Foreign Language Academic Alliance for International Rapport

An Academic Alliance of Georgia and South Carolina

Vol. 31, No. 1 (October 2015) Editor: Jana Sandarg

Department of English and Foreign Languages Georgia Regents University

Fall conference 2015

Victoria Vox in Concert

Victoria Vox is a singer-songwriter in English, French and Spanish. Her two concerts at the GRU Summerville campus were on September 24th in the evening and September 25th during the day. She charmed the audiences with her voice and ukulele! www.victoriavox.com

Mobile Apps to Foster Learning Engagement On Saturday, August 29th, FLAIR sponsored a free teacher workshop at the GRU Summerville cam-pus. Stacey Powell of Auburn University and Kristy Britt of the University of South Alabama helped teach-ers create and evaluate learner-centered activities by using mobile apps. Keep your students on task and in the target language…. by having them use their cell phones in class!

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Spelling Bee in French Dr. Nicole Meyer (below left at microphone) leads a spelling bee for French students from Aquinas High School and

Butler High School. Dr. Liana Babayan (seated on first row to the right) assists in the contest. Standing at far right are

French teachers Terry Meredith (Aquinas) and Michael Harris (Butler). Victoria Vox is a personal friend of Dr. Meyer.

Spelling Bee in Spanish Dr. Pedro Hoyos, pictured at far right with microphone in hand, calls out

spelling words in Spanish to students from Fox Creek High School in North

Augusta and Langford Middle School from Augusta. Dr. Giada Biasetti

(below, far left in red) and Dr. Chris Botero (below, far right with micro-

phone) assisted in the spelling bee. Teachers JoBen Rivera-Thompson

sponsored the Fox Creek students and Zulailed Rivera-Thompson spon-

sored the Langford students. All winners received certificates of merit.

At left, Dr. Liana

Babayan assisted

with the French

Spelling Bee. At

right, Dr. Giada

Biasetti helped

run the Spanish

Spelling Bee.

At left, Dr.

Nicole Meyer

and Victoria

Vox pose in

tee shirts

sporting

phrases in

French.

Victoria Vox sports a tee shirt that says “Je parle français.” She poses with faculty and French students at GRU after her September 25th concert. L-R: Romain Ferreira, Kimberly Young, Victoria Vox, Dr. Jana Sandarg, Alexander Verin, Joseph Theriault.

Evans High School

Students Visit France Leslie Dawson, Evans High School French teacher, took a group of seven French II and III students on an 11 day trip to France in June, 2015. They visited Paris, the Loire River Valley castles and last home of Leonardo da Vinci, the WWII beaches in Normandy, the Mont-Saint-Michel, and Rouen before travel-ing south to Nice and Monaco. A won-derful, fun, exciting time was had by all!

Leslie Dawson, at left in

pink shorts (sixth from

the left), poses with her

students on the French

Riviera. There is nothing

like total immersion to

learn the French language

and culture!

Chazz Jordan, student of Spanish

teacher Christy Presgrove, was

Greenbrier High School’s top winner

in the 2015 Composition Contest,

sponsored by the Georgia chapter of

the American Association of Teachers

of Spanish and Portuguese.

Congratulations, Chazz!

The U.S. Department of State Announces Scholarships for American High School

Students to Study Abroad The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) offers merit-based scholarships to study one of seven critical for-eign languages: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. The NSLI-Y program is designed to im-merse participants in the cultural life of the host country, provide formal and informal language practice, and spark a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. The application deadline for summer 2016 and academic year 2016-2017 programs is October 29, 2015. Visit www.nsliforyouth.org for more information. The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program offers merit-based scholarships to spend an academic

year in countries that may include Bosnia & Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines,

Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey. This program increases understanding between people in the United States and people in

countries with significant Muslim populations. Students live with host families, attend local high schools, do community service,

and complete a capstone project. Applications for academic year 2016-17 programs are due December 1, 2015. Visit www.yes-

abroad.org for more information.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) offers merit-based scholarships for an academic year in Germany.

The program was established in 1983 to celebrate German-American friendship based on common values of democracy. Stu-

dents live with host families, attend local schools, and participate in community life in Germany. For more information and ap-

plication deadlines, visit the organization in charge of recruitment for your state at http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/.

Deadlines for U.S. applicants range from December 1, 2015 to January 15, 2016, depending on state of residency.

For more information on exchanges sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit www.exchanges.state.gov or watch this video about U.S. high school student exchanges. To receive printed brochures and/or posters about our study abroad opportunities, send an email with your request to youthprograms@state.gov.

