Chinese vice premier Liu Yandong has called for more efforts to promote the standard Chinese language. Addressing a symposium to mark the 15th anniversary of the Law on Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, Liu said popularizing the standard Chinese language could help boost social and economic development and safeguard national unification and unity among ethnic groups. The language law, which took effect in 2001, sets Putonghua, or Mandarin, and standardized Chinese characters as the standard spoken and written forms of Chinese and China’s official language.
Government Promotes ‘Standard Chinese’
Lozenges Help Refugees Learn Swedish
Owners of the Swedish throat lozenge Läkerol, famed for its slogan “Makes People Talk,” are putting their money where their mouths are by creating Let’s Talk, an app that lets refugees learn Swedish with those who are fluent. Last year, Sweden welcomed more than 160,000 refugees fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, or the equivalent of 1.7% of the nation’s total population. To welcome them, Läkerol created a new app that connects refugees with Swedes who want to help.
Citizens of the World
Beth Marshall believes that awareness of global citizenry is the true goal of language education
“Why would you want to be a teacher?”
is a question I’m asked often when I say I teach high school French. Many adults can’t fathom the idea of standing in front of 30 or more hormonal teenagers every day. It’s also a question I ask myself particularly often during those last long weeks of the school year in May, during those final exams and standardized tests. I definitely know the overall purpose of my French class is not for them to have memorized the verb “to be” in nine tenses by the end of the year, to be able to list the capitals and countries of the francophone world, or to identify all the colors. It’s much more than that.
Stressing Classy Communication
Margo Gottlieb and Gisela Ernst-Slavit know that academic language is important for all students and essential for English language learners
In a midsized school, a veteran second-grade teacher is working diligently with her students on a unit called Taking Shape. An aspect of Irene’s teacher craft that she values is getting to know her students, how their linguistic and cultural resources can enrich the class, and what fosters their learning. Additionally, during planning time, Irene and her grade-level team pay special attention to academic language use to construct a multishaped model, the product of the unit.
The group of teachers carefully selects relevant college and career readiness standards and matches them to English language development standards to ensure that English language learners (ELLs) have as many opportunities to access the content, engage in learning, and achieve academically as their English-proficient peers. In designing curriculum, the standards, the instructional materials, and the funds of knowledge from the families and community are major sources of academic language in classrooms. Using these resources, the team sets learning targets that focus on the major concepts and highlight academic language.
Helping Students Find Their Voices
Adrienne Almeida examines the unique challenges that ELL students face and the impact these
challenges have on their social-emotional and academic health
Imagine being a student whose family has recently immigrated to the U.S. Your family is often struggling to make ends meet, is undocumented, and lives in poverty. Your ability to speak English is limited, yet you are the most fluent in your family, so you are required to take time off of school to be the translator in adult situations such as doctor’s appointments and job interviews. You have no agency over your situation while you are trying to navigate life as a teenager in a foreign place, deal with adult conversations and adult concerns, and hide from the stigma associated with your home language. Then, on top of all of this, imagine that your school launches a new course that requires you to participate in online discussions or to engage with materials online. You are being asked to master yet another level of communication that is outside of your comfort zone.
The Donald or the Deep Blue Sea
As this year’s presidential election approaches, the choice that Americans will make for the future of this country has become clear—it’s between a nation that embraces the reality of globalization and one that will stubbornly, and vainly, attempt to blockade itself against the inexorable development of international trade and the increased movement of goods and people.
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, is in favor of developing international trade—her pledge to veto the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) in its current form is based on that agreement’s shortcomings, not its principles— and she supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants.
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, summed up his position on globalization as “Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.” He calls the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) the “worst deal ever” and promises to bring thousands of outsourced jobs back to America. He has also vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, block asylum seekers, and build a “beautiful” border wall with pesos donated by Mexico.
Trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP have many flaws, and it is true that America has lost many of its lower-paying jobs to other less economically developed countries, but the only way to bring those jobs back would be to dramatically reduce wages in the U.S., which would exacerbate the nation’s economic divide. Increasing investment in education to close the achievement gap so that more Americans qualify for high-paying jobs is the pragmatic solution to the outsourcing of jobs overseas.
Europe is also being challenged by the consequences of globalization. Ultranationalist political parties have been successful in Austria, Hungary, and Poland, and the UK’s recent decision to leave the European Union (EU) was won by stoking fear among the British population that immigrants were taking over the country, ignoring the fact that the formation of the EU, the world’s most successful free-trade association, and its predecessors signaled the end of hundreds of years of wars between European nations.
The U.S. has been instrumental in the construction of the international institutions and alliances, that, since the Second World War, have resulted in the greatest poverty reduction in history. Of course, we still have wars and poverty and now feel threatened by nongovernmental terrorism, but isolationist policy will do little to cushion us from these problems.
