Heritage Languages: Alliance News Flash: May 2011

May 2011

www.cal.org/heritage

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IN THIS ISSUE

Heritage Language Spotlight: German

Heritage Briefs

STARTALK Update

In the News

What Teachers Need to Know
About Language

Teachers need deep, broad knowledge about language to support their students’ language and literacy development. Five commentaries on this topic, from the perspective of early childhood education, teacher certification, and teacher preparation and professional development, point out the value of improving educators’ understanding about language.

Learn more.

Heritage Language Spotlight: German

The Alliance periodically creates Heritage Language Spotlight web pages that focus on select heritage languages. This month the Alliance is pleased to highlight the German language.

Visit the German Language Spotlight web page.

New Heritage Briefs Now Available Online

Our Heritage Briefs collection provides
short, peer-reviewed papers on topics of interest about heritage languages. Our most recent titles are shown below and are available as free downloadable PDFs.

• Challenges and Needs of Community-Based Heritage Language Programs and How They Are Addressed

• Indigenous Language Students From Spanish-speaking Countries: Educational Approaches

• Turkish Heritage Language Schools in the United States

View the Heritage Briefs Collection.

Startalk Update

The Teachers We Need: Transforming World Language Education in the United States
This white paper demonstrates not only the changing need for linguistic and cultural competency for the global age, but also the world language education gap that has developed in the United States over the past few decades. In order to develop globally competitive language education, the United States must adopt a new agenda that is inclusive, nationally-advocated, state-implemented, and results-oriented.

Visit the STARTALK website to learn more.

In the News

As a courtesy to our readers, the Alliance periodically shares news items that are related to our work and mission. Please be aware that news links may change as news organizations move articles to archives on their websites.

National Heritage Language Resource Center Update

Article on the National Heritage Language Survey: Implications for Teaching, Curriculum Design,
and Professional Development Now Available
The NHLRC has made available an article that reports on a survey of heritage language learners across different heritage language and geographic regions in the United States. Learn more.

Collaborate with the Alliance

The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages is seeking to develop community among professionals working in heritage language education and research by providing information and resources of interest.

Bookmark the Alliance website to stay up-to-date with the latest information.

The Alliance News Flash is a quarterly online newsletter created for professionals working in the area of heritage language education, to create connections and to give updates on new developments and recent resources in the field. If you have suggestions for articles for the Alliance News Flash, for Alliance activities, and other ideas to create community, please email the Alliance at heritage@cal.org.

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