E-NNELL NOTES – September 2005

Your electronic news source from the National Network for Early Language Learning

National Online Early Language Learning Assessment in Development Stages

The Wyoming Department of Education recently received a FLAP grant to develop, pilot, and disseminate nationally the National Online Early Language Learning Assessment (NOELLA), a standards-based online assessment of proficiency for upper elementary world-language learners in grades 3-6. The first versions will be in French, Spanish, and Japanese. Plans are already underway to add Mandarin Chinese.

 

Wyoming is joined in the project by a consortium of five other states: Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia. Also collaborating on the project are the Center for Applied Linguistics and the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University.

 

Projected to be the first online, affordable, universally accessible, and nationally validated assessment of early language learning, NOELLA has the potential to support positive growth and improvement in the nation’s early language programs. It will provide for schools throughout the country, regardless of their size or location, the means to measure the performance of young students accurately and reliably. It will be available at less than half the cost of existing assessments and will be tied to the national foreign language standards and the ACTFL K-12 Proficiency Guidelines.

NNELL members will be kept abreast of developments as the project continues.

Ann Tollefson, WY Department of Education, NOELLA Project Director

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What Our Students Must Learn-Fast! (Parade, August 28, 2005, page 11)
Vacations are over, and students are off to college. What skills will
they need in the new global economy? We asked John Challenger, CEO of
Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an outplacement firm. His tips:

- Learn a language- Chinese is especially useful.
- Crunch numbers- Math skills rule in accounting.
- Take Acting 101- It helps in business, sales and retail.
- Do lab work- Chemistry is key in the search for energy.
- Get global- Learn about other cultures and nations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?

This article attempts to quantify the number of hours it takes to learn a foreign language. The information is presented by level of proficiency and "difficulty" of different languages. Research sponsored by the Pimsleur Spoken Language Programs (scroll down to the title: “How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?” for the article):

http://www.pimsleurdirect.com/site/PimsleurDirect/tips.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Federal Language Legislation Proposed

On May 19th, at the JNCL-NCLIS Legislative Day/Delegate Assembly, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) announced the introduction of the S. 1089 – The National Language Coordination Act of 2005.  The Act would create the position of a National Language Director and a National Foreign Language Coordination Council to develop and oversee the implementation of a foreign language strategy for the federal government. The proposed Council, chaired by the National Language Director, would identify crucial priorities, increase public awareness of the need for foreign language skills, advocate maximum use of resources, coordinate cross-sector efforts, and monitor the foreign language activities of the federal government. To read a copy of Senator Akaka's floor statement, please click here: http://www.akaka.senate.gov/~akaka/speeches/2005519B46.html

 

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Foreign survey: Early English classes linked to higher test scores later

In a survey of the English skills of 9,800 first- and second-year high school students in Japan, South Korea and China, South Korean first-year students outscored both their foreign counterparts and their more senior compatriots. The firm conducting the survey believes the results illustrate the benefits of early English instruction, since the first-year Korean students were the first generation to take mandatory English classes starting in third grade. The Daily Yomiuri (Japan)

http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/jthXkpnAvuyVRDNy

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chinese classes slowly take hold in Florida
While Spanish continues to dominate the foreign language curriculum in Florida, a small number of schools in the Palm Beach County area are exposing middle and high school students to Chinese.  Cyndy Ning, executive director of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, says American schools need to catch up with other nations in devoting resources to the promotion of global awareness.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/11472603.htm

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Foreign Language Power: Can Babies and Toddlers Become Bilingual,
or Even Trilingual?

In the past few years, foreign language classes for preschoolers and babies have soared in popularity. Although children exposed to multiple languages as toddlers often are slow to develop their own speech patterns, studies indicate bilingual people are more creative and better at solving complex problems than people who speak only one language.
http://toddlerstoday.com/resources/articles/trilingual.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

People who are able to speak foreign languages have increased earning power and are popular with the opposite sex, a report suggests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3966413.stm