Meeting People Where They Are while Coaching for Language Competency

three women having a discussion in an office

In a recent episode of the “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, guest Casie Arellano shares insights about supporting the attainment of language proficiency for a diverse workforce and provides tips for coaching adults learning English. When teaching a new language and particularly when coaching ESOL learners to enhance their language competencies within diverse workplaces, you might want to apply these three tips that will help not only the individual but their families and communities:

1. Speak the target language as much as possible

In this case, the target language is the language that is being learned, not necessarily the dominant language within the workforce or workplace. Therefore, if Spanish is the native language, then English is the target language that is being learned. Podcast host Lisa March shares, “LTI does quite a bit of education in K-12 and one of the things we always tell teachers is always speak in the target language. Even if it is American students learning Spanish, that you only speak in Spanish, and it should be 95% of the time.” This not only applies to K-12 but also to adult learners that are seeking to command a second language for employment purposes.

At Brevard Adult and Community Education, Casie Arellano shared that most of their teachers with Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) bring complementary language skills, but primarily command English. They found that when adult learners are forced to speak English, they are challenged to “muscle through” the language barriers and seek ways to acquire the vocabulary and comprehension to ensure that they are understood. So, the saying, “Practice! Practice! Practice!” truly applies when acquiring new language skills in a target language.

2. Train for language competency in high-demand jobs

Language used in conversation differs from vocabulary used in occupational settings. Therefore, it’s not only important to acquire the language skills to communicate in a second or third language, but it is also critical to learn the terminology needed to navigate a particular industry or professional role. There is a demand by employers for qualified talent to recruit and the programs at Brevard Adult and Community Education work to meet that need.

As reported in “Making Language Our Business: Addressing Foreign language Demand Among Employers”,  85% of U.S. employers stated that they not only sought after but relied on Spanish-speaking employees, and 42% were experiencing a shortage of people who commanded Spanish. Therefore, training for language competency in high demand jobs is an effective strategy to address the talent needs of employers. In the podcast, Casie shared that “having two languages in our area [Brevard County, Florida] is a plus. We focus on careers that have a high interaction with bilingual populations, such as call centers.” Therefore, coaching ESOL learners to navigate these employment opportunities with the help of career counselors is an effective workforce development strategy. Learners are supported through an online platform called Employ Florida, where they search for job postings, submit resumes, and have access to interviews for these jobs. One-on-one support is provided by career counselors and coaches to help as many adult language learners as possible secure employment in high demand jobs while completing the ESOL program.

3. Be creative in engaging ESOL learners

Go where the ESOL learner can be found. After Hurricane María there was an influx of Spanish speaking students from Puerto Rico that enrolled in Florida schools. To address the sudden need for language support, Brevard Adult and Community Education established a program in the schools for the parents to learn Spanish while their children were in class. By meeting parents in spaces where they would inevitably go in their daily lives, the program offered a convenient way for them to access English classes. It also gave Spanish-speaking parents an opportunity to learn about career options in Florida and learn about potential employers as well as helped bridge the communication gap between parents and school administration.  Brevard Adult and Community Education’s creative approach in engaging with adult ESOL learners, had a meaningful impact to not only students of all ages, but their families and the community.

Coaching for language competency involves understanding the needs of the ESOL learner considering their context and culture, where they are currently and where they want to go as far as life goals. Taking time to explore and assess their language everyday needs offers an opportunity to develop effective engagement strategies, create space where they can acquire training for high-demand jobs, and ultimately, become proficient in the target language.

Tune into the podcast with Casie Arellano here.

 

Sources:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1135835.pdf

Removing the Training Wheels from Language Learning

woman teaching a class

The decision to learn a second language is no easy undertaking. It is in our human nature to want to rely on what is most comfortable to us as we embark on a task that seems daunting. However, studies show that humans learn new skills much faster when we remove all the comforts of the familiar.

While it may sound counterintuitive to have a teacher who is not able to communicate with a student in both their native and target languages, when it comes to language learning, it is recommended that 95%+ of the process of learning a new language be conducted in the target language. In other words, if you’re a student and you are having difficulty finding the correct words to communicate in the target language, you’re likely to rely on your native language to ask questions or circumvent those words altogether. In contrast, if the teacher doesn’t understand the learner’s first language, the learner will be unable to circumvent words in the target language and have no other choice but to find a way to communicate. As it turns out, this potentially uncomfortable and frustrating method of learning affords students a more effective way to gain knowledge and begin mastering a new language faster.

