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California Language Roadmap Summit

On Friday, May 7, a summit meeting entitled, “Building World Citizens for California’s Success,” brought together leaders from business, education, public policy, and local school communities to begin developing a strategic plan for prioritizing world language competence to meet California’s current and future language needs.

The California Language Roadmap is sponsored by National Security Education Program (NSEP), the UC Language Consortium (UCCLLT), San Diego State’s Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC), and the California Foreign Language Project (CFLP). Ohio, Oregon, and Texas have already held Language Roadmap summits.

The California Language Roadmap initiative is particularly crucial at this time given the fact that world language education in the state is actually retracting despite its wealth of heritage languages and its historical success as an international exporter.

California is not only the most populous state in the U.S. (36.5+ million) but is also one of the top ten world economies.  Developing and maintaining linguistic expertise in world languages is vital to the state’s economic development and international stature and, in the face of recent economic cutbacks, should be an integral part of returning California’s K-12 education to previous levels of performance.

Organizers and participants in the meeting proposed strategies to promote earlier and more widespread language learning in the state. These strategies will be developed and documented on the UC Language Consortium’s website.

Language Magazine is taking an active part in the Roadmap and welcomes all input from interested parties.

Taiwan

Taiwan’s Languages
The languages and dialects spoken in Taiwan have their origins in the Austronesian and Han lingual systems. The Austronesian languages are spoken by Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, while most common Han dialects – Minnanese and Hakka – are primarily used by those whose ancestors immigrated from China’s Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, respectively, four centuries ago. In 1949, after the ROC government relocated to Taiwan, Mandarin became the common language used for communication. In 1987, as emphasis on native languages began to grow, a movement was initiated to teach students their mother tongue so as to preserve the languages and dialects of ethnic groups. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is currently drafting a language equality law aimed a preserving the 14 major languages and dialects used in Taiwan.
Phonetic Symbols and Romanization
To represent the sounds of Mandarin, people in Taiwan use the Mandarin Phonetic Symbols (MPS) system, a collection of 37 phonetic symbols with marks that signify Mandarin’s four tones. With regard to romanization, several different systems are concurrently being used in Taiwan, including Wade-Giles, Tongyong Pinyin, Hanyu Pnyin, and Gwoyeu Romatyzh. Tongyong Pinyon was adopted as the official romanization system for Mandarin in 2002.

Language Education

Since the MPS system was promulgated in the MOE in November 1918, all primary school students have been required to learn the phonetic alphabet in the first grade. Although Mandarin is still the primary language used in schools, government, and most business offices, various county and city governments have initiated elective courses on local languages in elementary and junior high schools according to ethnic demographics since 1990. In September 2001, based on revised guidelines and amended curriculum standards passed by the MOE, primary school students began to be required to take at least one course on a local language, such as Southern Fujianese (also called Minnanese – a literal translation of the dialect – spoken by more than 70 percent of the people of Taiwan), Hakka (spoken by around 15 percent of the people of Taiwan), or an indigenous tongue.

For the complete article from asianinfo.org, click here.

Britain

There are no limits to the range of English language courses offered in the UK. Over 600,000 learners a year go to the UK to use the language in its natural home.
UK English language courses include all the language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing. Study in the UK and you can practise your spoken English and experience the many different UK regional accents, helping to broaden your skills.

UK English language courses available

* General English – skills for life; suitable for all language levels.

* Vacation courses for adults – short courses during your vacation to discover more about the UK.

* Vacation courses for young learners – including social, sports and visits programs; for ages five to 17.

* One-to-one tuition – personalised, individual tuition; only one teacher and one student.

* English for business/executives – to improve language in business life; courses are usually intensive.

* Examination preparation – programs leading to a qualification that is recognised worldwide.

* Home tuition – one-to-one tuition in the teachers’ own home.

* English for Academic Purposes (EAP) – for further study, often at university.

