The International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) Office of the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of the competition for fiscal year (FY) 2023 new awards under the Title VI International Research and Studies (IRS) program.
The IRS program provides grants to institutions, public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals to conduct research, studies, or surveys, or to develop specialized instructional materials, to improve and strengthen instruction and enrollment in modern foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields.
The FY 2023 IRS application package is now available at www.grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number ED-GRANTS-032823-001. The deadline for submitting applications is May 12.
IFLE expects to make 20 new awards, totaling approximately $1.6 million under this competition, with about $1 million in new awards for research, studies, or survey projects and $600,000 for specialized instructional materials projects. Please refer to the official Federal Register notice for detailed information about the FY 2023 competition.
The human brain is predisposed to visualizing words, even before individuals acquire literacy, according to a team of researchers at Ohio State University.
Their paper, published in Scientific Reports, focuses on a region of the brain known as the visual word form area (VWFA), which is used in identifying words and letters.
The researchers analyzed MRI scans on 40 newborns and 40 adults in order to map out regions of the brain and determine which areas are functionally connected to each other. The VWFA is located closely to other parts of the brain that are used in the visualization of faces and other objects—prior to the study, some had hypothesized that its function in pre-literate individuals was similar to that of its surrounding regions, and that it only becomes specialized as children learn how to read. The results of this study paint a different picture, however.
“We found that isn’t true,” said Zeynep Saygin, senior author of the study, in a press release. “Even at birth, the VWFA is more connected functionally to the language network of the brain than it is to other areas.”
In the study, Saygin and her team set out to explore how innate connectivity patterns in the brain—i.e., connections between different regions of the brain that are present at birth—might affect specialization as the brain develops. The researchers mapped out the connectivity of different regions in the brains of newborn babies and then compared them to scans of human adult brains; they noted that the newborn VWFA shared similar connectivity patterns as those of the adult subjects.
The researchers found that the VWFA differs from its adjacent regions in that it is functionally connected to parts of the brain that are used in language processing, even in newborns, who have had limited exposure to both spoken and written language. The VWFA is still considered an experience-dependent region, meaning that as individuals learn to read it becomes more specialized over time. However, the findings of the study suggest that the VWFA is sort of prewired for word and letter recognition, due to the fact that the VWFA has an innate connection to the brain’s linguistic faculties, even before a child has acquired language.
“These data suggest that the location of the VWFA is earmarked at birth due to its connectivity with the language network, providing evidence that innate connectivity instructs the later refinement of cortex,” the paper reads.
As part of a recent project, I’ve had the opportunity to support educators at ENLACE (Engaging Newcomers in Language and Content Education) a high school program for newcomers in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Serving approximately 180 students with a teaching staff of 23, Principal Jeannette Jiménez is leading the charge to support ENLACE students with their academic and socio-emotional needs. ENLACE, which is featured in Lander’s new book, Making Americans; Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education (2023), serves students from multiple countries including the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru, and Colombia. Spanish is the most common home language spoken by students followed indigenous languages from Central and South America, Mam, Quechua, and Kaqchikel.
The U.S. Department of Education defines newcomers as, “any foreign-born students and their families who have recently arrived in the United States” (OELA, p.8). The Massachusetts Department of Education (DESE, Oct. 2022) further explains,
While newcomer students arrive in U.S. schools from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences, they often share the common challenges of adjusting to a new home, navigating a new language and culture, and learning how to function effectively in a school environment that may be very different from their prior school experience.
In an effort to include more student voices as part of plans for the FY 2023-24, Jiménez conducted focus groups with students centered around five questions:
What are the similarities and differences between your former and current schooling?
How have you experienced transitioning to school in the U.S?
What values are important to you?
What type of learning community do you want to be a part of?
What should learning look like? What do you want to learn?
Prior Schooling
Students being able to share their prior schooling experience is helpful for educators who work with, teach and advocate for them but who may not have much context about education systems outside of the U.S. It was insightful to first acknowledge how things were before focusing on how they are now and what they’d like to happen as part of their secondary school experience.
In regard to what students named as “worked well” as part of schooling in their countries of origin included:
Better food served at lunch
Recess was 1.5 hours (1 hour for lunch, two 15 minutes breaks)
Monthly field trips
Fun days (e.g., activities, dancing, arts and crafts)
Fundraising activities.
The schools sold pastelitos
Students could order food from the bodega during their 1-hour lunch
Transitioning to U.S. Schools
Newcomers in Lawrence have a choice to attend the traditional high school or to attend ENLACE, which is a short-term transitional program, designed to support their transition into general education. There are a number of reasons why a student may decide to attend one program over the other. Regardless of what they choose, for secondary students becoming literate in a new language is not without challenges. Some common themes related to their experiences transitioning to school in the U.S. included:
The language barrier was frustrating
Getting used to new rules and expectations was difficult
Bullying and discrimination, starting school made things better as they related to other students.
