Fall 2024 SCOLTalk

SCOLTalk

The newsletter of the Southern Conference on Language Teaching

Volume 60

November 2024

Let’s connect!

What’s Inside SCOLT President Greetings 2025 SCOLT/TWLTA/SEALLT Conference SCOLT @ 60 Celebration Travel Scholarships for Teachers Student Scholarships Register for a chance to win free 2025 Conference Registration SCOLT Board Nominations SCOLT Dimensions 2025 SCOLT Awards What’s happening around SCOLT?

Greetings from the SCOLT President Happy fall from Florida!

This has been a year! I’m hoping that all our SCOLT friends have recovered or are recovering from the hurricanes. It’s been wonderful to see how our folks have come together to solve problems and help each other, while also heart-wrenching to see the devastation throughout our region. I recently drove through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois on my way to and back from Missouri and the damage is right there to see just as it is here in St. Petersburg. If you were among those affected by the hurricanes, know that the prayers and well-wishes of your World Language colleagues are with you and that we all hope you have what you need to be there for yourselves, your families, and your students. Please focus on taking care of yourself, your loved ones, and your students and dealing with the trauma of these experiences.

Our World Language Jam Session in Nashville is just around the corner!!! We are very excited about the plans and the SCOLT Board is working away preparing an amazing program, scholarship opportunities, and awards while our wonderful colleagues from the Southern region are planning their presentations of workshops and sessions to share expertise and inspire ideas. We’re planning wonderful celebrations of the first 60 years of SCOLT and hope you’ll participate by sharing your memories and by telling us what you most love about SCOLT. We’d love to have photos, videos, and audio or written memories to share during the conference and on the website and via social media. Participate by completing this Google form: https://tinyurl.com/SCOLT60th. I can’t wait to see your photos and hear about your SCOLT experiences.

The conference is March 20-22 in Nashville, TN at the beautiful Sheraton Music City Hotel and Convention Center. This hotel has a shuttle from the airport! We can’t wait to see you and celebrate with you. We can all use a World Language Jam Session! See you in March!

-Pam Benton, SCOLT President

2024-2025 SCOLT Board of Directors

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SOUTHERN CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE TEACHING

N A S H V IL LE , TN

M A R . 20 -2 2, 20 25

Celebrate 60 YEARS OF SCOLT in the Music City!

NASHVILLE · 2025 · SHERATON MUSIC CITY SCOLT.ORG

Registration for the 2025 SCOLT/TWLTA/SEALLT conference is now open!

The 2025 SCOLT/TWLTA/SEALLT Conference with the theme “SCOLT @ 60: A World Language Jam Session” will be held in Nashville, TN March 20-22, where we will celebrate SCOLT’s 60th anniversary!. This in-person conference will include over 130 sessions, presentations by the ACTFL Teacher of the Year, the announcement of the SCOLT Teacher of the year, exciting exhibits, optional pre-conference workshops, and much more!

Make your plans to be in Nashville in March! Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with colleagues from around the region and the US! Take advantage of the early bird discount and register today!

SCOLT Sponsors and Patrons As always, there will be a special event for SCOLT Sponsors and Patrons during the 2025 conference and we’ll be celebrating in Nashville style! Be sure your Sponsor/Patron status has been renewed so that you don’t miss your invitation! You can become a Sponsor or Patron when you register for the conference, or by completing this form. Not sure of your status? See the current list of Sponsors and Patrons. Our Sponsors and Patrons are a vital part of the organization, as they are the only people who can be nominated for board positions and vote for officers and bylaws changes. Additionally, the registration fee is reduced for Sponsors and Patrons, and you will be invited to an exclusive reception to be held Friday, March 21.

Support SCOLT by renewing your status or becoming a Sponsor or Patron today!

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Nashville Conference Hotel

The 2025 SCOLT/TWLTA/SEALLT conference will be held at the Sheraton Music City Hotel. The hotel is in a convenient location with a free shuttle to/from the airport. The discounted conference hotel room rate is $179/night, plus tax. The discounted rate is available until February 26 OR until the group of rooms is fully booked. Please note: the room block is typically full much earlier than the deadline.

