FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

The Journal of the Foreign Language Association of Georgia

Editors Susan Crooks Kennesaw State University FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

Joe Terantino, PhD. Kennesaw State University

The Foreign Language Association of Georgia announces the 2013 FLAG Conference “All Languages Are Critical Languages� to be held at Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites Two Tenth Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 March 8-9, 2013 Please be sure to make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. Be sure to mention that you are attending the FLAG conference so that you will receive the conference rate.

Augusta Marriott Hotel Standard Guestrooms:

Augusta Marriott Suites Standard Guestrooms:

King @$125.00 (1-2 people) Standard guest room with one King Bed

Q/Q Suite @$125.00 (1-4 people) Two room suite with two queen beds, refrigerator, microwave and living room

To make hotel reservations, please contact: Marriott Augusta Hotel and Suites (706) 722-8900 FAX: (706) 724-0044 Please do NOT send hotel reservations with your conference registrations.

FLAG does NOT handle hotel reservations

Call for Papers The Editors of the FLAG Journal are extending an invitation to the language teaching community to submit papers for publication consideration. We publish an annual, refereed, on-line journal in the fall with articles about all aspects of foreign language education across all levels: innovative teaching strategies, learner variables, policy and issues, research, curriculum development, assessment and technology among other topics. Articles on all languages are welcome and manuscripts must be written in English to accommodate our readership. See the full description on the website.

2FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

2

2012 FLAG Officers President

Corresponding Secretary

Archivist

Elizabeth Combier North Georgia College & State University, Modern Languages 305B Dunlap Hall Dahlonega, GA 30597 Phone: 706) 867-2811 Fax: (706) 864-1485

Pat McCoy Wesleyan School 5405 Spalding Drive, Norcross, GA 30092 (770) 448-7640 x4438

Jane Hursey Retired, DeKalb County Schools

President Elect Joe Frank Uriz Parsons Elementary School 1615 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, GA 30024 Phone: (404) 556-3653 Fax (678) 957-3055

Vice-President for Advocacy Denise Overfield University of West Georgia, Foreign Languages & Literatures Maple Street, Carrollton, GA 30118 Phone: (678) 839-6515 Fax: (678) 839-5931

Vice-President for Language Contests Rhonda Wells DeKalb County School System Instruction, Bldg. B, 3770 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30032 Phone: 678-676-0227

Immediate Past President David Jahner Foreign Language Director Gwinnett County Public Schools, Instructional Support Center 437 Old Peachtree Rd. Suwanee, GA 30024 Phone: (678) 301-7027 Fax: (770) 277-4470

Treasurer / Administrator Mary Ellen Foye P.O. Box 734, Griffin, GA 30224 Phone: (c) (770) 468-3396

Members-At-Large FLES (ESFL) Sandra Cleveland Sharon Elementary School Middle School Jamie Patterson Fulton County Schools High School Joy Lynn Tynes Cobb County Schools Post Secondary Amye Sukapdjo Gainesville College

Directors FLAG Journal Editors Susan Crooks Kennesaw State University Dept. of F.L. 1000 Chastain Rd. MD 1804 Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591 Phone 770-971-9504 scrooks@kennesaw.edu Joe Terantino Kennesaw State University Dept. of FL 1000 Chastain Rd. MD 1804 Kennesaw, Ga 30144-5591 jterant@kennesaw.edu

Public Relations Joe Frank Uriz Parsons Elementary School 1615 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, GA 30024 Phone: (404) 556-3653 Fax (678) 957-3055

Conference Brandi Meeks Starr's Mill High School 193 Panther Path, Fayetteville, GA 30215 Phone: (770) 486-2710 Fax: (770) 486-2716

Electronic Media Horst Kurz Georgia Southern University, Foreign Languages

Affiliate Liason Greg Barfield, Ed.D. Georgia Department of Eduction Program Specialist: International Affairs 1770 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, GA 30334 Tel: (404) 651-5363 Fax: (404) 651-8582 gbarfield@doe.k12.ga.us

GA DOE Liaison Jon Valentine Program Specialist for Foreign Languages & International Education GA Department of Education

The photos on this issue’s cover are generously reprinted here compliments of the REALIA Project . The REALIA Project publishes faculty-reviewed media for the teaching and study of modern languages and cultures. Faculty and students at all levels are encouraged to contribute materials to our searchable, online database. The focus of the REALIA Project is realia: Materials which convey the everyday life of different cultures.

The lower photograph is of the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, Spain. The upper photograph is of Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. These images, and so many others can be accessed from http://www.realiaproject.org/ Two more photographs were used on the inside of the back cover. Hope you can use them in class!

3FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

3

Editor’s Message In spite of furlough days and budget cuts, Georgia teachers and students continue to do amazing things: win scholarships, receive awards, travel abroad, go to immersion weekends, compete in language contests and make us all proud. One of our favorite award stories was that of Dr. Robert Patrick, Latin teacher of the year and FLAG K-12 Teacher of the Year, whose daughter and fellow Latin teacher, Miriam Patrick, was named FLAG K-12 Teacher of Promise. That is truly passing the torch. Congratulations to both of you!

This year’s SCOLT /FLAG /SEALT conference in Atlanta was wellattended; see David Jahner’s report.. We were pleased and proud to hear conference participants talking about several excellent workshops and presentations given by Georgia teachers. In addition, Jamie Patterson’s article about advocacy in our last issue sparked many interesting discussions throughout the year.

A great resource for language teachers is the REALIA Project. This year the editors of the REALIA Project allowed us once again to use two pictures for the cover. We encourage FLAG members to visit the REALIA Project and use the quality photographs to engage students in meaningful language and cultural learning scenarios. We have included 2 more on the back cover. Additionally, we strongly encourage members to submit travel photos for publication to expand the library.

Lastly, I would like to wish my former co-editor, Dr. Pete Swanson, good luck as he takes on the SCOLT Dimension, the journal of the annual conference proceedings. His academic talents as an editor will make him a valuable asset to SCOLT. I will miss our many cups of coffee as we put the Journal together. I would like to welcome Dr. Joseph Terantino as my new co-editor, who will be coming on board this fall to work on the online Journal. He is currently in China, so I could not get a picture of him for this edition, but I am sure I’ll have one for the Fall edition. Please remember to submit material of interest to the Journal; our deadlines are April 15 and September 15. Inquiries and submissions may be sent to the editors, Susan Crooks <scrooks@kennesaw.edu> and Joe Terantino <jteranti@kennesaw.edu> Enjoy this issue and your summer!

Susan

The REALIA Project publishes faculty-reviewed media for the teaching and study of modern languages and cultures. Faculty and students at all levels are encouraged to contribute materials to our searchable, online database. The focus of the REALIA Project is realia: Materials which convey the everyday life of different cultures. It is available from http://realiaproject.org/ 4FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

4

FLAG Journal A Publication of the Georgia Association of Foreign Language Teachers http://www.flageorgia.org/flag.htm Volume 12

Spring/Summer

2012

Contents FLAG 2013 Conference Information……………………………………….2 FLAG Officers ……………………………………………………………..3 Editor’s Message …………………………………………………………...4 FLAG Award Recipients …………………………………………………...6 News from Colleges and Universities ……………………………………...8 FLAG Spoken Language Contest …………………………………………..9 Georgia Department of Education Update ….……………………………...10 FLAG President’s Awards…...……....……………...……………….…….13 JNCL Report …………………………………………………...…………..14 AATF Chapter Report.….………………………………………...………...15 AATG Chapter Report…..………………….…………...……………...…..16 AATFSP Chapter Report………..………………...………………………...17 FLAIR Report …..…………………………………………………………..20 FLAG Spotlight…………………………..……………………………….…23 What Works in Chinese Class –Classroom Management .....…………….....26 Better Teaching Through Better Testing ……….….………………………..30 WIA 4th Grade Field Trip to Chinatown ………………………….………...37 SCOLT/FLAG/SEALT Conference Report..…………………………….….39 SCOLT Scholarship Reports from 2 Recipients. ……………………….…...39

FLAG Awards Information………………………………….………...42 FLAG Membership Form……………………………………………...43

5FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

5

FLAG Awards 2012 Dr. Catherine Magouyrk: Administrative Support of Foreign Language Award Dr. Catherine Magouyrk is the Associate Superintendent for Student Achievement and Leadership in the Douglas County School System. She received her Doctorate in Administration and Leadership from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Magouyrk has been working with principals and schools in the area of curriculum, instruction, and leadership at the district level for 7 years and she believes that the study of foreign language is crucial for students today. With the ease of communication through technology, students must not only understand different cultures, they must experience different languages. It is up to school systems to ensure that students are afforded the opportunity to learn a second language as well as study different cultures.

Dr. Robert Kilpatrick: Teacher of Promise, Post-Secondary Robert Kilpatrick is Assistant Professor of French at the University of West Georgia. He received his B.A. from Truman State University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. Before coming to West Georgia, he taught French and Italian at IU and French at Duke University. He directed the IU Study Abroad Program in St Brieuc, France for five summers, and has also lived extensively in Aix-en-Provence and Angers, France. From 2010-2011 he also co-directed the UWG study abroad program in Tours, France. His research focuses on Renaissance French and Neo-Latin literature, humanism, and early modern theories of imitation. In the field of language pedagogy, his research interests include the development of proficiency-based assessment tools and the use of instructional technologies to enhance language learning. He teaches courses on French language, culture, and literature.

Dr. Greg Barfield: Fostering Partnerships Dr. Barfield is in his 29th year in education. He has taught French, served as department chair at South Cobb High School and Kennesaw Mountain High School in Cobb County, and served as an adjunct assistant professor of French and Foreign Language Education at Kennesaw State University. From 20042008, he held the position of ESOL and World Languages Coordinator in Fulton County. In 2008, Dr. Barfield returned to Cobb County where he currently serves as Teacher on Special Assignment for ESOL and Foreign Languages. During his career, he has been actively involved in FLAG, AATF, SCOLT, NADSFL, and ACTFL. *As we went to press we learned that Dr. Barfield had retired from Cobb County and is now working at the Ga. Dept. of Education with Jon Valentine.

6FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

6

FLAG Awards 2012 Miriam Patrick: K-12 Teacher of Promise Miriam Patrick teaches Latin at Duluth High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree of Interdisciplinary Studies in Latin from Georgia State University. She has studied abroad in a full immersion program in Egypt for Arabic. She has also studied in the full Latin immersion program the Rusticatio where she spent seven days with Latin speakers of varying degrees learning and living in Latin. This year she has rearranged her classroom and teaching techniques to incorporate Where Are Your Keys, a language hunting game, which allows students the opportunity to take control of their language learning and reaches students of all learning types. Miriam stands by the belief that it is not about making a student work for a language, but making a language work for a student. In addition, this year, Miriam and a colleague started the teaching practices blog Pomegranate Beginnings where they share teaching techniques, student reactions, and lesson plans. This year, she will be presenting on the teaching of culture in the target language at the FLAG/SCOLT conference in Atlanta. She has also published lesson plans in The Classicist, the Georgia Classical League’s journal.

She is currently a member of the American Classical League, the Foreign Language Association of Georgia, and the Georgia Classical Association.