Couldn’t communicate well with other people, in another school because their classmates spoke English
The transition to ENLACE went well; many people helped them and made them feel comfortable speaking English without fear
Values and Learning Community
In addition to students sharing their past experiences with school, the focus groups also spent time discussing what students found important, valued, and wanted from their learning community. Table I. provides an excerpt of some of what ENLACE students listed. If you were able to ask students, especially secondary newcomers, similar questions to those Principal Jiménez asked, what do you think you’d hear? What trends do you notice from these responses? What additional questions would you ask students? What types of learning experiences do students want? More importantly, how can we be sure to offer them those experiences?
Table I. Values and Learning Community Characteristics
Values
Learning Community Characteristics
Respect at all times between teachers and students Equality Friendship Hard work Generosity Unity Tolerance Support Trust Honesty Selflessness Responsibility Kindness Solidarity Professionalism Patience Community
How to be your own boss since universities teach their students how to work More English, let us figure it out. Frustration is good but it’s how we learn Fluid learning, some teachers want to saturate our learning but I think it should be fluid Individual work rather than group work Comprehensive and fun learning More practice in bio class. Not just learn about theories Important that we have other experiences outside of the classroom —go to the park or other environments Mixed classes, not in cohorts with the same student in every class More mental health support to treat anxiety, depression, trauma
Dr. Hartwick serves as the district’s director of Multilingual Learner Education. She praises the intentional approach to include ENLACE students in decision making by stating,
“What has impressed me about the process of gathering information from stakeholders about programmatic decision-making is the extent to which ENLACE goes to engage student voices in authentic discussion and actual decision-making. ENLACE has a history of prioritizing student agency and voice. This is critical because, after all, our newcomers are our largest stakeholder group and they are living this educational experience! It’s their future that is at stake. They should have a say in how they expect their education to bring them forward to meet their goals in life.”
Some of what students listed is similar to Shea’s recommendations for Creating Welcoming Classrooms (March, 2022). The need for socio-emotional support is more pressing than ever.
Including student voice must become a regular practice if we are going to truly support student confidence, critical thinking and agency. What can we as educators learn from interviewing students, their families and stakeholders? How can we embed more opportunities to listen, learn, and act into our going plans to improve student outcomes. Centering on student voice should not be optional but instead the expectation.
Shea, K. (2022). Creating Welcoming Classrooms. Language Magazine . Retrieved from https://www.languagemagazine.com/2022/03/06/creating-welcoming-classrooms/.
(n.a) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, (October, 2022) Enrolling and Supporting Newcomer Students in Massachusetts Schools & Districts, Frequently Asked Questions
United States Department of Education, (2016). Newcomer Tool Kit Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/newcomers-toolkit/ncomertoolkit.pdf
Ayanna Cooper, EdD, is the Pass the Mic series editor, and owner of A. Cooper Consulting. She is the author of And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools (Corwin) and is currently a Massachusetts Education Policy Fellow at The Rennie Center in Boston (2022-2023).
The French island of Corsica is in a state of turmoil after a court in the main city of Bastia banned the use of the Corsican language in parliament, based on France’s constitution.
Outrage has been sparked among Corsican pro-autonomists who believe that their rights have been violated.
The Corsican language is closely related to Italian and currently has approximately 150,000 native speakers. It is considered to be in danger of extinction by UNESCO.
Last week’s verdict ruled the Corsican assembly’s use of the language in public office is “unconstitutional” and now effectively forbidden.
The ruling follows a lawsuit upheld by the prefect of Corsica—the French central government’s highest representation on the island, and comes as French President Emmanuel Macron’s administration is in talks with island politicians with a view to granting Corsica greater autonomy.
Further to language, the court declared that local rules effectively establishing “the existence of a Corsican people” were also a violation of the constitution.
Frustrated at the decision, executive council president Gilles Simeoni and Corsican Assembly president Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis have spoken out “This decision amounts to stripping Corsican parliament members of the right to speak their language during debates.”
“Accepting this state of affairs is unthinkable for us,” they explained in a joint statement, additionally announcing a formal appeal against the ruling. They argued that the Corsican language needed to be given official status alongside French for it to survive and thrive.
A strong backlash has come from the Pro-Corsican nationalist community, and Jean-Christophe Angelini, head of the Party of the Corsican Nation took to Twitter to voice his aversion to the decision: “sounds to us like an insult”, he wrote, also calling it “an injustice and a disgrace.” Also airing views on Twitter, pro-independence party Core in Fronte tweeted in Corsican, that it considered the verdict “shameful.”
