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May 2015
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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)

 
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Membership Renewal Time!
Renew your membership by the end of May and your
May 2015 - August 2016 membership will include a free webinar from the archived webinars.

(Click here to renew in less than 5 minutes.)

We have more exciting things planned for the 2015-2016 membership year. These include opportunities to:

  • Engage in the new Fall webinars series.
  • Write an article for the upcoming issues of Learning Languages: Developing 21st Century Leaders Through Language Instruction (Spring/Summer 2015) or Exploring Creativity and Innovation Through Language Learning (Fall/Winter 2015).
  • Join us in person and virtually for more opportunities to network.

NNELL is Seeking a Journal Editor

Join the NNELL team! NNELL is seeking someone to fill the position of Journal Editor of Learning Languages. Check out this excellent opportunity to contribute to the field of early language learning.


Join Us This Summer

NNELL Summer Institute
July 10-12, 2015
Glastonbury, CT

The 2015 NNELL Summer Institute will be held July 10-12 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The cost for members is $200 including meals and space is limited, so register today! For more information, including a tentative schedule and list of speakers, please visit our Summer Institute page.




ACTFL releases Seal of Biliteracy Guidelines

Washington, DC—The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE), the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL), and TESOL International Association, have officially drafted recommendations for the implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy.

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award made by a state department of education or local district to recognize a student who has attained proficiency in English and one or more other world languages by high school graduation. The recognition of attaining biliteracy becomes part of the high school transcript and diploma for these students. "This is an unprecedented collaboration by language educators to guide states in the implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy to ensure that students in each state are encouraged to demonstrate language proficiency in both English and another language," Jacque Van Houten, ACTFL President, added. The Seal serves to certify attainment of biliteracy for students, employers, and universities. It is a statement of accomplishment that helps to signal evidence of a student's readiness for career and college, and for engagement as a global citizen.



Bilinguals More Efficient at Higher-Level Brain Functions, Study Says

A recent study conducted at Northwestern University adds to the accumulating research regarding the cognitive benefits of multilingualism. The remarkable use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan brains showed differences in higher-level functioning between bilinguals and monolinguals. This article mentions results from another study involving bilingual children’s ability to concentrate in the classroom.

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Penn study finds infants know more than you think

How do you know if an infant understands what you're saying? A new study from Penn State shows that infants age 6-9 months old understand our words a lot sooner than previously thought.

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The ABCs of Elementary School Foreign Language Programs: A Guide for Parents (2003)

Here is a practical guide for parents interested in early foreign and second language program advocacy. It provides a strategic framework, an overview of program models including brief descriptions, and a starter list of additional, helpful print resources.

 

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Elementary World Language Instruction

A September 2014 eSchool News special report, entitled Elementary World Language Instruction, informs that although learning a second language at an early age offers many benefits, only 25 percent of US elementary schools have world language programs. Dual-language immersion and blended programs are discussed drawing on the experience of urban and suburban public schools



Classroom Posters

This link from Middlebury provides teachers with free printable posters that can be displayed in classrooms or school hallways to help advocate for foreign language learning. There are 3 posters: one entitled "5 reasons everyone should know two languages, 2) 5 ways being bilingual makes you smarter, and 3) 5 reasons knowing a world language makes you more creative."

 

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Telling Time in Mandarin Chinese
(Learn Asking and Telling Time)

This web teaches how to ask and tell time in Chinese which includes "what time is it?", "it is...", "half hour", and "on the hour". English is used to explain each sentence or phrase word for word.

 

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App Review: play2learn French HD

Learn vocabulary through the usual themes and play games to test your learning! Good for children 3-12, even young native speakers can enjoy it! - $1.99

 

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  Thank you to NNELL members Janine Erickson, Tammy Dann, Kristel Saxton, Heather Hendry, PhD., Alice Charkes, Zhihong Li, Sally Hood, PhD., Kennedy Schultz, PhD., and Robert Raymond, PhD., for their contributions to this publication.

If you would like to share an interesting article, app, or teaching tool with the NNELL community in our next eNNELL News edition, please contact Dorie Perugini

     
National Network for Early Language Learning | www.nnell.org