Dr. Robert Patrick: K-12 Teacher of the Year Robert Patrick teaches Latin at Parkview High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

He has spent his teaching career in nearly equal parts in Alabama and Georgia. He holds a PhD in Latin and Classical studies from the University of Florida and is a National Board Certified Teacher in World Languages. He has devoted most of his teaching career to applying the theories and best practices of second language acquisition to the teaching and learning of Latin demonstrating that if it’s good for language learning, it’s good for Latin students. He and a colleague in California began the Latin-Best Practices list serve for Latin teachers in 2006 where today nearly 1000 Latin teachers share their use of these modern strategies in teaching this ancient and still very much alive language. This spring, his fourth year students prepared and led tours through the Carlos Museum at Emory University entirely in Latin for 100 of Parkview’s third year students. He is a long time participant and advocate of immersion intensives (which are growing in number and participation every year) for Latin teachers and sits on the board of the North American Institute of Living Latin Studies (NAILLS/SALVI) as well as the board of North American Cambridge Classics Project. He has taught workshops for Latin and other language teachers all over the US and in the UK teaching Comprehensible Input strategies and showing teachers how to begin to implement them. He has published articles on these pedagogical issues in Teaching Classics Online as well as The Journal of Classics Teaching.

Named the 2012 Latin Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Classical Association, he is the current editor of The Classicist, the Association’s journal.

Miyuki Johnson: K-12 Leadership Award Miyuki Johnson is a native of Japan and has been teaching Japanese in the United States since 1996. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of West Georgia in 1998.

She previously taught Japanese at the following educational institutions: Georgia Institute of Technology, Agnes Scott College, and North Cobb High School. She is currently teaching Japanese in Fulton County at Elkins Pointe Middle School. She has also served the Japanese community in the following capacities: as a board member and as president of the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese (GATJ), as a committee member of the Japan Challenge and the Japanese Speech Contest in Georgia, and as a board member of the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers (NCJLT). Since 2010, she has served as the National Japanese Exam Test Development Chair for NCJLT (since 2012 known as the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)). In 2011, she was chosen as one of the 15 Japanese teachers from the nation to serve as a supervisor for the Japanese Language Education Assistants Program (J-LEAP), which is funded by the Japanese government and administered by the Japan Foundation and Laurasian Institution.

7FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

7

News from Georgia Colleges and Universities The Department of Foreign Languages at KSU offers the B.A. in Modern Language and Culture, Business, and Education with three options for a "primary language": French, German, or Spanish. KSU also offers an MAT in Spanish and Chinese. The Department offers minors in Chinese Studies, French & Francophone Studies, German Studies, Italian Studies, and Spanish.

Teacher Certification is also available through the Alternative Teacher Preparation (ATP) Program in Foreign Languages which offers a non-degree undergraduate program leading to P-12 teacher certification in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, or Spanish. It is open to foreign language teachers who are currently employed full-time and have a temporary certificate-professional, provisional, intern, conditional, permit, etc. Upon admission, candidates receive an individualized certification plan. Please visit the KSU website (http://foreignlanguages.hss.kennesaw.edu/) for complete information on all programs.

Georgia Southern University offers B.A. degrees in Modern Languages with concentrations in French, German, and Spanish. In addition, Georgia Southern offers coursework in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Latin and Yoruba. Georgia Southern offers students a variety of study abroad opportunities in France, Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Programs vary from four to six weeks in the summer to semester-long programs during the academic year. Scholarships are available.

Georgia Southern offers an M. A. degree in Spanish. Total number of hours required for the M.A. degree is 30 hours. Courses include History of the Language, Phonetics, Survey of 16th and 17th century drama in Spain, Colonial Spanish American Literature, Contemporary Spanish American Culture and Civilization and Second Language Acquisition. A number of Teaching Assistantships are available for M.A. students.

Georgia Southern University also offers the Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish. The program is designed to prepare graduate students who have attained an advanced proficiency in Spanish with the necessary training to be effective foreign language teachers at the elementary, middle and high school level. The coursework covers general principles of education, educational research, second language acquisition, foreign language curriculum and methods, and graduate level Spanish. In addition a student in the MAT program works with different mentor teachers at the university, secondary, middle school and elementary levels culminating in a full-time internship.

Location is not a barrier to your begin student in the MAT in Spanish program at Georgia Southern University: 100% of the coursework can be taken in an online and study abroad format.

8FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

8

Georgia State University The Department of Modern and Classical Languages at Georgia State University offers instruction in 12 world languages and innovative programs of study. The mission of the Department is to give students the opportunity to develop appropriate proficiencies in the modern and classical languages, to acquaint students with the literary and cultural productions of other countries, and to provide them the opportunity to acquire critical skills through literary and cultural analysis as they prepare for careers in teaching and research, business, translation and interpretation and other areas. As a core element in the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of internationalization, the Department promotes international involvement by both faculty and students through programs such as our Language & International Business programs, International Economics & Modern Languages programs, study abroad/student exchange programs, undergraduate foreign language clubs, and conferences with international speakers/scholars. Current study abroad programs include Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and Germany to name a few. Georgia State University also offers a program in Teacher Certification in Spanish, French, German, Latin, and some less commonly taught languages such as Japanese and Chinese.

FLAG Spoken Language Contest 2012 Rhonda Wells, DeKalb County It was a banner year for the Foreign Language Association of Georgia Spoken Language Contests.

Thanks to Charles Neidlinger, District Coordinator for World Languages, we added another contest site in Savannah/Chatham County.

In all, approximately 730 students competed from around the state in the languages of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, and German. Students were evaluated on their ability to communicate in the target language by engaging in a conversation with an interviewer. Latin students competed in an oratorical contest. Students competed for a Superior, Excellent or Notable rating.

A special thank you to all of the teachers and students who helped make all of the contests a success. A special thank you to the faculties and staff of Coastal Middle School (Savannah/Chatham Schools); Decatur High School; Darton College (Albany); and Sharon Elementary School (Walton County).

It is the hope that more contests can take place around the state during the 2012-2013 school year.

If you are interested in hosting a contest, please email the Vice President of Language Contests, Rhonda Wells, at rhonda_L_wells@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us for more information.

The Metro Spoken Language Contest will take place on March 23, 2013 at Shiloh High School in Gwinnett County. Dates for all other contests will be announced on the Foreign Language Association of Georgia website (flageorgia) in the fall.

9FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

9

Georgia Department of Education From the Georgia DOE Languages and Global Initiatives Program Dear Georgia World Languages Colleagues: The 2011 – 2012 school year was a time of excitement and anxiety for all of us and, as in any time of great change, there are seeds of opportunity! As we emerge from the Great Recession (faster please!), it’s becoming increasingly clear to our partners at all levels that global competence and language proficiency can no longer be hollow terms to bandy about, but instead must be seriously embedded in the curriculum. To this end, we’ve made concentrated outreach to our partners in the business community to learn what it is that they need from employees in the 21st Century, and we were thrilled to report that hiring departments at global companies now move applicants who’ve participated in a meaningful global experience to the very top of the hiring pile. A high-ranking representative from a major employer in Georgia told me recently that one of the biggest challenges that her company has is in finding new-hires who can collaborate on diverse international teams and whom her company can send overseas to conduct business successfully. Unfortunately from the standpoint of advocacy, most parents of our students were able to reach the top of their field without speaking a language other than English or having never lived overseas for an extended period of time. In the economy following this recession, that will no longer be the case. From hiring departments to college enrollment centers we are consistently hearing that long-series language study that leads to real-world proficiency, and interest in international exchange and study abroad is the main competitive advantage that an employee or student can bring to the table. One university simply told me that a student who has studied abroad and whose AP.score on a world language exam was a 4 or 5 is immediately placed on the top of the pile!

To better align our proficiency-based world languages programs of study with the goals of our partner agencies and leaders in industry, we are launching the Georgia International Workforce Development Initiative. Through this initiative, Georgia schools have made meaningful connections with partners abroad to provide international, career-focused learning opportunities for students. The purpose of this initiative is to provide seamless integration of this work from elementary through higher education and as pipelines to jobs in global businesses. In addition this initiative will ensure statewide equity and access for K-12 and post-secondary students to advancedlevel, proficiency-based language study in world languages deemed vital to national security and economic development by the Department of Defense and the Georgia business and economic communities. The initiative will be made up of three program components that will be supported by the GaDOE, the Technical College System of Georgia and the University System of Georgia including: a focus on providing career-based job-shadowing opportunities for administrators and teachers as well as career-based study abroad opportunities for students; support for our university partners, including support for summer language academy programs; and a focus on dualimmersion education, this includes the goal of streamlining the certification process for dualimmersion teachers from abroad as well as providing opportunities for Georgia teachers to teach in dual-immersion programs in France and other countries. This initiative supports Georgia House Bill 400: Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act (BRIDGE Act), the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) and the Go Build Georgia Campaign, and the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Career Pathways Initiative (HB 186) and supports the new graduation rule and future Hope Scholarship requirements. Additionally, and for the first time, instruction in world languages has been embedded in the new Georgia Performance Index (the index that will replace the requirements of AYP) at the elementary, middle and high school level. Consequently, schools in levels K-12 will now receive meaningful bonus points for implementing long-series language study at all levels.

10FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

10

Georgia Department of Education As a state, things continue to look up for world languages enrollment. Schools across our state are teaching (in order of enrollment) Spanish, French, Latin, German, Chinese, Japanese, ASL, Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Classical Greek, Korean, and Italian. Our schools are also implementing courses to support native language literacy and Spanish for Native Speakers. The national enrollment for K-12 programs in a state is 18%, while Georgia’s enrollment is considerably higher – and one of the highest in the nation. From 2009 to 2010, statewide enrollment jumped from 17% to 23% (a six percent increase)! This huge increase can be attributed primarily to the large increase in the number of career, technical and agricultural students who are studying language. Consequently, look for new pathways and new language courses that will support the college and career goals of all students in Georgia.

To create meaningful school partnerships, we are working with our Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) partners in Nancy-Metz, France, Saxony, Germany, and Bavaria, Germany to align K-20 classrooms overseas with willing partners in Georgia. This year, we welcomed high school students from France to traditional and technical high schools across the state, and helped to facilitate the first-ever delegation of media-studies students between a technical college in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and Chattahoochee Technical College. Other memoranda are in development, including an upcoming partnership with the department of education in Costa Rica.

To support these exciting goals, we recently hired three new individuals to support the great work of Georgia teachers and administrators. Dr. Greg Barfield, formerly of Cobb County Schools is the new Program Specialist for International Affairs. Dr. Barfield began at the GaDOE on May 1, 2012 and will be the primary contact for any school that would like to develop a partnership with a school abroad. Also, Petra Reuter, the German Language Advisor for the Federal Republic of Germany has moved her office from Miami, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia and is supporting German programs across the state through implementation of the highly-regarded Deutsches Sprachdiplom.

Last year, we were thrilled when more students passed this exam in Georgia than in any other state in the Southeast. Passing this exam entitles students to attend university in Germany. We are also contracting with Ben Shivers, our language advisor in Saxony, Germany. Ben is our contact on the ground in Germany and is meeting with German schools and businesses to create careerfocused language and cultural connections for teachers and schools in Georgia. And for the first time in decades, the Georgia State Legislature is providing a limited amount of funding for program development around international career development opportunities. To facilitate these goals, Denis Brosnan, a corporate development specialist is on board, meeting with companies that represent every language and culture represented in Georgia and aligning their educational outreach and job training programs with state employment goals and language and international education programs.

