Embassy Language Forum: Showcasing the Seal of Biliteracy | |
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On October 17, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET, join the International Affairs Office and OELA in person at the U.S. Department of Education for the Embassy Language Forum. This forum will bring together our embassy partners to share how each country supports language learning in the U.S. and will highlight the Seal of Biliteracy as one of the Secretary’s priorities in supporting language learning and multilingualism. Registration closes on October 11, 2023.
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Providing English Learners Meaningful Access to Core Curricular and Extracurricular Programs Podcast | |
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The newest podcast by the U.S. Department of Education’s OELA features Maha Abdelkader, Education Program Specialist from OELA; Roger Rosenthal, an attorney with the Migrant Legal Action Program; and Lissette Colon Collins, Assistant Superintendent for Language Acquisition Funded Programs, School Improvement, and the Arts at Yonkers Public Schools. The panelists discuss the important topic of how U.S. schools can provide English learners (ELs) with meaningful access to core curricular and extracurricular programs.
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Newly Translated Infographics and Fact Sheets | |
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OELA has released five newly translated resources on NCELA. You can find the Benefits of Multilingualism infographic now available in Portuguese and Vietnamese, along with the Career and Technical Education: Preparing K–12 Multilingual Learners for Postsecondary Education and Careers infographic available in Chinese and Arabic. Additionally, the Dual Language Learners in Early Care and Education fact sheet is available in Spanish.
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NPD Grantee Spotlight: Project SEED | |
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Project SEED, short for “Sustaining Community Knowledge and Language Practices for Educational Equity: Developing Pathways for Teachers of Bi/Multilingual Students,” is a program based at Wayne State University. During the 2023 SEED Summer Institute, SEED scholars engaged in a variety of enriching activities, including:
• collaborating to document and share research-based strategies aimed at supporting the writing skills of multilingual learners,
• meeting with community mentors to gain insights into culturally responsive and sustaining practices for effectively engaging both families and students, and
• exploring their own cultural history and enhancing their understanding of the writing process by creating “I Am From” poems.
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This workshop series includes four sessions: Experiencing Instruction Through the Eyes of a Multilingual Learner; Building Schema for MLLs; Amplifying Instruction for MLLs; and Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction for MLLs. | |
The 10th Annual Community-Based Heritage Language Schools Conference will be hybrid, held both on-site at American University and online. Explore the conference website to see the full conference schedule, learn about the plenary speakers, and register. Registration for on-site participation covers refreshments, lunch, and a reception. In addition, on-site participants can get together for a meet and greet at a local restaurant on Friday evening. Plenary speakers include: Shuhan Wang, PhD, Telling the Stories of Community-Based Language Schools in the United States; Felix Kronenberg, PhD, Supporting Sustainable Less Commonly Taught Community-Based Language Programs; and Kristin Davin, PhD, Motivating Students to Continue Language Development with the Seal of Biliteracy. | |
The WIDA Annual Conference is the premier event for educators of pre-K–12 MLs, giving educators from around the globe the opportunity to share best practices and discover innovative classroom strategies. The in-person conference is sold out, but registration for the virtual track is still available. | |
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October 18–21
TABE Conference
Conference
| The Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE) is hosting its 51st conference, which will be a hybrid event held in McAllen, TX. The event will have pre-conference dual language school visits and institutes. For more information on the conference’s keynote speakers, please visit the registration page. | |
Join peers from around the country at the 2023 Families Learning Conference to be held in Omaha, NE. This conference is for passionate people looking for innovative learning strategies and resources to support families in reaching their academic and economic goals. Attendees will gain practices and ideas to create equitable and relevant family learning experiences; exposure to a national network of family-facing professionals, researchers, policymakers, and funders; and inspiration and renewed energy for their work. | |
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October 26–28
CATESOL State Conference
Conference
| Join CATESOL this October at the College of Alameda (located near Oakland) to “break new ground” at the first CATESOL State Conference to be hosted at an academic institution. Connect with colleagues from all over California and complete multiple hours of professional development at plenaries, workshops, educational materials expositions, and networking sessions. | |
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) will be hosting a webinar in October. This webinar examines the challenges and opportunities that multilingual, transnational students encounter in U.S. schools. A panel will be available to engage with thoughtful questions and offer creative solutions for educators and policymakers to support successful academic outcomes for transnational students. | |
La Cosecha 2023 will take place in Albuquerque, NM, under the theme Honoring Our Story: Reclaiming Our Past Through Empowerment and Action. The conference is focused on providing instructional and programmatic supports to best serve ELs and emerging bilingual students. La Cosecha 2023 will feature over 270 professional presentations and workshops for supporting two-way and one-way immersion, developmental bilingual, and heritage/tribal language immersion programs and bring together educators, parents, researchers, and practitioners from across the U.S. Questions? Contact Leslie@dlenm.org. | |
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Sports Illustrated
Lion’s Marvin Jones Shows Off Bilingual Skills by Doing Interview in Spanish
After a recent football game, Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones conducted an interview with a Telemundo correspondent in fluent Spanish. Jones has been working hard to hone his Spanish skills, studying the language on and off for a few years. Before the 2017 season, Jones attended a 5-day language immersion class in Málaga, Spain, and he took hour-long, individual online classes four days a week when he returned.