On a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast, special guest Casie Arellano, explained how this method of language learning serves the English language learners she works with every day at Brevard Adult and Community Education in Brevard County, FL. Casie has been working in education since 2009 and began working with Adult Education programs in August 2017. She currently oversees all English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs with Brevard Adult and Community Education in Brevard County, Florida, where for the past few years she has been working on building outreach centers to help adult learners develop pathways to achieving their dreams using language as a stepping-stone. Their ESOL program is one of the most successful programs they run, assisting adult students who are integrating into life and culture of the United States. Courses cover improving language skills, learning about U.S. culture, and preparing to become a U.S. citizen.

Casie explained that the teachers she works with “found that it holds students back a little bit knowing that their teacher can communicate to them in their own language. So, forcing them to speak English and not letting them lean on that crutch, […] will push the students further.” She mentions that she has “a handful of teachers who speak Spanish. But, for the most part, they are all English speakers.”

Going beyond the classroom, Casie elaborates on how the workplace can provide this same kind of intensive education out of the necessity to meet the responsibilities and demands of a job. “Our classes that we offer at Career Source [Brevard], [students] work one-on-one with a career counselor and their career counselor helps them gain employment. And a lot of the times, we lose students even before they finish our program because they got a job. But the great thing is, a lot of the jobs are in sales, so they must use the English language in sales, which forces them to learn it a little bit faster. [They may] not use it necessarily correctly, but then they can come back to us in our evening classes, or our morning classes and they can fine-tune all of those English skills.”

Removing the training wheels from language learning can sound intimidating to students. However, just like learning how to ride a bicycle, it’s necessary to command the skill quickly. The decision to take the training wheels off will provide language students the opportunity to be courageous as they figure out how to correctly “balance” themselves while learning how to “ride” their target language without falling.

Making the brave decision to take off the training wheels from the language journey of adult ESOL students – even if it means them wobbling or falling a few times before getting the hang of it – is the day they will accelerate their mastery of a second language!

Tune into the podcast with Casie Arellano.

Language Testing International Announces New CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Helen Hamlyn retires; Tiziana Aime appointed new CEO

Tarrytown, NY. January 31, 2022.

 

Photo credit: michaelblack | BLACK SUN

Language Testing International® (LTI), the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, announced today that Tiziana Aime was appointed the new CEO, effective February 1, 2022. An experienced business leader, Aime succeeds Helen Hamlyn, who retired on January 31, 2022.

“Tiziana has successfully led LTI business strategy for the last five years. With her world language learning background, keen business acumen, inclusive leadership style, and strong track record of building successful digital language solutions, Tiziana is the best choice to lead LTI through its next phase of innovation and growth,” said Hamlyn.

Aime joined LTI in 2017 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and has recently served as Chief Revenue Officer, leading global sales, marketing, customer success, and R&D. As an executive at LTI, Aime has built a strong team and delivered excellent results. She has driven revenue growth, pursued strategic opportunities, and maintained LTI’s position as the leader in the world language assessment space, distributing ACTFL proficiency assessments. Prior to joining LTI, Aime served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at LingroLearning, as Senior Acquisitions Editor for the World Languages e-learning portfolio at Pearson, and as marketing manager and market specialist for World Languages at Wiley where her team received the 2009 Pacesetter Award for most successful new product launch and largest year-over-year percentage revenue growth.

“LTI’s founders, Helen Hamlyn and Bob Katz, have built a forward-thinking language assessment company that, over the last 30 years, has been instrumental in bringing visibility to the bilingual and bicultural communities that LTI serves. As CEO, I am thrilled to build upon this solid foundation and lead this great organization as we continue to expand our technological footprint in the language assessment and learning space,” said Aime.

Hamlyn co-founded LTI in 1992 with Bob Katz and has served as its CEO since 2016. A language proficiency expert and dedicated advocate for world language education, Hamlyn leaves a legacy of excellence and innovation in delivering the internationally recognized ACTFL language assessments. “At LTI we are committed to delivering language assessments and credentials that support the learning and career goals of individuals, and the importance of multilingualism in the 21st century. Over the last 30 years, I have been very fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated and visionary world language learning and assessment advocates and professionals who have been part of the ACTFL proficiency movement,” said Hamlyn.