As the economy of Georgia realigns to the expectations of a faster, more nimble, and more dynamic world economy, world languages and global competence are front and center. With this come the expectations that students leaving our classrooms will be experts in their chosen region of study and will be able to demonstrate meaningful proficiencies that are measurable against the ACTFL performance scale. As you move forward with plans for your own language study program, please keep in mind that you many of you are likely the only teacher in your school who has ever spent time abroad immersed in language and culture, and that you may therefore be the only person in your building who is communicating how life-changing experiences such as these can be. Please consider yourself the ambassador for all things global in your building. In fact, many teachers have already begun adding the phrase “Language Teacher and Global Education Coordinator” to their email signature line!

11FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

11

Georgia Department of Education World language instruction is a key component to State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge’s goal of making education work for all Georgians, and he has consistently stressed the need for global learning opportunities and world languages to play a key role all initiatives at from the state level. If you or your school is interested in a partnership at any level, kindergarten through university, please contact Dr. Barfield at gbarfield@doe.k12.ga.us. In the meantime, please help to ensure that every teacher has a voice in advocating for language instruction, sharing best practices, and becoming part of the greater conversation for the future of Georgia’s workforce by joining FLAG. Thanks to each and every language teacher in Georgia for the success of our state’s programs.

Thanks to our many language affiliate groups, to our consular and international chamber of commerce partners, and thanks to the district leaders, building-level leaders, and others who support our teachers and students every day. Often, it might seem that nobody beyond your classroom is aware of your hard work and success, but I’m writing to send the message that our call for a globally competent and multi-lingual society is resonating like never before. Please keep up the amazing work.

Yours, Jon Valentine Program Manager: Languages and Global Initiatives Georgia Department of Education

Dr. Elizabeth Combier, Distinguished Professor Our very own FLAG President, Dr. Elizabeth Combier, received the title of Distinguished Professor. She was featured in the North Georgia College & State University Parents Alumni Weekend 2012 brochure. "Dr. Combier is a Professor of Spanish & French and faculty member since 2001, and deploys her considerable talents as instructor, mentor, advisor, friend, and patriot in support of all North Georgia students, faculty, and community."

12FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

12

President's Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Lynne McClendon Congratulations to Lynne McClendon! She received the Lifetime Achievement Award given by FLAG President, Dr. Elizabeth Combier, at our conference luncheon. She is a longtime and lifetime member of FLAG (President 1987-89) and served as Executive Director for the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (1998-2012). Mrs. McClendon was delighted to be so honored and spoke to the audience about how thrilled she was to receive this award. She also spoke about how FLAG co-founder, Lillie B. Hamilton, impacted her life as an educator and leader.

After doing a remarkable job as Executive Director of the Southern Conference on Language Teaching for 14 years, Lynne McClendon has retired. Her leadership in SCOLT was the culmination of a long career of service to the foreign language community. Ms. McClendon began her career as a Latin teacher at North Springs High School in Fulton County in 1970 and served as Foreign Language department chair there until 1987. From there she became the Foreign Language and ESOL coordinator for Fulton County from 1987 to 2000. Due to her success as a coordinator, Ms. McClendon worked as interim Executive Director for K-12 Curriculum for Fulton County for 2 years. She has helped out as an adjunct instructor at Georgia State University and as a trainer and consultant for the Georgia DOE and CASIE. Ms. McClendon has received numerous awards and grants and has published several articles as well as manuals and handbooks. Her commitment to foreign languages has been unparalleled. Lynne McClendon, thank you for all you have done to promote and support languages in Georgia and throughout the southeast.

Mary Ellen Foye Recipient of the FLAG President's Award 2012 At this year's SCOLT/FLAG/SEALLT Conference, Dr. Elizabeth Combier, President of FLAG, presented longtime member and outstanding FLAG Treasurer/Administrator with the President's Award. Mrs. Foye is most deserving of this achievement due to her many years of work for the association.

Since her arrival in Georgia in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Mary Ellen Foye has been a longtime supporter of foreign languages in Georgia. She has attended and assisted with over 20 state and national Junior Classical League conventions. She was responsible for booking transportation and lodging for Georgia participants to the national convention, and she tallied scores for both state and national convention competitions.

In 1998, Mary Ellen joined the Flag Board as Treasurer, and the following year, her title was changed to Treasurer/Administrator. She has continued serving in that position since then. Not only does she oversee FLAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finances, she also maintains all membership information and assists in coordinating the conference each year. At the conference, she can found at the registration booth from the beginning through the end of the conference in order to assist our members. She greets everyone with a smile and makes them feel welcome at all FLAG events. FLAG wishes to thank Mary Ellen for her years of dedication to our association.

13FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

13

JNCL- NCLIS Information from Dr. Barfield We have received the following report from a variety of sources . To see this very valuable 121page report from the Council on Foreign Relations entitled "US Education Reform and National Security" by former NYC Education Chancellor Joel Klein and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice see the link below. http://www.cfr.org/united-states/us-education-reform-national-security Here are a few excerpts from the report being conveyed by our members and friends: "Americans' failure to learn strategic languages, coupled with a lack of formal instruction about the history and cultures of the rest of the world, limits U.S. citizens' global awareness, cross-cultural competence, and ability to assess situations and respond appropriately in an increasingly interconnected world." "...all students should have access to high-quality foreign language programs starting in the earliest grades. If all Americans grew up proficient in at least one language in addition to English, and if instruction about other countries' histories and culture were built into the standard K-12 curriculum, young people would develop better understandings of world cultures and be better equipped to converse, collaborate, and compete with peers worldwide."

"The Task Force members believe America's educational failures pose five distinct threats to national security: threats to economic growth and competitiveness, threats to U.S. physical safety, threats to intellectual property, threats to U.S. global awareness, and threats to U.S. unity and cohesion.â&#x20AC;?

"The United States is not producing enough foreign-language speakers to staff important posts in the U.S. Foreign Service, the intelligence community, and American companies. A GAO report found that the State Department faces 'foreign language shortfalls in areas of strategic interest.'"

In Memoriam Winona Babb Robuck of Acworth, Georgia died at home on April 25, 2012.

She was 71 years old. She was a loving wife and mother. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Phillip Robuck, her daughter, Regina Robuck and her brother, Kelly Babb of Chatsworth, Georgia. She moved to Acworth in 1960 to teach school at North Cobb High School. Her career spanned 41 years of teaching Latin at North Cobb High School, Harrison High School and finishing her career with 10 years at The Walker School. She retired in 2008. She received many accolades including Teacher of the Year on several occasions. She touched so many young lives; it would be hard to set a number. She encouraged her students and they followed her bidding. She loved them and they loved and adored her. She lived her life with quality and dignity.

To honor her memory, the Winona Robuck Foreign Language Scholarship Fund has been established at Harrison High School in Cobb County.

14FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

14

AATF Georgia Chapter Report 2011-2012

We had our fall meeting in November 2011, the topic was "la parlure dans le monde francophone."

We had people from France (Britany and center of France), Belgium, Quebec and Switzerland do presentations on the differences in accents and vocabulary in their respective regions. It was very interesting since it gave everyone a chance to learn new words and specific cultural elements of specific countries. We also had members of the French consulate and the Quebec delegation come and present opportunities for French teachers and students.

As in the past year AATF was a co-partner of the francophone festival (www.francophonieatlanta.org). For the past 4 years, AATF has been a member of the organization committee and is very active in organizing events for the festival. We had about 20 members of AATF join the friendship brunch at the St Regis hotel in Atlanta. This year again we had an overwhelming number of students taking "le Grand Concours". Last year we had the 3rd largest number of students taking the French National Exam in the US and we hope to do better this year.

We only had 3 elementary schools taking it this year and we would love to have more elementary schools join next year.

Congratulations to Kadidia V. Doumbia, who has been selected as the 2012 recipient of the AATF ISE Language Matters Award. This award recognizes a teacher who does an outstanding job getting students to speak French through motivation and creative methods. In addition, the teacher provides authentic immersion experiences outside the classroom for students to practice their language skills. The award also includes a cash prize from Intercultural Student Experiences. The AATF hosted their national award ceremony in Chicago, May 31, to which Ms. Doumbia was invited. We are very proud of her for receiving such a distinguished award .

Our fall meeting will take place near Macon, Ga. at the beginning of November. The theme for this year is "Dealing with the economic situation in the world and how it affects the European Union and the US". More details about the conference will be found after the summer on the AATFga website. (http://sites.google.com/site/aatfga/) On our website, there is also a lot of information concerning French positions in the state of Georgia. If anyone is looking for a teacher for the fall or looking for a job in the fall, they need to look on the website or contact me at aatfga@gmail.com Stephane Allegnon President The FLAG listserv has grown substantially over the years.

Are YOU signed up?

Go to http://www.flageorgia.org/board/feed-list.htm The listserv keeps you up-to-date on what is happening in our Foreign Language Community.

15FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

15

AATG Georgia Chapter Report 2011-2012 AATG-GA began its activities in 2011 with our annual Sprachbad now at the Goethe Center in Atlanta in order to save on expenses. This immersion day with the motto „Aus der Praxis, für die Praxis“ was organized again by Robin Huff (Georgia State University) and Michaela Claus-Nix (South Forsyth HS). German instructors from all over the state participated in presentations and activities relevant to all levels of German instruction. At this event Uwe Neuhaus (Chamblee HS) gave a very well-received presentation on how to prepare upper-level students for the AP German exam.

We continued our new tradition of a Fall Workshop in October 2011, hosted by the University of Georgia and organized by Inge DiBella (UGA) and Michaela Claus-Nix (South Forsyth HS).

Based on results from a poll conducted among AATG-GA members in 2010, we decided to continue to tailor the Fall Workshop to the needs of teachers participating in our annual State Convention. Hence, the theme of the workshop was Deutsche Städte. Around twenty participants engaged in discussion of several presentations throughout this day-long workshop, which was declared an overwhelming success by all those completing the workshop evaluation The annual State German Convention (SGC) was held at Camp Jackson in Covington, Ga. the last weekend in January and was attended by over 350 high-school students from all over the State.

The theme of this year’s convention, organized by Kevin Keough (McIntosh HS), was Musik – Gestern und Heute. At the plenary AATG-GA session at SGC, AATG members and their accomplishments were celebrated and it was discussed how to promote German in financially hard times.

In May, we held our annual AATG-GA honors night at the Goethe Center in Atlanta (formerly Goethe Institute) where we recognized students who scored over 85% on the National German Exam. Also honored were our Teacher of the Year, Dot Kemptner (Northview HS), Langenscheidt Award Recipient, Britney DeRosa (South Forsyth HS), and Student of the Year, Justian Mayer (Northview HS). We also celebrated this year’s Governors Honors candidates, Congress Bundestag Scholarship recipients, Collegiate Scholarship awardees, and GLOW Award recipients.

AATG-GA helped sponsor one high-school student to participate in the AATG-PAD program; provided a stipend to our Student of the Year; and sponsored the Sprachbad (no admission fees) and the State German Convention. We will continue to explore other ways of enhancing German instruction in Georgia through financial assistance. We are seeking new ways of revenue by inviting sponsorships from German companies, e.g. the German Consulate in Atlanta sponsored the awards at the State German Convention.