Corsica has a historically turbulent relationship with France’s central government and nationalist movements have repeatedly demanded more autonomy and even clean cut independence from France for several decades.
Last month Macron said that he had “no taboos” regarding reforming the status of Corsica, but he insisted that Corsica must remain part of France.
New negotiations between Parisian and Corsican leaders appear to have been eased by the conditional release of two men convicted of their part in the 1998 murder of Corsica’s prefect Claude Érignac, the highest-ranking French official to have ever been assassinated.
In Australia, the Asia Education Foundation has recently submitted a proposal to the government calling for whole-nation support for ‘Asia capabilities’ in schools.
The Foundation – which works in conjunction with Asialink and The University of Melbourne, says that while the support of Asian languages education in schools is important, there is a greater need for overall support. This extends to what is identified as ‘Asia capabilities’ in Australia’s entire school system, encompassing language, culture, research , curriculum support and toolkits, youth programs and parent resources.
There is a push for national coordination in hopes of achieving this, aiming for support from the education workforce at large – not just Asian language teachers. An additional goal is to build the demand for Asian language teaching and learning in all communities – beyond those with Asian heritage, and The Foundation offers curriculum support in Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
Speaking to The Educator, Chris Higgins, Director of Education at the Asia Education Foundation, said “Given Australia’s diverse and multicultural society and our place in the Asia-Pacific region, Asia capability in education is of paramount importance,” –
“As our classrooms become more diverse, and we become more connected to the world, it is essential that our students and teachers develop an understanding of the region in which we are physically and geographically a part of.”
Higgins noted that the Australian Curriculum “recognises this diversity and promotes opportunities for all students to succeed.”, adding “Intercultural Understanding and Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia are crucial components of the Australian Curriculum, but they are often perceived as add-ons rather than integral parts of the curriculum.”
According to data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) from 2021, just 10% of Year 12 students opted to study a language in 2019 school year. While Chinese and Japanese were the most popular choices within the 10%, they represented a small percentage of students compared with English, mathematics and humanities subjects.
Higgins added that to boost a demand for Asian language learning, its benefits must be identified across all subjects and contexts.
“It is crucial to integrate studies of Asia and support the Australian Curriculum Cross-curriculum Priority of ‘Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia’ in all schools and all subject disciplines.”
He also explained that a lack of awareness and resources for Asian language subjects may have steered educators in alternate directions when building curricula and hopes this will soon change.
Edthena is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Teacher Leader Impact Awards which recognize standout teachers nationwide. School-level administrators are asked to nominate teacher leaders who are having an impact in their classrooms and beyond through their dedication to lifelong learning and the continuous improvement of their teaching practices. All winners will be announced during Teacher Appreciation Week and receive a school-wide subscription to the AI Coach by Edthena platform for the 2023-2024 school year to further support their – and their colleagues’ – professional learning.
“The most effective educators are lifelong learners who are continually improving their craft and finding new ways to meet their students’ and community’s needs,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “While all teachers are amazing, it’s these dedicated teacher leaders – the ones who are always taking that extra step to continuously increase their effectiveness and make transformational change – who we look forward to celebrating with this year’s Teacher Leader Impact Awards.”
Nominations, which are free and take only a few minutes to submit, must be completed by a school-level administrator. The nomination form includes a brief summary of how the nominee is continually improving and the positive impacts of the nominee’s teaching and lifelong learning.
Nominations are due by April 28, 2023. Winners will be announced on the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week on May 8, 2023.
To help support their dedication to professional learning, all winners will be awarded a 2023-2024 school year subscription to the AI Coach platform for their entire building. In the platform, teachers can engage in unlimited personalized coaching cycles to further their development. The AI-powered coaching cycles supplement existing professional development and enhance educator collaboration.
According to recent data by The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) , 85,072 students have applied for a Korean language test for Sri Lankans, ahead of job selections in the manufacturing and fishing sectors in South Korea.
The tests are scheduled for March 13 for manufacturing and September 1 for fishing and will be held at the Korean Examination Center in Pannipitiya. The SLBFE has reported this as the highest number of Korean language test applicants on record.
Last recruiting year, the number of applicants who sat the Korean language proficiency test was approximately 31,378 – a significant jump in figures.
In 1977 Sri Lanka and South Korea established official diplomatic ties, celebrating the 45th anniversary in 2022. In the last decade, the two countries have worked to create an economic allyship, largely strengthening commercial ties and creating a demand for language learning.
In 2021, Sri Lanka officially adopted Korean as a foreign language subject option for college and university entrance exams.