“On behalf of the LTI executive team and all employees, I want to thank Helen for her leadership and dedication. For 30 years, LTI has been led by a purpose—to provide individuals with credentials that recognize their language ability so they can meet their education and career goals. LTI’s success is in huge part due to Helen’s vision and ceaseless commitment to supporting world language learning,” said Jin Kim, LTI’s CFO.

Meet a Language Superhero: Alan Linus Lee–A Modern-Day Renaissance Man

Language Superhero magazine cover: Alan Lee Alan Lee is a modern-day renaissance man. He speaks several languages, has obtained multiple degrees and certificates, and traveled the world both for work and study. He has a great perspective on navigating multilingual and multicultural spaces and the impact of travel on language proficiency. He talked to LTI about his experiences learning languages and taking the ACTFL assessments in order to obtain a language proficiency certificate. He’s a fascinating man, and his story is worth the read.

Read his story: Language-Superpower-Magazine-Alan_Lee

 

 

 

 

 

Watch the video to hear directly from Alan about his journey.

Cultural and Linguistic Representation on School Boards

group of people around a table

Did you know that in the 49 U.S. states and Virgin Islands School Board Associations, there are over 90,000 members that are responsible for educating over 50 million children? According to the National School Board Association, approximately 9 out of 10 students receive public education. With over 4.8 million English Learners (ELs), which is equivalent to ~10% of the total K-12 student population enrolled in schools, the linguistic and cultural diversity within education is growing. However, when you look at your local school board, do the members reflect the diversity of the communities they serve?

According to the U.S. Department of Education (2014-15), Hispanic and Latino students represent more than 75% of ELs, which is approximately 25% of the total student population. While statistical data provides insight on the growing number of ELs and the need for increasing support, a perfect example of the need for diverse representation on School Boards with members who intimately understand the challenges these students face can be found in the latest episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast series.

Johanna López became the first Latina to become a member of the Orange County Public School (OCPS) Board in Florida in its 170-year history. Ms. López has served for over two decades as the eyes, ears, and voice of students, parents, and educators—especially those who look like her and who experience the most disparities. She champions minority student empowerment with a special focus on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), supporting undocumented students, responding to their current needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocating for the provision of better treatment for teachers and non-instructional staff.

Historically, school boards have been led predominantly by members who did not reflect the cultural and linguistic demographics of their districts, but the tides are slowly changing. In a recent article, “Change Is Already Here”, Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) Steering Committee Chair, Jacinto Ramos Jr. states “School boards today are serving a population of students reflective of a major demographic shift in American schools. The country is now more racially and ethnically diverse but also seeing more economic inequality.” The fact remains that the demographics in the U.S. have changed and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Therefore, to ensure that School Board members understand the unique challenges of diverse children and create equitable reform that is reflective of their unique needs, there must be cultural and linguistic representation.

Students who are learning English should be empowered to recognize the value of speaking another language as they continue to improve their command of English. In today’s global economy, being multilingual is a high-demand skill. Students who work toward proficiency in another language should be encouraged to pursue the Seal of Biliteracy, an award in the form of a seal on a diploma or transcript that recognizes high school graduates who have attained high levels of proficiency in English and one or more world languages. It recognizes the value of language diversity and acknowledges the effort involved in and importance of learning a language. Having ELs obtain the Seal in their first language and in English will arm them with the credentials to pursue academic and professional opportunities where language skills are of paramount importance.

Tune into the podcast with Johanna López here.

Sources

https://www.nsba.org/About/About-School-Board-and-Local-Governance

https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/el-characteristics/index.html

https://www.nsba.org/ASBJ/2020/February/Change-Already-Here

 

Why Language Inclusion Is the Key to Effective Community Building

family multigenerational hugging

Anyone in a leadership role quickly learns the value of good communication skills if they want to be effective. This can be especially challenging if language is a barrier between the leader and those they are trying to lead. Language Testing International is proud to have provided language assessment services to many leaders around the world who have taken this challenge head-on.

The reality is that there are still many more leaders in positions of power who never take on this challenge, and ultimately cause sometimes-large segments of their prospective audiences to be left unheard and unattended to. However, we can find inspiration to act from the trajectories of leaders like Johanna López, who joined us as a guest during a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast.

