, and incentive schemes, the government, like all wise investors, should spread its bets.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Speaking Frankly
The French Ambassador to the United States, the Honorable Pierre Vimont, talks to Language Magazine about the renewed interest in his language

Islands of Achievement
Maria Quezada offers examples of educational excellence for English learners and the promotion of biliteracy in California despite the odds

Emotional Reactions
Andrea Honigsfeld and Sharon Lupeke share the value of exploring emotions while teaching English

Stimulus Bill for Thought
We ask leading language experts: “What should be done with the stimulus windfall of $4 billion that is being earmarked for the Race to the Top program?”

Argentina’s Passionate Language
Guillermo Piñon explains how Lunfardo and the Tango have shaped the Spanish of Buenos Aires and Rio de la Plata region

Agentina’s Spanish Schools
The eighth largest country in the world offers students a wealth of cultural and language learning opportunities

Last Writes
Richard Lederer with a timely message

Plus all the latest news in language learning technology, book reviews, and source information on language funding

January 13th, 2010 | Leave your comments

December 2009

Allow Schools to Succeed

As we near the end of President Obama’s historic first year in office, we can reflect upon the changes that have already been implemented, and imagine the possibility that the unprecedented federal investment of $100 billion in education may provide the impetus to close the achievement gap.

However, 2009 also saw the passing of one of public education’s most outspoken supporters, Gerald Bracey, whose annual report on the condition of public education has for the last 18 years shattered widespread myths with fact and measured argument to which only a trial lawyer could aspire. Bracey’s final report tackles “the research support for what the author considers to be three of the most important assumptions about how to reform public education” including the assertion that high-quality schools can eliminate the achievement gap between whites and minorities.

While tackling the question of how to define a “high-quality” school and making the point that test scores alone cannot define quality, Bracey concludes that “school improvement must be accompanied by attention to social inequalities.” This conclusion ties in with the recurring findings in Bracey’s work that schools can only do so much to overcome the tragedy of childhood poverty and that U.S. public schools are remarkably effective at teaching all but the most impoverished of students despite widespread belief that they are failing all students.

The latest initiative aimed at closing the achievement gap is the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, which the administration claims will reward only those states that raise their academic standards, improve teacher quality, and expand the reach of charter schools. “This competition will not be based on politics, ideology or the preferences of a particular interest group,” said President Obama recently. “Instead, it will be based on a simple principle — whether a state is ready to do what works. We will use the best data available to determine whether a state can meet a few key benchmarks for reform, and states that outperform the rest will be rewarded with a grant.”

Our media welcome the prospect of a program that may benefit just a few small states, and thus perpetuate the myth that public schools are failing our children. Ignoring education experts, The Wall Street Journal recently published an editorial by real estate and financial services billionaire, Eli Broad, IBM’s former chairman, Louis Gerstner, and Harold Ford that warned the administration against diluting the program’s requirement that states adopt performance pay for teachers and weakening its support for charter schools, despite the lack of evidence that such measures actually improve education.

Although Race to the Top is bound to have some impact and any additional funds for education should be applauded, it does not even take into account the fundamental problem that poverty is preventing schools and teachers from educating students, especially English learners who are often at the bottom of the economic ladder. No benchmarks, standards, or testing are going to overcome the barrier to education that poverty creates.

IN THIS ISSUE:

2010 Year Planner
Our month to month compilation of conferences, workshops, grant deadlines and language-related dates

Promoting Parental Involvement
Londa S. Della explains how publisher ETA/Cuisenaire is working with schools to encourage parents to help their children become literate

Certification for Adventure
While jobs are scarce in the U.S., a good way of gaining some international experience is to teach English abroad, so Nicholas Ferdinandt offers advice on choosing the right certificate program to teach overseas

It Takes a Village
Doug Evans advocates building community in the ESL classroom

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Academic Words
Helen Garcia Rockett explores strategies for using picture books and other graphics to stimulate the development of academic vocabulary in second language learners

More Than Quarter Million U.S, Students Study Abroad
Open Doors report on international education

Last Writes
Richard Lederer with a holiday gift for teachers

Plus all the latest news in language learning technology, book reviews, and source information on language funding

December 9th, 2009 | 1 Comment

2010 Year Planner

The deadline for the print edition of Language Magazine’s popular calendar of language-related events is 12/4/09 so please forward details (dates, location, website) to editor@languagemagazine.com as soon as possible.

March 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:

March 3rd, 2010 | Leave your comments

American Councils for Education: Seeking Fellowship Placements

February 26th, 2010 | Leave your comments

Making Dreams Come True

February 23rd, 2010 | Leave your comments

February 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:

February 3rd, 2010 | 1 Comment

Educating Young Haitian Refugees

January 29th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship

January 27th, 2010 | Leave your comments

Language Aid for Haiti

January 19th, 2010 | Leave your comments

January 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:

January 13th, 2010 | Leave your comments

December 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

December 9th, 2009 | 1 Comment

2010 Year Planner

December 2nd, 2009 | 2 Comments

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