vol. 39, no. 2 december 2000 virginia ballinger retires as ... · new concord, oh 43762...

The Cardinal December 2000

Vol. 39, No. 2 December 2000

In This Issue. . .Letter From the President ................................ 4AATG Report ................................................... 6Henry Ziegler ................................................... 7Around the State .............................................. 8A New Perspective: Bob Ballinger ................ 10Life on the OFLA Board ...............................14Political Advocacy Committee ...................... 16Riley Touts Benefits of K-12 FL

Education ..................................................19AATF Sponsors French Contest ....................21The Cardinal Notebook ................................. 22Professional Development Opportunities ...... 24Ohio University Students in Salzburg ........... 29Conference scholarship forms ................. 32-34OFLA’s First Lifetime Member ..................... 35The World Has Many Voices order form ........37OFLA Award Nomination Forms .................. 38Readers’ Corner ............................................. 40Conference Notices ................................. 41-42

Virginia Ballinger Retires as WorldLanguages Consultant by Barbara S. Andrews

(continued on page 27)

Former OFLA President VirginiaBallinger, a staunch advocate forforeign language education at theOhio Department of Education forthe past seven years, recently an-nounced her retirement from theposition, effective December 2000.

During her tenure at the ODE,Ginny• directed the development of

Foreign Languages: Ohio’s ModelCompetency-Based Program,

• served as consultant to the for-eign language writing team forthe development of the Com-mon Expectations,

• served as consultant to the for-eign language writing teamsfor the development of modelassessments for three Stages ofLanguage Development,grades K-12 ODE/OFLA col-laborative project,

• led a summer institute for thedevelopment of model lessonsK-12 in French, German, Latin,and Spanish,

• trained 33 teachers to conductcurriculum developmentworkshops for foreign lan-guage teachers in each of the12 Regional Professional De-

velopment Centers,• served as president of the National

Council of State Supervisors of ForeignLanguages, 1999-2001,

• served as member of the SteeringCommittee for the Joint NationalCouncil of Languages in Washington,D.C.,

• wrote a budget proposal to increase thenumber of early language programs inOhio school districts,

• served as a member of the committeeto revise Ohio School Standards,

• developed a brochure to promoteEarly Language Learn-ing Programs,

• evaluated teacherpreparation programsin foreign language inOhio’s colleges anduniversities,

• served as member ofthe OFLA executiveboard.

Before taking the positionwith the ODE, Ginnytaught Spanish for 24 yearsat Upper Arlington HighSchool. During that time,she received a Rockefeller

As state foreign language consult-ant, Ginny had the opportunity towork with teachers and administra-tors in 300+ school districts.

#6

The CardinalDecember 2000

OhioForeign

LanguageAssociation

Executive Board

Committee

PresidentRobert Ballinger766 Ashler CourtColumbus, OH [email protected]

President ElectPamela GreeneOhio Department of Education65 South Front StreetRoom 1009Columbus, OH [email protected]

Executive Vice PresidentMichael HauberAkron Staff Development Center65 Steiner AvenueAkron, OH [email protected]

Past PresidentMarian Walters5159 Sandra DriveToledo, OH [email protected]

Executive RecorderBonnie Morgan Fábregas585 Tansy LaneWesterville, OH [email protected]

Executive TreasurerLaraine BunckClay High School5665 Seaman Rd.Oregon, OH [email protected]

Vice President for Advertising &Exhibits

Carmel Oberdorfer3569 South Hametown Rd.Norton, OH [email protected]

Vice President for MembershipDebbie Sehlmeyer3505 TorranceToledo, OH [email protected]

Vice President for PublicationsBarbara S. Andrews1518 Charmaine Dr.Toledo, OH [email protected]

State World Language ConsultantVirginia BallingerOhio Department of Education65 South Front St.Room 1009Columbus, OH [email protected]

Articulation & Curriculum CommitteeCindy Mathias518 Catalina DriveAkron, OH [email protected]

Awards CommitteeJudith BaughinRaymond Walters College9555 Plainfield Rd.Cincinnati, OH [email protected]

College CommitteeJean MorrisDepartment of Modern LanguagesMuskingum CollegeNew Concord, OH [email protected]

By-Laws CommitteeLori Winne6238 Summit StreetErie, MI [email protected]

Educational Activities CommitteeHeidi Russo638 Olde Irish DriveGalloway, OH [email protected]

Early Language Learning CommitteeRyan Wertz118-A Broadmeadows Blvd.Columbus, OH [email protected]

Instructional Materials DevelopmentMary GoodwinNorthview High School5403 Silica DriveSylvania, OH 43560mgoodwi@uoftø2.utoledo.edu

The OFLA VisionEvery Ohio student will be pro-ficient in a second language,which is essential to a world-class education.

The OFLA MissionThe Ohio Foreign Language As-sociation is committed to mak-ing foreign languages an essen-tial part of every school’s corecurriculum, beginning in the pri-mary grades, so that every Ohiostudent graduates from highschool proficient in a second lan-guage.

The OFLA Strategic Plan1. Establish clear expectations

for foreign language learners.2. Build the capacity of foreign

language teachers to preparelearners to demonstrate theirproficiency.

3. Build support for foreign lan-guage instruction among par-ents, policy leaders, the busi-ness community and opinionleaders in the media.

The Ohio Foreign LanguageAssociation is a member ofthe Central States Conference(CSC), the American Councilon the Teaching of ForeignLanguages (ACTFL), and theJoint National Committee forLanguages (JNCL).


Check out our NEWOFLA Website:

www.ofla-online.com

• register your membershipand pay with a credit card

• check the status of yourmembership

• read The Cardinal online• download forms &

applications• register for the conference

and pay with a credit card(coming soon)

Chairs

Affiliate Organizations

American Association of Teachers ofFrench (AATF)

Jean MorrisDepartment of Modern LanguagesMuskingum CollegeNew Concord, OH [email protected]

American Association of Teachers ofGerman (AATG)

Barry Thomas14 Charles StreetAthens, OH [email protected]

American Association of Teachers ofSlavic and Eastern EuropeanLanguages (AATSEEL)

Marian Walters5159 Sandra DriveToledo, OH [email protected]

American Association of Teachers ofSpanish and Portuguese (AATSP),Buckeye Chapter

Denise Lepe-PerkinsMiddletown High School601 North Breiel Blvd.Middletown, OH [email protected]

American Association of Teachers ofSpanish and Portuguese (AATSP),Northern Chapter

Open

Ohio Classical ConferenceSherwin D. LittleIndian Hill High School6845 Drake RoadCincinnati, OH [email protected]

Retired TeachersCarolyn UmmelValley View High School6027 Farmersville German PikeGermantown, OH [email protected]

Teaching English to Speakers of OtherLanguages (TESOL)

Rob Robison6803 Maplebrook LaneColumbus, OH [email protected]

Nominating CommitteeMarian Walters5159 Sandra DriveToledo, OH [email protected]

Political Advocacy CommitteeRob Robison6803 Maplebrook LaneColumbus, OH [email protected]

Promotional Activities CommitteeGina LewandoskiColumbiana High School28 Pittsburgh StreetColumbiana, OH [email protected]

Scholarship CommitteeAnn Salomone1080 Cliffside DriveChillocothe, OH [email protected]

Teacher Education & LicensureSusan Colville-Hall3454 Edgewood DriveStow, OH [email protected]

Mark NutterRoute 2 Box 186BBelpre, OH [email protected]

TheCardinal

The Cardinal is published four timesper year (October, December, Febru-ary, and June) by the Ohio ForeignLanguage Association.

Comments, suggestions, opinions, re-views, and classroom tips are wel-comed. Send to:

The CardinalBarbara Andrews, Editor1518 Charmaine DriveToledo, OH 43614(419) 382-6121 (fax)[email protected]

Deadlines for each issue are:August 1 (October issue)October 1 (December issue)December 15 (February issue)April 1 (June issue)

Keep in mind that space limitationsmay make it impossible to publish allsubmissions, and that submissions maybe edited for the purpose of brevityand clarity.

Send notice of your change of addressto:

Debbie SehlmeyerVice President for Membership3505 TorranceToledo, OH 43612(419) 478-7429(419) 389-5055 (fax)[email protected]

Moving?


Letter from thePresidentRobert Ballinger

Little did I know when I invited you to “make your mark” on our profes-sion how important your mark would be.

On September 8, I sent out a “Red Alert to over 70 language teachers. Iasked those teachers to forward my alert to other teachers on their ownlists, and to ask those teachers to forward the alert to other teachers. Andso forth and so on. I have no idea how many teachers received the alert, orhow many times it was forwarded. But eleven days later I received an e-mail from Mike Cook, legislative assistant to Representative Erin Sullivanof the 18th District of the Ohio House. He said that Representative Sullivanwanted to know how she could help us, language teachers (see page 12 inthis issue). Mr. Cook had received our “Red Alert” from his fiancée whohappens to be a language teacher. An invisible network of teachers lefttheir marks along the way to Representative Sullivan’s doorstep.

On September 28, Mr. Cook suggested that it was the time to marshal ourteachers to urge their state house representatives to vote for the bill beingintroduced by Representative Sullivan. Again the “Call for ImmediateAction” rippled throughout the statewide network of languageteachers. Mr. Cook knows, more than any of us realizes, the power of aletter to sway votes in our direction. Scores of language teachers, maybeeven hundreds of them, were making their mark on the future of our pro-fession.

In the midst of this flurry of communication came word of the passing ofHenry Ziegler, one of our past presidents (see page 7 in this issue). Henryand I served together on the OFLA board for several years during the‘80’s. At the time he was teaching Russian at Princeton High School (Cin-cinnati) where, in 1995, he became the first inductee in Princeton’s Hall ofFame. I read again the tribute to Virginia Senor-Hill published in the lastissue of The Cardinal. Here are two teachers whose marks are indelible.

On a more personal note, my wife, Ginny, will be retiring at the end of thismonth after 24 years as a classroom teacher and seven years as state worldlanguage consultant. She has had a significant influence on my teaching.One of the blessings of being married to a fellow language teacher is that

A Second Invitation

#1

Mr. Cook knows, more than

any of us realizes, the power

of a letter to sway votes in

our direction. Scores of lan-

guage teachers, maybe even

hundreds of them, were mak-

ing their mark on the future

of our profession.


she knows more than anyone does what I have endeavored to do in theclassroom. She has challenged me to do more and to do it better. Eversince she began her doctorate in 1987, she nourished my mind with themost innovative ideas. She strengthened my spirit with her encourage-ment and support. I am the privileged recipient of her wisdom and expe-rience.

At this very moment, Ginny is poised, like a relay runner, to pass thebaton on to Debbie Wilburn Robinson. They are in that part of the racewhere the first and the second runners match each other’s pace stride forstride. As Debbie takes the baton firmly and unerringly, we encourageher to keep her vision clearly in sight and to act boldly in behalf of Ohio’sschool children.

So, I extend to you a second invitation to make your mark on our profes-sion. We need each one of you, the members of OFLA, to continue theimportant work already started by so many before us. It is on their shoul-ders that we stand and gain a new perspective.

Robert Ballinger

As Debbie takes the baton

firmly and unerringly, we en-

courage her to keep her vision

clearly in sight and to act

boldly in behalf of Ohio’s

school children.

