FEATURED NEWS
August 17, 2019 | Bloomberg
Some top aides to President Donald Trump sought for months for a way to give states the power to block undocumented immigrant children from enrolling in public schools -- all part of the administration’s efforts to stem illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border.

Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller had been a driving force behind the effort as early as 2017, pressing cabinet officials and members of the White House Domestic Policy Council repeatedly to devise a way to limit enrollment, according to several people familiar with the matter. The push was part of a menu of ideas on immigration that could be carried out without congressional approval.

August 21, 2019 | Slator
On August 12, 2019, the California State Legislature held a committee hearing on a bill that seeks to require employers to meet the ABC Test for their independent contractors to be lawfully classified as such.

The bill, “Worker status: employees and independent contractors,” which goes by its number AB5, basically codifies or clarifies the Dynamex decision in its definition of an independent contractor. It also expands the reach of Dynamex to include unemployment insurance and other protections under US labor law. (The California Supreme Court’s landmark decision, which concluded that courier service Dynamex misclassified its workers as independent contractors when they should have been employees, has been the subject of much debate.)

We are not ‘gig workers’ we are language professionals ,” wrote Barry Slaughter Olsen and Katherine Allen in an InterpretAmerica statement seen by Slator.

August 20, 2019 | In These Times
At the Daley Center, one of the busiest courts in Cook County, an average of 66 cases call for an interpreter daily. Only six Spanish interpreters and one Polish interpreter, including per-session interpreters, are regularly stationed there.

Advocates say the decline in full-time court interpreters means vulnerable, non-English-speaking communities may not be getting adequate legal support . The Chicago News Guild, a local of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) that represents court interpreters, has collected a list of incidents when no interpretation services were available in courts.

The unavailability of court interpreters often leads to long wait times, continuances or a family member or friend interpreting for the case.

“We clearly do not have enough interpreters,” says Craig Rosenbaum, executive director of the Chicago News Guild. “The courts are not being served.”

August 15, 2019 | Smithsonian
Indigenous peoples speak more than 4,000 of the world’s 7,000-odd languages. These native tongues function as so much more than a means of communication; they encode community histories, traditions, ways of thinking, environmental knowledge. And unfortunately, many Indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing.

In an effort to both preserve and raise awareness about these languages, Google Earth has launched an interactive platform on its Voyager feature that lets users listen to audio recordings by more than 50 Indigenous language speakers from across the globe. Titled Celebrating Indigenous Languages, the project spotlights diverse communities and profiles pioneering activists who are fighting to preserve their ancestral languages.

For those learning a new language, or those who want to maintain or brush up on their skills, Jeenie is offering access to on-demand “virtual immersion” practice 24 hours a day. With the tap of a button on a smartphone or iPad using the Jeenie Mobile App, learners can connect with LIVE bicultural, bilingual speakers any time of day or night to:

  • Practice speaking a language
  • Improve pronunciation
  • Do better in language class
  • Answer questions about language & culture

For more information, contact Jeenie at  info@Jeenie.com . Academic discounts are available to learners referred by a language school or program.


COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS


American Councils for International Education and its Board of Trustees are pleased to announce the appointment of David Patton, PhD, as the third president and CEO to lead the 45-year-old nonprofit. Dr. Patton’s tenure as president began on August 1, 2019. For the past five months, Dr. Patton has served as acting president and CEO.


The Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition given by participating districts to students who have studied and attained proficiency in English and at least one or more world languages by high school graduation and will be noted on the student’s transcript. A state policy and guidelines have been developed to assist districts in implementation.

Please submit written comments to Limeul Eubanks, Office of Secondary Education, via email at el-worldlanguages@mdek12.org or regular mail to 359 North West Street, Jackson, MS 39201, on or before 5:00 p.m., on September 15, 2019.


The Department of Teacher Education invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor of Bilingual/Biliteracy Education to begin in Fall 2020 . Responsibilities will include teaching [in Spanish and English] and advising at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels; developing and maintaining an active research agenda in education for emergent bilinguals; actively pursuing external funding to support research activities; community engagement activities, including partnering with local schools in the borderland region; and collaborating in professional service with colleagues across departments.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Elena Izquierdo at ielena@utep.edu

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Webinar: August 28
1:00PM-2:00PM ET
Join this webinar marking the release of a new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) policy brief that explores program and policy opportunities to improve home visiting services for immigrant and DLL families currently underparticipating in these programs due to a lack of culturally and linguistically responsive programming and other barriers.


Deadline: September 12
Bemidji, MN
October 10-13, 2019 | March 26-29, 2020
Concordia Language Villages invites you to join us for 'Intercultural Communicative Competence: Linking Language and Culture,' a professional-development series for K-16 instructors of Arabic language and culture.

Thanks to a generous grant from Qatar Foundation International, tuition and program fees are free for participants. In addition, participants will be reimbursed for qualifying travel expenses of up to $400 (travel to MSP) or $500 (travel to BJI) per workshop.


Deadline: September 20
San Diego, CA
March 15-18, 2020
GALA conferences attract experienced professionals from all parts of the translation and localization industry: language services and language technology professionals, managers and directors of localization at multinational organizations, and individuals from government, research, and educational institutions. More than 40% of our audience are top-executives, and all delegates are looking for challenging, growth-oriented topics.


Registration Deadline: September 26th
Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport
18800 Macarthur Blvd., Irvine, CA 92612
September 27-28, 2019

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Educational Services Division is hosting the 3rd Annual Interpreting and Translators Conference 2019.   The 3rd Annual Interpreters and Translators Conference will focus on offering our participants the opportunity to engage more in depth with nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field and explore techniques to enhance interpretation and translation skills . This annual conference is a major educational event for bilingual staff, educators, and community stakeholders committed to ensure proper language use in school settings and the community we serve.


Registration Deadline: September 30th
Honolulu, HI
November 7-10, 2019

This year’s programming digs into local and regional culture throughout the conference with several place-based experiences that help shed light on important contemporary issues facing Pacific Island communities, including migration, militarism, political status, and climate change, which also resonate with broader national concerns. 

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Solicitation Number: ID06190003
Agency: General Services Administration
Office: Federal Acquisition Service (FAS)
Location: IFMPS
Award Date: Mid-Aug

Solicitation Number: FA520919QA031
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Office: Pacific Air Forces
Location: 374 CONS - Yokota
Response Date: August 26
THURSDAY, August 22, 2019 ISSUE
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