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Photo credit: Sheraton Music City Hotel

Get Ready to Connect: Networking Tips for Making the Most of the SCOLT 2025 Conference in Nashville Are you excited for SCOLT 2025 in Nashville? It’s the perfect time to gather with world language teachers from across the region, dive into fresh ideas, and—best of all—make connections that will keep inspiring you long after the conference ends. Networking doesn’t have to feel formal or intimidating; it’s a natural way to connect, share, and learn together. Here’s how to make the most of it: 1. Start with “Hello!”

Kick things off with a simple hello to a fellow teacher. Whether you're waiting for a session to begin or grabbing coffee in between workshops, take a moment to introduce yourself. That small greeting can lead to sharing classroom experiences, swapping resources, or even finding a teaching buddy who truly understands the joys and challenges of your work.

2. Make Business Cards with Your Contact Information If you don’t already have some, bring a few business cards with your contact details, like your email and social media handles. Business cards make it easy to keep in touch and add a personal touch that people remember. This simple step can turn a quick conversation into a lasting professional connection.

3. Join (or Form!) a Regional PLC If you're looking for support and inspiration beyond the conference, why not suggest forming a regional professional learning community (PLC) with the teachers you meet? Together, you can plan virtual or in-person gatherings throughout the year. It’s a powerful way to stay connected, share resources, and continue conversations long after SCOLT wraps up.

4. Don’t Be Shy on Social Media Use social media to keep the energy going! Post your takeaways, tag fellow attendees, and join conference-related groups or hashtags. Social media makes it easy to keep learning together and reconnect when future events roll around. Don’t forget to tag SCOLT in your posts!

5. Follow Up to Keep Connections Strong After SCOLT, follow up with a quick message to the people you connected with. A simple “It was great meeting you!” or “Let’s share those resources we talked about!” can turn a brief conversation into a meaningful, lasting professional relationship.

6. Think About Presenting at SCOLT 2026 Feeling inspired? As you attend sessions, jot down ideas and think about presenting at SCOLT 2026!

Sharing your own teaching successes and strategies is an amazing way to give back to the language teaching community and grow as a leader.

We’re all here for the same reason: to empower our students to thrive in language and culture. Each person you meet brings their own expertise, perspective, and energy to offer—so take that first step, make those connections, and who knows? You might find yourself coming back each year to connect with familiar faces and new friends alike. Let’s make SCOLT 2025 in Nashville one to remember!

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Help us celebrate!

Share your SCOLT memories, photos, and audios!

https://tinyurl.com/SCOLT60th

2025 Conference Program Cover Contest Calling all student artists!

SCOLT loves to showcase student artwork for the cover of the conference

program! Encourage your artistic students to design and submit an entry for the conference program cover contest! Download the 2025 Conference Program Cover Contest form for information and to submit an entry. The student with the winning entry will receive $50 and the student’s teacher will receive a free SCOLT Sponsor membership.

The theme for this year's conference is "SCOLT @ 60: A World Language Jam Session".

Submission Deadline: January 15, 2025 Submission Email: awards@scolt.org 2024 Conference Program Cover Winner

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Travel Scholarships for Teachers SCOLT is proud to be offering scholarships, including several new ones, for summer travel this year. There are opportunities for Spanish, French, and German teachers!

CIEL is offering an opportunity for study in Strasbourg.

Edu-Inter is a new opportunity for French teachers in Quebec.

Goethe Institut is offering one- or two- week opportunities in Germany.

Centro MundoLengua is offering scholarships for AP Spanish teachers.

Estudio Sampere offers four weeks of study in Madrid.

Latino Schools is offering a two-week program in the imperial city of Cuzco, Perú.

The Cemanahuac Educational Community is offering SCOLT conference attendees a 20% discount on any two week or longer program at Cemanahuac Educational Community in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Visit https://www.scolt.org/awards-and-scholarships for detailed information about each scholarship and the application form. Don’t miss your chance to travel and learn this summer! The deadline to apply is January 15!

Student Travel Survey We know as language teachers you know the value and benefits of travel.

