FEATURED NEWS

April 2, 2020 | JNCL Announcement

Now, more than ever, your voice matters in Washington, DC. Through your responses to action alerts and messages to Capitol Hill, and through your support for JNCL-NCLIS, the COVID-19 relief bills enacted in the past two weeks have included:

  • Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance - loans, disaster relief grants, payroll protection programs - for 501(c)3 organizations;
  • SBA programs expanded to include for-profit businesses with less than 500 employees, regardless of the SBA’s normal small business thresholds;
  • Access to the SBA relief for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietorships;
  • Aid to our nation’s public schools to support the unprecedented, nationwide, and very rapid shift to online learning.

Our website now includes details on how you can access these benefits, and we will be continually updating this section of the site.


April 2, 2020 | Health Affairs
Currently, some institutions have recognized the importance of communicating health information about COVID-19 in a variety of languages. However, despite these successes, there is growing anecdotal evidence that many people with limited English proficiency may already be suffering from miscommunication and a lack of health information just as their predecessors did during the 1918 and 2009 pandemics. Many are therefore confused about what COVID-19 is and what they should do. In cities and municipalities around the country where public agencies are not prioritizing the translation of outreach materials, important announcements, and guidance about COVID-19 are unlikely to reach people with limited English proficiency.


April 3, 2020 | CCHI Open Letter
We, the undersigned representatives of the healthcare interpreter profession, are deeply concerned about the safety of healthcare interpreters, language access services for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and their families, and safety of all healthcare workers during this pandemic .

We advise healthcare administrators and managers that face-to-face/onsite healthcare interpreters should be provided the same level of protection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as any healthcare provider for whom they are interpreting . . 

April 2, 2020 | ACTFL-LTI PR
During this challenging time, when our community needs more support and more accommodations than ever before, ACTFL and LTI want to ensure that students’ efforts can still be measured and recognized. Whether educators plan to use
these ACTFL assessments as a class activity, to benchmark students’ language progress, or to recognize students with the Seal of Biliteracy, we’re providing you with the tools and resources you need .

ACTFL and LTI are here to work with you and accommodate whatever class structure your school is following right now. Here are the available at-home testing options.

Students testing from home will need to have an internet-connected device and a headset with a microphone, just like they would if they were taking the test at school. We are offering online proctoring which works on a PC or Mac computer, as well as on Chromebooks and tablets (both iPads and Android).

We are fully staffed and ready to support your learners’ assessment needs while continuing to focus on what’s important: your learners, your colleagues, your family and friends, and of course, your health. Note that effective April 1st, we’ve extended our customer service hours to provide evening and weekend support, when your families and you need it most.

If you have any questions or concerns about ACTFL test administration, please contact the LTI Customer Support team at 800-486-8444, option 1, or email aapplhelp@languagetesting.com
.
April 3, 2020 | Avant Assessment Announcement
Avant’s online proctoring option will be available at a special price for STAMP and WorldSpeak for school or homeschool students in grades 7-12, enabling them to take the tests at home. An Artificial Intelligence-supported human proctor will remotely observe the test takers to assure the integrity of the testing and the scores. Avant has partnered with a major online proctoring company to provide this service. Avant has been able to negotiate a special price from our partner and we are subsidizing this service to enable online proctoring to schools at $5 per student during this crisis , discounted from our regular price of $25. Students who pay through Avant’s online store
will pay a remote proctoring fee of $10. If you would like more information please contact Avant at: https://avantassessment.com/homeproctoring

Avant’s STAMP and WorldSpeak online language proficiency tests in 36 languages are used to earn high school credit by exam, meet language requirements for college entrance, qualify for a state or Global Seal of Biliteracy, and determine whether learners are meeting their proficiency goals.

POLICY CLIPS






EDUCATION CLIPS






INDUSTRY CLIPS




COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
This blog post features a running list of resources for teachers starting e-learning experiences, translators and interpreters looking for support, and miscellaneous language enterprise related tools.

This blog had been reorganized to help make finding what you need even easier, whether it be support for non-profits, or a webinar for EL teachers. Check back daily for new resources.

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is offering  FREE resources  so that you can continue your practice, get some ready-to-use ideas, or just learn a new skill! Whether you're a teacher, administer, policy-maker, or a student-teacher. 

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Despite the abbreviated schedule for "Room for All at the Table" in Minneapolis, many of our presenters have generously shared their presentations or handouts. 

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Notice ID: 19GE5020R0030
Agency: Department of State
Office: ACQUISITIONS - RPSO FRANKFURT
Location: SAU
Response Date: April 7th
JNCL-NCLIS Significant Contributors
JNCL-NCLIS is grateful for the support from our partners.
FRIDAY, April 3, 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 .