Tag: biliteracy

For the first time since its inception, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are or have begun working toward implementing a state Seal of Biliteracy program, according to the recently released 2020 National Seal of Biliteracy Report for the 2018-19 Academic Year. The program, which began in 2008 as a grassroots movement in California aims to recognize...

In February, Californians Together will be hosting two free workshops for Spanish-speaking parents, community members, and parent organizers of English learners. The workshops are part of a campaign, Alas y Voz, which aims to support parents in choosing biliteracy programs for their children. In the workshop, participants will: discuss the benefits of bilingualism and biliteracylearn more about their rights to...

"about 40% of the world’s population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand" Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO The focus of this month’s International Literacy Day was Literacy and Multilingualism, to tie in with the UN’s 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages and the 25th anniversary of the World Conference...

Linda Egnatz is impassioned by the expanding reach and motivating power of the Seal of Biliteracy When someone in the language learning field asks, “What is the Seal of Biliteracy?” I might honestly respond, “It’s the ANSWER to your problem.” The simple act of providing a credential for language skills verified through outside testing can meet the following language program...

David Bong explains the what, why, and how of measuring world language skills The world of language assessment is endlessly fascinating. What, why, and how we measure language skills are constantly evolving to incorporate new strategies and technologies as the field becomes increasingly aware of how language testing can improve learner outcomes. What There are three fundamental types of language tests: Achievement...

Education First For the seventh year in a row, Education First (EF), has released their annual report on English proficiency. EF, an international education company that specializes in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs, and cultural exchange, states in their introduction to the rankings, “In 2017, English is as essential to international communication as it has ever been. It is...

On the day after Valentine's Day, Colorado’s bilingual advocates received a belated gift from their state senate. The Republican-controlled senate voted in favor of Senate Bill 17-123, the Colorado Seal of Biliteracy by a margin of 30-5. The measure now goes on to the House, controlled by Democrats, where it has bipartisan sponsorship and where it is expected to...

As Californian demands grow for biliteracy, Cynthia García Dehbozorgi and Nehemias Giménez García compare the state’s initiatives to those of Spain Surprisingly, one of the oldest bilingual-education programs in what is today the U.S. was implemented in California by the Spanish–Franciscans in the 18th-century when Spanish was the dominant language. Today, the tables have turned. English is now the language of power. Although thousands of...