Vistas in Educationad


AATG ReportsMark Himmelein, Past PresidentOhio Chapter

The annual AATG/PAD testing program for German is now underwaythroughout Ohio. Testing continues through January, and winners will beannounced in late March. Finalists will be invited to the spring AATG meet-ing at the OFLA Conference in Akron. Winners will receive an all-expensepaid study visit to Germany in the summer of 2001.

During 1999-2000, more than 600 students took the test in Ohio. Twenty-seven finalist applied for the trip to Germany and each received book prizesand awards from the Ohio Chapter AATG. Ohio’s nominee for a studytrip, Stephanie Janovyak from Olmsted Township, Ohio received theaward. Stephanie was one of 100 winners chosen from among the nearly20,000 students who took the exam. Congratulations to Stephanie and toher teacher, Renate Elbur of the German Language School of Cleveland!

Immersion Weekend

The Ohio Chapter AATG has received a grant to host an immersion week-end for German language teachers next spring. The grant will cover partof the costs, enabling the Ohio Chapter to keep the price of the weekendlow. Dates and a venue for the immersion weekend will be available inlate December. Non-native speakers of German, and novice teachers areespecially encouraged to participate. Additional information is availableby contacting Dr. Mark Himmelein at 330-829-8704 or by e-mail at MountUnion College at <[email protected]>.

AATG Chapter and National Officers

Ingrid Langer began her term as President of the Ohio Chapter of theAmerican Association of Teachers of German in November 2000, replac-ing Dr. Mark Himmelein of Mount Union College. Ingrid teaches atWorthington-Kilbourne High School in Worthington, Ohio. Serving asVice-President is Ursula Hays of Brush High School in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Dr.Harold Fry, Kent State University, holds the position of Treasurer.

Outgoing president, Dr. Mark Himmelein has been elected to serve aspresident of the Chapters Assembly and will be a member of the AATGnational executive committee. His two-year term begins in January 2001.

Ohio Chapter AATG/PAD Testing & Prize Winners


Foreign language educators mourn the death of former OFLA President,Henry P. Ziegler. Henry died at his home September 18 from chronic ob-structive pulmonary disease.

Henry loved teaching. He started teaching English, history, and Latin in1956. In 1962 he decided to study Russian by taking courses at XavierUniversity, and two years later he started the Russian program at PrincetonHigh School. He continued his studies at Indiana University, obtaining aM.A.T. in Slavic Languages and Literatures. He was always proud of hisstudents and what they could do. From 1975-87, Henry was chair of theU.S. Olympiada Committee and U.S. Representative to the InternationalOlympiada Committee. In this position, he helped conduct contests ofspoken Russian, sending the best students to the InternationalOlympiada. Many of his students won medals. At the International Com-petition held in Moscow in 1987, one of his students received a silver medal,and in 1989 the Princeton Team claimed a gold medal at the NationalRussian Essay Contest. That same year, he was successful in organizing acomplete exchange program. Soviet students had the opportunity to livein American homes and attend Princeton High School, and then later fif-teen American students went to Moscow to live with Russian families. Itwas a special year for him, giving his students a chance to know wellanother culture and way of life.

In addition to teaching, Henry was active in a number of professionalactivities. He was President of the Ohio Chapter of AATSEEL (1970-85);President of OFLA (1986-87); and Ohio Representative to ACTFL (1986-88). Throughout his career he received many awards and honors. In 1971,he was named among the “Leaders of American Elementary and Second-ary Education.” In 1973-74, he received the Human Relations Award foroutstanding work in the Princeton City Schools. In 1983, OFLA namedhim the Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher in Ohio and in 1988, hewas awarded the distinguished A.S. Pushkin Medal for exceptional ser-vice in promoting the study of Russian. After retiring from Princeton in1989, he continued teaching part-time at Raymond Walters College, Uni-versity of Cincinnati. In 1998, he was the recipient of the second annualRaymond Walters College Distinguished Teaching Award.

Henry’s love for the Russian language and culture also penetrated intothe community. He acted as interpreter for the Russian Figure SkatingTeam at the World Figure Skating Championships in Cincinnati in 1987. Heparticipated actively in the Sister Cities Project from 1987-91, and he con-tinuously hosted Russian language teachers and visitors in his home. In

We’ll Miss You, Henry Ziegler!

That same year, he was suc-

cessful in organizing a com-

plete exchange program. So-

viet students had the oppor-

tunity to live in American

homes and attend Princeton

High School, and then later fif-

teen American students went

to Moscow to live with Russian

families.


#2


Around the StateVirginia BallingerState World Language Consultant

Dear Foreign Language Colleagues,

The time has come to bid a farewell to all of you. I will be retiring as yourstate foreign language consultant in December 2000. When I began myteaching career in 1965, I had no idea that I would devote 30+ years toeducation in Ohio. However, my twenty-four years of teaching plus al-most eight years at the Ohio Department of Education have afforded methe opportunity to promote the learning of other languages, the thing Ilove to do best of all.

My years at the Ohio Department of Education have been very reward-ing. Foremost has been the opportunity to meet outstanding, dedicatedteachers throughout the state who are committed to helping their studentslearn to communicate in another language. I have enjoyed being an advo-cate for you and for foreign languages at the district, state and nationallevels.

I leave this position with many fond memories. For example, workingwith the advisory committee to create our state competency-based modelin foreign languages, serving on the OFLA executive board, traveling toschool districts across the state to collaborate with teachers on curriculumdevelopment projects, meeting with preservice students in Ohio’s teacherpreparation programs; and giving numerous sessions and workshops atthe OFLA conference have been just a few of the highlights of my job asstate foreign language consultant.

As I prepare to retire, I count myself blessed to have had the opportunityto serve as your state consultant in foreign languages. Thank you.

Best Wishes,Ginny Ballinger

Results of Professional Development Survey

Thanks to all the teachers who completed and returned the professionaldevelopment survey which was printed in the June 2000 Cardinal. Thisinformation will be extremely helpful in organizing professional devel-opment activities for foreign language teachers throughout the state. The

My years at the Ohio Depart-

ment of Education have been

very rewarding. Foremost has

been the opportunity to meet

outstanding, dedicated teach-

ers throughout the state who

are committed to helping

their students learn to com-

municate in another language.


results of the survey will be shared with the state’s twelve Regional Pro-fessional Development Centers, the Academic Alliances and with indi-vidual school districts. Listed below is a summary of the survey results.

The top three preferences for participation in professional developmentare:• Summer.• During the school day.• After school from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Teachers listed computer workshops, travel abroad, OFLA conference, andPathwise and Praxis training as their most beneficial professional devel-opment activities during the past year.

The top five topics that teachers would like to learn more about are:• Using technology in the foreign language classroom.• Engaging students in meaningful, communicative activities.• Using performance-based assessments in speaking, listening, reading

and writing.• Increasing the use of the target language in the classroom.• Improving teacher proficiency in the target language.

Teachers would also like to learn more about how to develop curriculumby using the national standards and the Ohio model, how to implement acompetency-based program based on the four stages of language devel-opment, and how to develop and use rubrics to evaluate student perfor-mances. Twenty teachers indicated their willingness to help organize pro-fessional development activities in their region of the state.

Research is proving that the single most important factor in improvingstudent achievement is the quality of classroom teaching. The Ohio For-eign Language Association in collaboration with the Ohio Department ofEducation is committed to making sure that teachers have the skills, knowl-edge and resources to get students to higher levels of achievement. Be-cause we know that the most meaningful professional development islinked directly to the expressed needs of teachers, the results of this sur-vey will be sent to staff developers throughout the state.

The Ohio Foreign Language As-

sociation in collaboration with

the Ohio Department of Edu-

cation is committed to making

sure that teachers have the

skills, knowledge and re-

sources to get students to

higher levels of achievement.

Alliance Grants To Be Continued

The OFLA Board has authorized a continuation of the grants of up to $500 per alliance to be used forfunding alliance operations and activities. The grants will be awarded competitively, based on proposalssubmitted by the steering committee of each alliance.

Grant applications can be requested by contacting Judith Baughin, Raymond Walters College, 9555Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.


A New PerspectiveRobert BallingerPresident

I had just touched the “send” button that sent the “Red Alert” out to over70 colleagues. A pang of self-doubt washed over me. “What have I justdone?” I thought.

My wife, Ginny, who is the state foreign language consultant, had comehome from her office at the Department of Education. She was sodistraught. She had just seen a copy of the draft Operating Standards forOhio Schools and realized that foreign language was not included in thelist of subjects that schools would be required to teach. The list of requiredsubjects appears in the Ohio Revised Code 3313.60, which now had be-come part of the new Operating Standards.

I am not a political person. I would prefer having root canal surgery overwriting a persuasive letter to my government representatives. So, all thewhile Ginny is explaining to me the dire implications of being excludedfrom ORC 3313.60, I am saying to myself, “Please, don’t ask me to doanything. Can’t this wait until next year when Pamm Greene is OFLApresident? She’s the perfect one to lead us in political action.”

By the time we finished supper, my sense of duty kicked in. I knew I wouldhave to do something. The words and phrases of an alert were beginningto fall in place in my mind (see the article on the Red Alert on page 12 ofthis Cardinal). After submitting several drafts to Ginny to make sure thewording was clear and concise, I was ready to send out the “Red Alert.” Butto whom should I send it? I would send it to the 26 OFLA board members,of course. But who else should receive it? Over the past two years as OFLAvice president, I had collected over 40 email addresses of OFLA membershad who responded to the “New Perspective” column. I decided to sendthe “Red Alert” to them as well. I asked everyone to forward the alert tocolleagues in their address books. I was hoping that the alert would beforwarded eventually to every foreign language teacher in Ohio. I won-dered how many colleagues would receive it and how long it wouldtake. Then I realized that a couple of years ago, this campaign to get thealert out would have had to be done by snail mail. What took me secondsto do, would have taken days. What a powerful tool e-mail is! And howdemocratic it is! The alert went to teachers regardless of their rank or ex-perience in the profession.

Writing to colleagues is one thing. Writing to the members of the stateboard of education is another. Why would they care what I think? Theywould probably assume that I was being self-serving. I began to wonder

OFLA Speaks the Language of Politics

I am not a political person. I

would prefer having root ca-

nal surgery over writing a

persuasive letter to my gov-

ernment representatives.


who the friends of foreign language education are. Would they speak upfor us? Then the ultimate self-doubt raised its ugly head: Why would any-one care what happens to foreign language education in Ohio?

Well, after five weeks of efforts to persuade (1) the State Board of Educa-tion to include foreign languages in the Operating Standards for Ohio Schoolsand (2) legislators to include foreign languages in ORC 3313.60, I discov-ered that we do have friends outside the profession who will speak outon our behalf. All they need from us is to tell them what we want andthey will act for us. In this regard, the OFLA Framework (the Vision andMission Statements, and the Strategic Plan) was extremely useful andeffective. When I explained our Framework to people who wanted toknow, they were empowered to say the right words that would furtherour cause. When people wanted to know why foreign language instruc-tion is essential to a world-class education, I used the ideas found in theposition papers on NCSSFL’s web site (www.ncssfl.org). I felt affirmedand energized by what I read there. I felt that what I was doing each dayin my classroom was a part of a larger picture. I found myself talkingwith great enthusiasm about why every Ohio student should be profi-cient in another language.

