Table of Contents |
|
|
Become a NNELL State
Representative
As a national organization,
NNELL operates through a network of state
representatives. You could help NNELL to continue with
its mission by becoming a representative of your state.
As a State Representative, you will serve as an advocate
for early language learning, heighten public awareness
of foreign languages in elementary and middle school
education, serve as state representative for NNELL to
your state language association and ensure that foreign
languages in grades K-8 are recognized as a priority
matter in your state. If you are interested in being
more involved with NNELL and its advocacy efforts,
please read the description for this position or contact
NNELL's National Networking Coordinator,
Marcela
Summerville (msummerville@nnell.org)
Download PDF to view responsibilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registration Now
OPEN for the
2015 NNELL Summer Institute
The 2015 NNELL Summer Institute will be
held July 10-12 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The cost for
members is $200 and space is limited, so register today! For
more information, including a tentative schedule and list of
speakers, please visit our
Summer Institute page.
Back to top
Regional Networking
Opportunities Abound!
Network with NNELL's Newly Elected President-Elect, Nathan
Lutz: February 27th-28th, New Brunswick, NJ
Click here for more information!
Stop by the NNELL table at the annual Foreign Language
Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ) Conference February
27th-28th. Nathan Lutz will be presenting a workshop on Feb.
27th titled, "Can Do Statements and Early Language
Learners".
|
|
|
IN-NNELL
Technology Conference: February 28th, Indianapolis,
IN
Click here for more information!
Indiana Network for Early Language Learning (IN-NELL)
presents: “One-stop Strategies Shop: Tools for using
technology and differentiation in your classroom”. Featured
presenters include Rose Egan, Angelia Ridgeway and Deb Blaz.
|
|
|
SWCOLT
with NNELL’s Advocacy Chair, Janine Erickson:
February 26th-28th, Denver, CO
Click here for more information!
Join our very own Janine Erickson in her hometown of Denver
to visit two immersion k-8 schools on February 26th. Network
with Janine or join her session on February 28th titled,
"Early Language Learning: A Critical Need for Early Language
Learning"!
|
|
|
SCOLT
with NNELL’s President, Nadine Jacobsen-McLean:
March 5th-7th, Atlanta, GA
Click here for more information!
On March 7th, there will be a NNELL networking meeting and a
session titled, “Early Language Learning PaNNELL” in which
we will discuss resources, strategies and being an advocate
for early language learning every day.
|
|
|
NNELL’s Regional Reps Kathy Olson-Studler and Julie Canady @
CSCTFL Conference: March 12-14th
Click here for more information!
Join our Central States Regional Representatives along with
a few sponsors as they host a phenomenal networking
breakfast. So far the guest list is filling up with
a-listers including past NNELL President (2010-12) and now
ACTFL President, Jacque Van Houten, Paul Sandrock, Bill
Rivers, Donna Clementi, and Helena Curtain (Founding Member
of NNELL) just to name a few.
|
|
|
NYC
FLES Fest Registration Deadline: March 15th, New
York City, NY
Click here for more information!
This celebration to be held on April 18th is in honor of the
late Dr. Mari Haas, (Founding Member of NNELL) extraordinary
FLES teacher, teacher trainer, workshop presenter, author,
mother and friend. Through her materials, conference
presentations, summer institutes, and by her example, Mari
encouraged us to bring culture into the FLES classroom, to
be playful in our teaching, and to be passionate about the
important work we do in bringing the love of languages to
young children.
|
|
|
|
Back to top
Babbling
Helps Babies
Learn Language Faster
A new study demonstrates that when
parents babble with their babies, their infant children begin
forming complex sounds faster, than infants whose parents make
little significant effort to understand their babies’ babbling.
Back to top
Bilingual Brain Good
For More Than Multiple Languages
A new study, published in Brain &
Language, used advanced neuroimaging techniques to discover
that bilingual people are more skilled at regulating and
controlling cognitive processes. The mental workout of learning
another language appears to increase the performance of the
brain’s executive functions. One conclusion from this study
indicates that learning other languages is advantageous for
adults.
Back to top
Study Finds Reading to Children of All Ages Grooms Them to Read More on Their Own
A new study shows that children
whose parents read aloud to them--even after the child
develops independent reading skills--maintain a stronger
love of reading and read for pleasure more frequently as
they get older. The study, released by Scholastic, examined
the reading habits of children aged 6 to 17. Children who
read for fun five times a week or more were likely to have
parents who read to them throughout their youth. Literacy
experts suggest ways that families and schools can help
maintain the desire to read in children and teens.
Back to top
The Benefits of Learning a
Foreign Language
This resource discusses how knowing
a foreign language helps develop cognitive and communicative
skills, which help individuals become more productive in the
work force and also earn higher wages. In addition, it
states that students who take a foreign language receive
higher ACT scores and SAT math and verbal skills. Employers
in government, courts schools, Fortune 500 companies, and
the State department are all searching for individuals who
know another foreign language. The article references a
British study that shows “a negative effects that their lack
of a foreign language ability is having on their economy.”
Back to top
Mi Mundo en Palabras
This website from the Centro Virtual
Cervantes, gives visitors to the website opportunities to
practice family, house, park, school, and activities
vocabulary. Each section includes an introduction to the
vocabulary with texts that are shown and read in Spanish
about the topic. There are also games, a workshop area with
materials to print and a glossary.
Back to top
Xin Nian Hao Ya
This site teaches the Happy New Year
song in mandarin Chinese. This year’s Chinese spring
festival (Chinese New Year according to the Chinese lunar
calendar) is on Feb 19, 2015 and celebrates the Year of the
Sheep.
Back to top
App Review: Touch, Look, Listen – My First Words
This app works like a board book, so
it is appropriate for very young learners. It covers 14
different pre-school subjects and uses rhymes, and pop-up 3D
scenes. $1.99
Back to top
App Review: 4 Images, 1 Mot
The French version of 4 Pics 1 Word.
Grade 6 and up. Free
Back to top
App Review: Learning Spanish with
Marta
The free version of this app
includes texts, vocabulary lists and games to practice
physical descriptions, family, and pets in Spanish. Short
texts written entirely in Spanish include visual supports to
help users improve their reading comprehension without
switching to English. The vocabulary lists include words,
pictures and audio so users can hear the word pronounced
correctly.
The $.99 version of the app includes
interactive reading texts, more vocabulary support, and
additional opportunities to practice the vocabulary through
games.
Back to top
|