Federal Service Language Academy

The University of North Georgia (UNG) will host the sixth summer language academy for high school rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in June and July 2016. The Federal Service Language Academy (FSLA) is a three-week residential program for students interested in an immersive intensive language experience, fitness, and exploring international-related careers with the federal government. Last year 120 students from over 32 US states and three foreign countries suc-cessfully completed FSLA. During the two three-week sessions, students will be immersed in intensive language instruction in First-Year Arabic, Chinese, Russian, German, Korean, Portuguese or Second-Year Arabic, Chinese, Russian, German, Korean, and Portuguese from highly qualified teachers, par-ticipate in a daily fitness program, receive career counseling from fed-eral agency representatives (possible agencies include the CIA, DEA, FBI, State Department, Homeland Security, the Peace Corps and US Armed Forces), and possibly receive high school credit for successful completion of the academy. We will also offer First-Year Japanese and First-Year Cherokee this summer. We are also pleased to announce the addition of FSLA Germany 2016 in Berlin and FSLA France 2016 in Angers, a three-week (July 01-23) language immersion experience. These programs will feature in-tensive language instruction, cultural excursions, and home stay ar-rangements with German or French families. This is a Dual Enrollment program with both high school and university German or French cred-it. Accepted students must be admitted to UNG. See the website for details: www.ung.edu/fsla

Latino Americans:

500 Years of History “War & Peace” Screening and Discussion 6:00 pm | Tuesday, November 10, 2015 Georgia Regents University, University Hall 170 2500 Walton Way Augusta, GA 30912 This last screening of the fall series focuses on the lasting effects World War II had on Latino American communities. Dr. Heather Abdelnur will lead a panel of Latino veterans in discussion of their experiences in the military following the film. guides.gru.edu/latino

Allison Neff (German, Grovetown High School), spent a

month in Leipzig, Germany, this past summer at a special training for Competency Development in Communica-tion, Presentation and Pronunciation, which was spon-sored by the American Association of Teachers of Ger-man. Congratulations, Allison!

Se necesitan libros Estamos colectando libros usados o nuevos de literatura en español. Se puede dejar en 709 Bohler Ave, Augusta, GA 30904, a cualquier hora ya que es un Porch Library. Se aceptan donaciones en inglés, por supuesto, pero queremos montar algo para los hispanoparlantes. Si al-guien quiera donar sus libros usados o nuevos pero no tienen cómo trasladarse por favor que nos avisen y vere-mos cómo buscarlos. Anibal Ibarra, 706-724-3355

International Skills Diploma Seal

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) announces the launch of a new initiative, the International Skills Diploma Seal. In the 21st century, the world seems to be shrinking and global markets are only a few key-strokes away. In Georgia, we have more than 3,000 international companies that employ approximately 175,000 people. Another 2,500 companies are affiliated with these international businesses. We know that international trade is good for Georgia companies: it increases productivity and growth and provides a competitive edge. But with an accelerating global economy, our personal worlds are expanding: Communicating and interacting with people from all over the world has become increasingly important whether you work abroad or right here at home in Geor-gia. It is our task to educate and prepare our students to become 21st century learners. A 21st century learner is a global citizen that is aware of different cultures, traditions and perspectives and can interact in diverse environ-ments. It is what businesses call an important soft skill for the workforce – before and after college.

GaDOE is launching a new initiative to encourage public schools to prepare students for the interconnected world. The International Skills Diploma Seal will prompt students to challenge themselves academically through schoolwork in World Languages and International Focus courses and challenge themselves personally by engaging in meaningful extracurricular activities and community service. In a capstone presentation, students will reflect on the skills and perspectives learned. Georgia will be one of three states in the nation to offer this global readiness seal to its students and schools.

Schools can apply to become eligible to award the seals to qualifying high school seniors. They are encour-aged to review their course offerings with an international focus. We have more than 70 courses on our state list that have an international focus in areas like CTAE, ELA, Fine Arts, and, Social Studies. For more information: <http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/International-Skills-Diploma-Seal.aspx>http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/International-Skills-Diploma-Seal.aspx

Michaela Claus-Nix, Georgia Department of Education Program Specialist: World Languages and Workforce Initiatives 1770 Twin Towers East, 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, GA 30334 404-651-8373 mclausnix@doe.k12.ga.us

FLAIR

wants you! We need steering committee members. Please contact Terry Meredith (tmeredith@aquinashigh.org) or Jana Sandarg (jsandarg@gru.edu) if you wish to be added to the steering committee email list. Everyone is invited to attend the meetings.