As I finish this article, it is October 11, 2000. I have just returned fromattending the State Board of Education meeting in which the board votedtheir intent to adopt the new Operating Standards for Ohio Schools. On page13 are the words “School districts shall also provide for study of the fol-lowing subjects.” And at the top of a short list are two words: foreign lan-guages.

Post Scriptum

We have gained some ground, but the struggle is not over yet. We need tobe included in ORC 3313.60 (see the article on the Red Alert on page18).So, on behalf of all Ohio children, write your state representatives andurge them to vote for Rep. Sullivan’s bill to include foreign languages inORC 3313.60.

After you write your letter, I urge you to do the following very politicalactions:

• Discuss endorsing the OFLA Framework in your language depart-ment.

• Ask me by e-smail to include your name to our growing network ofOFLA members online.

• Consider thoughtfully the two motions before the OFLA membershipand vote during the Annual Business meeting at the OFLA conferencein Akron.

Who knows, we may develop a penchant for political action, which wouldbenefit all Ohio children.

. . . I discovered that we do

have friends outside the pro-

fession who will speak out on

our behalf. All they need from

us is to tell them what we

want and they will act for us.

We have gained some ground,,

but the struggle is not over

yet. We need to be included in

ORC 3313.60. So, on behalf of

all Ohio children, write your

state representatives and

urge them to vote for Rep.

Sullivan’s bill to include foreign

languages in ORC 3313.60.


Red Alert: A Chronology

• On September 8, 2000, during a briefing of last minute changes to thedraft Operating Standards for Ohio Schools, Ginny Ballinger noticed thatORC 3313.60 was being included in the draft. By replacing the 1983Operating Standards, which includes Foreign Languages as a subjectcontent area, the new Operating Standards, which uses the list of sub-ject content areas in ORC 3313.60, in effect drops foreign languagesfrom consideration as a subject matter content area from Ohio schools.

• On the evening of September 8, I sent out an e-mail Red Alert inform-ing OFLA board members and about 40 OFLA members whose e-mailaddresses I had in my database. The headline for the Red Alert read“OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DROPS FOREIGN LAN-GUAGES FROM NEW STANDARDS.”

• On September 12, I sent letters to each member of the Ohio State Boardof Education (see page 13). On September 15, I received a voice mes-sage from State Board President Martha Wise that she would questionwhy Foreign Languages were not included in the draft Operating Stan-dards for Ohio Schools.

• On September 19, I received an e-mail from Mike Cook, legislativeassistant to State House Representative Erin Sullivan, 18th House Dis-trict (between Cleveland and Summit County), saying that she wantedto introduce a bill to include “foreign languages” in ORC 3313.60. Mr.Cook wanted documentation supporting importance of including for-eign languages in school curriculum. For immediate reference, I gavehim a website (www.ncssfl.org). From there, I instructed him to go to“White Papers,” then to “A Rationale for Foreign LanguageEducation.” The next day I hand delivered to him several documentsuseful to him in drafting the bill.

• On September 21, I received an e-mail from Stephen Ohlemacher, state-house reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, wanting clarification onseveral points of Rep. Sullivan’s bill. I spoke to him on the phone. Heis following the story closely.

• On October 6, Rep. Sullivan’s bill was introduced in the Ohio House.Co-sponsors are:ALLEN, DIXIE (D)BARNES, JOHN (D)BARRETT, CATHERINE (D)BOYD, BARBARA (D)JAMES, TROY LEE (D)KRUPINSKI, JERRY (D)MILLER, DALE (D)MOTTLEY, DON (R)SMITH, SHIRLEY (D) House Education Committee MemberWINKLER, CHERYL (R) House Education Committee Member

• The legislative process is that this bill goes to the House Educa-tion Committee, then to the House, then to the Senate Education

On September 12 I sent letters

to each member of the Ohio

State Board of Education (see

page 13). On September 15 I

received a voice message from

State Board President Martha

Wise that she would question

why Foreign Languages were

not included in the draft Oper-

ating Standards for Ohio

Schools.


by Bob Ballinger


September 12, 2000

Dr. Marie Pfeiffer1050 East Cooke RoadColumbus, OH␣ 43224-1945

Dear Dr. Pfeiffer:

As President of the Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA), with a membership of over1700 foreign language teachers statewide, we urge you to examine carefully the wordingof the draft of the new Operating Standards for Ohio Schools, specifically Rule 3301-35-04 Student and Stakeholder Expectations and Focus.␣ Included in this draft is a sec-tion, which deals with school curriculum. Referring to section 3313.60 of the OhioRevised Code, the draft states that “any such curriculum shall include study of thefollowing subjects:

• the language arts, including reading, writing, speaking, oral and written English,and literature;

• geography, the history of the United States and Ohio, and national, state, and localgovernment in the United States, including a balanced presentation of the relevantcontributions to society of men and women of African, Mexican, Puerto Rican, andAmerican Indian descent as well as other ethnic and racial groups in Ohio and theUnited States;

• mathematics;• natural science, including instruction in the conservation of energy and natural

resources;• health education;• personal safety and assault prevention in grades kindergarten through six;• physical education;• the fine arts, including music;• and first aid.”

Foreign languages are not mentioned in the list of curricular areas, yet the draftcontinues on to state that “The school district or school shall provide every studentwith opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills required to receive a diploma oran honors diploma.” One of the criteria for an honors diploma is three units of onelanguage or two units of two languages.␣ The new graduation requirements in Senate Bill55 specify that students can earn credit in electives which “shall include at least oneunit, or two half units, chosen from among the areas of business/technology, fine arts,and/or foreign language.” Under these new draft standards, schools are not required tooffer foreign languages.

My colleagues and I urge you to help make sure that the Operating Standards For OhioSchools:

1) include foreign languages in the list of subjects (ORC 3313.60) to be taught in Ohioschools;

2) be consistent with national standards in foreign languages which encourage schoolsto begin language study in the earliest grades and to have long, well-articulatedsequences of courses in foreign language.

3) be consistent with the Ohio Foreign Language Association’s Mission Statement whichstates OFLA’s commitment “to making foreign languages an essential part of everyschool’s core curriculum, beginning in the primary grades, so that every Ohio stu-dent graduates from high school proficient in a second language.”

The draft of the new Operating Standards for Ohio Schools denies thousands of studentsthe opportunity to learn a foreign language.␣ The draft represents an incomprehensiblestep backward when we should be moving forward to provide all Ohio children with aneducation that will prepare them to prosper in an increasing interdependent world.

If you have any questions to help clarify the above points, please contact me at yourearliest convenience.

Respectfully,

Robert Ballinger, PresidentOhio Foreign Language Association


Life on the OFLA Board

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing The Cardinal for nearly six years! Itseems like only yesterday that I noticed that former editor Joe Moore waslooking for an “assistant” editor who could write and had some knowl-edge of page layout (PageMaker). I have always enjoyed writing and Ispent some three years doing desktop publishing at Kinko’s—a part-timejob I took on for the purpose of saving money to study in France duringthe summer.

So I volunteered and helped Joe with a couple of issues before I was askedto run for office as his replacement. Frankly, I was more than a little in-timidated in the beginning. . . Joe Moore is a tough act to follow! I remem-ber several frantic calls to Tiffin while struggling with that first issue. Af-ter a couple of weeks of hard work, my hard drive crashed and when myfirst few desperate efforts to revive it failed, I wanted to call someone andsay, “I can’t do this! Get someone else!”

But eventually I managed to recoup all my hard work and learned a les-son the hard way (for the umpteenth time): always keep a backup copy!

The second issue was much easier. After the first year, I started lookingfor a way to put my own stamp on The Cardinal rather than simply tryingto imitate Joe’s style. I attended a seminar for professional desktop pub-lishers and learned that putting out a newsletter that “looks nice” is notenough. Using the basic principles of design will ensure that more peopleactually read the articles rather than just turn the page. I started noticinglayout designs in other newsletters and magazines, often borrowing someof their ideas for The Cardinal.

To say that I have enjoyed my two terms as Vice-President for Publica-tions on the OFLA Board is a gross understatement. From the beginning Ihave been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support of the other Boardmembers. Not only have they freely offered their assistance and encour-agement, but they have provided a generous budget for the printing andmailing of each issue. Other state organizations hampered by low bud-gets send out an eight-page newsletter that is folded in half and stapled,containing mostly notices and forms. A larger budget means that we caninclude more articles of interest to foreign language teachers. . . and com-municate in more detail some of the many activities OFLA is involved in.

Frankly, I was more than a

little intimidated in the begin-

ning. . . Joe Moore is a tough

act to follow! I remember sev-

eral frantic calls to Tiffin while

struggling with that first issue.

After a couple of weeks of hard

work, my hard drive crashed

and when my first few desper-

ate efforts to revive it failed,

I wanted to call someone and

say, “I can’t do this! Get some-

one else!”

Barbara S. AndrewsVice-President for Publications


Being on the Board in itself has been a gratifying experience. First of all, Ihave become acquainted with some very special people. Those five-hourround trips to Columbus from Toledo about five times a year have pro-vided an opportunity to network with other foreign language teachersfrom the Toledo area: Marian Walters, Lori Winne, Mary Goodwin,Laraine Bunck, Debbie Sehlmeyer, and formerly, JoAnn Huber. We allfeel very strongly that OFLA needs to continue to have representationfrom the Northwest Ohio area, as well as other areas outside of Colum-bus. OFLA is not just an organization for teachers in the Columbus area.

Being on the Board has given me the courage to branch out in other areas.For example, I never dreamed that I would be presenting sessions or work-shops at conferences, let alone at ACTFL (Nashville)! Or that I would winan essay contest (CSC), have one article published in a professional jour-nal (CSC) and another online (the Well-Connected Educator), or be one of18 language teachers chosen to attend a national technology seminar inAmes, Iowa. You know, I never realized before that anyone would be in-terested in hearing anything I had to say!

Another area where I have grown is in my awareness of the political arena.I never before realized how important it is to be aware of what is happen-ing in Columbus and Washington, and to make sure that my representa-tives know my opinions. I am grateful that OFLA is my voice in the OhioDepartment of Education, the American Council on the Teaching of For-eign Languages (ACTFL), the Joint National Committee for Languages(JNCL), and the Central States Conference (CSC). However, I have a re-sponsibility of my own to understand the issues and vote for the candi-dates who are committed to supporting foreign languages and educationin general. One vote really does make a difference!

I didn’t know when I first came on board that one of the benefits for ex-ecutive board members is financial support for attending other confer-ences. Because of OFLA’s generous allowance, I have been able to attend

ACTFL in Philadelphia, Nashville, Dallas, andBoston, in addition to our own conference eachyear.

But I have to say, the best benefit of all is gettingacquainted with other OFLA members fromaround the state. I used to go to the conferencenot knowing anybody and feeling a little out ofplace. Now I look forward to the conference notonly as a chance to learn new ideas and meth-


Another area where I have

grown is in my awareness of

the political arena. I never be-

fore realized how important it

is to be aware of what is hap-

pening in Columbus and Wash-

ington, and to make sure that

my representatives know my

opinions.

