PISA Is a Wake-up Call but to Whom and For What?
There are plenty of stories to be found on the “wake-up call” that’s needed (but we said the same thing three years ago), but what, exactly, are we being called to “wake up” to? As a parent and business person who advocates for greater global awareness and more foreign language learning in our schools, a few things stand out.
Read MoreThe Importance of Raising Global Children
Raising global children is one of the most important things that we, as parents, can do for our children – and for the long-term prosperity of our country. Working together, teachers and parents can raise global children, expanding their personal horizons and opening up a world of personal and professional opportunities.
Read MoreWhy Study Abroad?
For parents, advisers and students….In my talks on campuses, many students express an interest in “just having fun” while studying abroad, so they’re planning on taking a few classes pass/fail and traveling around. They want to know, is that so wrong? It all depends on what the objective is.
Read MoreApplying to College? Make Sure You Have Options to Study Languages
Choosing a college is tough. You want the fit to be right, but you also want to graduate and get a job. Read on for some alternative thinking on choosing the best campus.
Read MoreWhy Summer Learning Needs to Include International Studies—Even for K-5 Students
Guest blogger Angela Jackson writes about the easy yet important ways to keep up the global learning over the summer.
Read MoreLearning 2 or 20 Languages: Is There a Secret?
I recently finished Michael Erard’s latest book, Babel No More, in which he does a fabulous job of taking the reader on an international, historical adventure of polyglots and hyperpolyglots. The book reads much more like a novel at times than an academic treatise. And that’s a good thing.
Read MoreThe World has Changed: Foreign Languages Make a Huge Difference
Today many Americans work abroad, competing with global graduates proficient in three to four languages and ever-stronger emerging market talent pools. Companies want globally competent employees – including multilanguage competency. Few starting out today could succeed as I did speaking only English.
Read MoreDon’t Kill Foreign-language Learning
How can we prepare our students for a global world without foreign language instruction? How can we make America great again while destroying the programs our children need to compete in today’s global marketplace?
Read MoreVolunteering — While Learning Spanish — in Central America
Following up on my last blog, Studying Spanish Along the Pan-American Highway, this piece will explore some the volunteerism options I’m considering for Spanish-language immersion learning in Central America next year. Volunteering is a great, inexpensive way to study a language and also learn about the local culture. And since cultural knowledge and understanding (gestures, […]
Read MoreStudying Spanish Along the Pan-American Highway
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on July 25. My family and I just returned from a few weeks traveling through Central America. Originally, we planned on going to Greece and Turkey, but the economic strife, strikes and riots in Greece had us changing our minds – and scrambling for a Plan B. I wanted […]
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