* English for Specific Purposes (ESP) – for careers in a specific professional field such as law, medicine, journalism or travel.

* English Plus – short or long programs to improve English while studying a practical or academic subject such as cookery, sports, fashion design or performing arts.

* Courses for teachers of English – short language/methodology courses leading to qualifications; from postgraduate certificate to doctorate levels.

* Foundation and access courses – combination of academic English with study skills and study of an academic or professional subject.

Places to study English in the UK

There are accredited institutions throughout the UK – in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So you can decide which region best suits your needs. You can also choose the type of English language institution you want to study at:

* Private language school – full-time and part-time courses at all levels – short and long. English language-only courses will be in the majority.

* Private and state language centres – only short-term English language courses are available, normally in the summer. They often include social activities and cultural visits.

* Independent schools and tutorial colleges – a range of subjects can be studied at these schools and colleges.

* Further education institutions – full-time and part-time courses, from beginners to advanced. They also offer career-based training and academic courses in classes where many students speak English as their first language.

* Higher education institutions – full-time and part-time courses are available. Your English needs to be at intermediate level, or better. Many institutions specialise in teaching English for Academic Purposes.

Columnist Calls Language Learning Useless

In a recent column for the Washington Post, Why Waste Time on a Foreign Language?, Jay Mathews argues that “based on what actually happens in high schools, learning a foreign language often is a waste of time.”

Language Magazine staffer Kate Sommers-Dawes has responded in her own letter to the editor.
Click here to read her response (registration may be required).

May 2010

Reading in Any Language

May 2010 Cover

The theme of the International Association’s 2010 conference “Reading in Many Languages”seems perfectly timed to coincide with a new report (see News, p10) which finds that bilingual education works as well as English immersion in the pursuit of English literacy.   

There is a wealth of evidence supporting the premise that acquiring literacy in one language accelerates the acquisition of literacy in others, including the National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth’s conclusion, “Rather than confusing children, as some have feared, reading instruction in a familiar language may serve as a bridge to success in English.”(Chapter 14, Erlbaum 2006)   

Some countries recognize this by encouraging literacy acquisition in minority languages as a precursor to literacy in the dominant language, while others see the acquisition of literacy in minority and foreign languages as complementary to literacy in the country’s main language.   

Although some states do allow English learners to learn to read in their heritage language, many do not, and the campaign against bilingual education has succeeded in convincing many voters of its failure despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary with the result that fewer children are being given the opportunity to develop literacy in their native language.

At the same time, the opportunity to learn foreign languages in U.S. public schools is diminishing – according to The Center for Applied Linguistics’ national survey completed last year, “the percentage of elementary and middle schools offering foreign language instruction decreased significantly from 1997 to 2008: from 31 percent to 25 percent percent of all elementary schools and from 75 percent to 58 percent of all middle schools.”

Most technologically and economically developed countries have mandatory foreign language requirements for children beginning at eight years old. However, in the U.S., most students do not begin to learn another language until age fourteen.

Learning to read in any language is part of the educational process and the first step in  personal and social development.

In his essay, Por un Progreso Incluyente (Towards an Inclusive Future, 1997), Carlos Fuentes, the renowned Mexican author, argues that education is the foundation for knowledge, knowledge is the foundation for information, and information is the foundation for development.

Learning to read in more than one language, as many of our European peers do, expands our perceptions and improves our capacity to comprehend the complexities of our increasingly global society. As media outlets become more monolithic, we need to explore alternative information sources in order to build a balanced picture of situations, and literacy in other languages can help us access those sources.

It is not only English learners who can benefit from literacy in more than one language – we would all benefit from the ability to access information in multiple languages. Information is the currency of our age and the inability to process it in more than one language may well limit personal, social, and national development.    