That’s why you want to apply for one of the SCOLT teacher travel scholarships! How do you pass these important experiences on to your students? Do you take your students on trips abroad? Why, or why not?

Inquiring minds want to know! Please take a moment and help SCOLT and our travel partners learn more about your experience and interest in traveling with students by completing this brief survey. Note: your responses may be shared with conference sponsors.

Future Language Educator Scholarships SCOLT is proud to be able to offer multiple scholarships to high school and college students. There are two scholarships available to high school seniors and one available to a college/university student in the amount of $1000 each. The Ken Stewart and Vista Higher Learning Future Language Educator Scholarships are available for students who wish to pursue a career as a World Language teacher. Our previous recipients have already been involved in meaningful experiences and we cannot wait to see what they will do in the future! Encourage your students to become language educators and complete this form to apply for one of these scholarships. The application deadline is January 15.

Win Free Registration!

Avant Assessment is sponsoring free registration for two lucky SCOLT/TWLTA/SEALLT conference attendees! To be eligible for this offer, complete this short form. Anyone planning to attend the conference is eligible, including those who have already registered for the conference. The deadline to enter is January 1. Two names will be drawn at random and recipients will be notified via email by January 5. SCOLT is very appreciative of Avant Assessment for providing this special opportunity!

Call for Nominations The call for nominations for SCOLT Board of Directors members to be elected in 2025 will be sent soon! This call goes to SCOLT Sponsors and Patrons only. In accordance with SCOLT bylaws, members of the Board of Directors must be elected from current Sponsors and Patrons. There will be two seats on the Board to be filled this year: Program Co-Director and Registrar/SCOLTalk Co-Director. If you are interested in serving on the Board and wish to be able to participate in the voting process, be sure your SCOLT Sponsor/Patron status is up to date! See the current list of Sponsors and Patrons to know whether you need to renew when you register for the conference or by completing the Sponsor/Patron form.

Language Advocacy SCOLT is a proud member of JNCL, the Joint National Committee on Languages. JNCL is our national advocacy organization, keeping abreast of funding and legislation issues related to language education and language professions. For 2025, the JNCL Language Advocacy Day will be an inperson event for the first time since the Covid epidemic! SCOLT’s Executive Director, Dr. Leslie Baldwin, will attend as the official SCOLT delegate. To learn more about JNCL, and to sign up for the JNCL newsletter to be informed regarding language advocacy, visit www.languagepolicy.org.

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SCOLT Dimensions Greetings from SCOLT Dimensions!

We are excited to share Dimensions 2024 Special Issue: Focus on Bridging Language Education Fields where co-editors Dr. Jason Kemp (University of Wisconsin), and Dr. Paula Garrett-Rucks (Georgia State University), have brought together articles and interviews with experts from the language education fields of Bilingual, Dual Language Immersion, Heritage Language, and World Languages Education. The focus of the special issue is on the ways in which these language fields share knowledge, theories, and best practices. Since 2016, every other year Dimensions has offered special issues, with an expert co-editor on the special topic, and offered free and open access to publications on our website at https://www.scolt.org/scoltdimensions-volumes/.

Dimensions is SCOLT’s double-blinded, peer-reviewed journal, publishing national and international authors once a year. SCOLT Dimensions is dedicated to the advancement of the teaching and learning of world languages and cultures, specifically languages other than English. The journal is indexed with the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) database sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. Bi-annual ERIC metrics reports reveal over 5,500 views and downloads of Dimension(s) publications per year.

Visit www.scolt.org/scolt-dimensions to read the articles for the 2024 issue and learn more about the journal. Watch the website and SCOLT social media for the 2025 call for papers.

Awards and Student Scholarships World language educators dedicate their lives to building competent global communicators and SCOLT works to ensure that these efforts are recognized. Each year at the annual conference, SCOLT selects the world language teacher of the year from our region, a post-secondary education educator of excellence, one leader among K-12 teachers, as well the Bostick award for two distinguished new teachers. Do you know educators that you believe deserve to be recognized? Celebrate your colleagues by nominating them for an award!