Johanna López is a member of the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Board in Florida and the first Latina to attain such a prestigious role via landslide vote in 2018. It was the culmination of a strategic campaign fully managed by her former students coupled with an impeccable career as an educator and advocate for marginalized youth. Ms. López is fully aware that she has been tasked by the community she has served for over two decades to be the eyes, ears, and voice of students, parents, and educators—especially those who look like her and who experience the most disparities. She takes this responsibility very seriously in her continued work championing minority student empowerment with a special focus on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), supporting undocumented students, and advocating for the provision of better treatment for teachers and non-instructional staff.

Ms. López knows first-hand the importance of overcoming language barriers for effective community building. “Number one. You have to go to the community,” she said. “You cannot depend on other people’s opinions or because you are just only reading articles … you have to go to the community and you have to speak with the people who are facing the situations, and not listening to the situations from second-hand opinions.”

Not speaking the language of the community that you serve doesn’t mean you can ignore their needs, explained López. “You have to find somebody who can translate to you what people are trying to say in their native language.” She gave an example that “if you try to make somebody from Puerto Rico, who doesn’t know enough English, explain the situation they are facing, they sometimes cannot describe enough in their second language the way they feel.” In other words, the essence of what someone is saying can literally get lost in translation if the person facilitating communication isn’t fluent enough in the language and doesn’t understand the cultural context and nuances.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. López advocated for all information from the school system to be translated into every language represented within the schools. “We have a lot of information that sometimes did not go first-hand to our Hispanic community, or the Portuguese-speaking community, or the Vietnamese-speaking community. So, I requested publicly that we have those translations, because it is important. This is about life.”

Due to her efforts, the county’s superintendent agreed to Ms. López’s request and “now they translate the manuals, and they post videos in different languages.” When possible, López says you should try to go beyond just translating from one language to another and address each audience separately. Ms. López did this during the pandemic, “when I had educational town halls, because it was a lot of information, you know, we were changing everything in the system. So, I provided educational forums, one completely in English, for 1.5 hours … and then one completely in Spanish … because when you have the translations, you know, our community is not going to feel the same way. Nobody is going to feel comfortable enough to participate in that town hall. So, I provided it in both languages, one after the other one.”

Ms. López explains the value of treating the school’s diverse employees with inclusive and equitable practices, as those individuals are ultimately who impact the students. “I have a lot of janitors that are Hispanic, so I think they deserve to have the same information in their native language, and also for our bus drivers. … As a school board member, we have to be able to identify the populations and the ethnicities that we have in different areas, so we can provide information and be fair and equal to everybody, because this is our country. We want to be better, to provide good services for our students. If I serve my teachers, my bus drivers, and my janitors, I know for sure the students are going to feel more comfortable. They are going to have better services, because they [are around staff] that are being attended to and valued.”

The approach Ms. López uses for effective community building—by being inclusive of non-English speaking segments of the community she serves—makes it easy to understand why she was the recipient of the prestigious Teacher of the Year award and is a popular School Board member, especially amongst her community’s non-English-speaking populations. The difference Ms. López’s makes in the public school system of her community is a perfect example of the superpowers of language proficiency!

Learn more about Johanna López’s inspiring story by tuning in to our podcast.

Student-led Civic Engagement: Advocating for Their Future

father helping daughter with homework

In a recent podcast in our “Language is Your Superpower” series, Johanna López credits her students for her historical 2018 landslide win to become a member of the Orange County Public School Board (OCPS) in Central Florida.  Not only did she obtain a seat with 40,000+ votes (previous elections were won by a margin of closer to 10,000 votes), she also became the first Latina in its 170-year history to be elected. This accomplishment started way before she decided to run for OCPS. It started with the love for her students and creating opportunities for them to advocate for their future.

In Orange County, Florida, 1 in 3 people speak Spanish. In 2018, Spectrum News 13 reported three big trends in Orange County schools:

  • OCPS shows an influx of Hispanic students.
  • Hispanic students make up 41 percent of the county’s school districts.
  • The county is addressing the influx via hiring multilingual, ESOL teachers.

As a native Spanish speaker that taught in Puerto Rico, Johanna quickly realized when she started teaching in the U.S. mainland that there were bilingual opportunities to advocate for and to better serve all students, but particularly those for whom English is not their first language.