#3


Political AdvocacyRob RobisonCommittee Chair

As part of our district’s back-to-school agenda, I had the opportunity tohear a speech by Bobby DeLaughter, the Jackson, Mississippi district at-torney who successfully prosecuted the murderer of Mississippi civil rightsleader, Medgar Evers, who died in 1964. Some of you may have seen themovie “Ghost of Mississippi,” which heralded the story of this courageousdistrict attorney who prevailed despite seemingly insurmountable oppo-sition. His message throughout the presentation was that ordinary peoplecan achieve extraordinary results if they have the courage to stand up fortheir beliefs and the conviction to persevere.

So what does this have to do with political action and your role as a mem-ber of OFLA? Political action begins at home, or as a politician whosename I do not recall once said, “All politics are local.” Internally, politicalaction starts with being the best we can be in the classroom as teachersand as knowledgeable resources for our parents, colleagues, school ad-ministrators, and school board members. It means that we are able andwilling to share current information on research, plus local, state, and na-tional standards, and how our students best learn second languages. Andit means that we are able and willing to seek out not only local funds butstate and federal resources as well.

Externally, successful advocacy begins with voter registration and activelyexercising our civic duty and responsibility, the cornerstone of liberty. Ourpreparedness extends to include a willingness to make phone calls, writeletters, seek coverage from radio and television media, visit elected offi-cials, or testify before local groups and boards, as well as state and federalcommittees, in order to press the cause that we believe in based on facts,not demagoguery. We are willing to invite those who can help into ourclassrooms to witness first hand the high caliber of instruction we provideand the success we are experiencing because of it. In short, we are pre-pared to make a difference because we know the difference our programcan make in the lives of the young people we serve.

Individually and collectively, we can make a difference. I look forward toworking with you over the next few years, as we strive to ensure thatforeign language instruction continues to play a vital role in the instruc-tion of Ohio’s youth.

Respectfully,

Rob Robison

In short, we are prepared to

make a difference because we

know the difference our pro-

gram can make in the lives of

the young people we serve.

............

Individually and collectively,

we can make a difference.

Special thanks to the JNCL-NCLSweb site for its font of information.


October 2, 2000

Martha Wise, PresidentState Board of Education

Dr. Marie Pfeiffer, MemberState Board of Education

Dr. Susan Zelman, SuperintendentOhio Department of Education

Dear President Wise, Dr. Pfeiffer, and Dr. Zelman:

I am writing to urge you to consider including the study of foreign languages in the newOperating Standards for Ohio Schools. It is my understanding that the study of foreignlanguages is not mentioned in the most recent draft of Rule 3301-35-04, Student andStakeholder Expectations and Focus, which deals with school curriculum.

Also, it is my understanding that the draft states that “the school district or schoolshall provide every student with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills re-quired to receive a diploma or an honors diploma.” One of the criteria for an honorsdiploma is three units of one language or two units of two languages. The new graduationrequirements in Senate Bill 55 specify that students can earn credit in electives which“shall include at least one unit, or two half units, chosen from among the areas ofbusiness/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.”

Not including the study of foreign languages within the required curricular offerings ofschool districts is most unfortunate in light of the following: From the President’sCommission (1979) to the present, major national commissions—The Rand Study, The HolmesReport, The Governors’ Report—have chronicled the economic and national defense needs ofthe United States to accelerate the development of a citizenry versed in a variety offoreign languages. Recent changes in the former Soviet Union, the economic power surge ofJapan, the continuing uncertainties in the Middle East and Africa, the advent of a singleEuropean currency with the emergence of Europe as an economic block, the burgeoningpolitical and economic presence of Hispanics and other nationalities within our ownborders, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the increased public awareness of thedependency of the United States on other countries have focused attention on the need forgreater knowledge and understanding of cultures and languages other than English. In lightof so many political and economic imperatives, education is the prime vehicle for maintain-ing the nation’s economic superiority in the increasingly competitive global marketplaceof today.

The 1994 Goals 2000 Educate America Act outlines educational goals for the nation. Inparticular, the national goals challenge educators to enable students to “demonstrateproficiency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, foreignlanguages...” By the way, the 1994 and 1996 National Goals Reports indicate that Ohiostudents as a group perform at a very mediocre level on national foreign language profi-ciency measures. Not to include the study of foreign languages flies in the face of thestated national educational direction of this nation and is of no help if we are to improvestudent proficiency in second languages or to prepare them for the global economicrealities they face.

Consider the following: According to Ohio University President Robert Glidden, Ohio is theseventh largest exporter among the continental United States (Col. Dispatch, 2-19-99),shipping more than $25 billion worth of goods overseas. If the state were a nation, Ohiowould rank tenth in the world in exports. In 1990, central Ohio enjoyed a stronginternational influence and business climate, as evidenced by the presence of more than 100

(continued on next page)


international companies, 50 of which were Japanese. Today, there are more than 400international businesses located in central Ohio, with Japanese firms accounting for atleast half. Furthermore, Columbus is the second of only 17 cities world wide to bedesignated by the United Nations as an Infoport trade center, where businesses can estab-lish and conduct trade electronically with any part of the global economy. The centralOhio community understands and respects what responsible knowledgeable educators acknowl-edge, buttressed by more than 30 years of solid academic research, that students who studyforeign languages...

• have larger vocabularies;• perform better on tests of reading and math;• score higher on the SATs;• develop greater cultural sensitivity toward others;• have higher developed listening and retention skills;• are more creative;• display more highly developed thinking skills;• possess skills critical to the national defense;• will be better prepared to contribute to the ability of local, state, and nationaleconomies to compete in the global economy.

I urge you to help ensure that the Operating Standards for Ohio Schools:

1) include foreign languages in the list of subjects (ORC 3313.60) to be taught in Ohioschools;

2) are consistent with national standards in foreign languages, which encourage schools tobegin second language study in the earliest grades, and to have long, well-articulatedsequences of courses in foreign languages.

Thank you for your consideration of educational practices that are consonant not only withlocal and state but also national needs and expectations.

Respectfully,

Robert E. RobisonPolitical Advocacy ChairOhio Foreign Language Association6803 Maplebrook Lane

(con’t from previous page)

addition, he managed to organizeand conduct numerous trips toRussia for students, parents, andother interested communitypeople. Throughout his career, heremained active as interpreter,translator, teacher, and friend.

Henry was greatly admired by hiscolleagues. Bob Ballinger, presi-

dent of OFLA, expresses best Henry’sleadership and professionalism onthe OFLA Board: “Henry made a pro-found impression on me during theyears he and I were on the OFLABoard together. When he was Presi-dent of OFLA, I admired his effectivehumbleness. His leadership style wasto empower board members to suc-ceed at their tasks. His teaching and

professionalism was a standard forOhio foreign language teachers.”

We will greatly miss him.

Henry Ziegler (con’t from page 18)

This article was submitted by JudithBaughin, former OFLA Presidentand current Chair of the AwardsCommittee.


Note: This memo appeared in Education Daily, 09/21/2000.

Education Secretary Richard Riley yesterday told a Senate subcommitteethat greater involvement by the federal government in foreign languageinstruction would not only improve K-12 education, but would also cre-ate a stronger workforce and enhance U.S. security. ”Strengthening thisone area helps to build a better workforce, to improve our national secu-rity and, as research shows, to lift other areas of education as well,” hesaid. Other experts and educators echoed Riley’s sentiments at a SenateGovernmental Affairs subcommittee hearing on the nation’s proficiencywith foreign languages—and the importance of multilingualism in affairsof national security. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who chairs the interna-tional security, proliferation and federal services subcommittee, convenedthe hearing after officials from the Defense and State departments, FBIand CIA recently told him of their difficulties hiring personnel fluent inforeign languages. ”They all agreed on the importance of foreign languageinstruction in the elementary and secondary school setting,” Cochran said.Peacekeeping Mission Helping students learn other languages makes thecountry safer, Riley said, not just by improving the diplomacy of govern-ment operatives who deal with foreigners, but also by making us “morelikely to avoid conflicts and reach across cultural differences to form inter-national friendships and partnerships” in the first place. Moreover, for-eign language instruction makes for a better workforce in a world where“more of America’s companies do business in other countries, and moreof our citizens regularly speak a language other than English in their home.”Finally, the secretary cited research suggesting that studying a foreign lan-guage helps students improve their performance in other academic sub-jects, such as reading and math. Riley touted the Clinton administration’sproposal for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,which seeks to have 25 percent of public elementary schools offering for-eign language programs by 2005 through Foreign Language AssistanceProgram grants. Congress is close to approving a spending bill that wouldincrease funding under that program from $6 million this year to $14 mil-lion in fiscal 2001, he said. Riley also plugged “dual language” programs,in which English speakers and English learners are taught together in theirnative tongues (ED, March 16). Witnesses at the hearing included RobertSlater, director of the National Security Education Program, and DanDavidson, president of the American Councils for International Educa-tion.

Michael Cardman

Riley Touts Benefits of K-12 Foreign Language Classes

Sen. Thad Cochran . . .con-

vened the hearing after offi-

cials from the Defense and

State departments, FBI and

CIA recently told him of their

difficulties hiring personnel

fluent in foreign languages.

Helping students learn other

languages makes the country

safer. . .by making us “more

likely to avoid conflicts and

reach across cultural differ-

ences to form international

friendships and partnerships”

in the first place.


Committee, and then to the Senate for the final vote. The legislature isin recess during the month of October for the campaign. When it re-convenes in November, they will take up this bill which may or maynot reach the point of a final vote by the Senate before the end of thecurrent legislative session in January. If this bill does not reach a finalvote by then, Mr. Cook said that Rep. Sullivan will re-introduce thisbill in the next legislative session.

• To see the current status of the Red Alert, go to the new OFLA website< www.ofla-online.com > and find out what you can do to have for-eign languages included in the Ohio Revised Code.

Red Alert (con’t from page 12)

Test Your Knowledge About Languages!

Use this little quiz for your next open house or as an end-of-class activity forstudents.

Take the global awareness quiz! Which of the following languages is thecorrect answer for each of these questions:1. This language is widely spoken in over 20 countries.2. Students who study this language consistently outperform all other

students on the verbal portion of the SAT test.3. This language is spoken in the country with the third largest economy

in the world.4. The people who speak this language constitute the world leaders in

medical and genetic research.5. The people who speak this language are the world leaders in commer-

cial satellites and telecommunications.6. Even a basic knowledge of this language will cut down the labor and

pains of learning almost any other subject by at least 50% (DorothySayers, National Review).

7. 330 million people speak this language.8. This language, along with English, is the official working language of

the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, and theInternational Red Cross.

9. This language is the second language of the Internet.10. This language has more native speakers than English.

Why Study a Foreign Language?http://eleaston.com/methods.html

Answers:1. Spanish 2. Latin 3. German 4. French 5. French 6. Latin 7. Spanish 8.French 9. French 10. Spanish


ods, but also to renew old friendships and make new ones. It is wonderfulnot to be simply a face in the crowd!

These days some exciting things are happening on the OFLA Board, andalthough I am sad in some ways that this is my last year, I am also lookingforward to spending a little more time with my nieces and nephews—who are growing up so quickly!—and finishing my M.A. in Spanish fromthe University of Northern Iowa.

