My introduction to the AAPPL test came with the inception of the Seal of Biliteracy in the State of Iowa. Like many world language educators in Iowa at that time, my department began investigating the different ways that we could help our students prove their qualifications and obtain the Seal. Earning the Seal of Biliteracy […]
Continue readingWhy Language Training is Critical to a Business
The world is becoming more and more interconnected every day, and new technologies and digital platforms capable of bringing brands to any customer with access to the internet are the driving force behind this unstoppable phenomenon. Additionally, to help facilitate access to these new international markets, businesses are striving to increase cross-border trade, international investment, and […]
Continue readingGrowing Up Bilingual as a Heritage Language Speaker
Who is considered a heritage speaker? Heritage speakers are those who have been exposed to their heritage language (i.e., their first language) at home. They are introduced to a second language beginning at a very young age through contact with people outside their home or when they start going to school. Having grown up speaking […]
Continue readingYou May Have to Remain Silent, If You Don’t Understand the Language of Your Arrest
Interactions between police and citizens can either be friendly, community building events, or frightening, emotion-laden, traumatic crises fraught with peril and fear. In either case, communication and process are facilitated when both sides speak the same language. However, given the growing multilingual makeup of U.S. society, there are often differences of language between the police […]
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