 |
Mar. 31, 2019 | NPR
On April 1, scientists will
officially restart
their search for gravitational waves after a year spent making improvements to massive twin detectors. Discoveries should soon start rolling in, and when they do, there's a good chance
the news will be translated into a Native American language
called Blackfoot, or Siksika.
That's thanks to Corey Gray, who works at the
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
(LIGO) site in Washington state. He has been collaborating with his mom to translate this cutting-edge field of science into an endangered language
spoken by just thousands of people worldwide.
Read more
|
|
|
|
Apr. 2, 2019 | Education Week
ESSA has been in full swing for some time at the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies. But
many schools haven't seen a huge impact from it
yet.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved every state's plan to implement the law. The majority of states have flagged their lowest-performing schools and high schools where less than two-thirds of students graduate for what the law calls "comprehensive school improvement," using data from the 2017-18 school year. In many states, districts are submitting plans to fix those schools. Those plans must be approved by the state.
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
Mar. 29, 2019 | The National Law Review
On March 26, 2019, proposed Assembly Bill 5, which would codify the California Supreme Court’s
controversial Dynamex decision, was amended
to exempt certain types of licensed workers. Just as noteworthy as the types of workers identified as exempt from the standard are the types of employees who were not identified. For example, the exemption does not appear to cover trucking companies and gig economy transportation companies. If there are specific statutory exclusions, it will be difficult for courts to find exclusions in the common law.
Read more
|
|
|
|
Mar. 31, 2019 | Politico
Using Google to translate English text into Spanish
is a trick used by high school students to avoid doing their Spanish homework —
not something you’d expect to see from candidates
for the highest office in the land.
Yet several Democratic White House hopefuls appear to be doing precisely that. They’re posting passages in Spanish on their websites that bear striking similarities to the output from Google’s translation service, appearing to perform only minor cleanup before publishing the copy on their sites. While Google Translate can serve as a workable starting point, more often than not it needs a human hand to produce Spanish that would pass muster with a native speaker.
Read more
|
|
|
|
Mar. 31, 2019 | ABC 3340
Allison Bishop, a Columbia University computer scientist who also performs stand-up comedy, said computer learning looks for patterns, but comedy thrives on things hovering close to a pattern and veering off just a bit to be funny and edgy.
Humor, she said, "has to skate the edge of being cohesive enough and surprising enough."
For comedians
that's job security
. Bishop said her parents were happy when her brother became a full-time comedy writer because it meant he wouldn't be replaced by a machine.
Read more.
|
|
|
|
POLICY CLIPS
EDUCATION CLIPS
INDUSTRY CLIPS
|
|
THE FIGHT ISN'T OVER...KEEP THE PRESSURE ON
Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed! However, the fight rages on and we still need
YOUR HELP
. If you haven't sent a letter yet, take a minute of your time to follow the links below. If you've already sent a letter,
send another
! Your support for these programs matters.
THE FACTS
On March 11, 2019, President Trump released his administration's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020. Overall, the spending proposal calls for a 10-12% reduction in Federal non-defense discretionary spending, as well as the elimination of several major programs. Show your support to help
protect these programs
!
|
|
|
|
The 2019 Annual Conference features the third ALC Leaders Forum. Plan on attending the full day on May 1 to be part of impactful discussions and problem-solving on the worker classification issue. Being back in D.C., we reconvene to review federal policy and regulatory issues facing the industry, and to
meet with members of Congress and Executive Branch agencies
with jurisdiction over relevant issues.
Read more and register!
|
|
This publication serves as a resource for leaders seeking ways to champion the interests of the Latino community. It provides an overview of UnidosUS’s policy priorities and covers major topics that are relevant to Latinos, including specific concerns and examples of proposed legislation that embody the progress that we support.
Among the recommendation therein, UnidosUS recommends states "
allocate funding and adopt native language assessments to better understand student comprehension of academic content
," and for the "
expansion of high-quality dual language and bilingual programs, including adopting appropriate teacher certification requirements and funding to support such programs
."
Read more and download the publication
|
|
GLTaC is proud to be the
first Language Service Company (LSC) in the world to achieve ASTM F3130-18 certification
by Orion Assessment Services.
“The new standard is the only standard that audits the stability, reliability, financial and operational health of an LSC.“, commented Ms. Hei King, President of GLTaC. “I am proud of every member of the GLTaC team dedicated to always doing things better and more efficiently with client satisfaction as our top priority. Our ability to meet the requirements of ASTM F3130-18 reflects the investment we make in security, technology and regulatory compliance. In receiving this certification, we demonstrate our commitment to running a professional, ethical and dependable company.”
Read more.
|
|
You are invited to join us in exploring this important topic with
national leaders in research, practice, and policy
who will share their perspectives on why developing language and literacy skills in English plus other languages is critical in today’s learning environment.
Featured speakers will include leaders from federal agencies, Congress, educators, parents and students.