Final thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged me over thepast six years, but especially to Ginny and Bob Ballinger, Debbie WilburnRobinson, Deke Hufstader, Bev Larson, Bonnie Morgan Fabregas, MikeHauber, Denise Lepe Perkins, Kimberly Ponce de León, David Wilkin,Judith Baughin, Barry Thomas, Rob Robison and the entire OFLABoard—past and present—especially the “Toledo Travelers” mentionedearlier. And to Steve and Ann Dell of Dell’s Precision Printing in Tiffinfor their invaluable assistance in getting each issue printed and distrib-uted.

It’s been a great experience. The person who gets this job next will be veryblessed indeed!

Life on the OFLA Board (con’t from page 14)

I used to go to the conference

not knowing anybody and feel-

ing a little out of place. Now I

look forward to the conference

. . . to renew old friendships

and make new ones. It is won-

derful not to be simply a face

in the crowd!

The National French Contest, sponsored annually by the American Asso-ciation of Teachers of French, is open to all students of French from theelementary grades through high school. Le Grand Concours testing datesfor 2001 are:

March 2-10, FLES ContestMarch 2-24, Levels 01-5

In addition to state and national winners, Ohio will be awarding prizes tothe highest scoring students in each school. Every school will have win-ners.

If you are interested in participating or receiving more information, pleasecontact the Ohio Coordinator, Judith A. Baughin, Raymond Walters Col-lege, University of Cincinnati, 9555 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.Telephone: (513) 745-5646; Fax: (513) 745-5771; e-mail: [email protected]

AATF Sponsors National French Contest

Every school will have win-

ners.


The Cardinal NotebookJanet IrvinContributing Editor

Playing Cards in the Language Casino

I am not a gambler by nature. I find it difficult to let go of my hard-earnedbucks unless I get something in return. So, during a recent trip to LasVegas for the wedding of a niece, instead of playing blackjack, I foundmyself strolling around the casino watching those who are gamblers.

What do they have in common, I wondered, these humans who willingsequester themselves in the false day-night of the casino, interacting onlywith a machine? Peering in what I hoped was an unobtrusive manner, Iobserved looks of intense concentration, fierce dedication to the task, anda strong belief that something good would come of their efforts. I suspectthat a good many prayers also made their way skyward in between eachpull of the slot handle, each deal of the cards.

Of course, anticipating school days and this column, I began to think ofways to hook my students the way the casinos hook their players. Hmmm.Turn my room into a casino-La Casa Dineral? Think the principal mightobject to that. And it is hard to construct a Spanish word slot machine. Butstudents do like to play games, and they enjoy winning. What do I havein my bag of tricks that would elicit the same responses from them asthose flashing lights and noisy machines? It is about motivation, after all,and how to put that spark into the daily lesson.

So, I examined the items I have in my cupboard. Dice. Well, I do have adice game learned ages ago from Barbara Snyder at an OFLA conferencethat the students really like. (It still works well, Barbara. Thank you!) Thenthere is the Wheel of Fortune, built for one of our language fairs yearsago. It started life as fortune-telling device, then languished until the suc-cess of the TV show made it popular. That simple device still manages toinvolve the students in learning everything from the alphabet to literaryfacts. The clicker doesn’t work anymore, but the students don’t seem tomind. It has also been loaned out to the science department for exam re-view days. But what about cards? Aha! That’s where culture comes in tothe picture.

The use of cards with pictures, trivia facts, realia to identify, is a neat wayto share culture with a group. I call it Culture Poker or BlackjackGeography. It does not matter. The point is to get students excited about

. . . I began to think of ways

to hook my students the way

the casinos hook their players.

Turn my room into a

casino? The principal might

object to that. . . . But students

do like to play games, and

they enjoy winning. What do

I have in my bag of tricks that

would elicit the same re-

sponses from them as those

flashing lights and noisy ma-

chines?


and knowledgeable in the areas of culture. Now, mind you, this is one ofthose spur-of-the-moment ideas. You know, the ones that come to yousecretly while you are sleeping and end up carrying you into anotherdimension. These are the ideas that drive colleagues wild (as in ‘you’renot really going to try that with that class!”) and that students beg foryear after year.

The problem is culture changes. The global society we move in now isdifferent from the one we visited just twenty years ago. The ubiquitousgolden arches and cola signs can be found in the most rural Mexican vil-lage and the most historic of big cities. If the individual cultures find theircustoms eroded by the global marketplace, how can we in the classroompresent a feel for the wondrous cultures that inspired us to learn theirlanguages and customs?

The most obvious of answers is to travel, to see the changes as well as tovisit those enduring cultural markers of the countries where our languagesare spoken. Now is the time to plan next summer’s adventures. Go withstudents or voyage alone. See many sights or concentrate on one area. Buttake pictures, collect souvenirs, store up images to share and to paste oncards for use in the language casino. We’ll all be winners if you do.

P.S. I just made my reservations for Spain today. I’m taking a chance on anew program and betting I can save enough money to pay for thetrip. Maybe I am a gambler after all, but I know a sure thing when I seeone.

The ubiquitous golden arches

. . . can be found in the most

rural Mexican village and the

most historic of big cities. If

the individual cultures find

their customs eroded by the

global marketplace, how can

we in the classroom present

a feel for the wondrous cul-

tures that inspired us to learn

their languages and customs?

Promotional Activities Chair Gina Lewandowski has had an exciting year.

Last spring she was awarded the Columbiana County Teacher Best Prac-tice Award for Foreign Language in the Elementary School.

Last May she was inducted into Youngstown State University’s chapterof Phi Beta Delta, an honor society for international scholars, for her workwith international students at Y.S.U. This society recognizes and encour-ages achievements in the areas of international education and exchange.

Her son Peter is one of four students from Ohio and 300 nationally chosento study in Regensburg, Germany on a Congress-Bundestag scholarshipduring his junior year in high school.

Kudos to Gina Lewandowski


Professional DevelopmentOpportunities

Embassy of Spain

This scholarship will be awardedto a teacher in a Spanish programat any level, elementary throughsecondary, in a public, private orparochial school. The recipient willattend one of the summer insti-tutes on Spanish Language andCulture in Spain during the sum-mer of 2001. In the past, the semi-nars have been located at the Uni-versity of Salamanca. The awardwill cover expenses for tuition andmaterials, room and board in a uni-versity residence, and other activi-ties and excursions. The recipientof the scholarship is responsiblefor the round-trip airfare. Thescholarship is intended to providean immersion experience forsomeone who has shown profes-sional commitment and involve-ment in the teaching of Spanishlanguage and culture. After com-pleting the institute in Spain, therecipient will present a session atthe 2002 Central States Conferenceand will share information andmaterials obtained from the expe-rience.

To be eligible for this scholarship,applicants must meet the follow-ing criteria:• be a practicing teacher at any

level with a teaching load of atleast 50% Spanish;

• teach in the Central States Con-ference region;

• have attended at least one Cen-tral States Conference in thelast five years;

• be willing to present a 50

Scholarship Opportunities for CSC Members

minute session at the 2002 Cen-tral States Conference.

Other selection criteria include thefollowing:• distinction in professional com-

mitment and involvement in theteaching of Spanish as seen in ac-tivities such as conference partici-pation and curriculum develop-ment as outlined in a current re-sume or curriculum vitae;

• need for an immersion experiencein Spain expressed in a brief,taped oral biography in Spanish;

• perception of how the experiencewill enhance his/her teaching asexpressed in a written statement;and

• evidence of institutional support.

Goethe Institute/AmericanAssociation of Teachers ofGerman

The newest scholarship! The CSC isdelighted to offer this scholarship forthe summer of 2001. One Germanteacher on any level of full-time in-struction will be selected to attendone of the many outstanding summerGoethe Institutes for Germaneducators. The award may be usedanytime during the summer to attendeither a three or four weekseminar. The scholarship award in-cludes registration, tuition, housingwith breakfast and one meal a day onseminar days. Some site programsinclude field trips. The grant does notinclude transportation to Germany ortransfers to the course site. TheGoethe Summer Institutes for educa-tors have a very long tradition of ex-

cellence and have become modelsin the area of professional devel-opment and commitment for for-eign language and internationaleducation. After completing theinstitute in Germany, the recipientwill present a session at the 2002Central States Conference and willshare information and materialsobtained from the experience.

To be eligible for this scholarship,applicants must meet the follow-ing criteria:• be a practicing teacher at any

level with a teaching load of atleast 50% German;

• teach in the Central StatesConference region;

• have attended at least oneCentral States Conference inthe last five years;

• be willing to present a 50minute session at the 2002Central States Conference.

Other selection criteria include thefollowing:• distinction in professional

commitment and involvementin the teaching of German asseen in activities such as con-ference participation and cur-riculum development as out-lined in a current resume orcurriculum vitae;

• perception of how the experi-ence will enhance his/herteaching as expressed in awritten statement; and

• evidence of institutional sup-port.



Cemanahuac EducationalCommunity in Mexico

This scholarship will be awardedto a teacher in a Spanish programat any level, elementary throughsecondary, in a public, private orparochial school. This scholarshipis for two weeks of intensive Span-ish language study, double roomfamily housing, one field studytrip, Latin America studies classes,a certificate of achievement, andregistration. The recipient can at-tend Cemanahuac anytime during2001. The recipient of the scholar-ship is responsible for transporta-tion to the study site. The scholar-ship is intended to provide an im-mersion experience for someonewho has shown professional com-mitment and involvement in the

teaching of Spanish language andculture. After completing this expe-rience, the recipient will present a ses-sion at the 2002 Central States Con-ference and will share informationand materials obtained from the ex-perience.

To be eligible for this scholarship,applicants must meet the followingcriteria:• be a practicing teacher at any level

with a teaching load of at least50% Spanish;

• teach in the Central States Con-ference region;

• have attended at least one Cen-tral States Conference in the lastfive years;

• be willing to present a 50 minutesession at the 2002 Central StatesConference.

Other selection criteria include thefollowing:• distinction in professional

commitment and involvementin the teaching of Spanish asseen in activities such as con-ference participation and cur-riculum development as out-lined in a current resume orcurriculum vitae;

• perception of how the experi-ence will enhance his/herteaching as expressed in awritten statement; and

• evidence of institutional sup-port.

For application forms, check the“Forms” page on our website:<www.ofla-online.com>.

CSC Scholarships (con’t from previous page)

Linguahostel is pleased to offertwo professional developmentopportunities for world languageeducators:

World Language Teaching Meth-odology and Culture Online

This online course is intended forboth experienced and beginningK-12 world language teachers ofSpanish, French and German, whowould like the opportunity to up-date their language teaching meth-odologies and expand theirknowledge of the target culture.World Language Teaching Meth-odology and Culture Online isspecifically designed to be a blendof theory, current pedagogical ap-proaches, and cultural explora-tion. All projects and assignmentsare designed to be directly appli-

cable to and usable in the world lan-guage classroom.

World Language Teaching Methodol-ogy and Culture is offered at conve-nient times throughout the year.There are fifteen weekly online les-sons for each course session.