The Salzburger Project Committee under the leadership of Ed Weintraut (Mercer University) completed its research and work – thanks to a chapter project grant from AATG National. The project committee provided authentic teaching materials and presented those at the Fall Workshop in Athens and on our website www.georgia.aatg.org.

Michaela Claus-Nix President, AATG-GA

16FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

16

AATSP Georgia Chapter 2011-2012 The Georgia Chapter of AATSP enjoyed another exciting year of programs and opportunities for teachers and students in the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Our student accomplishments this year included successful competitions for the AATSP High School Poster Contest, the FLES/MS Poster Contest, the High School and College/University Composition Contests, National Spanish Exam, Students of the Year Awards, and Spanish Immersion Camp.

Stan Tucker announced the AATSP High School Poster Contest winners in October whose artwork brought to life this year’s theme Spanish Opens Doors. Our winners this year were: First Place – Constance Perkins, Gwinnett School of Science, Math and Technology (Teacher-Nicole D’Antonio), Second Place – Kelly Glennon, GSMAT (Teacher-Nicole D’Antonio), Third Place – Jamal Bullard, Lowndes HS (Teacher-Carmen Ruddle), and honorable mentions going to J B Singco of North Oconee HS (Teacher – Laura Harrison) and Ashley Cooper of Lowndes HS (Teacher – Carmen Ruddle). They received award certificates, gift certificates, and their impressive creations are featured on our chapter website. The next contest will be held in the fall of 2012, and the deadline will be in early October.

Vicki Welch Alvis, Elementary/Middle School Member-at-Large, announced the winners of the FLES/MS Poster Contest in April. The students compete in three categories: K-3, 4-5, 6-8. This year’s theme was: El estudio de las lenguas en 2012: El camino al éxito and the winners were: Grades K-3 First Place Caelyn Grimes, who also placed 1st nationally, Círculo de Amistad (Teacher – Marcia Grimes)), Second Place Ava Kennedy, Athens Academy (Teacher – Crystal Vicente), Third Place Chip Scott, Athens Academy (Teacher – Crystal Vicente) ; Grades 4-5 First Place Anjali Patel, Athens Academy (Teacher – Crystal Vicente), Second Place Carrie A. Grimes, Círculo de Amistad (Teacher – Marcia Grimes), Third Place Maggie McMahon, who also placed 3rd nationally, Parsons Elementary School (Teacher – Joe Frank Uriz); Grades 6-8 First Place Jennie Lee, Autrey Mill Middle School (Teacher – Vicki Welch Alvis), Second Place Kacky Teston, Episcopal Day School (Teacher – Charlotte Jewett), Third Place Maggie Sloe, Autrey Mill Middle School (Teacher – Vicki Welch Alvis). The next contest will start in early 2013.

The window for participation in the High School and College/University Composition Contests, coordinated by Jana Sandarg (Augusta State University) and Carmen Ruddle (Lowndes High School), was open in early March 2012, and students knew their results by late April. All contestants received either a certificate of participation, or an award certificate with Notable, Excellent, or Superior designations. Students at every level of study, including native speakers, are eligible to participate in these contests, which provide valuable feedback for students in college courses emphasizing writing skills, and for students who take the AP Spanish exams in May. Among the students with Superior ratings, one was chosen from each school to receive gift cards from our chapter for being “best of the best” in the Superior category.

The National Spanish Exam was administered between March 1 and April 10, 2012, and all participating students were notified of their results by the end of April. The exam continues to be offered electronically. Each year the number of participants has grown following the initial years of change that presented a technological challenge for many schools. This year the total number of students taking the exam in Georgia exceeded 9000. Teachers are now receiving their scores electronically, and the Georgia Chapter coordinator, Stan Tucker, sends a cash award to the students receiving first through third place in levels one through six. In addition, all students who had participated in both the National Spanish Exam and AATSP-GA Spanish Immersion Camp received the Lázaro Herrera Award, which paid for the majority of their camp fee this year. Any teacher

17FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

17

who had difficulties with administering the exam this year is encouraged to contact our coordinator in order that their concerns can be communicated to the national directors.

AATSP-GA was fortunate to have superb candidates for Student of the Year awards this year. The 2012 High School Student of the Year is Anise Crane, a student of Cedar Shoals High School, and Spanish student of Salima Bacchus. The 2012 University Student of the Year is Tonya McGowan, a student at Augusta State University, and Spanish student of Dr. Jana Sandarg. All students received plaques from our chapter, and press releases were sent to their hometown newspapers.

AATSP-GA congratulates these exceptional students on their achievements thus far.

Our annual Spanish Immersion Camp was held March 16-18, 2012 at Camp Fortson 4-H Center in Hampton, GA. 134 students arrived on Friday afternoon and spent the rest of the evening getting to know their assigned families, creating family banners, playing games together, attending a bonfire (with smores!), and learning some dances. During the day on Saturday each family traveled to talleres offered in sports, artesanía, dance (both Flamenco and Latin), scavenger hunts, movies, and had time to work with their families on the skit they would present on Sunday morning. Saturday evening afforded the students an opportunity to dress in traje típico and attend Carnaval. Students danced, snacked on freshly made sopapillas and “casi sangria”, competed in speaking challenges, and swung at piñatas. The evening ended with the boys performing a serenata of “Besame mucho” in front of the girls’ dorms. The closing activities on Sunday morning involved a rousing Mercado with much bartering for goods paid for with pesos earned for speaking Spanish throughout the weekend, skits performed by each family, and camp awards. We thank our very energetic camp coordinators for this year, Kristin Hanewald and Velija Causevic, for a fabulous and successful camp weekend. The students were very well behaved, super-motivated to speak Spanish, and willing to participate in all the activities. We look forward to another exciting camp experience next spring.

Our chapter offered the following benefits to teachers and professors this year: an informative professional development conference in September, Teacher and Professor of the Year Awards, Raúl Fernández Travel-Study Award, and New Teacher and Teacher Resource Mini-Grants. We were proud to offer a fantastic fall conference this year on September 24, 2011 at the University of Georgia. The conference was well attended with two tracks running all day for presentation of papers in Spanish and Portuguese and a very enriching conference featuring Peggy Boyles who spoke on meaningful strategies for integrating culture into the foreign language classroom.

In March our chapter was pleased to recognize Sara Griswold of Augusta State University, as the AATSP-GA 2012 Professor of the Year, and the 2012 Secondary Teacher of the Year, DiAnne Johnson of Evans High School. Both educators were honored with a plaque at the FLAG Conference during the AATSP-GA affiliate meeting.

Unfortunately, we did not have candidates for the New Teacher Mini-Grant, or the Teacher Resource Mini-Grant this year, and had no applications for the Raúl Fernández Travel Study Award.

In these economic times, it is such a shame to see these awards go unused. We encourage all current members and new members for the coming year to apply for these monetary awards in 2013.

Details about all of our award winners, chapter activities, deadlines, registration forms, and requirements for all of our activities can be found in our chapter newsletter, Al Día, and on our chapter website at www.aatsp-ga.org.

18FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

18

2012 senior immersion campers from Evans High School wearing traje tĂ­pico at Carnaval

2012 AATSP Winners

Anise Crane Cedar Shoals High School 2012 High School Student of the Year

Tonya McGowan Augusta State University 2012 University Student of the Year

Sara Griswold Augusta State University 2012 Professor of the Year

DiAnne Johnson Evans High School 2012 Secondary Teacher of

19FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

19

Foreign Language Association for International Rapport (FLAIR) FLAIR is an acronym for the Foreign Language Association for International Rapport. Our academic alliance dates from January 16, 1985 and serves counties in Georgia and South Carolina.

We are the second oldest foreign language academic alliance in Georgia (Georgia Southern was the first one established). Our newsletter has been in circulation for twenty-seven years. A brochure detailing what FLAIR is and what we offer, as well as our latest newsletters and student and teacher awardees, is posted on our web page. Visit www.aug.edu/flair.

Conference Our annual FLAIR conference was held at Augusta State University (ASU) on November 6, 2011. The Tuna Universitaria de Salamanca, Spain, was the featured group. Five musicians, called tunos, played folkloric songs in Spanish, described the medieval garb they wore, and explained the traditions of the tuna.

French Concert French students and faculty enjoyed a concert in French given by Eric Vincent on November 7, 2011, at Augusta State University.

Holiday Celebration In December, teachers gathered at the home of Ana Pereira (Cross Creek High School) to enjoy international dishes and discuss Christmas cultural traditions in different countries.

Program on French Topics On February 22nd, Dr. Mallory Millender (Paine College), Dr. Liana Babayan (Augusta State University) and Dr. Eronini Egbujor (Pane College) held a panel, Voices from Augusta and the Francophone World,” on French topics ranging from famous figures to literature and music.“ FLAIR Teacher Grants Grants are available to active FLAIR members who are presenting at a conference, working on a special project, or other similar items. Up to five $100 teacher grants are awarded per year, if funding is available, to active FLAIR teachers. Teachers may receive the grant only once.

Rose Johnson, a French teacher from Grovetown High School, was awarded a grant.

FLAIR Honor Society Induction On March 5, 2012, the FLAIR Honor Society held its 25th induction for high school students. Over seven hundred students from twenty-three high schools became new members. In addition to the new inductees, members from previous inductions received 3rd-year medals, 4th-year pins or 5th-year medals. Graduating seniors who are FLAIR Honor Society members have a FLAIR seal affixed to their high school diploma.

The Augusta Prep Upper School Chorus, directed by Michael Ray, sang several songs, and Jared Gay of ASU sang “De colores.” Awaken, a band from Evans High School, performed songs in Spanish. Band members include Sebastian Gray, Brian Edwards and Taylor Horton. Door prizes for each school were boxes of Girl Scout cookies and chocolate bars. Christy Presgrove (Greenbrier High School), Gina Turner (Augusta Prep) and their students served refreshments at the reception.

FLAIR honored Dr. William Bloodworth, Jr., the president of Augusta State University, who is retiring July 1, 2012. Dr. Bloodworth has been a staunch supporter of foreign languages.

Each high school chooses their outstanding foreign language student, who is recognized at 20FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

20

the FLAIR Honor Society induction with a certificate and a prize, usually a CD of music and a book in the foreign language. The following students were recognized in 2012.

2012 FLAIR Students of the Year Daniel Pate Parham, German, Academy of Richmond County Amelia Hagler, French, Aquinas High School Courtney Thompson, French, Augusta Christian School Erin Brousseau,French & Latin, Augusta Preparatory Day School Brendan Martin, Spanish, Butler High School Keona Jones, Spanish, Cross Creek High School Charlotte Greenway, Spanish, CSRA Home Education Association Amber Dawn Woodham, Spanish, Curtis Baptist High School Shannon Young, Latin, Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School Lane Christian, Spanish, Edmund Burke Academy Taylor Thompson, Spanish, Evans High School Laura E. Shipman, Spanish, Greenbrier High School Calvin Navarre Owens, Spanish, Grovetown High School Ali Sayour, Spanish, Hephzibah High School Jason Brown, German, Lakeside High School Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antione Thomas, French, Lucy Laney High School Arielle Houston, Spanish, North Augusta High School Antonio McKinnie, Spanish, T. W. Josey High School Meghan Toler, Spanish, Washington County High School Pui Wong, French, Westside High School One student from this group is chosen as the FLAIR Outstanding Student of the Year. The 2012 FLAIR Student of the Year is Taylor Thompson, a Spanish student at Evans High School. The 2012 FLAIR Teacher of the Year is Dr. Frederic Leveziel, a Spanish and French professor at Augusta State University. Both received a plaque and a cash award. Their photos are on the FLAIR web page.