Read more and register!
|
|
EMAIL US: tcalvin@languagepolicy.org
|
|
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
Deadline: July 5th
Native speakers of critical languages are in high demand in the U.S. government. EHLS trains advanced English speakers to be effective communicators and strong candidates for federal jobs.
|
|
Many immigrant families are apprehensive to use services for which they are eligible as a result of fear and a misunderstanding of "Public Charge" policy in immigration.
Do you have immigrant families refusing to apply for school meals or have their children participate in ESL/bilingual programs? They may be afraid that their participation will prevent them from obtaining a green card. Learn more about how for many families this fear is unfounded.
Join TransACT and Roger Rosenthal on
April 15th
, 2019 to
learn more about the "public charge" policy, so you can explain the relative risks
of that policy to parents in your community.
Read more and register!
|
|
REGISTER BY APRIL 10!
Every language and culture is different, but providing sign language interpreters to meet the linguistic needs of deaf consumers is truly distinct and unique. When handling Sign Language/English requests, interpreter agencies must fully understand the communication requirements and barriers of deaf and hard of hearing individuals including those who use sign languages other than ASL or are DeafBlind or deaf with other disabilities. Agencies must understand their legal obligations under federal and state laws, and also comply with the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conducts for sign language interpreters. This session will also include discussion of the
NAD's new accreditation system for sign language interpreter
agencies.
Read more and register!
|
|
Are you currently teaching a high school AP German class, or thinking about getting started? AATG members may apply for
financial aid to participate in an AP® German Language
and Culture summer institute. Applicants can choose from a wide variety of 2019 summer institutes.
Read more
Deadline is April 15
|
|
The Greater Washington Association of Teachers of Foreign Languages (GWATFL) will hold its Spring Conference for World Language Educators on
April 27, 2019
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM at
National Cathedral School Washington, D.C., United States
In case you are interested in presenting a table, please
click here
We are incorporating more breaks in the schedule dedicated to the exhibits´ area during this upcoming conference. For further information on the event, please visit our website.
Read more
|
|
On the occasion of its fifth biennial gathering, it is fitting that the ISLSP should “take stock” of what has transpired since its origins at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2012, and its accomplishments to date. This conference provides a forum for the community of LSP scholars, instructors, and administrators to
address, develop and reflect on issues related to LSP theory,methodology and practice
. At the same time, this fifth gathering should be all about “moving forward” with the CIBERs, exploring LSP developments and possibilities as we travel into the coming decade(s). “Taking Stock and Moving Forward: LSP Theory, Method, Content, Curriculum, Collaboration” will share developments and innovation in LSP research, practice, and curriculum development, broadly considered.
|
|
Established in 2018, The Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC) is partnership of Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University.
Our mission is to enhance access to advanced language learning and deepen knowledge of global and intercultural issues
for the benefit of Atlanta region students, faculty and the public. A National Resource Center and a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship program, AGSC is funded by a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The award is one of only seven awards supporting centers with a focus on international studies.
|
|
June 10-11, 2019, University of Utah Campus
Presenters: Carl Blyth (UT Austin) and Anne Lair (University of Utah)
The FLLITE project, a collaboration of COERLL (University of Texas at Austin) and CERCLL (University of Arizona), helps teachers to bridge the language/literature divide by developing their own literacy lessons as open educational resources (OER). Rather than focusing on canonical literature, FLLITE lessons focus on the poetics of everyday language (e.g., conversations, letters, blogs, YouTube videos, etc.). in brief, the goal of this workshop is to help foreign language teachers develop original materials based on authentic texts that promote language awareness and communicative abilities through the integration of reading, listening, speaking, and writing tasks.
Participants can receive
1 graduate-level college credit
but must attend both days. Sponsored via a Language Resource Center grant.
Read more about how to sign up!
|
|
The 6
th
Annual Community-Based Heritage Language Schools Conference at American University will be held
on Saturday,
October 12, 2019.
The Coalition of Community-Based Language Schools is a nationwide initiative established to support, guide, and promote the interests of community-based heritage language schools and organizations across the United States. Registration will open in June.
Read more
.
|
|
FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
Solicitation Number: HQ042319R0031
Agency: Other Defense Agencies
Office: Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Location: Contract Services Directorate, Columbus
Response Date: April 6
Solicitation Number: SP4705-19-Q-5070
Agency: Defense Logistics Agency
Office: DLA Acquisition Locations
Location: DLA Contracting Services Office
Response Date: April 8
Solicitation Number: H9821019R0011
Agency: Other Defense Agencies
Office: Defense Human Resources Activity
Location: Procurement Support Office
Response Date: April 9
Solicitation Number: H98210-19-R-0004
Agency: Other Defense Agencies
Office: Defense Human Resources Activity
Location: Procurement Support Office
Response Date: April 10
Solicitation Number: FA481419TF080
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Office: Air Mobility Command
Location: 6th Contracting Squadron
Response Date: May 3
|
|
Joint National Committee for Languages
National Council for Languages and International Studies
202.580.8684 | info@languagepolicy.org | www.languagepolicy.org
|
|
THURSDAY, April 4, 2019
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
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