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Ethics of Language Choice in Immigration
Florian Coulmas debates the extent of society’s duty to cater to the linguistic diversity of immigrants

Does the Power of Reading Apply to All Languages
Stephen Krashen argues that recreational reading is the key to literacy in any language

Making Learning to Read Fun
Language Magazine’s guide to materials that take the strain out of learning to read

Doing Time for Change
Kate Sommers-Dawes finds that good teachers given the chance can overcome all the odds against English literacy

Mexican Welcome
Daniel Ward is in good company when he makes the point that the vast majority of Mexico is perfectly safe for visitor

Go East, Young Woman
According to Kate Sommers-Dawes, studying in China is a great career move as well as a cultural adventure 

Last Writes

Richard Lederer on Alice in Wonderland‘s wonderful use of language

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

First Random Study Supports Bilingual Ed

In the first randomized-assignment study in which English language learners were followed for as long as five years, researchers have found that Spanish-speaking children learn to read English equally well regardless of whether they are taught primarily in English or in both English and their native language. The findings lend considerable weight to the argument for bilingual education, as students in bilingual education programs are less likely to fall behind in subjects other than English compared to students in English immersion programs.

“Reading and Language Outcomes of a Five-Year Randomized Evaluation of Transitional Bilingual Education,” from the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University and the Success for All Foundation, reports the fifth-year results of a study comparing the English and Spanish language and reading performance of Spanish-dominant children randomly assigned beginning in kindergarten to Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) or Structured English Immersion (SEI). Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, this is the first randomized study to compare TBE and SEI reading approaches over a period as long as five years.

As expected, on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and its Spanish equivalent (TVIP) and on English and Spanish versions of three Woodcock Reading Scales, kindergartners and first graders in TBE performed significantly better in Spanish and worse in English than their SEI counterparts, controlling for PPVT and TVIP. After transitioning to English, TBE children in grades 2-4 scored significantly lower than those in SEI on the measure of receptive vocabulary on the PPVT, but there were no significant differences on most English reading measures. On the Spanish language (TVIP) and reading measures, TBE students scored significantly higher than SEI in grades K-3, but not grade four. Both groups gained substantially in English receptive language skills over the years. These findings suggest
that Spanish-dominant students learn to read in English (as well as Spanish) equally well in TBE and SEI.

The researchers followed three cohorts of English Language Learners who entered kindergarten in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Only the group that entered kindergarten in 2004 was followed for a full five years, through 4th grade.
For both groups studied, teachers used Success For All, a reading program that one of the report’s authors, Robert E. Slavin, developed. Success For All is available in English and Spanish.

Teachers of both groups received similar professional development. They took part in an initial two days of professional development, focusing on topics such as strategies for teaching English-language learners, using cooperative learning, and teaching reading in a comprehensive manner.

The study involved six elementary schools, one each in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Texas. Not surprisingly in light of public pressure, some of the elementary schools in the study have since dropped their bilingual education programs. North Alamo Elementary School in Texas, has also dropped its transitional bilingual education program.

The full report will be available from Johns Hopkins University.

April 2010

Free Public Education

April 2010 Cover

Now that a compromised healthcare bill looks set to be pushed through Congress, the Administration has released its Blueprint for Reform to shift public attention to education and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA), perhaps in the hope that it will be much easier to achieve consensus over education than it has been over health. Such a strategy is surprising since education is so clearly outside of the federal domain that you might expect considerable opposition to the government’s increased intervention, however, there seems to be an uncomfortable bipartisan agreement that schools need common standards, competition through charter schools, and teacher incentive systems to “improve” even though there is no actual evidence that such measures work. Diane Ravitch, educational historian and former assistant secretary of Education in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, readily admits that she used to support school choice (through charter, magnet or other alternatives to the traditional public school) and accountability, but recently stated, “Today there is empirical evidence, and it shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working. But with confidence bordering on recklessness, the Obama administration is plunging ahead, pushing an aggressive program of school reform — codified in its signature Race to the

Top program — that relies on the power of incentives and competition. This approach may well make schools worse, not better.” (Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2010) The pursuit of these goals is particularly damaging to language education, as Rosemary Salomone so eloquently pointed out in Education Week (March 17, 2010), “lawmakers …would be wise to consider that the law’s rigid testing and accountability standards are squandering valuable linguistic and cultural resources, and that the negative impact on language learning for all students, including the least advantaged, can progressively set the nation behind in the global arena.”