Students who are members of the FLAIR Foreign Language Honor Society and teachers who are active members of FLAIR are eligible to receive a $250 award for participating in a study abroad program. Only one award for a student and one for a teacher will be awarded per year.

They must participate in an organized program and the funds will be disbursed after receiving official documentation of completion of the program.

Movie Night All FLAIR honor society members were invited to Movie Night on March 12th at Augusta State University. Teachers showed films in German, French and Spanish, then led discussions in the language. Students enjoyed cookies and soft drinks as they practiced the language and made new friends. Dr. Rob Bledsoe (Augusta State University) led the German discussion; Adam Cowart (North Augusta High School) led the Spanish group; and Terry Meredith (Aquinas High School) and Leslie Dawson (Evans High School) led the French group.

Student & Teacher Study Abroad Awards Students who are members of the FLAIR Foreign Language Honor Society and teachers who are active members of FLAIR are eligible to receive a $250 award for participating in a study abroad program. Only one award for a student and one for a teacher will be awarded per year.

They must participate in an organized program and the funds will be disbursed after receiving official documentation of completion of the program.

21FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

21

Student & Teacher Study Abroad Awards Students who are members of the FLAIR Foreign Language Honor Society and teachers who are active members of FLAIR are eligible to receive a $250 award for participating in a study abroad program. Only one award for a student and one for a teacher will be awarded per year.

They must participate in an organized program and the funds will be disbursed after receiving official documentation of completion of the program.

French Student Exchange Terry Meredith (Aquinas High School) reports that February 2012 marked the 18th year of the exchange between Aquinas High School and St Denis International School in Loches, France. This year families from Augusta Prep and Westminster Schools also hosted students from Saint Denis.

Submitted by: Jana Sandarg FLAIR Steering Committee Member FLAIR newsletter editor Taylor Thompson 2012 FLAIR Student of the Year

Drs. Mallory Millender, Liana Babyan, and Eronini Egbujor speakers for French topics in Black History

22FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

Frederic Leveziel 2012 FLAIR Teacher of the Year

Tuna Universitaria de la Universidad de Salamanca

22

FLAG Spotlight Congratulations Christy Belbey, Dacula High & Erica Poole, South Gwinnett High

by Joe Frank Uriz, Ed.S. Spring 2012

Christy Belbey in Paris, France

I am delighted to write this Spotlight feature article on two dynamic foreign language teachers, both from Gwinnett County Public Schools, Christy Belbey, who teaches French at Dacula High, and Erica Poole, who teaches Spanish at South Gwinnett. Their incredible and innovative teaching styles and creative nature in the foreign language and education field have led these two great educators to receive the noble honor of Teacher of the Year at their respective schools. They were honored at the GCPS Teacher of the Year Banquet on November 3rd at the Gwinnett Civic Center.

23FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

Ms. Belbey has been teaching French since 1993, beginning at Stone Mountain Junior High and later in 1994 arriving to teach French at Dacula High School (levels I.–V.), plus she was the department chair from 2002 to 2005. During her years of teaching, she has garnered several honors, such as Georgia High School Teacher of the Year for the American Association Teachers of French (2009), local Teacher of the Year Finalist (2002, 2003, 2011), Teacher of the Month (May 2002), listing among Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1996, 1998), National Society of High School Scholars, Educator of Distinction (2008), and the GCPS Foreign Language Program PEAK Award in Exemplary Foreign Language Instruction (2008–2011).

She earned her degrees in Georgia with an Associate of Arts, Liberal Arts from Young Harris College, Bachelor of Arts in French (1992), and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Pedagogy (1999), both from Georgia State University. She attended the Universite de Montreal (summer 1990), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and earned her teaching certificate from Jacksonville University, Florida. (story continues on page 2)

23

Christy Belbey continued Ms. Belbey has always been a very actively involved French teacher and believes in teaching students the importance of French culture by regularly organizing educational trips to France for students (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010). She has a great “amour” for teaching her students about French culture and the importance of broadening the mind culturally. Belbey says, “I have made it my goal to encourage Dacula’s students to experience other cultures first hand through travel and study abroad. Go abroad and see the world, and then decide for yourself the validity of another culture’s way of life.”

She has even taught workshops on sports, cooking, art, and music at the French Immersion Camp offered by Georgia’s American Association of Teacher of French (AATF) and went as far as to facilitate French Immersion workshops for teachers. She has served as Georgia’s AATF French Contest Administrator.

Furthermore, she has proved her achievements as an extremely active and efficacious educator at her high school by sponsoring French Club and French Honor Society, and is always on the cutting edge of the latest technology in foreign language education as a “techspert” for the Foreign Language Labs, where her students engage in meaningful conversational activities in the French language through the various authentic speaking activities she creates.

24FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

Christie Belbey (above) & Erica Poole (below) receiving their awards at the November Teacher of the Year Banquet

At the county level, she is an author for the online GCPS Communication Center website, which provides foreign language teachers with activities, games, PowerPoint presentations, songs, and music and much more for their classrooms. She was honored with her TOTY plaque at the 2011 banquet. Congratulations!

24

ERICA POOLE South Gwinnett High

Erica Poole, performing in Fronteras 2011

Erica Poole has been an outstanding Spanish Teacher at South Gwinnett High School since 1997, and also has taught as an Adjunct Faculty member at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA, where she taught conversational Spanish to adults in the Continuing Education program.

Before teaching in the Gwinnett County Schools, she taught 7th and 8th grade Spanish in the DeKalb County School System at Miller Grove Middle School.

Erica earned her AB in Romance Languages and a Certificate in Global Studies from the University of Georgia (1994), Masters of Arts in Teaching Spanish from Piedmont College (1999), certificates in the Portuguese Immersion School from Middlebury College, Vermont (June, 2005) and in Faculty Development in International Business for Business Spanish at the University of South Carolina (June, 2006).

She has a knack for languages and

speaks fluent Spanish and BrazilianPortuguese. Her work outside of the foreign language classroom extends to the international business world. She has translated business literature for a variety of companies such as Sprayglo Auto Refinishing and Body Repair and Classic Ground Covers. In addition, she served as an interpreter for visiting Brazilian music professors at the University of Georgia School of Music back when she attended.

She is the owner of her own business known as 3 in 1 Corporate Language Trainer, LLC. Erica has a great passion for flamenco dancing and teaches her students this great art form as well as the importance of culture generally. Studying the percussive artistry of flamenco dance allows her to hone her ear to its extensive footwork vocabulary and to apply intricate rhythms whereby she stays inspired to learn its language. As a result, Erica's teaching goal for her students is for them to remain motivated outside of class to always apply and refine their Spanish skills. She has been very active in the Flamenco dance community by serving as a volunteer staff writer for Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online Flamenco Newsletter at jaleole.com. As a matter of fact, she performed a Flamenco dance at the 2008 Teacher of the Year ceremony at her school, which can serve as a total full circle moment for Erica inasmuch as she was honored with her TOTY plaque at the Gwinnett County 2011 banquet. Congratulations! â&#x2C6;&#x17E;

Joe Frank Uriz, Ed.S. Foreign Language Association of Georgia

Please send any information and/or news on any excellent World Language Teachers Leaders "caught in the act" of doing a excellent job in your school/district and/or foreign language events your school/district may be celebrating (such as awards, contests, festivals, performances, camps, etc.)

These announcements will be posted on ISSU and FLAG facebook

25FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

25

What Works in Chinese Class Anyun Ming, Coastal Middle School, Savannah, Ga. What Works in Chinese Class by Anyun Ming, Coastal Middle School, Savannah, Ga. Classroom management is new to Chinese teachers from China. Without good classroom management we cannot instruct. What should we do to ensure a good learning environment?

First, we should have clear awareness of the difference between Chinese students and American students. Second, we should have clear and concise classroom procedures. Third, we should be consistent with our classroom procedures. Fourth, we should change the way of teaching in China and last but not the least, positively engaging parents in education. Every teacher has a question in his mind when he begins teaching. The question is what type of instructional strategies work best to improve students’ achievement. The author thinks the best strategy to help students learn is to have good classroom management for Chinese classes in America.

“Classroom management is the key to good teaching.”(Breaux, 2003) What is classroom management? According to Wong (2009), classroom management refers to all of the things a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so student learning can take place.

However, for Chinese teachers, especially those just from China, the greatest challenge is classroom management in the American classes because students are quite different from those in China. Most teachers will not have such a kind of awareness. They are just worried about what to teach and how to teach.

Teaching is a bilateral activity. If the students don’t listen or don’t cooperate with the teacher, the teaching will be a failure. So the first thing for successful teaching is how to 26FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

make the students concentrate on what you are teaching.

What should we Chinese teachers do to ensure our teaching will go smoothly and successfully?

Be aware of the difference between Chinese and American students First, the requirements for foreign language learning are different. English as a foreign language in China is a required subject that all students have to take; however, in America, Chinese is a subject that helps students learn more about the culture and the people of the countryChina. In other words, students learn Chinese out of interest. Therefore, the students in America may take Chinese just for some external factors, such as, teacher or parental suggestion or personal enjoyment. For example, in order to learn more about the reasons my students enrolled in my class, I created a survey before we began our lessons. The data indicated more than 80% of the students took Chinese because of others’ decision. About 70% said they did not know who made the decision for them to study Chinese. More than 10% remarked that their parents wanted them to learn Chinese.

Less than 20% said that they made the decision by themselves.

Second, the students have different motivation for language learning. Chinese students have to take a national entrance examination to attend college. They have very clear motivation to learn English as well. However, American students do not have such pressure. Even if most of the students are concerned about their grades, they tend to vary in the amount of effort to learn the language because they do not have to take a national entrance examination in order to go to college or university.

Third, the focus of each class is different. To teach Chinese students, the teacher has to take 26

into account what makes his lesson interesting and informative. However, due to the personality characteristics of American children, in America, the teacher has to use a lot of activities or games to teach the content. Without activities or games, it is hard to keep students concentrating on what they are learning. They hope the teacher will make what they have to learn enjoyable and creative. They want to DO something. What the teacher must do is to keep the classroom quiet first, and then he can teach.

An important skill for a teacher is to manage the class well.

Classroom Management is the most important thing in American schools “How you manage the classroom is the primary determinant of how well your students will learn.” (Wong, 2009, P81) Chinese teachers usually do not have clear understanding of why they should have classroom management and what the classroom management is at the beginning because teachers in China usually need not do much to manage the class. They have more than 50, even more than 60 students in one class. If they have to spend much time managing class, they may not have any time to teach. Students in China generally participate in class and are usually cooperative with teachers in class. If a teacher does not have good classroom management in America at first, he will not experience successful teaching later because “What you do on the first day of school will determine your success or failure for the rest of the school year.” (Wong, 2009, P3) What should we do with classroom management?

