Several weeks ago, the headmaster of my school charged teachers with choosing subject-specific quotes that would be inscribed above the classroom doors of our new middle school building. What a great idea, I thought, until the moment arrived when I had to locate those inspirational words that would embody the essence of what it means to learn and know other … [Read more...] about Thirteen Noteworthy World Language Quotes
Origin of Puerto Ricans
Here is a neat graphic organizer that I received in one of my graduate classes sometime during the 1990s. It illustrates the ancestry of the three major blood lines which form the Puerto Rican race : Taino Indian, Spanish and Black. Origin of Puerto Ricans When Christopher Columbus reached Puerto Rico in 1493, he encountered and enslaved the Taino … [Read more...] about Origin of Puerto Ricans
Viewpoint: Choosing The Right Foreign Language Program
Last month, the public schools in Macon, Georgia made national headlines when their Superintendent, Romain Dallemand made a radical move and mandated that all students, Pre-K through 12th grade, take Mandarin Chinese. He could have chosen a heritage language like Spanish, since the Latino population in Georgia has experienced a significant growth spurt over … [Read more...] about Viewpoint: Choosing The Right Foreign Language Program
Book Review: Babel No More: The Search For The World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners
If you are a world language educator, a language aficionado or if you simply enjoy dabbling in neurolinguistics, then Michael Erard's latest book will definitely satisfy your hunger for the latest approaches to foreign language acquisition. In his quest to find the world's most extraordinary language-learners, Erard unfolds the strange and yet fascinating … [Read more...] about Book Review: Babel No More: The Search For The World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners
Article Follow Up: Tips To Prepare Students For National Foreign Language Exams
Since writing Tips To Prepare Students For National Foreign Language Exams a little over a month ago, I received this year’s results to the National Spanish Exam, which I administered to my level 01 and level 1 students in March. As I mentioned in my article, I wanted to help students achieve higher scores, so I generated a plan of action that I implemented … [Read more...] about Article Follow Up: Tips To Prepare Students For National Foreign Language Exams
Webinar Review: Michael Erard Talks About Hyperpolyglots on LiveMocha
Roughly two weeks ago, after a particularly exhausting day of teaching, I returned to my cubicle and collapsed into my desk chair. Too tired to do anything active, I decided to plug my Earbuds into my MacBook and passively earn some professional development time for the remaining hour of the work day. I tuned into the replay of a webinar that I had missed … [Read more...] about Webinar Review: Michael Erard Talks About Hyperpolyglots on LiveMocha