Having returned recently from some very exciting discussions about
the critical importance of language study in this nation, I find
myself with mixed feelings. Granted, these are undoubtedly extraordinary
times! National leaders are now recognizing the need for K-20
language programs. But will we as a profession be ready to meet
these needs?
In May the U.S. Department of Defense hosted "The National Language
Conference: A Call to Action." Leaders in government, business,
and education began to address the nation’s lack of language capacity
that hinders our ability to deal with the complexities of today’s
interdependent world. The conference has generated a position
paper, offering a number of recommendations to improve language
proficiency among Americans. To have the Department of Defense
call for action in addressing the need for strong K-20 language
programs is reason for great excitement in our profession.
More recently, at the ACTFL Delegate Assembly in Chicago, ACTFL
launched the Year of Languages (YOL) to call attention to the
need for language study in the United States. Delegates from around
the country received an impressive packet of YOL television public
service announcements and prepared advertisements for newspapers.
To have the U.S. Secretary of Education declare 2005 the Year
of Languages is another reason for great excitement in our profession.
To have all of this happening at once means that we have the
potential to increase the visibility of and support for language
study in the United States. So why am I a little worried?
From experience as a beginning teacher in the 1960’s, I remember
well the enormous push for language study in this country after
the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik. Our profession rode a wave
of support and attention for a few years, agreed, but in the end
the nation’s attention turned to other matters and language enrollment
and support waned. We were simply unable to meet the public’s
expectations for high quality programs and graduates able to function
well in a language.
It would be a terrible waste of a great opportunity to have that
happen once again. Today, we face many critical issues: recruiting
and retaining good teachers, developing and implementing well
articulated and extended courses of study, and informing inservice
teachers of best practices and the latest research. It will take
all of us working together to address them.
How can you participate in this national discussion? First, consider
joining the Year of Languages Policy Summit, which will be held
online January 10-11. Visit the ACTFL
web site to see how you can take part without leaving your
own computer or television studio! If you can’t participate in
the Summit, you can still check out all the activities and ideas
for the Year of Languages. This a moment of great challenges and
opportunities, a call for all of us to work together to make it
happen this time around!
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