“The tone you set on the very first day of school will help to set the stage for the rest of the school year.” (Breaux, 2003) Before a teacher begins to teach, the first thing he should do is to make a structured and clear classroom management plan. What he should do next is to explain every item and give students an exemplar of some items so as to 27FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

ensure everyone has fully understood them. I have the following classroom procedures: ● The rules of courtesy. When someone is talking, you listen. Raise your hand when you want to answer questions. ● Be in your assigned seat and stay on task. ●We will only use appropriate and respectful language in the classroom.  Have your notebook, pencil and other Chinese class materials ready for the class. Pencil and eraser are necessary for writing Chinese. Keep all written work clear and clean. ● No food, drinks, gum, or edible items are allowed in the classroom.

Effective teachers manage their classrooms.

Ineffective teachers discipline their classrooms.

(Wong, 2009) There was one Spanish teacher in our school, who made a lot of rules and consequences, however, her class was a mess. There were a lot of students talking and walking around. She always held a trash basket to help students put trash in it. A few weeks later she couldn’t manage the class, and she spent all of her time keeping the class quiet. In the morning she didn’t have time to take attendance, because so many students were talking and the classroom became so chaotic that she could do nothing but watch students.

This was just like what Wong (2009) said: “In an ineffective classroom, the teacher is constantly concerned with student behavior.” (Wong, 2009,P83) Be consistent with a classroom management plan and review it from time to time.

Classroom management is actually a teacher’s class policy. To keep class going smoothly and successfully, the policy must be consistent.

Otherwise, a classroom management plan won’t work at all or just for a very short time because of the inconsistency.

I have new students to come to my class every now and then. When the new student comes, he doesn’t know what my policy is. He 27

will move around the classroom to throw trash away or drink water because there is a fountain in the classroom. When this phenomenon appears, I stop instructing at once to explain my classroom management plan to them and give them a copy of the plan to read item by item after school and report to me what they know about the policy. In this way, I can successfully manage my class.

“The students must know from day to day how the classroom is structured and organized.” (Wong, 2009) Changing the way of teaching in China Refrain from Lecturing The second challenge that most Chinese teachers face is how much material to cover in one period of class. Most teachers will deal with a lot of content one time just as they did in China. That is another mistake. American students can’t take in so much content at one time.

They can’t concentrate on learning for a long time. If a teacher only delivers large amounts of content, they will be bored.

In the end they will learn nothing.

In China, in order to meet the requirement of the curriculum and the national entrance examination, all the teachers deal with a lot of content, otherwise they may not be able to finish the required content in the scheduled time. When the teachers come to the United States, they are used to teaching a lot of things in one period of class. American students won’t spend much time learning after class. The more that is covered, the less that will be learned. What is worse, too much material will make students bored. What a teacher should know is that few things can be learned only through lecturing.

Use different activities to let students learn and enjoy Anything we teach should be in the form of activities. For example, Chinese characters are very difficult for the American students. When we learn Chinese characters, I use activities, such as telephone, flash cards, flyswatter, go fish and so on. Only in this way can the students 28FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

enjoy learning.

Letting students do more in the learning process.

As a teacher, your responsibility is to plan good and well-organized activities because “Good order is the foundation of all good things.” (Breaux, 2003). Give most of the time to students to do and to experience in the learning process because “people learn more by doing things themselves”.(Serivener, 2002) After all, learning is the students’ business. A teacher can’t replace him or her to do the business. The great educator, Confucius said “I hear and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” William Glasser also said: “Education is the process in which we discover that learning adds quality to our lives. Learning must be experienced.” “We learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss, 80% of what we experience and 95% of what we teach others” (Glasser, 1990).

Assign creative homework Try not to assign too much mechanical work. Instead, we should assign more creative work to students to do. Kathryn Alessandrini and Linda Larson (2002) quote the following about learning in general: “People learn while doing.” For example, when I finished the cultural part of “the Mid-autumn Festival”, I asked the students to retell the stories, such as “cháng’e bényuè, hòuyìshèrì and moon cake” behind the festival by drawing. I gave very few rigid requirements, opting instead for basic guide-lines: a. be creative. b. write the Chinese characters on your drawing. c. you can draw one of the stories or three stories in series. d. make it as beautiful as you can.

This project allows students to remember, research and become well-educated on the Chinese culture and know the similarities and differences of the Chinese culture and American 28

culture.

Engage parents in their children’s learning As one Chinese saying goes, “a good parent is worth 10 good teachers”. Parents are good examples for their children. If they work hard, their children will work hard too. If they behave well, their children will also behave well. From early childhood, parents should begin to teach them what behavior should be avoided or that we should not have a certain kind of behavior.

How should we engage the parents in our students’ education?

Be positive in contacting the parents Contacting parents should become a teacher’s regular duty. We should let the parents know what their child is doing in the school.

We should not wait until there are problems.

We could contact one family per day. Involving parents in their children’s education is both helpful to the teacher and to the child’s family because parents are the most important and first educator of their children.

Reporting the child’s progress to the parents The parents are very concerned about their children’s achievement. They expect to hear about their children’s progress rather than their problems, so we should make positive contact to tell the parents their child’s progress. At the same time we should express our expectation of the child and hope the parents encourage their child to do better. In this way the parents know that you’re really concerned about their child’s study. They will help to educate their child cooperatively. “Approaching all parents with the assumption that they truly do want what’s best for their children, and work cooperatively and professionally with them in helping to achieve a common goal” (Beraux, 2003) is helpful to all.

Conclusion Every teacher has a question in his mind when he begins teaching. The question is what type of instructional strategies works best to improve student achievement. However, just like one thousand persons may have one thousand kinds of faces, each teacher may have a 29FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

different answer, because each class is different. Each class is unique.

No matter whether it is foreign language, mathematics, science or any other subject, the key factors are the teacher and the students.

Teachers need good methods to keep students interested and concentrated. Students need motivation to learn, but first of all, we all have to have a good and peaceful environment. To have this kind of environment, we must have good classroom management.

References Alessandrini, K. & Larson, L. (2007). Teachers Bridge to Constructivism. Educational Psychology, 21,127-128.

Breaux, A. (2003). 101 “Answers” for New Teachers and Their Mentors: Effective Teaching Tips for Daily Classroom Use. Eye On Education, Inc. Jones, F. (1987). Positive Classroom Discipline. McGraw. Hall Inc. Wong, H. (Harry) and R.(Rosemary) (2009).

The First Day of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher. Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

29

Better Teaching Through Better Testing: Integrated Performance Assessment Dr. Noah McLaughlin, Kennesaw State University As foreign language teachers, our to-do lists often seem infinite. Navigating the demands of the immediate and the particular, it is often difficult to step back and reflect upon the effectiveness of our vital, exciting, but sometimes overwhelming work. Even if we do have that opportunity, where can we turn? Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) is an assessment model that creates a beneficial feedback structure that I have found improves both instruction quality and student aptitude.

Last year, I observed that although my students were often conversing in the target language during classroom activities, their conversational skills never developed apace with their abilities in reading and writing. I realized that I never formally (or formatively) assessed the interpersonal mode. However, more assessment wasn't feasible: my students were already producing a plethora of work. I needed something not just outside the box, I needed a whole new box.

Amazon.com doesn't sell “Whole New Boxes for Foreign Language Testing,” but a quick Google for “assess interpersonal mode” finds Integrated Performance Assessment, developed by Bonnie Adair-Hauck et al, during the Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) Design Project, a threeyear (1997-2000) research initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education International Research and Studies Program. The primary goal of the project was to develop an integrated skills assessment prototype that would measure students’ progress towards the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (National Standards, 1999, 2006).

The following pages provide a brief overview of IPA, beginning with a definition of the threestage process of a typical assessment. Next, I highlight some essential instructor practices and then outline some benefits of this assessment model for instructors and students alike. The final portion of this document is a model IPA I developed for FREN 1001, the first-semester introductory French course at Kennesaw State University, designed for ACTFL Novice learners.

30FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

30

What is Integrated Performance Assessment?

IPA is an authentic, performance-based evaluation method that combines all three modes of language (interpretive, interpersonal and presentational) while integrating instruction and assessment into a cohesive, three-stage project.

Textual interpretation This can be either a reading or listening comprehension activity. Within a project, this stage is used to "set the scene" and provide initial cultural and contextual information. It is important that the "text" to be interpreted is authentic, crafted by native speakers for native speakers. Students are assessed on their ability to make linguistic comparisons, identify main ideas and to paraphrase those main ideas. Intermediate-level students are also called upon to infer meaning of new or specialized terms and phrases.

This is a short activity that should take no more than 20 minutes for the students to take and another 20 for the instructor to assess. It is critical that the instructor review this activity with the entire class before proceeding with the assessment.

Interview Based upon the reading and the ultimate goal of the assessment, students interview each other to glean new information and/or perspectives. Ideally, this is a kind of information-gap activity in which students gathers new information to use in the final stage and end-product of the assessment.

This interview should last no longer than five minutes and should be video-recorded. Video recordings facilitate the evaluation of student performance and exemplary performances can be archived to model student output for future classes. Feedback for this stage can be either collective or individual, but should always be conducted in reference to the evaluation rubric and must occur before the students proceed with part three.

Presentation/Writing The ultimate goal of an IPA is either an oral presentation or a written document (essay, brochure, website, etc.) The real-world application or analog of this product should be clear (a job talk, a letter of application to study at a foreign university, a brochure for a guided tour, a how-to guide for preparing a recipe, etc.)

Presentations should be brief: no more than three minutes. Students need to focus on accurate, effective communication, not the sheer amount of information they can dispense. Like stage two, the feedback for this stage should be formative, but it can be either collective or individual. Again, referencing the evaluation rubric is essential, but at the same time responding to the actual content of the performance is part of best practices.

31FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

31

Integrated Performance Assessments continued Essential Instructor Practices The project, especially the end-product, should have a clear real-world analog.

Preview the entire project before it begins, including the evaluation rubrics, and model exemplary performance.

While nearly all student performance is in the target language, feedback can be in either L1 or L2, whichever is most expedient and appropriate for the course level. (The object of feedback is meta-linguistic, not testing student performance.)

You will "teach to the test," but in a good way. Since the evaluation addresses the students' skills in various modes of communication, beneficial instruction covers useful phrases, conversational gambits, skills for interpreting the purpose of a text or inferring meaning of new terms from context, writing or speaking ploys to attract and maintain the attention of the audience, etc.

Note: this approach does not "throw out the baby with the bathwater." Discrete attention to language structures is still an essential part of a course. The rubrics include linguistic accuracy, they just put it on even par with other meaning-making skills.

Benefits of IPA Improved instruction. Research has confirmed a “washback” effect of IPA. During fieldtesting in six pilot sites across the country, “83% of teachers reported that implementation of IPA had a positive impact on their teaching, while 91% reported that the project had a positive impact in their creation of future assessment” (Shrum, 422).

Efficient. By eschewing the traditional division between instruction and evaluation, we can make the most of the limited classroom time that we have with our students.

Comprehensive. Each assessment covers all three modes, assuring that our students accrue skills in each one in a balanced manner.

Flexible. IPA provides for a fast way of designing assessments that fit specific course content while still evaluating students according to best practices.

Editor’s note: the four pages that follow constitute a lift out activity complete with rubrics.

32FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

32

Bibliography Adair-Hauck, et al. “The Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA): Connecting Assessment to Instruction and Learning.” Foreign Language Annals 39.3, Fall 2006: 359-382.