Now, there is some good news — the Blueprint does specifically mention the encouragement of foreign language teaching through “competitive grants to states, highneed districts, and nonprofit partners to strengthen the teaching and learning of arts, foreign languages, history and civics, financial literacy, environmental education, and other subjects.” However, experience has shown that judging schools on the basis of standardized tests results in neglect of subjects outside the core.

And Salomone’s conclusion pushes home the point, “we Americans must shed the misguided notion that monolingualism promotes economic growth, while multilingualism threatens national security and identity.”

Now that The Language Flagship has published its study “What Business Wants: Language Needs in the 21st Century” (see p.20-25), we have clear evidence to support the long held view that U.S. schools cannot adequately prepare the students of today without teaching them more than one language.

The creation of the public education system was probably America’s greatest achievement of the 20th century, but schools need the freedom from centralized control to develop and adapt to their particular demographics and strengths. Schools and the students in them need to be able to choose the subjects that inspire them, like languages so we need to promote a system that encourages such choice. Maybe this Blueprint will become the basis for such reform but we must campaign to ensure that those same lawmakers who have consistently argued against public healthcare on the principle that it is too much government intervention also argue against centralized control of public schools on the same principle.

IN THIS ISSUE:

When TestPrep Goes Too Far
Robert Phipps challenges the sense of teaching to the test

Business Needs Language
Language Magazine explores ‘What Business Wants:
Language Needs in the 21st Century,’ a new report which
may provide the impetus to get languages back in the core
curriculum

Captions Speak Louder Than Words
Majid Hayati taps into the forgotten resource of subtitled
movies to improve listening comprehension

Kultur Crash Course
Kate Sommers-Dawes sees the sense of studying in Germany
during the Ruhr’s celebration of its status as European Capital of Culture for 2010

Last Writes
Richard Lederer on more Tom, Swiftly celebrated

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

Bilingual Pay Act

One America, Many Voices Act

Rep Michael Honda (CA-15), Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, has introduced the One America, Many Voices Act of 2010, which recognizes the importance of bi- and multi-lingual skills in America’s workforce. The One America, Many Voices Act, also known as the Bilingual Pay Bill, provides a 5% incentive to the base pay of Federal employees whose position requires the use of bi- or multi-lingual skills, but who currently receive the same pay as workers in the same job without the same skill requirement.

“To improve both our nation’s ability to provide language-appropriate intelligence and security, and America’s capacity to effectively and efficiently deliver government services,” said Rep Honda, “we must be able to retain a federal workforce that is capable of communicating with an increasingly diverse constituency, both within our borders and without. My legislation helps us recruit and retain a bi- and multi-lingual skilled federal workforce, while also improving services for persons with Limited English Proficiency who require translation while conducting business with the federal government.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 19% of the U.S. population, or 55 million people, speak a language other than English at home. The native-born population with Limited English Proficiency nearly doubled between 2000 and 2005.

“I understand the difficulties that immigrants face communicating in English while they acquire fluency,” said Honda. “The bill addresses these challenges by promoting the use of bilingual skills throughout the Federal workforce in order to better serve the public and accomplish the mission of Federal agencies.”

Currently, there is no standard across federal agencies to compensate workers who make substantial use of their bilingual skills in the workplace, and no incentive for current or potential Federal employees to acquire bilingual skills.

“By introducing this Bill,” continued Honda, “I am improving the incentives for individuals with multi-lingual skills to apply and stay in Federal Government positions, where they can serve the increasing number of Americans who do not have yet English language proficiency.”

March 2010

Keeping the Message Clear

March 2010 Cover
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

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.
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