For example, with no Spanish representation on the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) in the school she worked at in Orlando, Johanna created a group called “Familias presentes, estudiantes excelentes” (Involved Families, Excellent Students) to increase parent and student engagement. The group quickly grew to over 900 members, especially when Hurricane María forced many Puerto Rican families to move to the mainland U.S. With the increase of the Hispanic community, students were motivated to participate and empowered to use their native language as they learned English and got involved in the community. The bilingual exchange among the students began in the classroom and quickly expanded to campaigning in English and Spanish for Johanna’s campaign for School Board.

When she decided to run for the OCPS School Board, her students quickly rallied to support her. As part of the campaigning process, her students were charged with educating the Hispanic community about Johanna’s candidacy and the role of the School Board. This involved going door-to-door, speaking to members in the community, which made many students feel self-conscious and unsure of their linguistic skills. Johanna explains, “With my accent, I have to set an example to them, so they feel enough comfortable [sic] to knock on those doors and try their best to speak English to the community. It was a challenge for me and for them, but we achieved our goal.”

This student-led civic engagement opportunity allowed not only Johanna, but more importantly her students, to realize that despite language barriers or linguistic limitations, they have the capacity to learn, grow, and advocate for their future. Johanna proudly proclaims, “My accent is an asset.” She also taught her students that, “It is not the accent. It’s about passion. It’s about engagement. It’s about community. It’s about being transparent. People know when you are trying your best. They value that.”

Multilingual skills are highly valued in today’s economy. High school students who are multilingual can have their skills recognized by obtaining the Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal is approved by 45 states, and it recognizes high school graduates who have attained high levels of proficiency in English and another world language. This award not only recognizes the value of language diversity, but it also provides employers and college admissions offices with a method of identifying those who are multiliterate.

Are you interested in bringing the Seal of Biliteracy to your school? ACTFL and LTI are proud to support the Seal of Biliteracy by offering proficiency- and performance-based assessments for learners in grades 9-12. Over 600,000 students have earned this distinction that is available in many languages and allows them to claim that language is their superpower. Learn more here.

Tune into the podcast with Johanna López here.

Sources:

https://www.languagetesting.com/sobl-opi-wpt

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2018/06/27/orange-county-public-schools–report-cards–reveals-influx-of-hispanic-students?web=1&wdLOR=c242F9342-7E28-4740-A3A5-C8ECED729A8E

Campaigning for a School Board Seat Helps Improve Language Skills

a diverse group of students having a discussion

Language skills can benefit us in many ways and in a variety of personal, professional, and academic settings. When language training is implemented, and skills are improved on a community level—especially when used to empower an underserved community with a voice—the impact can be astounding.

In a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast, special guest Johanna López shared how her campaign for a seat on her county’s School Board engaged her local Hispanic community, and how both Spanish- and English-speaking campaign volunteers improved their language skills throughout the process.

Johanna López is a member of the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Board in Florida and the first Latina to attain such a prestigious role via landslide vote in 2018. It was the culmination of a strategic campaign fully managed by her former students coupled with an impeccable career as an educator and advocate for marginalized youth. Ms. López is fully aware that she has been tasked by the community she has served for over two decades to be the eyes, ears, and voice of students, parents, and educators—especially those who look like her and who experience the most disparities. She takes this responsibility very seriously in her continued work championing minority student empowerment with a special focus on English as a Second Language (ESOL), supporting undocumented students, and advocating for the provision of better treatment for teachers and non-instructional staff.

Ms. López planted the seeds of improving individual language skills in the minds of her students long before she became a School Board Member. As a teacher in the Orange County Public Schools system, “when I saw that we have a PTA, a Parent Teacher Association, that doesn’t have any Hispanic persons and they don’t speak Spanish, I started a group called Familias Presentes, Estudiantes Excelentes,” which means, “Involved Parents, Excellent Students.” After Hurricane María impacted the island of Puerto Rico, many Puerto Rican families moved to Florida, and the group grew to “almost 900 parents and students together in the cafeteria. So, I think that was the time that we started empowering the students with their native language, because once they feel more secure and more empowered with their native language, because they feel more comfortable, then, I’m going to say, okay, now you have to learn how important it is to be engaged in the community. And forget about the accent and forget about grammatical mistakes. Try to think in English if you could. If not, try to translate. But it’s going to be harder because you’re going to need more time to express yourself.”

Putting words into action, Ms. López “started practicing in the classroom. I put students in pairs; somebody who is more fluent in English with somebody that is not fluent. So, they started learning from each other with basic conversations.”