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EdSource
Advocates for English Learners and the “Science of Reading” Sign On to Joint Statement
ELs need foundational skills like phonics and vocabulary in addition to instruction in speaking and understanding English and its connections to their home languages. Those are two agreements laid out in a new joint statement authored by two organizations, one that advocates for ELs and the other for the “science of reading.” The joint statement makes it clear that ELs need explicit instruction in phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension, and that they also need to have instruction in oral language development—learning to speak and understand English. In addition, the authors agreed that, when possible, students should have access to dual language instruction, in which students learn to read and write in both their home language and English.
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Language Magazine
The Promise of Automated Writing Evaluations for English Learners
Automated writing evaluation (AWE) encompasses a range of educational technology tools that facilitate the teaching and learning of writing. These tools offer immediate automated feedback, including improvement suggestions and quality ratings. Although AWE generally shows promise, it is important to determine whether AWE is a viable option for elementary-aged ELs, who may experience greater difficulty interpreting and applying automated feedback. This article discusses a study that investigated whether elementary-aged ELs benefit from AWE’s automated feedback as much as non-ELs.
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WestEd
NEW RESOURCE: Translating Opportunity: Improving Postsecondary Pathways for Multilingual Learners of English
Multilingual learners of English play an important role in U.S. society but are often marginalized, misunderstood, and underserved in the postsecondary system. This report increases understanding of the challenges and opportunities of postsecondary pathways for MLEs. It offers recommendations that can help educators, institutional leaders, policymakers, service providers, advocates, researchers, and funders better serve this diverse population with effective and equitable policies, programs, and structures.
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Education Week
TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: How to Identify and Serve English Learners with Disabilities
Nationally, approximately one in seven students identified as ELs were also identified as having a disability in the 2018–19 school year according to federal data. That’s slightly higher than the 14% of all students receiving Individuals with Disabilities Education Act services. However, the percentage of ELs with disabilities varies greatly between states. This article shares a recap of the advice on serving ELs with disabilities that was shared during a webinar co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Education’s OELA and Office for Civil Rights.
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The 2023–24 ExC-ELL Virtual Institutes: Virtual PD That Anyone Can Attend, October 26–December 5
Would you like to learn how to boost your students’ vocabulary development, academic language, reading comprehension, and writing skills across all content areas? Have you always wanted to learn the research-based ExC-ELL Model but haven’t been able to find an institute near you? Are you looking for ways to continue to hone your craft as an educator and/or earn professional learning credits? The ExC-ELL Virtual Institutes consist of three modules, which are each offered multiple times throughout the year to fit your busy schedule. Attendees of each module can expect a fun and meaningful 2-hour virtual professional learning session; opportunities to interact with colleagues and practice the instructional strategies you are learning; and a digital toolkit to help you take what you learn back into your classroom or school. Dates:
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Vocabulary Module: October 26 & December 6
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Reading Module: October 24 & November 14
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Writing Module: November 13
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BONUS Module: Using ChatGPT in the Classroom: December 5
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University of Colorado Denver’s PhD in Early Childhood Policy
Are you interested in earning a PhD in Early Childhood Policy? The University of Colorado Denver offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program that focuses on Early Childhood Policy. This program emphasizes that specialized attention to policy and systems is crucial to achieving quality, equity, and scale in the field. Fellowships are also available for BIPOC students and those who have historically been underserved by doctoral education.
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Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI)
Chicago, IL
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Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore, MD
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Coming Soon – Raise the Bar: Early Learning | |
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Join OELA on November 2 at 3:30 p.m. EST for the “Raise the Bar: Early Learning” webinar. Get ready for a knowledge-packed session with valuable insights to elevate early learning. Details and registration link coming soon!
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Disclaimer: NCELA Nexus is intended to share information that can be of use to educators, parents, learners, leaders, and other stakeholders in their efforts to ensure that every student, including ELs, is provided with the highest quality education and expanded opportunities to succeed. The information and materials presented on NCELA Nexus do not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by NCELA, the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), or the U.S. Department of Education.
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