The reality is that globalization will continue, whatever individual governments do to try to stop it. The communications revolution will be as world-changing as the industrial revolution was, and, in the same way that the British Luddites failed to destroy the machines that were brought in to do their jobs, attempts to halt globalization will fail. Economies are so intertwined that isolationism is not an option. The way forward is to accept the internationalization of our world and to devise policies that spread the benefits of globalization more widely, while minimizing its consequences on the environment. Secretary Clinton has the pragmatism to recognize this, to negotiate mutually beneficial international agreements, and to provide the educational resources necessary for Americans to be successful in the global economy.
Use Data Effectively to Drive Instruction
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states and districts to provide all students, including English learners (ELs), equal access to educational opportunities. In order to fulfill the law’s requirements beginning in the 2017–2108 school year, educators need the tools and accurate data-collection systems in place to give them decision-making information.
Local school districts and schools will be required to accurately recommend placement in quality language programs, and effectively monitor students’ progress to ensure the district provides the instructional support necessary for every EL to attain the high academic goals established by the state for all students.
Everyone’s Story Matters
As a parent and veteran teacher, Katie Egan Cunningham presents a heartfelt case for returning stories to a place of primacy in today’s classroom. As a literacy consultant ,she backs her argument with logic and a deep reservoir of knowledge and experience. And while her tone is collegial and inviting, her approach is research driven and takes into account today’s modern classroom and especially the needs of the contemporary student. In an environment seemingly dominated by standardization and high-stakes testing, Cunningham seeks not only to revive the emphasis on human stories as a central part of the classroom experience but to make sure that every student, from every background, can find the stories that speak to them and in turn find the voice necessary to tell their own unique stories.
Cunningham explains that the power inherent in stories provides young readers with mirrors and windows through which to see themselves and their world. But she also points out that it is more often the case that only the children from dominant social groups can consistently find themselves reflected in their reading choices. America’s classrooms have become increasingly diverse, but the availability of multicultural literature for young students has not kept pace. Cunningham knows that becoming engaged as a reader, taking that first step toward a life enriched by a love of reading, often depends on finding that one special text, the one story that resonates on a deeply personal level. But she also knows that readers cannot fall in love with stories from which they feel excluded.
Not content with merely pointing to the problem and talking about it, Cunningham assumes the role of private consultant and provides a wealth of practical suggestions and solutions. She includes lists of publishers and award-winning authors that represent a diverse range of cultures and topics, as well as brief but engaging descriptions for each. She couples these lists with online resources that will further aid teachers of any level in their pursuit of classroom excellence. Each chapter contains samples of suggested classroom activities that are clearly marked for grade level and for pacing. Cunningham also links these activities to specific texts or other media samples to demonstrate exactly how the lesson will work. She closes each chapter with a tool kit of final thoughts and questions that are designed to solidify and enable the chapter’s content.
Katie Egan Cunningham has produced a work that is as enjoyable as it is informative. The chapter layout, with lessons and discussions, is easy to navigate and flows naturally from each section to the next. The bibliography of children’s and young adult literature alone is a fantastic resource and is augmented by an extensive listing of professional literacy research. Any teacher who works with young readers will find Cunningham’s book to be a refreshing and invaluable resource worthy of space in any classroom.
Brian Snorgrass holds a master of arts degree in English from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a primary option in rhetoric and composition as well as a TESOL certificate. He has taught in China and also teaches annual language and music camps for students visiting from China. His research interests include studying the effects of social inertia on issues of literacy, educational equity, and social justice.
TESOL & ASU Partner to Offer Core Certificate
TESOL International Association has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to offer its TESOL Core Certificate Program (TCCP) beginning in January 2017. The program will be offered five times a year, and each cohort will have 30 participants from all over the world who will choose electives in teaching adult or young learners.
Revamped to align with TESOL’s Standards for Short-Term TEFL/TESL Certificate Programs and relaunched in January 2016, the TCCP is a 140-hour blended training program that provides a foundation in the theory and practice of English language teaching (ELT) for current or prospective teachers and administrators with little or no formal ELT training.
“TESOL International Association sets and maintains high standards for English language educators worldwide,” noted Dianna Lippincott, strategic innovation manager from Global Launch at ASU. “As experienced English as a second language professionals and teacher trainers, we are thrilled to partner with TESOL to reach even more professionals and beginning teachers with the TESOL Core Certificate Program.”
TESOL’s partnership with ASU will expand its reach, enabling the association to offer the TESOL Core Certificate Program to a wider range of English language teaching professionals. TESOL’s executive director Rosa Aronson commented, “TESOL is honored to partner on this project with ASU, one of the most innovative and creative institutions of higher education in the country. We look forward to offering this type of quality program that will build the capacity of future TESOL professionals.”
Airbnb Boosts Study Abroad in China
In a move that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said should inspire other businesses, Airbnb—the multibillion dollar, homesharing company—has committed $80,000 a year for the next three years to support study abroad in China. Kerry said the scholarship and promotion of study abroad “is really what we need to be doing in this shrinking world.”
The company’s contribution will benefit the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program—a congressionally funded program that seeks to diversify the ranks of students who study and intern abroad.