High school students can take Korean from 12th grade and from this year, will have the opportunity to sit an advanced exam in the language to enter a public university. Currently approximately 25,000 Sri Lankans live and work in South Korea.
Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jeong Woo-jin said, “It’s wonderful that the Korean language was adopted in advanced-level classes this year and in an exam from 2023, when students who studied Korean as a foreign language can take the university entrance exam. It will greatly contribute to the promotion of bilateral ties.”
The ambassador added that learning Korean will create more job opportunities for Sri Lankans in Korea, particularly with the Korean government’s equal pay policy.
Entitled “Improving instruction, assessment, and policies for secondary English Learners across the content areas,” the joint conference will take place at George Washington University in the nation’s capital. It is intended for teacher educators, teachers, district and state English Learner program administrators and others playing key roles in the field, including policymakers and researchers.
Confirmed speakers include:
Mark Schneider, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Ministers in England have awarded an almost £15m contract to University College London, to help tackle a systemic decline in the number of pupils opting to take foreign language classes and secondary school qualifications.
The Department of Education’s £14.9m language program will be designed and rolled out by University College London’sInstitute of Education (IoE) over the next three years – aimed at both primary and secondary school children in England. There will be a particular focus on increasing the opportunities for language learning among disadvantaged pupils.
The IoE is set to establish a National Centre for Languages Education (NCLE) comprising 25 lead schools specialising in different languages. These lead schools will then be partnered with up to 105 secondary schools, with aims to develop strategies to persuade groups of students – including more boys, to choose foreign language subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as other disadvantaged pupils will be provided with extra support in the scheme, which has a primary goal of making the foreign language curriculum inclusive and accessible. Additionally, up to five schools will be chosen to broaden the Home Languages Accreditation project, which supports bilingual pupils in gaining GCSEs or A-levels in their native or home language. An online platform for teachers will also be launched by the NCLE, with focuses on lesson and curriculum planning, reliable assessment and identifying areas with a need for improvement to ease students’ transition from primary to secondary education.
A baseline aim is to support the Department of Education’s English baccalaureate qualification (Ebacc – collective term for a set of 5 GCSEs including a foreign language) objective for 90% of Year 10 (9th grade) pupils in state-funded schools to study a combination of core academic subjects and a language by 2025. Despite being predominantly mandatory to take a GCSE in a foreign language at most state schools, it is currently up to the discretion of the school, as long as students are taking ‘enough’ subjects. Statistics from the 2021/2022 academic year showed just 38.7% entered the Ebacc.
Minister for school standards, Nick Gibb said: “Our economy needs people who can communicate across the globe and trade with overseas businesses. This programme is about ensuring we have the next generation of young people with the languages needed to compete on the world stage.”
Entries for German GCSEs and A-levels have dramatically dropped in recent years and approximately £400,000 of the new budget has been reserved to invest in German language education. The UK government maintains that German is a strategically important language to the UK. The IoE will work in association with the Goethe-Institut to boost the number of pupils learning German in both primary and secondary schools.
The Department of Education has also announced a review of the Chinese A-level syllabus, working to make it more accessible and easier for non-native speakers. A separate £1.1m expansion has been allocated to the Mandarin Excellence Programme, with targets of a further 21 schools participating by September 2024.
Language experts and teachers have cautiously welcomed the announcement.
A new report estimates that illiteracy costs the U.S. approximately $300.8 billion per year.
According to the “Economic Cost and Social Impact of Illiteracy” report, 21% of people in the U.S. have low level literacy skills.
Andrew Kay, co-author of the report and CEO of the World Literacy Foundation, says that reduced income earning capacity and social costs are to blame for the financial impact of illiteracy.
“As a community of literacy experts, we face significant challenges as the early data shows a drop in literacy rates post-pandemic,” Mr. Kay said.
“Literacy can change everything in the life of a young person and provide a pathway to reach their full potential.”
On April 3, Mr. Kay will address the issue of illiteracy and its financial impact at the World Literacy Summit in the UK.
Also at the summit, Language Magazine editor Daniel Ward will moderate a panel discussion on the financial impact of illiteracy as well as possible solutions to the problem.
Tony Cree, chair of the World Literacy Council, says that the Literacy Summit will play a “central role” in addressing the spike in illiteracy.
“The 3-day meeting will put a spotlight on people and organizations doing exemplary and innovative work in the literacy sector around the world,” Cree said.
“We know the past 24 months have highlighted the need for communities to unite for literacy.”
The World Literacy Summit, held April 2-4, will host approximately 500 literary specialists from 85 different countries. An additional 48,000 people from the developing world will attend virtually.
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