FEATURED NEWS

January 2, 2020 | JNCL Announcement
We are looking forward to another successful year of advocacy and networking!

Join the Joint National Committee for Languages and language advocates from around the country to  let representatives know that  "multilingualism is the future."  

Hurry, registration closes January 17th!

Photo by: Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press"

December 31, 2019 | The New York Times
A state law meant to protect workers at companies like Uber and Lyft takes effect on Wednesday. Some say it will limit their prospects.

The new law , Assembly Bill 5, will radically reshape freelance work in California. Prompted in part by frustration with the treatment of workers by companies like the ride-hailing behemoths Uber and Lyft, the bill was created to extend workplace legal protections to roughly one million people in t he state.

On Monday,  Uber and Postmates filed a lawsuit  in federal court in California seeking to block the law from being enforced against them. But the suit is unlikely to stop the law from going into effect in other professions.

Photo by: Abby Drey

January 1, 2020 | Centre Daily Times (PA)
When Melody Sharp was in first grade, her teacher taught her class how to say “good morning” in sign language.

Melody’s passion for ASL had to be pursued outside of the classroom, as her schools did not offer sign language courses during her academic career.

Her project specifically sought to raise awareness of House Bill 572, which passed in 2002 and recognized ASL courses as satisfying foreign language requirements for high school graduation, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Certification and Staffing Policy Guideline 41, which  set a clear pathway for educators to acquire ASL instructional certification .


Jeenie ® - the Mobile App for on-demand language and culture help – is proud to announce the addition of  American Sign Language (ASL)  to our platform. Now, members of the Deaf community can call up a LIVE ASL interpreter on-demand at any time of day for help whenever an in-person interpreter is unavailable or impractical: traveling, shopping, dining, talking with service agents, social conversations, and much more.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Save the Date: April 18, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
The Greater Washington Association of Teachers of Foreign Language (GWATFL) invites you to participate in the Spring Conference for language educators, featuring sessions that focus on innovative programs, emerging trends and best practices.
​Discover new strategies and resources and network with colleagues . Bring a device to participate in our hands-on sessions. As always, breakfast and lunch are included with registration. 

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

As part of its outreach activities, the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (NFMLTA), the governing organization of the MLJ, in cooperation with other professional organizations, particularly ACTFL and the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL), supports a number of award and grant opportunities. NCOLCTL is pleased to announce upcoming grants and awards from the National Federation of Modern Language Teacher's Associations (NFLMTA) for those in the field of linguistics and language pedagogy for 2020. Please familiarize yourself with these opportunities and submit your applications and inquiries to the organizations and contact persons handling the competition.

For the upcoming year, 2020, the following opportunities are available:
  • NFMLTA Dissertation Support Grants
  • NFMLTA Travel Support Grants for Foreign Language Professionals (Including Graduate Students)
  • The NFMLTA/NCOLCTL Graduate Students Research Support Award

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Notice ID: 36C10E20Q0064
Agency: VETERANS AFFAIRS
Office: VBA FIELD CONTRACTING (36C10E)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Response Date: January 8th

Notice ID: 70SBUR20I00000005
Agency: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office: USCIS CONTRACTING OFFICE(ERBUR)
Location: USA
Response Date: January 9th
THURSDAY, January 2, 2020 ISSUE
Disclaimer: The articles and news sources included in NewsBrief are not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by JNCL-NCLIS. The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this NewsBrief are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company .