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Russian Set Backs in Ukraine, Armenia

Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko has signed into law a controversial bill that makes Ukrainian the required language of instruction in state secondary schools (from fifth grade on). The bill was passed despite criticism, particularly from Ukraine’s ethnic minorities: Russians, Poles, Romanians, and Hungarians, all of which have sizable ethnic communities in Ukraine.


Russia has been particularly vociferous in its criticism, with its Foreign Ministry asserting that the law was designed to “forcefully establish a mono-ethnic language regime in a multinational state.” The Russian State Duma issued a statement denouncing the move as discrimination and a violation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.


According to the text of the statement published on the parliament’s website, “The so-called education reform in Ukraine is targeting primarily the destruction of the remains of Russian-language education, with the full assimilation of Russian speakers being the main objective. As they maintain the previous line in the language issue, the Ukrainian authorities again provoke the same situation and recreate the same reasons that had become a starting point for the development of the conflict and the civil war in southeastern Ukraine.”


Poroshenko insisted that it “was in harmony with European standards and is an example for neighboring countries,” according to a statement on the presidential website. “The law raises the role of Ukrainian as a state language in the education process,” he said. “The law ensures equal opportunities for all… It guarantees every graduate strong language skills essential for a successful career in Ukraine.”
The bill’s language requirement overturns a 2012 law which allowed for minorities to introduce their languages in regions where they represented more than 10% of the population.


In early September, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill allowing various peoples and ethnic groups in Ukraine to be taught in their native languages in kindergarten and primary school up to the fifth year. This will remain in place until 2020, when all schools in Ukraine must switch to Ukrainian.


Meanwhile, in Armenia, the Culture Ministry’s decision to promote Russian-language programs in state schools has been met with opposition, leading Armenia’s education minister, Levon Mkrtchyan, to insist that Russian will remain a foreign language in the country. “The only official language in Armenia is and will remain the Armenian language, since we are an independent, sovereign state,” he told the TASS news agency. “This is a basic truth—all other languages are foreign.”


Armenian activists claim that Russia has always been eager to spread Russian throughout post-Soviet countries. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number of Russian speakers has decreased by about 50 million, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee for Education and Science Vyacheslav Nikonov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency in August.


To counter the decline, Nikonov called for an expansion of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and an increase in educational programs abroad. Armenia is one of five countries belonging to the EEU.

Originally Published October 2017

No More ‘Foreign Language’ Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors has approved Oscars rules for the 92nd Academy Awards, including changing the Foreign Language Film category to International Feature Film.

Roma received ten nominations at last year’s Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It became the first Mexican entry to win Best Foreign Language Film and was also the first foreign language film to win for Best Director, Alfonso Cuarón.

“We have noted that the reference to ‘Foreign’ is outdated within the global filmmaking community,” commented Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, co-chairs of the International Feature Film Committee. “We believe that International Feature Film better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience.”

According to the Academy, “The category name change does not change any existing category rules, the submission process, or eligibility requirements. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States of America with a predominantly non-English dialogue track. Animated and documentary feature films are permitted. Only one film is accepted from each country as the official selection.”

In addition, the shortlist for the International Feature Film award is expanding to ten films; seven to be chosen by the Phase I International Feature Film Committee, and the additional three to be voted by the International Feature Film Award Executive Committee.

The nomination of Netflix’s Spanish-language movie, Roma, in last year’s Best Picture category caused disagreement among Academy members not so much because of its language medium, but because some Academy members, including director Steven Spielberg, believe that only movies on general release should be eligible for awards. Roma complied with Academy rules by showing for a few weeks in Los Angeles before being available for streaming on Netflix

The complete 92nd Academy Awards rules are available at oscars.org/rules.

ELSA: English Language Speech Assistant

ELSA, or English Language Speech Assistant, is a mobile app for language learners that helps to improve pronunciation and reduce accents, using state-of-the-art speech recognition, automated feedback, and deep learning technology.


ELSA listens to the way language learners pronounce words, sentences, or conversations to pinpoint exact errors and provides real-time, accurate feedback based on pronunciation mistakes with specific suggestions on how to improve. Multiple fresh, practical topics are offered on a weekly basis to help learners do better in their careers and relationships. These fun lessons teach how to pronounce common idioms and expressions and engage in everyday conversation in English.
Students are guided to specific lessons that are best suited for their skill levels with free assessment tests, which provide scores ranging from 0% to 100%. ELSA identifies top pronunciation challenges for each sound, like schwas and dipthongs. The assessment test result is used to personalize learning paths, highlighting which sounds need work. Under the Skills tab of the app, each planet represents a skill; planets with “conquered” flags mean students have scored 80% or more on that particular sound.