The SCOLT Teacher of the Year ​Each state may submit one candidate with an endorsement from the state organization. State organizations may submit a candidate to only one regional organization. State nominees must submit a portfolio to be received no later than January 15. SCOLT waives the registration fee for the state nominee participating in the selection process at the 2025 conference and will pay $100 honorarium to each candidate. Candidates will be requested to share their portfolios via Google Drive with the Awards Co-Directors at awards@scolt.org.

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The Educator of Excellence Award for Post-Secondary Educators This award recognizes educators at the community college, college, and university level who have demonstrated excellence in language teaching, active participation in SCOLT, and leadership and advocacy at the local, state, and/or regional or national level. Find out more about this award here https://www.scolt.org/educator-of-excellence/. The deadline for applications is January 15.

The SCOLT Leadership Award This is given to K-12 educators who have demonstrated excellence in language teaching through service to the school, community, active participation in SCOLT, and leadership and advocacy at the local, state, and/or regional or national level. Find out more about this award here https://www.scolt.org/leadership-award/. The deadline for applications is January 15.

The Bostick Award The Bostick Award recognizes teachers in their first to fifth year of teaching who are dedicated to a long-term teaching commitment and have not yet attended a SCOLT conference. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to future conference participation as part of their professional development.

Two teachers will be awarded conference registration during each annual SCOLT conference. See this page for more information https://www.scolt.org/bostick-award/. The nomination deadline is January 15.

Student Scholarships SCOLT is now able to offer multiple student scholarships! The Ken Stewart and Vista Higher Learning Future Language Educator Scholarships are available for high school seniors. These $1,000 scholarships are intended for high school seniors who plan on a career as a world language educator. The scholarships are sponsored by Ken Stewart, retired Spanish teacher, former SCOLT Board member and 2006 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year, and by Vista Higher Learning. Also, Vista Higher Learning is sponsoring a $1000 scholarship opportunity for a college or university student who is pursuing a language education career! For more information, please visit https://www.scolt.org/awards-and-scholarships. Applications are due January 15.

Center for Urban Language Teaching and Research Grant SCOLT is pleased to announce a special opportunity for the 2025 conference! CULTR is providing two grants for teachers in their first to fifth years of teaching who have not yet attended a SCOLT conference. Each grant provides $250 to the recipient to offset conference expenses. Find out more about this award here https://www.scolt.org/awards-andscholarships/.

The deadline for applications is January 15.

SCOLT MORE THAN JUST A REGION Alabama World Languages Association AWLA 2025 Conference - January 31 - February 1, 2025 Arkansas Foreign Language Teacher Association

AFLTA Website Florida Foreign Language Association FFLA Website

Foreign Language Association of Georgia FLAGG 2025 Conference - January 31 - February 1, 2025

Foreign Language Association of North Carolina FLANC Spring 2025 Conference - March 1, 2025 Kentucky World Language Association KWLA Website Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers’ Association LFLTA 2025 Conference - January 17 - 18, 2025

THE FACES OF SCOLT

THE FACES OF SCOLT

Mississippi Foreign Language Association MFLA Website

South Carolina Fellowship of Language Teachers and Advocates

SCFLTA 2025 Conference - February 1, 2025

Tennessee World Language Teaching Association

TWLTA Website

Texas Foreign Language Association

TFLA Website

West Virginia Foreign Language Teachers’ Association

WVFLTA Website

Foreign Language Association of Virginia

FLAVA 2025 Conference - April 26, 2025

Picture Credit: Alabama World Languages Association - AWLA. “Alabama World Languages Association - AWLA.” https://theawla.wildapricot.org/.

Florida Foreign Language Association. “Florida Foreign Language Association.” https://www.facebook.com/FLforLanguages/photos_by.

Foreign Language Association of North Carolina - FLANC. “Foreign Language Association of North Carolina - FLANC.” https://www.facebook.com/theflanc.

Kentucky World Language Association. “Kentucky World Language Association.” https://www.facebook.com/kwlaonline.

Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers' Association - LFLTA. “Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers' Association - LFLTA.” https://www.facebook.com/lflta1/photos.

Tennessee World Language Teacher Association. “Tennessee World Language Teacher Association.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/twlta/about.