Global Education Conference

November 16, 2010

The Global Education Conference, November 15-19, 2010 brings together educators from over 62 countries. Over 300 general sessions are being held, all on line, during a variety of time zones. There is no formal registration required for the conference, as all the sessions will be open and public, broadcast live using the Elluminate platform, and available in recorded formats afterward.

Presenters are sharing their slides on the conference’s Slideshare site.

Today I gave a session on Global Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century. I’ve posted my slides there, too. Here’s a quick link to them, too.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Cool Apps for Language Learning

November 3, 2010

Are you teaching or learning a language? Want to do it the 21st century way though your Android, iPhone or Blackberry? There are literally dozens of apps out there to help you learn foreign languages!

Some of them are language specific, while others offer multilingual options. Here are some examples:

24/7 Tutor – Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and German

Katahira App – Japanese (Katahira)

Greek – flash cards

American Sign Language (ASL) – tutorial and reference app

Cherokee – iPhone app for this endangered indigenous language

Korean Essentials – a free app from the Apple Store by AccelaStudy

Spanish vocabulary – by Componica

Matt Silverman, in Mashable/Mobile, wrote about free apps for the Android phone, including one called Talk To Me. He writes:

“Talk To Me is an impressive app that can translate your input text or speech between over 40 different languages, and in most cases, speak the translations back to you. The interface is really dead-simple: An input for text, a drop-down list to choose your languages, and a big green button to activate the speech recognition.” Read the full article here.

Claire Bradin Siskin offers a superb overview of instructional and learning apps for languages for iPhone, Blackberry and other smart phones, including a list of places to get them.

Angel Brady at Princeton University did a great review of over 20 different apps for language learning.

Here’s an idea: Ask your students what apps they can find for their own mobile devices. Build your own links and resources for your students by engaging them in the process of figuring out what works for them, what doesn’t and why.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

5 Comments | languages, second languages, teaching, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Foreign Language Programs in Crisis: Programs Closing, Faculty Losing Jobs

September 30, 2010

Lately people have been sending me all sorts of news articles about enrollments dropping in second and foreign language programs in high schools and universities. Here are a few examples:

“Community, Adult Education Programs Will be Missed”, Hometownlife.com, by Susan Steinmueller, Sept. 12, 2010

“Foreign language classes unresolved” – Isureveille, by Catherine Threlkeld, September 23, 2010

Cuts hurting language classes – The NewsStar by Carlos D. Fandal, September 26, 2010

Replacing Teachers with Technology – Fox News by Meredith Orban, September 28, 2010

Strapped Schools Ax Foreign Language Programs – Milwaukee – Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, by John Schmid, October 23, 2010

It breaks my heart when I hear about programs that have decreasing enrollment or worse, under threat of closure due to low enrollment. From my experience of working with schools and programs over the past decade as a marketing consultant, I can honestly say that there is no “magic bullet” in a situation like this.

If you’ve been given notice that your program is about to close, managers and teachers essentially face a crisis situation. Not only is their passion about to be killed, and they know their students’ futures will be shaped in a very different way, but their livelihood may be gone, too.

What are language teachers, administrators and foreign language advocates to do?

The only answer it seems is find a way to revitalize not only our programs, but also interest in them. Parents and community stake holders need to see the value of second and foreign language learning and the benefits that students derive by studying them. There is no quick fix to this one, I’m afraid. If you manage or teach in a foreign language program, the best thing to do right now is to keep it vibrant and alive. If your program is under the threat of closure, there may still be time to implement a revitalization, public relations or marketing strategy to rebuild your program’s health so it doesn’t get shut down, or replaced by a computer program.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Foreign Language Programs in Crisis: Programs Closing, Faculty Losing Jobs | language program administration, languages, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Resources for Language Program Administration and Management

September 16, 2010

Here is an online list of resources relating to language program administration and management. This has been an emerging field over the past decade. Most of these resources are free and available on line. There are also links to a few books on the topic that are available for sale through selected booksellers:

Here’s the list: http://www.diigo.com/list/saraheaton/language-program-administration

This is a companion list to the one that is specifically on marketing and public relations for language programs: http://www.diigo.com/list/saraheaton/marketing-language-programs

I’ll keep adding to the list as I find more resources. If you know of an excellent resource, please e-mail me at sarahelaineeaton (at) gmail.com.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Every young American to become proficient in a 2nd language within a generation?

September 15, 2010

Glen Loveland at Examiner.com reports in “Foreign Language Education Targeted by Congress” that new proposed legislation in the U.S. would have American children learning a second language in school. The objective? That within one generation all Americans would be fluent in at least one other language. Loveland writes:

“On the last day of the 111th Congress, a bill sponsored by U.S. Congressional Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) was quietly introduced…. Holt and Tonko propose legislation that would allow every young American to become proficient in a second language—in addition to English—within a generation. The plan is to start language instruction in early childhood and ensure that they are able to build capacity throughout their elementary and secondary education until they gain proficiency.”

The province where I live, Alberta, tried to legislate mandatory second language classes for all students around the turn of the millennium. The Second Languages Initiative, as it was known, fell flat when there was a change in the ministry of education, following an election. In Alberta, second language study remains optional.

What would happen if an entire country – an entire, powerful, influential country – followed in the footsteps of other, smaller countries that have been mandating second language learning for years? The synergy between the “super power” of the United States and those countries who support multilingualism through policy and practice could resonate across the globe. Is that naive or a beam of hope? What do you think?

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

2 Comments | languages, leadership, second languages | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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