After a successful pilot program of ELSA’s educational platform in Vietnam last year, the teacher platform is being offered worldwide. It is also available for businesses and schools, so employees or students can learn anytime, anywhere using the app and administrators can track their learning progress in real time from the organization’s dashboard. www.elsaspeak.com

Poor Students, Rich Teaching

Solution Tree has released the revised edition of Eric Jensen’s best-selling book, Poor Students, Rich Teaching, along with a companion title, The Handbook for Poor Students, Rich Teaching (co-published with ASCD). With a firsthand understanding of the challenges of growing up in conditions of adversity, author Eric Jensen details the importance of rich teaching for students in poverty. The revised edition combines all seven high-impact mindsets presented in his previous books (Poor Student, Rich Teaching and Poor Student, Richer Teaching) and presents effective, research-based strategies to ensure all students—regardless of circumstance—graduate high school college or career ready. The new edition contains seven parts, each highlighting a mindset for raising student achievement, to help educators including:

  • Understand the urgency of poverty in the U.S. and how poverty affects education, student engagement, and academic achievement.
  • Learn how creating a positive school culture and a growth mindset for students can be beneficial in overcoming adversity.
  • Gain seven high-impact mindsets that bring change: the relational mindset, achievement mindset, rich classroom climate mindset, engagement mindset, positivity mindset, enrichment mindset, and graduation mindset.
  • Build effective teacher–student relationships and help students see achievement as a reachable target.
  • Create a welcoming classroom climate where all students love to learn and are engaged for success.

The Handbook for Poor Students, Rich Teaching provides K–12 educators with notable reference content, along with all-new essential tools for implementing the strategies that bring its seven high-impact teaching mindsets into the classroom. These include more than 100 rubrics, graphic organizers, worksheets, surveys, and reflection questions designed to assist teachers in supporting the learning of students living in poverty.
Readers will be able to utilize these resources to create a positive, achievement-focused learning environment by accessing, downloading, and using them in their own practice.
“Poor Students, Rich Teaching is the perfect balance of research and practical application,” says Deborah Stevens, director of instructional advocacy for the Delaware State Education Association. “The universal strategies Eric provides are suitable for all students but are particularly beneficial for students impacted by poverty.”www.SolutionTree.com

Ukrainian President-Elect Unlikely to Lift Russian Status

Paton bridge over the river Dnieper, Mother Motherland monument in Kiev, Ukraine

After actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky’s landslide victory in Ukraine’s presidential elections, his campaign spokesperson, Dmytro Razumkov, said that the only official language in Ukraine is Ukrainian, according to the news outlet, Ukrainian Pravda. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, is currently considering a bill that would require all media published in other languages to produce an identical Ukrainian version both online and in print. Radio and TV are also required to be in Ukrainian, with programs dubbed into other languages. If passed, the law would threaten the existence of several major publications, including the English-language daily, Kyiv Post, and alienate large Russian-speaking communities.  

When asked whether Zelensky’s team are ready to politically support the law, which is currently considering, Razumkov replied that, for a start, parliament must agree on all amendments and then adopt the document. “Based on Zelensky’s position voiced earlier, the only state language in Ukraine is Ukrainian,” he said.

“Development and support of the state language is one of the key prerogatives of the president. But it should be done through encouragement, not with a ‘stick’. Using a ‘carrot’ can be much more efficient in this particular area,” explained Razumkov. Earlier, as a presidential candidate, Zelensky promised to defend the Ukrainian language.

Prior to his bid for the presidency, Zelensky was best known for his role in the Ukrainian comedy series, “Servant of the People,” where he played a destitute schoolteacher who unexpectedly becomes president of Ukraine after becoming famous for an anti-corruption rant that goes viral on social media. In real life, his entertainment empire is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

In the show, his character primarily speaks Russian, along with many other cast members. Thirty percent of the Ukrainian population speaks Russian.

In 2017, Ukrainian became the required language of study in state schools from the fifth grade, and Russian-language media were restricted in western Ukraine, where Russian speakers are in the minority.

Reaching English Learners Act Gains Support

TESOL International Association has pledged its support for the bipartisan Reaching English Learners Act (H.R. 1153, S. 5​45). The legislation would create a grant program for colleges and universities under Title II Part B of the Higher Education Act to support the development of teacher preparation programs that train future teachers to instruct ELs. To secure a grant, higher education institutions would be required to partner with local education agencies to build or strengthen teaching programs that provide qualified teacher candidates with skills related to:  

  • Helping ELs in prekindergarten, elementary, and secondary school programs: (1) achieve at high academic levels and meet state standards adopted under ESSA; and (2) attain English proficiency;
  • Recognizing and addressing the social and emotional needs of ELs; 
  • Appropriately identifying and instructing ELs with disabilities; and
  • Promoting parental, family, and community engagement in EL educational programs.

“With a growing population of more than five million English learners in U.S. schools, and a critical shortage of qualified English language teachers, this bipartisan legislation will go a long way in helping to improve the readiness of future teachers, as well as the educational experiences of some of our most vulnerable students,” said Christopher Powers, executive director of TESOL International Association. 


First introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Jim Langevin (D-Rhode Island), the bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Will Hurd (R-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-New York), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Jimmy Gomez (D-California). In the U.S. Senate, a companion bill was introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) and is co-sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas).


Addressing the bill’s significance and impact on English learners and teachers, Representative Langevin explained, “As the number of English learners continues to increase across the nation, this bill will provide crucial resources to ensure the teachers of tomorrow are equipped with the necessary skills to help them succeed academically. English learners have enormous potential, and I am excited to work with leaders like Senator Cortez Masto and Congressmen Espaillat and Hurd to ensure these students can thrive.”