Course fees of US $250 include les-sons, course materials, 4 in-service credits, 60 Professional Devel-opment Points, and 6 ContinuingEducation Units all issued byLinguahostel, a registered profes-sional development provider. Partici-pants also have the opportunity toearn graduate semester credit fromthe Travel Study Program of the Uni-versity of California for an additionalfee.

French and Quebec Culture Pro-gram for Teachers (held at theUniversité de Montréal from June24 - July 1, 2001)

Linguahostel, in collaborationwith the Université de Montréal,is pleased to offer its third annualFrench and Quebec Culture Pro-gram for Teachers. This programis intended for teachers andfuture teachers of French whowould like the opportunity tomaster a variety of teaching meth-ods based on current pedagogicalapproaches integrated withQuebec cultural activities.

Program fees totaling US $825.00include five morning sessions ofFrench teaching methodology, fiveafternoon sessions of Quebec cul-

Linguahostel Offers Opportunities for Teachers



tural exploration activities andconferences, guided overnight ex-cursion to Quebec City,daily breakfasts Monday throughSaturday, daily lunches Mondaythrough Thursday, welcome andfarewell dinners, two universitycredits (premier cycle) fromthe Université de Montréal, 4 in-service credits, 60 ProfessionalDevelopment Points, and 6 Con-tinuing Education Units all issuedby Linguahostel. Participants alsohave the opportunity to earngraduate semester credit fromthe Travel Study Program of theUniversity of California for an ad-ditional fee.

Participants may reside in singleoccupancy rooms at the Université

de Montréal for an additional fee ofapproximately $100.00 Canadianfunds for the entire week (payableupon arrival directly to the univer-sity). Double occupancy rooms avail-able upon request. Participants mayalso choose to reside with a Frenchspeaking host family in Montreal orstay at a hotel. Participantsare welcome to drive and even bringtheir families.

Check out Linguahostel’s website:<http://www.linguahostel.org>

for more program details and onlineregistration.

Please share our program informa-tion with your colleagues.

For more information about theLinguahostel programs or to re-quest a program booklet, pleasecontact:

Elizabeth WhiteLinguahostel14 Edgewater EstatesPlattsburgh, New York 12901 USA518-561-0093888-358-0093518-561-2166 - [email protected]://www.linguahostel.org

Linguahostel (con’t from previous page)

The program is designed for thosewho want to advance their profi-ciency in the German languageand for all present and futureteachers of German. Emphasis ison improvement of speaking andwriting skills, and the gathering offirst-hand information about theGerman-speaking countries in Eu-rope.

Five weeks: $2,700Six graduate creditsJune 23 - July 27

Price includes tuition, room, break-fast and supper, and all plannedexcursions. Transportation to,from, and in Klagenfurt is not in-cluded.

In 2001 there will be a wealth of ex-tracurricular activities. Visits to gov-ernmental and educational institu-tions in and around Klagenfurt (cityhall, courts, schools) are regular fea-tures. Excursions for hiking andswimming, theater plays and con-certs, make Klagenfurt-Kärnten-Aus-tria the ideal site for our program.Free weekends allow you to travel toVienna and Venice, Salzburg,Munich, Innsbruck, Budapest, etc.

Courses offered include a course oncontemporary Austrian literature, aswell as a course on the literature ofthe enlightenment and romanticismas well as a range of courses in con-versation, composition, grammar re-view, stylists, culture and civilization,and literature.

All participants live with Austrianfamilies, where they have breakfastand supper.

German Summer InstituteDepartment of Modern LanguagesCedar Falls, IA 50614-0504(319) 273-2200(319) 273-2848 (fax)[email protected]/modlangs

UNI also offers summer institutesin Spain, Mexico, and France forSpanish and French teachers. Con-tact the Department of ModernLanguages (above) for further in-formation.

UNI Offers Program in Klagenfurt, Austria


In summer 2001, the Institute forSocial and International Studies(ISIS) will be offering a Profes-sional Development Program forTeachers of Spanish with experi-ence at the secondary and/or com-munity college levels. Programdates are July 5 - July 30, 2001 andthe site is Barcelona, a magnificenthistoric and cultural center offer-ing a chance to experience themeeting of traditional and regionalcultures. Participants explore ideas

ISIS Offers Program in Barcelona

and techniques that foster profi-ciency-based communicative lan-guage teaching and receive criteriaand practical ideas for teaching andevaluating student performance inthe four skills. A portfolio of teach-ing materials compiled aroundthemes in contemporary Spanish cul-ture forms an integral part of thecourse. Participants also refresh theirSpanish as well as review some of theregional and continental differences

in the language. The ISIS programcarries graduate credit in Spanishor Education through PortlandState University in Portland, Or-egon.

ISIS at Portland State UniversityInternational Education ServicesPO Box 751Portland, OR 97207-0751800-547-8887 ext. [email protected]

Ginny received her B.A. fromHanover College in Hanover, Indi-ana in 1964, with a major in Span-ish. She studied in Madrid duringher junior year. In 1978 she re-ceived an M.A. degree in ForeignLanguage Education from TheOhio State University. In 1992, shereceived her Ph.D. in Curriculum,Instruction and Professional De-velopment from The Ohio StateUniversity.

After retirement, Ginny plans tocontinue to be active in the area offoreign language education inOhio, perhaps doing some consult-ing with school districts in the areaof curriculum, instruction, and as-sessments in foreign languages.She would like to spend an ex-

tended period of time in Spain andFrance. She loves to read, take walks,putter around in the yard and herhome. It is also her intention to spendtime with her daughter’s family inCleveland and her son’s family inSanta Fe, New Mexico.

Ginny states, “In my opinion, themost important thing OFLA memberscan do to help legitimize foreign lan-guage education is to take every op-portunity to talk about the benefits ofbeing able to communicate in morethan one language. They need to pro-mote foreign languages with theirstudents, with their colleagues, theiradministrators, and in the widerarena with community members andpolicy makers, and teachers need torecruit their best students to pursueforeign language teaching as a ca-reer.”

In the last six years since I have beenon the OFLA Board, Ginny has beenan inspiration. Through the highs andlows of the turbulent political land-scape, she has been the lighthousesteadily guiding us to our goal. Inspite of having our progress delayedby a few unexpected detours, Ginnyhas continued to provide the vision

and the encouragement we needto keep us on track.

It’s so easy to shrug and say thatour dream of an articulated K-12foreign language program in ev-ery school will never happen be-cause of this or that or the otherthing, and use that as an excuse fornot communicating our wishes toour legislators. It is especially easyin times when our political lead-ers seem to be on the bandwagonto promote the “core areas” at theexpense of “electives” such as for-eign language. (Does S.B. 55 ringa bell here?) But this could easilybounce back if each of us wouldtake a proactive stand and do ourpart in educating the public on theimportance of foreign languageeducation.

Ginny, we thank you for youryears of service to the OFLA andfor being our advocate in the ODE,but most of all, we thank you forshowing us how to “keep fightingthe good fight.” May we never losethe vision and the determinationto succeed that you have impartedto us.

Virginia Ballinger (con’t from page 1)

grant and spent six weeks at theFundación José Ortega y Gasset inToledo, Spain. A video on Spanishculture created by Ginny and herhusband Bob was bought by ScottForesman and made into an edu-cational video, Sabor de la Vida.Ginny received the OFLA Awardfor Outstanding Professional Ser-vice in 1999. She served as OFLAPresident in 1993-94.


Central States ad


The students participating in Ohio University’s 32nd annual intensiveGerman program in Salzburg, Austria were able to increase their languageand cultural proficiency at the same time that they were enjoying whatthe locals were calling the best spring of the last 50 years. While the mar-velous “Kaiserwetter” sometimes made it difficult to concentrate on thedaily classroom work, it contributed royally to the pleasure of the outingsto the natural wonders of the surrounding lake country. Here the 15thcentury Gothic altars and the ossuary piled high with the skulls of thedearly departed competed for attention with the deceptively serene buttreacherously deep mountain lakes of St. Wolfgang and Hallstatt. In thelatter town the 5th century B.C. Celts first mined the salt that was thebasis of the region’s economic strength and political importance for manycenturies.

In addition to the usual excursions to Salzburg churches, museums andcastles, we found time to visit the “Wasserspiele” at the summer pleasurepalace of the 17th century Archbishop Markus Sittikus, who thought itgreat fun to force his guests to remain seated at the outdoor dinner tablewhile water shot up from their bench seats.

The students also attended a reception in the mayor’s office (in 17th cen-tury Mirabell Palace, originally the residence of the mistress of a formerarchbishop and their 16 children!) where (I note in all modesty), in recog-nition of my retirement after directing 11 programs in Salzburg, MayorHans Schaden presented me with a set of crystal and pewter beer steins(hmmm, is there a message here?). Mayor Schaden emphasized the valueof the study abroad experience both for the students and for the Salzburger,since such programs offer an occasion for a mutually-beneficial exchange

of communication and understanding.

The need for cross-cultural understand-ing was especially relevant this year be-cause of the political situation in Austria,where a minority right-wing party hadjoined the governing coalition. The nega-tive reaction of the European Union andthe USA to this development caused somecuriosity and apprehension on the part ofAustrians about what kind of attitudethey might expect from Americans. Hap-pily, since the Ohio University studentswere there to learn about the culture and

Study Abroad, Politics, Full Circles, and Serendipitous Coincidences

by Barry Thomas

The need for cross-cultural un-

derstanding was especially

relevant this year because of

the political situation in Aus-

tria, where a minority right-

wing party had joined the gov-

erning coalition


#4

The entire group from Ohio University in traditional dress with shop workers


could talk with the locals in German, the potential tensions actually re-sulted in a more positive experience for both sides.

Again this year the students and faculty enjoyed the hospitality of thedirector of our home away from home, the “Ländliches FortbildungsinstitutHeffterhof” (Salzburg Continuing Education and Conference Center), whotook us on a day long tour of the “agriCULTURE” of the state of Salzburg.The students gained many insights into this essential aspect of the Aus-trian economy, with visits to a cheese factory; a tailor shop specializing intraditional Austrian dress (which some students were able to model); atypical snack of “Kaffee und Kuchen” at an official “Hereditary Farm”which has been owned by the same family for over 300 years; and finallya hearty farmer’s meal of ham, cheese, veggies, and other delicacies noteasily described in English, all of which was washed down by the localapple drink called “Most” (also not easily described, but quite refreshing).

About the rest of the title (Full Circle, Serendipity, and all that): when Idirected my first Salzburg program in 1973-4, a young man named RobertJenkins was one of the more eager participants. He subsequently went onto become a high school German teacher in the Cincinnati area. Twenty-seven years later the University of Cincinnati canceled its study abroadprogram to Germany. So what’s the connection, you’re asking. Well, this iswhere the serendipity pops up. One of Bob’s former high school studentsat the University of Cincinnati (Katy S.) very much wanted a study abroadexperience and applied to the Ohio University program. She was acceptedand proved to be just as inquisitive a participant as was Bob so many yearsago. Since I have no intention of teaching until Katy has children ready togo to Salzburg, I can consider my study abroad circle closed in a mostdelightful and satisfying way.

