NNELL
Webinar Survey
Deadline Extensions
We at NNELL remain committed to exploring all avenues possible
that allow us to deliver high quality professional development
to YOU anytime, anywhere.
NNELL is currently analyzing how we meet your needs through
professional development webinars.
This is where we need you.
Please take a minute or two (literally no more than that) and
fill out the 6 questions that we've prepared.
We will keep the survey open until December 23.
Your answers remain anonymous and help us make the most of your
membership dollar!
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2015
Illinois Foreign Language Teacher of the Year: NNELL Member,
Kathleen A. Priceman
It is our pleasure to announce that
NNELL Member Kathleen A. Priceman is the
2016 Illinois Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.
She will compete this spring for the honor of 2015 Central Sates
Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.
In 1997 Kathleen began teaching at Oak Park Elementary District
97 as one of the original immersion teachers in the district.
Mrs. Priceman is passionate about students’ learning the
cultures and traditions of the Spanish-speaking countries around
the world. She teaches students traditional Latin dances in
preparation for the annual Gran Fandango performance. She
exposes students to the many different foods in Spanish
cultures. In addition, she coordinates all the immersion
students and their parents in preparation for their
participation and performances during the District 97 Ethnic
Festival and Parade.
Congratulations Kathleen!
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Generation
Study Abroad
On behalf of Institute for International
Education (IIE)'s Generation Study Abroad Team, I'd like to
thank you for the amazing work you are doing with early language
learners to open up the minds of students to the world beyond
our borders. We would greatly appreciate it if you would "Take
the Pledge" and share this initiative with fellow teachers and
administrators in your town, across your state and the US. In
addition to signing the pledge -- just a commitment to keep
doing what you're doing -- you will find all kinds of great
resources on the site that has been created for teachers. We
recognize that teachers are busy, and would benefit from a
centrally-located source of materials, so we've organized
resources in the following categories: 1) ways to
internationalize the classroom, 2) Study Abroad stories, 3)
opportunities for professional development, 4) local, global
connections, and 5) information on Generation Study Abroad.
Our goal is to double the number of students studying abroad
while in college, and administrators like you can support your
teachers as they open the world to students and help plant the
seed for study abroad in college.
The official launch of the #I'mOnBoard campaign
won't be until January, but we're trying to gin up support and
pledges before then to announce! So please take the pledge and
share the site with as many people as possible!
It's never too early to talk to our students about opportunities
for study and travel abroad!
Thanks,
Stacie Berdan, author and parent
www.stacieberdan.com
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Call for Proposals: 2015 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo
A Message from ACTFL:
Inspire. Engage. Transform.
Submission Deadline:
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
While you are relaxing during the holidays, plan to be a
part of the 2015 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages
Expo of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) by submitting to the 2015 Call for
Proposals. ACTFL 2015 will be held November 20-22, 2015, at
the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
With the ACTFL Convention featuring more than 700
educational sessions covering the whole spectrum of the
language education profession, we are looking for proposals
that will inspire the audience, keep them engaged, and
ultimately, help teachers transform their classroom.
The entire selection process is designed to provide
attendees with an exciting array of sessions and events to
further your knowledge and skills to become better,
well-informed teachers, professors, and administrators. We
welcome language educators at all levels and of all
languages to submit a proposal.
Please note: When you login, it is very
important that you carefully read all the information in the
Submission Guidelines before proceeding to complete your
online submission. The
submission deadline is Wednesday, January 14, 2015.
All proposals for consideration must be submitted online and
will not be accepted after the deadline date.
Visit the
ACTFL website for more information and
to
submit your proposal now.
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How Studying or Working Abroad Makes You Smarter
Researchers have found that the benefits
of studying abroad go beyond what one might expect in terms of
language proficiency. A study of individuals enrolled in an
international MBA program showed that students who were
open-minded and adaptive when dealing with diverse cultures also
exhibited more ease in making connections among disparate ideas
when problem-solving.
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Bilingual
Children "show advantage" in noisy classrooms
Numerous studies of bilingual children
have focused recently on the cognitive benefits of early
language learning. A new study from the United Kingdom attempts
to focus on one characteristic--the ability to control auditory
interference. Researchers suggest that the ability to control
auditory interference increases, as children grow due to their
continued practice in identifying and sorting sounds from two
languages.
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How to Improve a Baby's Language Skills Before They Start to Talk
A study conducted by neuroscientist April Benasich and
colleagues from Rutgers University found that training
babies to distinguish between different sounds boosts their
language development. The researchers also discovered that
the way babies react to different sounds predicts future
linguistic challenges. Benasich is developing her test into
a parent-friendly toy that will enhance babies' language
skills later in life.
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Website: Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture
This website has a variety of international music and
culture including songs with lyrics, rhymes and traditions
from around the world.
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App Review: L'alphabet en s'amusant!
Through 8 activities, the app teaches kids to recognize
letters (lower and upper case), trace and draw letters fro a
template, order letters, hear and pronounce, and form words
with magnets. Cost $ .99.
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Website: Disney Junior
This is the official You Tube Disney Channel from Latin
America that includes games, videos and blogs from Disney
Junior.
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App Review: Dikie and Dukie
Learn to Read in Spanish, Learn Geography in Spanish,
Learn Math in Spanish and Make Funny Faces in Spanish are
all separate APPS for this fun, educational App from $ .99 -
$1.99.
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App Review:
Oy Ahoy
This App presents two cultural stories, Oy Mexico and Oy China,
intended to let toddlers explore the world with their
fingertips, in a series of apps each representing a unique
country or culture and its traditions. Free.
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