FEATURED NEWS

February 17, 2021 | JNCL Newsroom

The COVID-19 Language Access Act would apply to any federal agency that receives coronavirus-related funding. It would mandate agencies to provide written resources in 20 languages including: Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Haitian, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
“COVID-19 continues to ravage our nation, especially communities of color. To help close the health disparities these communities face, federal agencies must translate COVID-19-related materials into additional languages,” said Meng. “This is a necessary—and lifesaving—step that will reach those who may not possess English proficiency. I am proud that my bill has served as a basis for President Biden’s recent presidential memorandum to address cultural and linguistic barriers to COVID-19 relief and recovery, especially for Asian Americans. President Biden’s executive actions underscores the inequities of language access particularly in the fight against this COVID-19 pandemic. As our nation prepares to ramp up vaccine administration for every American, we must make sure no one is left behind. Ultimately, one’s grasp of the English language should never determine their ability and access to fighting against this pandemic. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and look forward to it becoming law.”

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February 17, 2021 | Huff Post

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are pushing for teachers to have “priority” access to COVID-19 vaccinations as a national debate over the safest way to reopen schools during the pandemic intensifies.

Biden and Harris have been pressed to weigh in on the matter after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month that vaccinating teachers isn’t necessary for reopening schools.

Biden said Tuesday during a CNN town hall that teachers should be moved “up in the hierarchy” of vaccine access. A teacher asked the president when school staff should be vaccinated before returning to class, but he didn’t answer directly.

“It’s about needing to be able to socially distance, smaller classes, more protection,” Biden said, “and I think that teachers and the folks who work in the school ... should be on the list of preferred to get a vaccination.”


February 4, 2021 | Hello Globo


In honor of Black History Month, we’re shining a light on those from the Black community who have made significant contributions to linguistic studies and advancements.

Linguists make it possible to communicate across language and cultural barriers, helping us build a common understanding. Whenever we interpret spoken conversations or translate written documents, we’re building on hundreds of years of linguistics work. In many ways, linguists are our window into other cultures and ways of life, providing the vital contextual cues that make cross-cultural communication not only possible but also authentic.

Black voices were long suppressed across all fields, not just linguistics. But in a field that is literally focused on cross-cultural communication, it’s vital to learn how Black voices have shaped our understanding of race, culture, and languages.

LAD21 FEATURED SPONSOR:
Vista Higher Learning

February 19, 2021 | JNCL-NCLIS Guest Blog

Every day that world language teachers step into the classroom to inspire and motivate their students to acquire another language, they are advocating for world languages education.

However, just as the language skills that are being developed in the classroom need to expand beyond the confinement of the classroom walls in order to become real, meaningful and useful, so does advocacy for world languages. In order for advocacy to be made “meaningful and useful”, it must be shared with those in communities beyond that of the school environment.

Advocacy is part of every world languages teacher’s “calling” to make a difference, to open hearts and minds to cultural and linguistic diversity and to touch that part of humanity that can be found in all of us! It comes from a place of PASSION, which when we just rearrange the letters a bit, becomes I PASS ON. What will we pass on? We have a choice every day as to what kind of experiences we will create for students and for ourselves and for the profession overall.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Date: February 23rd, 2021

The Office of English Language Acquisition of the Department of Education welcomes you to celebrate with them for their February 23 Black History Month webinar! Ayanna Cooper, Maimouna Dieye, and Craig Martin join Senior Advisor Monique Toussaint for this important dialogue discussing resources and promising practices from ED, other federal agencies, and the field while celebrating the diversity of the Black English learners across America.


Date: February 23rd, 2021

At this NSLI-Y Interactive Virtual Event, NSLI-Y Hindi program alumni will present on the importance of sharing one’s story to promote and engage in cultural exchange. Panelists will then facilitate breakout rooms to discuss and provide best practices for sharing personal experiences related to their NSLI-Y programs, including but not limited to speaking with host families and peers abroad, publishing blog posts like those found on NSLI-Y Interactive, and writing personal statements for college or NSLI-Y applications. 


Date: February 26th, 2021

This Black History Month, the CCHI celebrates the diversity and strength of the black community in the U.S., while recognizing that pervasive, institutionalized anti-black racism and white supremacy have been present in this country since its founding and continue to dehumanizes and systematically marginalize, not just the native-born Black community but also black immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Join their Community Conversation with interpreters Berthine Crèvecoeur West, M.A. (GA), Abdalla Dhunkal, CoreCHI™ (MN), Kenton Myers, CHI™-Spanish (AL), and Wilda Perez, CHI™-Spanish (MA) as they share their thoughts about these issues. 

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Date: June 1st - June 4th, 2021

Join the NAFSA: Association of International Educators at the most important event for our global community of international educators. Discover the latest innovations, new strategies, and best practices in the field. Establish and strengthen your institutional partnerships as we come together virtually this year to “think big” about the future of international education.

Attend sessions developed by your peers, international education leaders, and changemakers from more than 100 countries. Connect with fellow attendees and cultivate a network essential to your professional success. Explore the NAFSA 2021 theme, “Designing Our Shared Future,” which focuses on how international educators design new ways to engage our global community in building bridges and responding to the needs of the next generation.


Date: March 12-14, 2021
(Registration ends TODAY)

For the fourth year in a row, NEA will continue to offer an aligned conference and training experience for members that provides professional learning and leadership opportunities. The Summit is an annual training experience to develop activists leaders and prepare them the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to lead relevant, thriving associations and to lead in their professions. Their unified, strategic, and interdisciplinary approach to leadership development reinforces and supports key leadership competencies in six strategic areas.

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs.

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH, 2021 ISSUE
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