Glisan, Eileen, et al. ACTFL Integrated Performance Assessment Manual. ACTFL.org Sandrock, Paul, “Integrated Performance Assessment.” University of Washington Language Learning Center: Mapping and Enhancing Language Learning in Washington State 5 Nov. 2008. Web. April 2012. <depts.washington.edu/mellwa/Events> Shrum, Judith L. and Eileen W. Glisan, Teacher's Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction. 4th Edition. Boston: Heinle, 2010.

Model Integrated Performance Assessment | FREN 1001 Étudier à KSU !

Introduce a Francophone student to the KSU facilities that you regularly use.

First, you will watch a video about an Alliance Française facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Then, you will discuss your course schedule and study habits with a classmate. Finally, you will create a video or deliver a presentation that introduces a Francophone student to the facilities that you use on campus to study.

For each part of this projet, you will receive detailed feedback. Part I will be reviewed together in class, but the professor will deliver feedback for Parts II and III directly to you online.

Check out ALT Codes or use http://french.typeit.org/ if you need help typing French accents.

33FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

33

I. Interprétation textuelle : L'lliance française à Kuala Lumpur Video link : http://vimeo.com/groups/odysseefrancophone/videos/26801201 L'Alliance française is an organization whose mission is to promote French language and culture all over the world. The Alliance was created in Paris on 21 July 1883 by a group of eminent men, including scientist Louis Pasteur and writer Jules Verne. More than 440,000 students learn French at one of the centers run by the Alliance,. Headquartered in Paris, the AF has locations throughout France for foreign students and 1,071 locations in 133 different countries.

1. Key Word Recognition. From the video, write the French word or phrase that best expresses the meaning of following English terms.

1. are located 2. Let's go !

3. Welcome 4. to promote That's all

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

2. Important words and phrases. Circle the letter of the five ideas mentioned in the video. Note that some of these ideas do not appear!

There is a library.

You can get food at the Alliance française.

There are classrooms.

You can learn to speak French here.

You can take a special exam, called the DELF. There is wireless Internet access There is boarding for foreign students.

The facility is open 24/7.

3. Main idea. Using the information from the video, provide the main idea in your own words in English. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. Cultural Connections. In 2-3 sentences, describe a similar center or organization that you know of, either here at KSU or at another institution. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

34FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

34

II. Interview: Mes études You will be randomly paired with a classmate. (There may be one trio). In no more than five minutes, discuss your course schedule and study habits. Pose simple questions to learn about what facilities your partner uses (or doesn't use) on campus. You may use props for this activity, but they are limited to a simple calendar (such as the preparatory exercise below), or whatever you normally use to organize your schedule.

Préparer. Jot down some information about your weekly schedule in the calendar below. Be sure to include specific times and places about campus.

lundi

mardi

mercredi

jeudi

vendredi

samedi

dimanche

matin aprèsmidi soir

Part II. Evaluation Rubric

Exceeds expectations

Meets expectations

Does not meet expectations

Language Function

Creates with language; able Mostly memorized language Memorized language only; to express own meaning in a with some attempts to create limited to familiar language basic way

Discourse Complexity

Simple sentences and some strings of sentences

Simple sentences and mem- Words, phrases, chunks of orized phrases language and lists

Interaction

Maintains a simple conversation: asks and answers some simple questions

Responds to basic questions; asks a few formulaic questions

Responds to a limited number of formulaic questions

Clarification

Clarifies by asking and answering questions

Clarifies by occasionally seeking substitute words

Clarifies meaning by repeating words and/or using English

Comprehensibility

Generally understood by those accustomed to interacting with language learners

Understood with occasional difficulty by those accustomed to interacting with language learners

Understood primarily by those very accustomed to interacting with language learners

Language Control

Mostly accurate when producing simple sentences in present tense

Most accurate with memorized language, including phrases

Most accurate with memorized language only

Accuracy Context

Accuracy deceases as language becomes more complex

Accuracy decreases when creating, when trying to express own meaning

Accuracy may decrease when attempting to communicate beyond the word level

35FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

35

III. Présentation orale : Étudier à KSU !

Create a video or deliver a presentation that introduces a Francophone student to the facilities that you use on campus to study. Imagine that the student has the same major as you, if you have one already. Your product should last no more than three minutes. Be sure to introduce yourself, your major and point out your favorite places about campus.

Préparer. List the places that your frequent on campus as well places that you think a foreign student studying for the first time in a U.S. university would find helpful. Your product is delivered through a visual medium, so be sure to find some interesting visuals to help illustrate what you're talking about.

Part III. Evaluation Rubric

Exceeds expectations Language Function Creates with language; able to express own meaning in a basic way

Meets expectations

Does not meet expectations

Mostly memorized lanMemorized language onguage with some attempts ly; limited to familiar to create language

Simple sentences and Discourse Complex- Simple sentences and some strings of sentences ity memorized phrases

Words, phrases, chunks of language and lists

Coherence

Provides continuity to a presentation

Focuses on successful task completion

Presented in an unclear and/or disorganized manner

Attention to Audience

Begins to make choices of a phrase, image, or content to maintain the attention of the audience

Uses gestures or visuals to maintain audience's attention and/or interest as appropriate to the purpose

No effort to maintain the audience's attention

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is sufficient to Vocabulary conveys basic Vocabulary is limited provide information and information and/or repetitive limited explanation

Comprehensibility

Generally understood by those accustomed to interacting with language learners

Understood with occasional difficulty by those accustomed to interacting with language learners

Language Control

Mostly accurate when producing simple sentences in present tense

Most accurate with mem- Most accurate with memorized language, includ- orized language only ing phrases Accuracy may decrease Accuracy decreases when when attempting to comcreating, when trying to municate beyond the express own meaning word level

Accuracy deceases as language becomes more complex

36FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

Understood primarily by those very accustomed to interacting with language learners

36

WIA Fourth Graders’ Field Trip to Chinatown

By Yingli Zhang, Chinese Teacher Our fourth grade students from Wesley International Academy just finished the unit called "An Imaginary Trip to China". We began this unit by learning about different continents and countries. We then moved on to the geography, climate, population, transportation, food and clothing of China. We talked about the major cities of China and had an "imaginary trip" to the famous tourist attractions in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

We also learned currency, shopping and bargaining. In order to wrap up this unit, we decided to have a field trip to Chinatown in Atlanta.

Our field trip to Chinatown would provide the students with a great opportunity to experience Chinese language and culture. The activities that we planned allowed the students to apply what they have learned in Chinese class to reallife situations.

After careful planning, our field trip to Chinatown in Atlanta became reality. On February second , at 10:20 am, Ms. Zhang and Ms. Chen boarded the bus with 40 students, 15 chaperones, and 2 homeroom teachers. On February third, at 10:30am, Ms. Wang and Ms. Hu boarded the bus with 36 students, 13 chaperones, and 2 homeroom teachers. Upon arriving at Chinatown, our students, chaperones, and teachers all gathered around the front entrance to take group pictures. Since it was about noon, we headed to the Food Court to eat lunch.

This field trip’s main intent was for the students to get first-hand experience in shopping and bargaining in Chinese. All of the students ordered their food and drinks in Chinese. After eating in the Food Court, they started to interview some native Chinese speakers at the Food Court. While the students were working on their scavenger hunts, they visited the World Journal Bookstore, where some of them bought Chinese dictionaries, Chinese lanterns, Chinese writing brushes, papers, ink sticks and ink stones. They also shopped at the Dinho Supermarket, where a lot of them bought candy and snacks. Some students even tried, with varying degrees of success, to bargain in Chinese with 37FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

the owner of the Gift Shop. Some students even tried their first bubble tea at the bakery. Time flew by and at 1:25pm, when the bus came to pick us up, everyone was reluctant to leave.

Upon returning to Wesley International Academy, all of the students answered questionnaires, giving their opinions and thoughts about the field trip. The students all wrote that this was the best field trip ever, and that they would love to go on a trip like this again. Some students had suggestions for future trips, and we recorded them all. This trip couldn’t have been a success without the parents' support and involvement, our wonderful chaperones and homeroom teachers, and of course, our students.

Student feedback: "I was very nervous to order in Chinese. But when I did it, I was proud of myself. My favorite part was shopping. " "I need to not struggle when I am ordering."

"I learned when I was shopping" "I liked the Dinho supermarket. It is hard to pick. It was a good place."

"My favorite part about the field trip was interviewing the Chinese people."

"I liked doing the scavenger hunt the most."

"The most thing I liked about the field trip is looking at the man make noodles".

Some parents comments on the field trip: " We (parents) were amazed at how much Mandarin the children actually knew and were so very proud of them & grateful to you all for the all the passion you instill in our children for the Chinese culture. This field trip's success was a great reflection of all your efforts...every day."

"The responses from the customers in the food court were confirmation of the success of our Chinese program at Wesley. They were so very impressed with the dialogue taking place."

"We all enjoyed ourselves. This was my first field trip with the school and I hope not my last. The children did very well with their interviews and scavenger hunt. I was very impressed."

37

Pictures from the Wesley Imagine Academy fieldtrip to Chinatown.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: What an excellent example of Performance Based Assessment!

38FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

38

2012 SCOLT/FLAG/SEALT Conference Report

Nearly 600 language educators gathered at the Marriott Century Center in March in Atlanta for this year’s conference, which featured 16 workshops and more than 90 concurrent sessions! Susanna Jemsby from the Center for the Advancement and Study of International Education (CASIE) gave the keynote address on Friday afternoon. Thomas Soth from North Carolina is this year’s SCOLT Teacher of the Year and will compete for the 2013 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year in Philadelphia in November. Bobbi Lynn-Moreno was FLAG’s nominee this year and represented the organization with distinction. This year also marked the retirement of Lynne McClendon as SCOLT’s Executive Director, a position she held since 1998.

SCOLT 2013 will be held at the Sheraton Birmingham and Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama from April 11 – 13, in collaboration with the Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers and SEALLT. The conference theme is “World Language Learning: Setting the Global Standard” and John De Mado will be the keynote speaker at the conference.

SCOLT Scholarship Report Vicki Welch Alvis, Autrey Mill Middle School Do you know… as a member of the Foreign Language Association of Georgia, if YOU apply and receive a scholarship from the Southern Conference on Language Teaching, FLAG will add to the scholarship amount to help with the travel expenses???!!! ¡Ostras! – Wow! Spending a month in Spain last summer was an incredible opportunity to update my colloquial Spanish. I received a scholarship from the Southern Conference on Language Teaching to participate in classes at Estudio Sampere in Madrid for three weeks. The current economic crisis has created “sky high” airfares to Europe. Thanks to the generosity of the Foreign Language Association of Georgia and AATSP-GA I could accept the SCOLT award and travel to Spain.

My trip allowed me to brush up my language skills as well as return with phrases, photos, realia and recipes (my favorite is fideuá – http://www.tourspain.org/recipes/fideua.asp) that have helped Spanish come alive for my eleven and twelve-year-old middle school students. One highlight of my trip was spending several days in Valencia with a middle school English teacher comparing notes on what adolescents in each country love to talk about and do. My classes at Estudio Sampere included a pleasant mix of culture, literature and grammar. For a studentfriendly, 10 minute Spanish film go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KQ52NmgV6I. The actor, Diego Martín, starred in every movie and sitcom I watched while in Spain! Please check out my webpage, www2.fultonschools.org/teacher/alvis, to see a video with images from my Spain experiences and view performance-based assessments inspired by my travels. Be sure to apply for a SCOLT scholarship for the summer of 2013. Go to http://scolt.webnode.com/ scholarships/ for more information TODAY! 39FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

39

If I Can Do It , So Can You! Breverly Littles

My name is Breverly Littles and I have been asked to share the following information about myself in an effort to encourage and motivate others who may be dreaming about applying for the SCOLT scholarship. The old adage is very true: “If I can do it, so can you!” Good luck on your own adventure!