A few years later, Ms. López became the first Latina in Orange County to win Teacher of The Year and later decided to campaign for a seat on the County’s School Board. Many of her former students, who had taken part in those classroom conversations, came back to volunteer for her campaign.

Having collectively knocked on over 35,000 doors throughout the campaign, Ms. López’s students knew her talking points in English and Spanish by memory by the time the debates began. While Ms. López had once been the person critiquing her students’ language, she noted that the tables had turned, when “at the end of every debate, we had meetings and [the students would] identify, ‘okay, Lopez. You used the word y (and in Spanish) 40 times. López this is not a plural.’ So, we were growing together through the campaign in improving the English language.”

–> Watch as Johanna recounts a story of a student who overcame her language barrier to advocate for her school

To her surprise, Ms. López also recalls how “the English-speakers that were in my campaign, they wanted to speak Spanish. So, now we have an Anglo person, an English speaker, wanting to know more Spanish and motivated to take Spanish in the school. But we also have the English Language Learners, our ESOL students, wanting to know and improve the English language.”

In closing, Ms. López shared a story of a time at a school board meeting, after she had already won the seat, when the community was fighting to rename one of the schools, and she was shocked to see “one of my former students, who helped me knocking on doors, be one of the speakers in front of the school board … It made me cry,” she said. “And it sounded so perfect. She did not read anything … speaking from the heart, you know? I said, ‘Wow! We are achieving what we wanted to achieve. Having the Hispanic community here in front of the school board members, speaking on behalf of a change … and we did it.’”

Is there a better way to show the power of language skills in a community than when you see the next generation having the tools, the opportunities, and the confidence to make their voices heard?

Tune into the podcast with Johanna López to learn more about her experience.

Championing Equitable Education within Your Community

language teacher talking to her students in a classroom The article, “Immigration and Language Diversity in the United States,”  delineates how the history of linguistic diversity in the U.S. has ebbed and flowed throughout time. Long before English settlers arrived, there were many distinct languages spoken in Native American communities in North America. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there were an estimated 10 million people (approximately 10% of the population) who spoke a language other than English, which was influenced by immigration and slavery. With cultural assimilation and resistance to speaking any language other than English, the U.S. was virtually rendered monolingually English in the 1970s. Fast forward about 50 years, and the linguistic tides have turned again with a reported 60 million non-English speakers living and working in the U.S., of which 37 million are Spanish speakers. What does that mean for the education industry and championing equitable pathways to promote a linguistically diverse learning environment?

For a parent, student, or active community member, it can be challenging to know where to start in determining how to serve and make a meaningful difference due to the complexities of navigating the education system. Imagine trying to navigate this system when your native language is not English, and your previous knowledge about learning environments and educational systems may differ from the way children are educated in the U.S. This was the experience of Johanna López, the first Latina elected as a member of the Orange County Public School (OCPS) Board in Florida in 2018, and a recent guest on our podcast series, “Language is Your Superpower.”

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Johanna was a schoolteacher on the island, where she taught in Spanish. When she relocated to Orlando, Florida, her English proficiency was limited, but that did not dissuade her from going after her goal of getting back into the classroom. Her language acquisition journey has been a 20-year learning experience that has required her to also figure out how to navigate the U.S. educational system and how to advocate for equitable pathways for students that are learning English as a second language.

There are 3 ways you can become an education champion like School Board Member Johanna López:

1.     Research the U.S. Department of Education website. Learn about the mission, goals, and objectives of the department as well as the structure, which includes School Boards, state contacts, and budgets as well as resources for parents, teachers, educators, and community members. Additionally, the website has language assistance in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, and Russian.

2.     Advocate for education policy changes that support language diversity. In the 2019 report, “Making Languages Our Business” by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), they recommend that world languages be treated as a discipline much like others such as science, technology, math, etc.: “A command in multiple languages is a valuable asset for U.S. students and employees—not only in boosting their marketability in the workplace, but in helping them thrive in a global economy.” (p. 3) The research findings in the 2019 report indicate a “significant implication for education policy.” Therefore, U.S. policy makers should be encouraged to prioritize language education due to the growing demand and competitive advantage it provides.

3.     Utilize Your Language Superpower. If you are proficient in one or more languages, consider being a liaison for your local School Board, public school, or other educational institution. As a bilingual or multilingual person, you can certify your language skills with ACTFL assessments through LTI. This will not only provide a boost to your credibility to serve as an intermediary, but it will also help you be viewed as a valuable resource to your community.