FLAIR TEACHER GRANTS are available to ac-tive FLAIR members who are presenting at a con-ference, working on a special project, or other simi-lar items. Up to five $100 teacher grants will be awarded per year, if funding is available, to active FLAIR members. Teachers may receive the grant only once. To apply, email Terry Meredith at tmere-dith@aquinashigh.org. No deadline.

2015

Nov 20-22 ACTFL Conference, San Diego, CA

2016 Feb 18-20 SCOLT Conference, Charlotte, NC 29 FLAIR Honor Society Induction, GRU Mar 1 FLAIR Honor Society Induction, GRU 4-5 FLAG Conference, Augusta, GA 18-20 AATSP-GA Immersion Camp Nov 18-20 ACTFL Conference, Boston, MA

2017 Mar 16-18 SCOLT Conference, Orlando, FL Nov 17-19 ACTFL Conference, Nashville, TN Please email items for the calendar to the editor: jsandarg@gru.edu

$250 Student Study

Abroad Award

Students who are members of the FLAIR Foreign Lan-

guage Honor Society are eligible to receive a $25

award for participating in a study abroad program.

Only one award will be given per year. Students must

participate in an organized program and the funds

will be disbursed after receiving official documenta-

tion of completion of the program. No deadline. Con-

tact:

Terry Meredith at

tmeredith@aquinashigh.org

$250 Teacher Study

Abroad Award

Teachers who are active members of FLAIR are eligi-

ble to receive a $250 award for participating in a

study abroad program. Only one award will be given

per year. Teachers must participate in an organized

program and the funds will be disbursed after receiv-

ing official documentation of completion of the pro-

gram. No deadline. Contact:

Terry Meredith at

tmeredith@aquinashigh.org

Minutes of the FLAIR Steering Committee Tuesday, September 8, 2015

The FLAIR steering committee met at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at Mi Rancho Mexican Restau-rant on Washington Road. The following members were present: Julio Ávila, Liana Babayan, Leslie Dawson, Angelica Eubanks, Michael Harris, Di Johnson, Terry Meredith, Nicole Meyer, Christy Presgrove, Sonia Puerta-Quinn, Jana Sandarg and Robert Walker. Jana prepared the agenda and Michael Harris volunteered to lead the meeting. Announcements: *The AATSP-GA Conference is on September 12th in the Atlanta area: www.aatsp-ga.org *The Hispanic Festival is Oct 9-11 at the Augusta Commons. Teachers will be mailed a sign-in sheet if students want to attend to help. Newsletter Send information and photos to Jana Sandarg at jsandarg@gru.edu Treasurer’s Report *Our treasurer, Edwin Pérez, was not present, but sent his report by email. According to the August bank statement, we have a balance of $3,845.36 in the bank. It was moved and seconded to accept the treasurer’s report. The motion carried. *It was moved and seconded to reimburse Jana the amount of $72.27 for coffee, drinks and doughnuts for the 2015 FLAIR conference. The motion carried. 2015 Fall conference *The presenters (Kristy Britt from Alabama and Stacey Powell from Auburn) gave a three-hour workshop at GRU on Saturday, August 29, from 9:00 am until noon. The conference, “Mobile Apps to Foster Learner Engagement, ” drew about two dozen participants. *Jana thanked Di for arranging the workshop. *Jana has sent thank-you letters to the presenters. Victoria Vox Event *The evening concert will be on September 24th and the day concert will be on September 25th. FLAIR students will be invited to attend the day concert and participate in a spelling bee. Jana has arranged for rooms and tables, chairs and equipment. Nicole and Liana will prepare the list of French words for the spelling bee and Jana will ask Pedro Hoyos to coordinate the Spanish spelling bee. Words will be related to the season of autumn. Jana will cover publicity and regis-tration. Nicole will host Victoria Vox. *It was moved and seconded to allot $500 more for the concert. The motion carried. FLAG *We will support FLAG when they host their conference in Augusta on March 34, 2016. FLAIR will stuff FLAG bags, pro-vide $50 in door prizes, and give FLAIR post-it note pads for inclusion in the FLAG bag. Jana will alert the FLAG board. Holiday Event *Angelica Eubanks volunteered to host a holiday event at her home. She will choose the date and we’ll help with food. Black History Month *We agreed that FLAIR should sponsor a cultural presentation, but that it does not have to be related to Black History Month. Julio volunteered to do a program on ancient music or colonial music. We will think of other themes. Next meeting

We will meet on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm at Mi Rancho on Washington Road. Submitted by: Jana Sandarg