Measuring and reporting on student progress in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs can be critical to maintain funding and program sustainability. But how do you know what to measure or what assessment is right for DLI learners? Nationally, language programs are focusing on proficiency, or the ability to use language in real-world, unrehearsed settings. Choosing […]
Continue readingEmpowering Voices: Advocating for Language Education—Language Advocacy Days 2024
Language Advocacy Days (LAD), organized by JNCL-NCLIS, is an annual virtual event where delegates advocate for language education-related issues with their elected officials. LAD aims to address challenges in language education and promote policies that support language learning. For delegates, attending these events means advocating for legislative changes that can improve language education nationwide. It […]
Continue readingLeveraging Language as an Employability Asset in Career and Technical Education
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced February is CTE Month (https://www.acteonline.org/why-cte/cte-awareness/cte-month/), and one technical school in Pennsylvania is launching an innovative credentialing initiative to kick the month off with style.
Continue readingLanguage at Work: Leveraging the Power of AI in Language Education, Part 2
By Dan Edwards, Ed.D. and Kevin Gaugler, Ph.D. From the learner’s perspective, AI might turn out to be an ideal complement to Steven Krashen’s Input Hypothesis. According to Krashen, language learners advance by understanding input that is slightly beyond their current level of comprehension, often denoted as ””i+1,” where ‘i’ represents the learner’s current level […]
Continue readingTop Tips for a Successful Spring Testing with the AAPPL and ALIRA
The spring testing season is upon us. We have prepared useful tips as you ramp up for testing with the AAPPL and ALIRA.
Continue readingLanguage at Work: Leveraging the Power of AI in Language Education, Part 1
By Dan Edwards, Ed.D. and Kevin Gaugler, Ph.D. In education, the rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT has been met with a mix of enthusiasm and caution. Certainly, concerns over the use of artificial intelligence and academic integrity are warranted and should not be overlooked. However, this post aims to shed light on the immediate […]
Continue readingPicking the AAPPL: How We Chose It and Five-Year Update
Five years ago, we became an early adopter of the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy, a prestigious award for our high school students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in at least two languages. We envisioned the Seal as a way to honor our highest performing world language students, as well as to honor and […]
Continue readingThe Benefits of Periodic Language Proficiency Assessment for World Language Teachers
Periodic language proficiency assessments can help you become a better, more confident world language teacher. In fact, certified language proficiency can even earn you a higher salary. A recent paper published in the Empirica journal indicates, “the advanced command of a foreign language yields a wage premium of 11% on average,” with proficiency in Spanish […]
Continue readingLanguage at Work: Performance and Proficiency – Guiding Learners to Success with the AAPPL
Have you found yourself asking any of these common questions pertaining to the AAPPL? How can I prepare my students for the AAPPL? Is the AAPPL a performance test or a proficiency test? How do I prepare my students for the AAPPL if there aren’t set topics to learn? The underlying motivation of these questions […]
Continue readingWhat COPPA Compliance Means for Schools, Teachers, and Learners
As schools begin the new academic year, reviewing contracts and compliance requirements for various services and products is a common practice. This article focuses specifically on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act or COPPA Rule. Do you know if the tools and assessments you’re using are COPPA compliant and what could happen if they’re not? And what does COPPA compliance even mean? And why does it matter to teachers or learners? You’re not alone if you’ve been asking yourself some of these questions.
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