Education is a second career for me. My first was raising my own family and being a “stay at home mom”. I found myself immersed in the hardest job I have EVER done in my life.

However, this experience prepared me well for the challenges that I now face every day in the classroom. Most recently, I was named the 2012 SCOLT (Southern Conference of Language Teachers) scholarship winner. I am also a member of FLAG (Foreign Language Association of Georgia) and as such, FLAG also provided me with a financial contribution for my trip. As a recipient of both awards, I will be spending two weeks this summer in Quito, Ecuador in a Spanish immersion program and one week in Cuzco, Peru investigating ancient Inca ruins.

I taught middle school Spanish in Atlanta, GA for the past seven years and became aware of the scholarship opportunity via an email from my district administrator. At the time, I was busy with not only my everyday teaching and classroom responsibilities, but also with things outside of the classroom. I am the cheerleading coach at my school and was in the middle of competition season. To complicate matters even more, I was also taking an additional certification class which met for 5 hours each week and deluged me with homework. However, I was very determined and wanted to explore new horizons in education. Because I am a nonnative Spanish speaker, I am always looking for opportunities to travel to Spanish speaking countries to improve my language skills and cultural awareness. It is always THE BEST when someone else offers to pay me to have this experience!

Have you ever sat back and thought, “What would I do if I had…”? Sure you have!

We all dream, but it comes down to acting upon your ambitions in life. I asked myself, “What would I do if I had this SCOLT opportunity?” Then I simply took my desire to the next level by writing a plan and submitting it. I hate to make it sound so simple, but it was really not that complicated.

My dream is to have an adventurous experience improving my Spanish language skills, and learning about the people and their culture while living with an Ecuadorian family. During my week in Peru visiting Cuzco, the oldest continually inhabited city of the new world, I also plan to visit Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Additionally, I have never been to the equator, so this visit will be a highlight for me as well. However, the most important part of this trip is that I will be documenting my adventure to share with my class upon my return. I will take hundreds of pictures and keep a written daily journal. From my experiences, I will then develop a lesson plan based on my travels. It is my belief that improving me, ultimately improves my students as well. How is that so? They will get a more capable and more knowledgeable teacher in their classroom, endowed with a global perspective and who can speak from personal experience. When I win, my students win too!

Please visit the SCOLT website and make your own dreams come true! http://scolt.webnode.com/scholarships/ 40FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

40

FRENCH, GERMAN AND SPANISH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TEACHERS IN THE SCOLT REGION Estudio Sampere: This scholarship is available to teachers of Spanish K-16; it provides three weeks of study in Spain or Ecuador. It includes tuition, room, and board in one of several locations in Spain or in Cuenca, Ecuador. The scholarship does not include transportation to or transfer within Spain or Ecuador.

The Cemanahuac Educational Community: This scholarship, available to teachers of Spanish in levels K-12, provides two weeks at Cemanahuac Educational Community in Cuernavaca, Mexico, including registration, tuition, housing with a Mexican family (double room) for two weeks, all meals, a field-study trip, and a certificate of attendance.

The scholarship does not include transportation to Mexico City or transfers to Cuernavaca from Mexico City airport.

The Embassy of Spain: This scholarship, sponsored by the Embassy of Spain for three weeks of study in Spain, is available to secondary teachers of Spanish. It includes registration, tuition, and housing in one of several locations in Spain. The scholarship does not include transportation to Spain or transfers within the country Centro MundoLingua: This scholarship is available to secondary school teachers of Spanish who teach AP classes or indicate and can validate that they will do so in the near future. It provides tuition for a 2-week course, room, board, and materials. The course, an AP summer institute endorsed by the College Board (renewal credits offered free and graduate credits available for an additional cost), is in Sevilla. The scholarship does not include transportation to Spain or transfers to Sevilla.

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy: These scholarships, available to French teachers in levels K-12, provide three weeks of study during July in France. They include registration, tuition and a certificate of attendance, and an allotment for lodging, meals, and expenses while in France, including transfer from the airport to the study site.

They do not include transportation to France.

The University of Quebec - Chicoutimi: This scholarship, available to French teachers in levels K-12, provides three weeks at the Ecole de langue française et de culture, including admission and tuition fees, materials, and meals, daily transportation to the University, cultural activities, and a 2-day excursion to Quebec City. There may be a small fee for lodging with a French-speaking family or in a university residence.

——————————————————————————————————————————————— REQUIREMENTS:  Reside in a SCOLT region state (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, US Virgin Islands).  Teach two or more classes of the specific language.  Register for and attend the 2012 SCOLT Conference (Atlanta, GA) to accept the award in person as our guest at the Awards Luncheon.  Be able to take advantage of the schooling available in 2012.  Be a participant in professional organizations such as SCOLT, local state world language association, ACTFL, specific language associations, etc.  Present a session relating to the travel study experience at the 2013 SCOLT conference (registration fee waived).

More information and details available in the fall SCOLTalk or on the SCOLT webpage (www.scolt.org) or from SCOLT Scholarship Director Susan Navey-Davis: navey@ncsu.edu APPLICATION POSTMARKED BY NOVEMBER 1, 2011: Application information is available on-line and in the fall SCOLTalk. Completed applications must include three copies of each of the following:



The completed application form available in the fall SCOLTalk and on-line http://www.scolt.org/ (click on SCOLT Scholarships)



One-page biographical profile (education, memberships/activities including SCOLT, honors)



One-page statement in English detailing benefits of the award to the applicant and students



One-page statement in the target language describing teaching philosophy



Two one-page letters of recommendation (any combination of principal, supervisor, department chair, colleagues, students/former students)

41FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

41

FLAG Congratulates… …Bobbi Lynn Moreno, South Bulloch High School, who was voted last year’s FLAG Teacher of the Year and was our FLAG TOTY representative for the SCOLT Teacher of the Year at this year’s SCOLT/FLAG/SEALLT Conference in Atlanta. …David Jahner, Gwinnett County Public Schools, World Language Coordinator, who was awarded the Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education at the ACTFL Conference 2011. …Greg Duncan, InterPrep, Inc. Founder and President, who was awarded the ACTFL-NYSAFLT Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education at the ACTFL Conference 2011. …Greg Barfield, Student Advisor, International Welcome Center, Cobb County Schools, who received the insignia of the French Palmes académiques from the French Ministry of Education. …Elizabeth Webb, Director of ELL Programs, Gwinnett County Public Schools, who received the insignia of the French Palmes académiques from the French Ministry of Education. …Dr. Jim Chestnut, Professor of Modern Languages at North Georgia College & State University, who received the insignia of the French Palmes académiques from the French Ministry of Education.

FLAG Awards Information Teaching Awards 

Teaching Award Recognizes teachers who effectively strive to use various strategies, techniques, and materials to enhance the students' interest in, acquisition of, and proficiency in a second language. Two divisions will be recognized: P-12 and Post-Secondary.



Teacher of Promise Award Recognizes teachers in their first, second, or third year of teaching who show the promise to be an outstanding teacher and leader in foreign language education. Two divisions will be recognized: P-12 and Post-Secondary.

Leadership & Support Awards 

Administrative Support of Foreign Languages Recognizes a Georgia Dean, Superintendent, Principal, or other administrator who has evidenced strong and overt support for foreign languages.



Fostering Partnerships With Foreign Languages Recognizes teachers who have sought to involve the community / business / colleges in foreign language activities, which may occur on or away from campus.



Leadership Award Recognizes those who have taken an active role in promoting foreign language education through professional and/or academic endeavors. Two divisions will be recognized: P-12 and Post-Secondary.

See the FLAG website for nomination information http://www.flageorgia.org/flag.htm

42FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

42

Join FLAG FLAG Membership Form FLAG dues are due by September 1 of each year and should be sent to FLAG Treasurer, Mary Ellen Foye, P.O. Box 734, Griffin, GA 30224 (eyofme@aol.com). [

] $15.00 - Student/Retired Membership (“student” means fulltime, undergraduate student only; “retired” means retired and NOT teaching). Benefits: Subscription to The FLAG Journal, “Fall Features”, FLAG Conference at member rates, participation at the FLAG Contests.

[

]

[

]

[

] $50.00 Patron Membership Available to individuals. Benefits: Subscription to The FLAG Journal, “Fall Features”, FLAG Conference at member rates, participation at the FLAG Contests. Name will be Listed on the FLAG web page, in The FLAG Journal, and in the conference program.

[

]

$25.00 – Regular Membership Benefits: Subscription to The FLAG Journal, “Fall Features”, FLAG Conference at member rates, participation at the FLAG Contests $40.00 Joint Spouses’ Membership Benefits: Subscription to The FLAG Journal, “Fall Features”, FLAG Conference at member rates, participation at the FLAG Contests

$50.00 Institutional Membership Available to institutions only. Subscription to The FLAG Journal, Fall Features and FLAG Peer -Review. Name will be listed on the FLAG web page, in The FLAG Journal, and in the conference Program

Did a colleague urge you to join FLAG? If so, please let us know who it was (name, school, email), so that we can thank him or her for supporting our membership drive. Thank you for your support!

Please print clearly.

Name: _______________________________________________________________________ School: _______________________________________________________________________ County: ________________Level of Instruction: _____________________________________ School Address: ________________________________________________________________ School Phone: _________________________ School FAX: ____________________________ Language taught: ______________________________________________________________ Home address: ________________________________________________________________ Home Phone: ______________________________ Home FAX: _______________________ Email address: _________________________________________________________________________

43FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

43

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines News

The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines have been revised for 2012 with updated descriptions of what individuals can do with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context. The Guidelines website is a new and exciting feature that supports the text of the 2012 Guidelines with glossed terminology and annotated, multimedia samples of performance at each level for Speaking and Writing, and examples of oral and written texts and tasks associated with each level for Reading and Listening.

Follow us on Twitter @actfl 44FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

44

Miraflores: Resource for Spanish Teachers In these difficult times of budget cuts, we are trying to help teachers. Below please find a Spanish resource for books in the public domain. Miraflores offers you hundreds of free books and audio books. Under the title El Libro Total. Professionals and students will find works that are in the public domain, either because the author has decided to cede the copyright, or because the copyright has expired. This is valid internationally. You will find all the Spanish classics, novels, poetry, theater and more, and a many more recent books. The copyright has expired for all of these books. You can download them from our website at www.miraflores.org. Please go to Sharing / Compartiendo. The books are organized by country, by author and by title.

Eva N. Echenberg Picture of German baked goods from REALIA

Picture of a Japanese lunchbox from REALIA

45FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012

45

FLAG Journal Susan Crooks Department of Foreign Languages 1000 Chastain Road Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591

FLAG is eagerly awaiting the arrival of your 2012 membership form and dues.

Membership runs from September to September, and we have included a membership form in this issue . You may also join online.at .www.flageorgia.org

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit 195 Griffin, GA

46

46FLAG JOURNAL Volume 12 Spring/Summer 2012