We Are Way Underway! The 2020 school year is humming along. Local professional development is active through world language organizations, general education organizations, and language-specific organizations. Look for announcements in this newsletter and through your professional educational affiliations.
Angela Davila,
Program Supervisor, World Languages
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The German program at West Valley High School, Spokane WA, is being recognized nationally as a German Center of Excellence. The award ceremony will occur at during the November ACTFL Conference at the Goethe Institute Headquarters in WA, D.C.
Rick Beck, the sole German faculty member at West Valley HS, holds a BA in German from Olivet College, Olivet, MI (1977). He spent a year abroad studying at the Universität Heidelberg. He also holds a MA in German from Portland State University (1999). He is a lifetime member of the National AATG and has served as the Treasurer of the Washington Chapter of that organization for the past 26 years. He is also the current Treasurer of the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT), a position he has held for the past sixteen years. The West Valley German program began in 1991 and has engaged students in high level German language and cultural activities in and outside of the classroom, including involvement in the GAD and GAPP exchanges. For more information on this award please open the award PDF.
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In mid-October WA state world language educators met up at the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) Fall Conference in Spokane. A big thank you goes to WAFLT’s Brenda Gaver for chairing this successful conference and to her husband for overseeing the on-site technology support at the venue: Northern Quest Resort and Conference Center. A special thank you Paris Granville of the Bellevue School District and Barbara Soots of OSPI for co-presenting sessions with me. We shared state-wide and district data that shows positive outcomes in developing student proficiency in world languages. We provided guidance and information on how teachers may become involved in lesson sharing on the World Language Open Educational Resources HUB. If you would like to access presentational materials click on WAFLT Fall Conf 2019 Session Presentation Materials for more information..
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Conference attendees experienced invigorating sessions and expert speakers at WAFLT. Yet some of the best times were spent simply connecting face-to-face with colleagues.
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 Meet & Greet Reception: Chinese guest teachers surround Angela Davila, OSPI World Languages Program Supervisor (center), Dr. Michele Aoki, Seattle Director of the Confucius Institute (right of center), Dongmei Huang, Chinese Director of the Seattle Confucius Institute (right of Dr. Aoki).
WAFLT Award Winners! Pictured left to right are Teresita Tobon, “Continued Distinguished Service”; Alissa Farias, “WAFLT Teacher of the Year”; Maria Gillman, “Inspirational Leadership”; Michele Aoki, “Pro Lingua Award”; Chunqing (Tracy) Ge, “Creative Innovation.” Not pictured: Ashley Landes, “Public Awareness.”
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A special moment was meeting keynote speaker, Mrs. Mandy Manning, 2018 National Teacher of the Year. She teaches ELL Newcomers at Ferris High School in Spokane. Mrs. Manning spoke on issues relevant to world language and ELL educators and illuminated attendees as to how the demographics in WA state are changing. There are implications for world language teachers. See the IDEA Soap Box below for more thinking on this.
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   To view the complete presentation, click on WAFLT Fall Conf 2019 Session Presentation Materials for more information.
Keynote Speaker for the annual Conference: November 21-24, 2019
Opening General Session Keynote Speaker, Raghida Dergham
Raghida Dergham was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World in 2018, Arab Woman of the Year in 2017, and one of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women in 2011 and again in 2016. She will keynote the General Session with: Dare to Differ: Empowerment, Respect, and Inclusion. Her role as an international correspondent and television commentator on global affairs in the U.S., Europe, Russia, China and the Arab world, lends itself well to address this topic.
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Closing General Session Speaker, Christopher Emdin
Chris Emdin, assistant professor of science education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual, and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequity, and education have appeared in dozens of influential publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He is uniquely qualified to address Teaching and Learning from the Student’s Standpoint.
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The influx of diverse cultures in WA state schools is an opportunity to extend ourselves. To increase intercultural understanding beyond the immediate world language subject being taught in our K-12 classrooms such as Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Not all these languages are taught in all our schools, however we have an impressive range of language learning opportunities. Mrs. Manning’s message of increased cultural diversity and the need for intercultural sensitivity resonates well with world language educators.
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We infuse our lessons with communication, culture and connections to communities as part the 5 C’s of World Language standards. We regard students of diversity as our equals and enjoy learning from their story. This attitude is who we are as professionals. We love languages and cultures! Many ELL students take an additional language in school; they enroll in world language classes. What an idea: Become Multilingual! How about this as a motto moving forward? Some students think that “opting out” of taking a world language in high school is a good idea if they already know a second language. Shouldn’t students consider taking an additional language? Become multilingual! Let’s graduate citizens who better communicate over the fencepost in our local neighborhoods, who better communicate with our Pacific Rim neighbors, and who better communicate with cultures around the world. Be More. Do More. Be Multilingual! I welcome your thoughts. Please email me: angela.davila@k12.wa.us
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1. Anna Vassilieva, Director& Professor, Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
2. Christopher Livaccari, language educator, former US diplomat, author, senior adviser for China Learning Initiatives in Asia Society’s Center for Global Education, and Head of School at Presidio Knolls School
3. Jianhua Bai, Chinese AP Chief Reader, Professor of Chinese at Kenyon College, former Director of Chinese School of Middlebury College, and senior academic adviser to the American Councils for International Education
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