Although this year’s group of nine wassmaller than usual (“klein aber fein!”), thevalue of the experience was in no way di-minished. Each individual brings backfond memories, increased language pro-ficiency, and a new understanding of boththe Austrian and American cultures.

Study Abroad (con’t from previous page)

Although this year’s group of

nine was smaller than usual ,

the value of the experience

was in no way diminished.

Each individual brings back

fond memories, increased lan-

guage proficiency, and a new

understanding of both the Aus-

trian and American cultures.

#5

Barry Thomas and students with Salzburg Mayer


Announcing

The new website is being assembled and should be functional by the timeyou receive this issue of The Cardinal.

On our new website, members are now able to:• join/renew and pay for OFLA membership with a credit card• check the current status of your membership• register and pay by credit card for the OFLA Conference in March• upload reviews of foreign language materials

Also in the works is an email listserv (similar to FLTEACH) for OFLAmembers.

Check it out!

www.ofla-online.com

In order to better serve our mem-bership, The Cardinal is looking forvolunteers to serve as regular con-tributors to our publication. If youare interested in contributing someof your expertise, please contactthe editor (see address on page 3)at your earliest convenience. Somepossibilities might include:

• regular column (i.e., technol-ogy, pedagogical techniques,Internet, etc.)

• article writing (any subject re-

Editorial Staff Required Immediately

lated to foreign language teach-ing)

• reviews (articles of interest in pro-fessional journals, software,teaching materials, etc.)

Although we cannot offer any mon-etary remuneration, your contribu-tions—besides being helpful to yourcolleagues—could lead to greaterthings in the development of yourcareer in foreign language teaching.You’ll never know if you don’t try!

NEWOFLA’sBrand New

Website


Application FormUniversity Student Scholarship

Conference Attendance

Name

Address

Phone ( )

University Year (circle) FreshmanSophomore

Email address JuniorSenior

Will you be presenting at the conference? Yes No

Sponsoring Faculty Member* (must be paid OFLA member)

Address

Phone ( )

*It is the responsibility of the sponsoring faculty member to aid the recipient in registering,hotel reservations, etc. It is not the purpose of this committee to facilitate such matters,although a list of winners will be included should the recipient wish to arrange for aroommate.

On another sheet of paper, please write a letter indicating why you wish to be a foreignlanguage teacher and what you hope to accomplish in attending the OFLA Conference.Please indicate your (1) intentions of attending sessions throughout Friday and Saturday ofthe conference, and (2) whether or not you will be lodging at the conference hotel.

The deadline for applications and faculty letters of recommendation is January 31, 2001.Send to:

Ann Salomone, ChairOFLA Scholarship Committee1080 Cliffside DriveChillicothe, OH 45601

Recipients will be notified in February and checks will be presented at the SaturdayAwards Luncheon. Failure to attend the luncheon for any reason will result in cancellationof the award. Please verify the date of the State Teacher's Exam in order to avoidconflicts.

Signature


A Scholarship For High School Students and Their Teachers!!

OFLA Conference Scholarship for Prospective Foreign Language Teachers

The time has come for us all to participate in encouraging those strong high school studentsto consider a career in foreign language teaching! At the same time that we are promotingforeign languages for all students of all ages, the baby boomers are retiring. The result? Apossible teacher shortage. One way we can help strong high school foreign languagestudents explore the possibility of pursuing a teaching career is to invite them to attend theOFLA annual conference for a day to get a taste of the profession. To that end, OFLA offersscholarships for high school students and their teachers! The student award will be anhonorarium of $75 as well as free conference registration and luncheon. The teacher’s re-ward for making this valuable contribution to our profession will be free OFLA ConferenceRegistration and Café OFLA.

Who’s eligible?

High school juniors and seniors who have completed two years of foreign language study.

What will the student actually do?

High school recipients of the scholarship will attend the annual OFLA conference in Akron,March 15-17, 2001. They will be greeted by their high school teachers, with whom they willattend an introductory session for high school and university scholarship recipients. They willbe recognized at the Keynote Session and will then be free to attend conference sessionsthroughout the day. The teachers and students will be treated to the Café OFLA luncheon.

What will the sponsoring teacher do?

Teachers are responsible for making eligible students aware of the scholarship opportunity,as well as assisting them with the application process. A letter of recommendation from theteacher must accompany the application. Upon receipt of the award, the teacher will assistthe student(s) with registration and other conference arrangements. The teacher’s role duringthe conference is one of making the student feel welcomed and comfortable, but not accom-panying the student throughout the entire day. Sponsoring teachers will greet their studentsFriday morning at the conference site and accompany them to the introductory sessions.They will meet again at Café OFLA.

Application and Letter of Recommendation must be received by January 31, 2001. Send to:Ann Salomone, Chair

OFLA Scholarship Committee1080 Cliffside Drive

Chillocothe, OH 45601(740) 774-1841

<[email protected]>


OFLAApplication Form

High School Student ScholarshipConference Attendance

Name

Address

Phone ( )

High School Year (circle) Junior Senior

Number of years of foreign language completed (circle) two three

Sponsoring Teacher* (must be paid OFLA member)

Address

Phone ( )

*It is the responsibility of the sponsoring teacher to aid the recipient in registering, as well as to confirmdistrict policies regarding liability and school absence. It is not the purpose of this committee to facilitatesuch matters.

On another sheet of paper, please write a letter indicating why you are interested in a career as a foreignlanguage teacher and what you hope to accomplish in attending the OFLA Conference. Please indicateyour intentions of attending sessions throughout Friday. Be sure to submit your letter and a letter of recom-mendation from your foreign language teacher with this application form.

The deadline for applications and teacher letters of recommendation is January 31, 2001. Send to:

Ann Salomone, ChairOFLA Scholarship Committee

1080 Cliffside DriveChillocothe, OH 45601

(740) 774-1841<[email protected]>

Recipients will be notified in February and checks will be presented at the Friday Keynote Address. Failureto attend the conference for any reason will result in cancellation of the award. Please verify permission toattend from your high school in order to avoid conflicts.

Signature


Terrell A. Morgan, Associate Professor of Spanish Linguistics at The OhioState University, has become OFLA’s first lifetime member. Terrell jumpedat the chance to take advantage of the new membership category, whichwas approved by the OFLA Executive Board in August. Not only does hismembership show a commitment to the Ohio Foreign Language Associa-tion, but he no longer has to remember to send in dues to the organization.

“Life moves so fast that I just can’t keep up with such things,” he says. “Likethe time I paid my dues twice in one year. ¡Qué idiota!”

In OFLA circles, Professor Morgan is known more for his creative pro-gramming than for his forgetfulness. His Summer Seminars Abroad forSpanish Teachers, for example, have given 281 participants the chance tostudy in five countries since the program’s inception ten years ago. Havingbeen held in Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Re-public, the SSAST moves next summer (that is to say, winter) to Santiago,Chile. Morgan believes in presenting “as many faces as possible of theSpanish-speaking world to educators and students of Spanish,” and that“the move to Chile in 2001 will enhance the already diverse ethnolinguisticand dialectological profile of program venues.”

Ohio teachers accompanying Morgan in 2001 will spend two and a halfweeks immersed in the language and culture of the host country. Theywill live with Chilean families and receive up to five graduate OSU creditsfor an intensive course in Spanish linguistics. (For further information,please visit the SSAST web page at <http://sppo.ohio-state.edu/faculty/morgan.3/ssast>.

Other initiatives for which Terrell is known include study-abroad programsfor OSU undergraduates and a special program in Mexico for alumni andthe Columbus community (including families with small children). Mostrecently, he has been developing opportunities for learners of Spanish topractice their language skills in off-campus settings in Columbus’s Latinocommunities. Three ways he goes about this are through his web page<http://sppo.ohiostate.edu/faculty/morgan.3/opportun.html> at a “feriade voluntarismo,” and in the innovative service-learning course entitled“Spanish in Ohio.”

Now in his seventeenth year on the Ohio State faculty, Morgan shows nosigns of slowing down. “There are so many ways to make languages rel-evant to students, and I want to try them all,” he muses. “And honestly,with all the work we language teachers have to do, why would we wantto spend our time paying bills?”

“Of course, it’s not like a lifetime membership is a big risk,” Terrelladmits. “At this point, I think it’s safe to say I’ll be in something related toforeign languages for the rest of my life.” Duh!

Terrell Morgan: OFLA’s First Lifetime Member

“There are so many ways to

make languages relevant to

students, and I want to try

them all,” he muses. “And hon-

estly, with all the work we

language teachers have to do,

why would we want to spend

our time paying bills?”

Morgan’s new lifetime membershipwill allow him to spend more timewith his family.

#7


FLTEACH Subscribers Hail From 60Countries

FLTEACH is a LISTSERV list founded in February 1994 and running on acomputer at SUNY/Buffalo. The topic of the list is foreign language teach-ing methods including high school/college articulation, training of stu-dent teachers, curriculum, and the New York State syllabus. Students,teachers, and administrators interested in any aspect of foreign languageteaching are invited to participate in the discussions. FLTEACH member-ship includes colleagues from across the U.S. and around the world. It ishoped that this list will also be used to foster a community in which col-leagues at all levels can share ideas, outlines, handouts and other teachingmaterials, syllabi and bibliographies.

To subscribe to FLTEACH:(1) Send a message to:

[email protected](2) In the message put only the following:

Sub FLTEACH first name last name (3) Send the message just like that—add nothing else.

By return e-mail you will receive a welcome message and instructions forusing FLTEACH.

FLTEACH: Support Group for Foreign Language Teachers

No need to feel alone and mis-

understood. . .correspond with

foreign language teachers all

over the world using email!

The FLTEACH discussion forum and WWW pageprojects are now being partially supported by a grantfrom the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thethree-year grant is for $50,000 in outright funding plusan additional $10,000 in matching federal funds if wecan raise the same amount in non-federal funds (i.e.,donations from foundations, private corporations, in-dividuals, selling our first-born?). Such donations aremost welcome, tax-deductible, and can be made bysending a check, made payable to The Research Foun-dation of SUNY and mailed to: FLTEACH: LeLoup &Ponterio, ICC Department, SUNY Cortland, PO Box2000, Cortland, NY 13045. Please indicate in a briefnote that your donation is intended for the FLTEACHproject. You will receive an acknowledgment of yourgenerosity, and your name will be placed on the pageof sponsors.

Become An FLTEACH Sponsor!

With the proliferation of anonymous addresses suchas Hotmail and Yahoo, it is sometimes impossible todetermine the country of origin of FLTEACH mem-bers. Here are a few:

Argentina • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Brazil •Canada • China • Colombia • Costa Rica • Cuba •Czech Republic • Denmark • Egypt • Finalnd • France• Germany • Great Britain • Greece • Hong Kong •Hungary • Iceland • Indonesia • Iran • Israel • Italy• Japan • Jordan • Korea • Latvia • Lebanon • Ma-laysia • Mexico • Moldova, Republic of • Morocco •Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Oman • Phil-ippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russian Fed-eration • Saudi Arabia • Senegal • Singapore •Solvenia • South Africa • Spain • Suriname • Swe-den • Switzerland • Taiwan • Turkey • USA • Ukraine• United Arab Emirates • Uruguay • Viet Nam • Yu-goslavia


Now availableThe new OFLA promotional video:

The World Has Many Voices

a convincing statement on the importance ofearly second language learning

$12.00 OFLA members$20.00 non-members

Fee includes the video, a reproducible promotional brochure, ideas forpresenting the video, and shipping & handling costs.

