- Whether your students are practicing their English, Spanish, Korean, German, or Arabic skills, language learning is a gateway toward another world: from new friends to diverse cultures to unexplored geographies.Even areas of the world that have been viewed as traditionally English-speaking, namely the US and the UK, are witness to evolving demographics that reflect a growing need for multilingual students. According to the US Census Bureau, 21 percent of Americans reported speaking a… Read More
- This article was originally published in The Washington Post By Perry Stein Hallie Martinez stood in front of a large easel reading foreign letters that, a few months ago, would have looked like just a bunch of random squiggly lines to her. But now, Hallie, 5, was singing the sounds of those Arabic letters aloud to her kindergarten classmates. "Mumtaza!" the class responded, telling her in Arabic that she had done "excellent" work. The students at the District's H.D. Cooke… Read More
- Chinese. Arabic. Spanish. It's more likely than ever to hear a student chatting away in one of these languages in the hallways and classrooms at school. Where English was once the only language spoken, American schools today have transformed to reflect the changes in our own society.The US population as a whole is increasingly multilingual: According to the US Census Bureau, 21 percent of Americans reported speaking a language other than English at home in 2015 a figure that has doubled since… Read More
- This article was originally published on LinkedIn.By David Young, CEO, VIF International Education; Vice-Chair, P21You have heard it before, and it bears repeating, it's time for global education for all students - not the select few. With the resources at our fingertips and the ever-changing technology in the 21st century we are more equipped and ready than ever to spread global education to every school in the country. Yes, it's a lofty goal. But, that's what the next generation needs, and… Read More
- This article was originally published in The Hill. By Mouna Mana, Ph.D December 18 marks World Arabic Day. Established by UNESCO in 2010 on the anniversary of Arabic's establishment as an official language of the UN, the day celebrates the culture and people who speak it. Arabic is spoken by over 400 million people worldwide and nearly one million Americans speak Arabic at home the fastest growing second language in the United States. World Arabic Day comes at a time when many see… Read More
- This article was originally published by the New America FoundationBy Janie T. CarnockLast month, my colleague Amaya Garcia wrote about how Portland Public Schools are using dual immersion programs (sometimes referred to as "dual-language immersion" programs) to increase educational equity. District leaders see dual immersion programs where core content is taught in English and a partner language as a key lever for closing the achievement gap for English language learners (ELLs) as well as… Read More
- This article was originally published in the Huffington Post By Audrey J. Merrill, Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration and Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh's College of Business Administration and Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business The current globalization of business, combined with the mobility of a global workforce, drives today's professional to live, work, study and relocate in many diverse cultures across their… Read More
- This article was originally published by the US Department of Education. By Mohamed Abdel-Kader, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International & Foreign Language Education at the US Department of Education This week is International Education Week a time when educators, administrators, students, and parents recognize and celebrate the importance of world language learning; study abroad; and an appreciation of different countries and cultures. Recent tragedies throughout the world… Read More
- This article was originally published in the Seattle Times By Paige Cornwell A big, new study out of Portland found significant gains in reading for students enrolled in dual-language immersion programs, in which students are taught in both English and a second language. Portland students enrolled in such programs had reading skills in English that were almost a full year higher than their peers, according to the study, which was released this month. The study, which included 27,741 children,… Read More
- This article was originally published in Quartz. By Evan Fleischer More Americans should learn to speak languages native to the African continent. There is a small, statistical base of speakers in the country according to the 2011 US census, 884,660 individuals aged five years or older already speak a language originating in Africa. But we could have so much more. Arguably, the most useful, indigenous African languages for Americans to learn are Yoruba (primarily spoken in Nigeria), Xhosa (… Read More
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