As the U.S. becomes more diverse, the need for linguistically diverse learning environments is critical in education for future generations. By doing some research, reaching out to local leaders, and actively serving your community, you can utilize your language superpower and become a champion for equitable education.

For more information on how you can become certified for your language proficiency, visit Language Testing International.

Tune in to the podcast with Johanna López here.

Source:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4092008/

ESOL Teacher Carried to Victory by Hopeful Students

young teacher holding a Success sign How the hope of representation inspired ESOL students to overcome language barriers and carry their teacher to victory

At Language Testing International, we see the powers of language learning manifest in all different forms, and a person’s decision to improve their language skills can be in response to a multitude of reasons—especially when there is a sense of urgency to do so. Even more powerful than an individual motivated by urgency is the collective power of a group of individuals who are all motivated by the same urgency and work together towards a common goal.

We heard an incredible example of this when we were joined by special guest Johanna López in a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast.

After being named Teacher of the Year in 2017 by Florida’s Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), Johanna López became a member of the county’s School Board. She was the first Latina to attain such a prestigious role via landslide vote in 2018. It was the culmination of a strategic campaign fully managed by her former students coupled with an impeccable career as an educator and advocate for marginalized youth.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ms. López moved to Orlando, FL to escape her difficult situation and seek better opportunities for herself. As a disenfranchised Latina woman, Ms. López is fully aware that she has been tasked by the community she has served for over two decades to be the eyes, ears, and voice of students, parents, and educators—especially those who look like her and who experience the most disparities. To many, including Ms. López, the announcement of her campaign to become a School Board member meant something far bigger than just a position on the board. It meant the voices of an underserved and underrepresented population could finally have one of their own get a seat at the table.

Ms. López points out the uphill battle that she and her students had to face throughout the campaign, because of their noticeable accent when speaking in English. “So, it was a project because with my accent, I had to set an example to them, so they’d feel comfortable enough to knock on those doors and try their best to speak English to the community that speaks English, because we also have a big community that speaks Spanish as well, but the majority were English speakers,” said López.

Fortunately, Ms. López’s students were up to the challenge and, in many cases, were surprised by the response from neighborhood residents. A few of the students “even have stories of senior citizens crying at their door when they’d see that the [students] were trying to speak English and saying, ‘You have to vote for my teacher. My teacher is going to advocate for me, and for your grandchildren,’ you know, ‘and for the community.’ So, it was very emotional to everybody,” explained López.

The effort put forth by Ms. López’s students inspired English- and non-English-speaking residents alike to rally around her campaign. “You know, this is about working hard, not only for English language learners, but also, for all the people who believe in inclusion and diversity,” said López. “So, for the first time, that seat won by 40,000 votes. That seat usually won by 9,000, 12,000. But, with the mobilization of English-language learners … even the signs were designed by students. Everything was based on my students’ intelligences, skills, and ideas.”

So, what was it that Ms. López told her students to help them face their fears of communicating with complete strangers in English, their second language? She explains that “during my campaign, I also told my students, ‘You know what? My accent is an asset. And that is the way you have to see it. You know, when you speak and you have an accent, everybody is going to know that you speak another language. So, you are bilingual. So, you have to feel proud about your roots and you have to be proud about your accent, because it’s not the accent what is important. It’s not being a perfectionist. It’s about having the commitment and it’s about passion. It’s about the community, it’s about the engagement, it’s about being transparent. People know when you are committed and transparent with them. They know when you’re honest, and when you try your best, and they value that.’ And they forget about the accent… And if they say something, it’s something that is going to help us to be better and empower us to achieve the goal that we are looking for.”

–> Watch a short video in which Johanna tells a story of how her run for the school board inspired students to overcome their language barriers.

WOW! What an inspiring message … and one that clearly resonated with her students as they carried her to a landslide victory. Ms. López’s story goes to show that language is not just a tool, it is an asset, especially when the person wielding the language is using it with positive intent. The community Ms. López serves as a member of the School Board recognized that positive intent within the students advocating for her campaign. And now, for the first time, the Spanish-speaking minority in Orange County, Florida has a voice and a seat at the table; not despite their accent, but because of it!

To learn more about Johanna López’s inspiring story, tune in to our podcast here.