Checks should be made out to OFLA.

Name

Address

City Zip

Mail to: Mary GoodwinNorthview High School5403 Silica DriveSylvania, OH 43560

The WorldHas Many

Voices

The WorldHas Many

Voices


NOMINATIONS FOR 2000-2001 OFLA AWARDSThe Awards Committee is accepting nominations for awards in the categories described below (postmark deadline: December 15).Awards are not necessarily made each year in each category. If you wish to nominate a deserving colleague for a specific award, please use theofficial nomination form on the next page:

1. Name of nominee.2. His/Her business address, work phone and home phone number.3. Your name, home address and telephone.4. A statement detailing why the individual was nominated for this award. (We suggest you obtain the individual’s agreement to be

nominated and confirm that he/she is an OFLA member, when that is required for the award.)

The above are the minimum requirements. It is helpful to the committee and strengthens a nominee’s case if other information is provided aswell, for example, a brief curriculum vitae, letters of support from other colleagues, and other important supporting documentation.

Nomination letters and supporting documentation for 2000-2001 awards should be sent to: Judith A. Baughin, Raymond WaltersCollege, 9555 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

DEADLINE: The nomination packet should be postmarked by December 15, 2000. Due to time constraints, nominations received afterDecember 31 may not be considered.

AWARD CATEGORIESLEONA GLENN AWARDS FOROUTSTANDING FOREIGN LAN-GUAGE TEACHERThree awards: Elementary FL Teacher;Middle School/Jr. High FL Teacher;High School TeacherQualifications:• More than half-time in field/OFLA

member• Outstanding Teacher• Dedicated service to the profession

ED ALLEN AWARD FOROUTSTANDING COLLEGEFOREIGN LANGUAGEINSTRUCTORQualifications: • Post-secondary level OFLA member • More than half-time in field • Outstanding teacher • Dedicated service to the profession

BEGINNING TEACHER AWARDQualifications: • Elem/Sec FL educator/OFLA

member • 5 years or less of teaching experi-

ence • innovative contributions to FL

teaching • more than half-time in field

OUTSTANDING FL TECHNOL-OGY AWARDQualifications: • FL educator/OFLA member • innovative use of technology in FL

education

OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRA-TOR IN SUPPORT OF FL AWARDQualifications: • Administrator in school or school

district • Strong support of FL • Recommended by FL teacher in that

system

OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARDFOR LESS COMMONLY TAUGHTLANGUAGESQualifications: • FL Educator/OFLA member • Successful in expanding/maintaining

enrollment in FL • Program in existence at least three years

EDUCATOR FRIEND OF FOREIGNLANGUAGES AWARDQualifications: • Non-foreign language educator • Exceptional support of foreign lan-

guages • Recommended by FL teacher in that

system

NON-EDUCATOR FRIEND OF FOR-EIGN LANGUAGES AWARDQualifications: • Non-educator • Exceptional support of foreign lan-

guages

OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALSERVICE AWARDQualifications: • Foreign language educator/OFLA

member • Outstanding service to the profession

including at least some kind of serviceto OFLA

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDQualifications: • Foreign language educator/OFLA

member

• Carries FL news/message/inspira-tion beyond the school or schoolsystem

• Outstanding public relations

PUBLICATIONS AWARDQualifications: • Foreign language educator/OFLA

member • Outstanding professional publica-

tionsa. refereed journalb. pedagogical bookc. editorial servicesd. materials for student use

• Candidates should have contributedin quality and quantity to more thanone category.

DISTINGUISHED CAREERAWARDQualifications:• Retired FL educator/former (or

continuing) OFLA member• Exceptional cumulative career

teaching, service and/or otherlanguage-related accomplishments

OUTSTANDING PROGRAMAWARDMay be awarded to ELEMENTARY-SECONDARY LEVEL and/or toCOLLEGE/UNIVERSITY LEVELprogram.Qualifications:• Program that goes far beyond

normal foreign language educationactivities

• Program that has some uniquedistinction

• Program that involves a group ofeducators


OFLA AWARDS NOMINATION FORM(Please type or print)

Nominating person(s)/organization:

Address:

Phone: home ( ) work ( )

CANDIDATE TO BE NOMINATED

Name of candidate:

Nomination for Award (list specific award)

Present position/title:

Address:

Phone: home ( ) work ( )

Supporting Nomination Statement(Include a typed rationale for nomination.)

Please include the nominee’s curriculum vitae, letters of support, and additional supporting documentation. Nominations (ex-cluding resume) should not exceed 20 pages.


Dear Editor,

The OFLA Conference in Toledowas terrific. One of the highlightswas the session on the French po-etry contest. I regret that I have lostthe detailed information which hasthe presenter’s name and school.[Editor’s note: Let Them Write Poetry!Deanna Hurtubise, Batavia HighSchool] Her idea, however, I shallnot forget!

Le Jour de la Course

Du matin, à cinq heures et demi,Je lace mes baskets pour le grand course—“Est-ce que j’aurai le force?”Ma coeur chante “courage, mon amie!”

Déjà, je peux sentir les poumons cuisant pour l’air,Les jambes en feu comme ils distendent,Et les gouttes de sueur froides tombentComme les étoiles de la ciel du minuit noir.

Pendant que je mets mon jersey et mon short,Le peur et le doube, comme le neige, disparaîtent,Et je sais que je suis forte—Il n’y a rien que je ne peux pas être.

Alors, “Courage, mon amie!” j’entends dans moncoeur,

Et les mots “Je ne peux pas,” sont morts.

Audrey Flake

I challenged my French II classes tocompete in our own poetry contest—with prizes, bien sûr! I was more thanpleased with the results, and I amenclosing copies of the poems writ-ten by my two winners. They werefreshmen at Beavercreek High School,Beavercreek, Ohio.

Needless to say, I am quite proud ofmy students, and I’d like to sharetheir excellent work. I’m looking for-

ward to our next OFLA confer-ence—please continue assemblingsuch high quality presenters!

Judith AdamsBeavercreek High School

Beavercreek, Ohio

Readers’ CornerLetters to the Editor, Teaching Tips, Reviews.

This is your forum!Send submissions toThe Cardinal editor(see page 4 for address)

L’Espoir d’un Pauvre

Comment je puis vous montrer mon amour?Il est assez de grand comme les montagnes bleues,Et aussi profonde que la connaissance de Dieu.À gagner ton coeur—quelle concoursAvec un âme si pur et un coeur si gentil,Vous êtes la reine de ma cerveau,Et votre voix est un son qui est le plus beau.Vos talents continssent ceux-là d’une petite ville.Ah, votre belle tête; ah, votre mognon nez.Les deux et d’autres; ils sont tous parfaits.Si le ciel ait été un grand tableauEt tout les montagnes sont de grands craies,Je n’eusse pas pu commencer! vous écrire comme je

vous aime: Non.Avec trois mots doux, vous pouvez; vous pouvez; me

donner la vie, et si heureux je serai.

Stephen Salley


Plan Now To Join Us in

Akron

A New Perspective:

Learning World Languages

in the 21st Century

March 15-17, 2001

Knight Center

&

Hilton Quaker Square

Conference Registration: $35.00

Hilton rates:

Single/Double $110

Triple/Quad $115

$10 each additional person

Includes Breakfast Buffet Each Day

13.25% tax not included

Check our website for the latest information:www.ofla-online.com

Register online and pay with a credit card!

NEW! NEW!


Call for Presiders

Presiders introduce speakers for the sessions at the conference. They alsopass out evaluation forms to people attending the sessions. If you wouldbe willing to be a presider for one or more sessions, please fill out thefollowing form and send it to: Mike Hauber, Akron Staff DevelopmentCenter, 65 Steiner Avenue, Akron, OH 44301. You may also email thisinformation to <[email protected]>.

Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip

Telephone:

E-mail address:

Institution:

Language(s) you teach:

Number of sessions you would be willing to preside over:

OFLA Conference a Bargain!

The Annual OFLA Conference is one of the biggest and best conferencesin the United States, offering two full days of sessions, plus exhibits and achance to network with colleagues from all over the state—all for only$35, workshops and luncheons extra. For up-to-date information regard-ing hotel reservations and prices and online registration, check our website:<www.ofla-online.com>.

Note to all presenters for the OFLA conference: You will still need to reg-ister for the conference, even though the conference fee for the main pre-senter will be waived.

Conference NoticesMarch 15-17, 2001Akron, Ohio

Conference Presenters: Don’t Forget to Register!


Last Name First Name M.I. Previous Names (if any)

Home Address

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—An Invitation to Join—

The Ohio Foreign Language Associationwww.ofla-online.com

Serving the Needs ofForeign Language Educators

in Ohio

Membership StatusOne-Year Membership

❑ Professional Member ........................... $25.00

❑ Joint Professional Member (for two membersresiding at the same address) ............. $35.00

❑ Associate Member (for those not currentlyin the FL classroom or supervision;retired members) .................................. $15.00

❑ Student Member ................................... $10.00

Three-Year Membership❑ Professional Member ........................... $60.00

❑ Joint Professional Member (for two membersresiding at the same address) ............. $90.00

❑ Associate Member (for those not currentlyin the FL classroom or supervision;retired members) .................................. $30.00

Debbie Sehlmeyer3505 TorranceToledo, OH 43612

❑ I/We pay through O.E.A.

*Filling out and sending us this form—even if you choose to pay through payroll deduction through the O.E.A.—enables us to keep our membership records current and up-to-date,and ensures that you will receive your issues of The Cardinal on a timely basis regardless of when your membership information is received from the O.E.A.

Lifetime Membership❑ Lifetime Member ................................ $300.00

(419) 478-7429(419) 389-5055 (fax)[email protected]

Make check payable to OFLA and send checkand membership form to:

Spread the Word! Copy this formand pass on to your colleagues!

This is a new address ❑ Yes ❑ NoI am a new member ❑ Yes ❑ No


THE CARDINALOHIO FOREIGN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION1518 CHARMAINE DRIVETOLEDO, OH 43614

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Calendar of Events

RUSH:

DATED MATERIAL

December 27-30, 2000 Modern Language Association of America, Washington, D.C.Information: [email protected]

December 27-30, 2000 American Association of Teachers of Slavic & Eastern European Languages(AATSEEL), Washington, D.C.Information: clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~AATSEEL/

March 5-9, 2001 National Foreign Language Week

March 15-17, 2001 Ohio Foreign Language Association Annual Conference, Akron, OhioInformation: www.ofla-online.com

April 26-28, 2001 Central States Conference, Indianapolis, IndianaInformation: (614) 529-0109

April 19-22, 2001 Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, New York, New YorkInformation: www.dickinson.edu/~nectfl

July 5-8, 2001 American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), Denver, ColoradoInformation: aatf.utsa.edu/

July 5-9, 2001 American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (AATSP), San Francisco,CaliforniaInformation: www.aatsp.org

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PERMIT NO. 11

vol. 39, no. 2 december 2000 virginia ballinger retires as ... · new concord, oh 43762...

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