Senator Cortez Masto introduced the Senate version of the bill after hearing directly from a Washoe County School District teacher about the challenges facing educators who work with ELs.


“Ten percent of public school students in the U.S. are English learners. That means 10% of public school students face a language gap that puts them at risk of falling behind academically,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ve introduced this bill to address the critical English language teacher shortage and help make sure that English learners have the resources they need to learn on equal footing with their peers.”
Joining Senator Cortez Masto in introducing the bill were Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Kamala Harris (D-California), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). 


The act has also been endorsed by UnidosUS, National Association for Bilingual Education, the NEA, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Joint National Committee for Languages, American Federation of Teachers, and Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.

Maryland Bill Weighs Coding as a Language

The Maryland House of Delegates, Ways and Means Committee, is considering a bill (H.B. 1211) that would let county boards of education allow students to satisfy foreign language requirements by completing a certain course in computer programming or coding.


Sponsored by 19 House delegates, the bill has bipartisan support but is encountering considerable resistance from language educators, rallied by the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL).


In October 2018, the Maryland High School Graduation Task Force convened by the state superintendent of schools produced its final report of recommendations for graduation in the state. The task force recommended that successful completion of two years of the same language be required for graduation in order to align with the University System of Maryland (USM) admission requirements. Some local school systems already required two years of the same language to meet the world language requirement. The task force also recommended that the advanced technology option be phased out.

Slovenian Sign Language Set for Official Language

Dragon bridge (Zmajski most), symbol of Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, Europe. Long exposure. Time lapse.

The National Assembly of Slovenia endorsed a proposal to assign Slovenian sign language as an official in the constitution. The government stated that in order for the Slovenian deaf and hearing-impaired community to fully exercise their basic human rights, Slovenian sign language should be an official language.

The proposal was put forth by the Association of the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired, which believes that the proposal would help the sign language community in terms of employment and education.

Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer was in agreement with the decision, stating, “Communication and language as well as the right to use their use are essential for social inclusion and implementation of basic human rights. Without communication an individual cannot fully participate in society,” according to Total Slovenia News.

If Slovenia passes the proposal, they will join the four EU countries Austria, Hungary, Finland, and Portugal, which have given their sign languages the status of official language.       

Netflix to Adapt Spanish Masterpiece

Nobel Prize–winning author Gabriel García Márquez’s literary masterwork One Hundred Years of Solitude is coming to the screen. Netflix has acquired the rights to develop the beloved and acclaimed novel, considered to be one of the most significant works of the 20th century, into a Netflix Spanish-language original series. One Hundred Years of Solitude was first published in 1967 and since that time has sold an estimated 50 million copies around the world and been translated into 46 languages (source: the Balcells Agency).


García Márquez’s sons Rodrigo Garcia and Gonzalo García Barcha will serve as executive producers on the series, which will be filmed mainly in Colombia. “For decades our father was reluctant to sell the film rights to Cien Años de Soledad because he believed that it could not be made under the time constraints of a feature film, or that producing it in a language other than Spanish would not do it justice,” said García.


He continued, “But in the current golden age of series, with the level of talented writing and directing, the cinematic quality of content, and the acceptance by worldwide audiences of programs in foreign languages, the time could not be better to bring an adaptation to the extraordinary global viewership that Netflix provides. We are excited to support Netflix and the filmmakers in this venture, and eager to see the final product.”


“We are incredibly honored to be entrusted with the first filmed adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude, a timeless and iconic story from Latin America that we are thrilled to share with the world,” said Francisco Ramos, vice president of Netflix Spanish-language originals. “We know our members around the world love watching Spanish-language films and series, and we feel this will be a perfect match of project and our platform.”


Márquez, who died in 2014 at the age of 87, received many offers over the years to develop his groundbreaking saga for the screen but refused them all. The magical-realist style will certainly be a challenge, but Netflix has been very successful in its Spanish-language programming, particularly with the Oscar-winning film Roma.

November 2018 Inside the Issue

Bridging the Gap between Awareness and Action Trey Calvin explains how to advocate for America’s languages

Authentic,Affirming, and AccessibleMarsha Riddle Buly and Tracy L. Coskieoffer a framework for the constructive education of English language learners

The Multiliteracies Approach for 21st- Century Learners Cheri Sterman takes a holistic approach to literacy education

Just Do It on Screen Deborah Blaz explains how to convert technology use to active learning

Focusing on First Nations LearnersAyanna Cooper, Mia Ariela Allen, Mayra Valtierrez, and Berlinda Begay address the unique academic and linguistic needs of First Nations English learners

Making S-PACE for Grammar Manuela Gonzalez-Bueno eintroduces a new model to teach second-language grammar

Decoding Versus Cognitive Ability Terrie L. Noland abelieves we need to understand the automaticity of executing lower-level reading processes in order to master higher-level comprehension

Cool Japan The allure of Japanese culture makes learning the language even more attractive

Bringing Chinese to Preschoolers Lauren Cortinas presents a solution for the youngest learners of Mandarin

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