This has been a wonderful semester for language advocacy – an opportunity to discuss language learning and language use, and to reconnect with old friends — and hopefully, to make new ones, too!
Among the highlights – “French All Around Us” has been featured this Fall in panels at the Alliance Française du Maine, the Franco-American Centre in New Hampshire, and most recently, in the CALEC display at the Frankfurt Book Fair!!! 🙂
My Most Recent Presentations–
Presentation on “The Resurgence of French Language and Francophone Culture in the US” at the ACQS 2022 conference in Baltimore. 22 October 2022.
Presentation on “Language Advocacy – Building Understanding, Connections, and Community,” at the PSMLA 2022 conference in Lancaster, PA. 15 October 2022.
Presentation on “Multilingualism and Global Learning- Overcoming the US Foreign Language Deficit” at the AAC&U Conference on Transforming Global Learning. 12 October 2022.
Presentation on “Reflections on Advocacy – Recharging Your Language Advocacy” at the FLAVA 2022 conference in Williamsburg, VA. 8 October 2022.
Presentation on “French All Around Us” at “Meet the Authors” – Franco-American Centre, in Manchester, New Hampshire. 28 September 2022.
Presentation on “French All Around Us” at “Meet the Authors” – Alliance Française du Maine (virtual). 14 September 2022.
Presentation at the MLOW (Many Languages One World) worldwide online reunion, on August 20, 2022.
“Language Learning on Campus and Beyond – Heritage Languages, Independent Learning, and 21st Century Skills for All.” IJCE: International Journal of Contemporary Education. Oct 2022. https://redfame.com/journal/index.php/ijce/article/view/5713
What a wonderful summer it has been – with an article in Language Magazine, in-person presentations at AATF 2022 in New Orleans and OFLA 2022 in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the opportunity to participate in a virtual round table at the Alliance Française in New Orleans, and featured in ONFR in Ontario, French Morning, and Frenchly.Thank you all! 🙂
Presentation at the MLOW (Many Languages One World) worldwide online reunion, on August 20, 2022.
Presentation on “Language Advocacy – Reconnecting with Goals and Partners to Recharge our Advocacy” at the Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA} 2022 annual conference in Columbus, Ohio, on July 26, 2022.
Presentation on French language advocacy at the AATF 2022 annual convention in New Orleans. July 12, 2022.
It has been a wonderful semester, but the highlight has been the publication of the collective work (KSS, editor), “French All around Us: French Language and Francophone Culture in the United States” on March 20th, in observance of the International Francophonie Day, followed by the official Book Launch at the OIF offices at the UN in NYC on May 5th!
Spring Highlights —
Books (in reverse chronological order) —
French All around Us — French Language and Francophone Culture in the United States. TBR Books, 2022. (March 20, 2022). Official Book Launch at the offices of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) at the UN in NYC. May 5, 2022.
“Multilingualism and Its Purposes — Interdisciplinary Applications in Language Education and Advocacy,” has been published in JLSP: Journal of Languages for Specific Purposes no. 9, March 2022. http://jlsp.steconomiceuoradea.ro/current-issue/
“Rethinking Language Education in the US – A New Paradigm for Language Educators, Advocates, and Stakeholders.” International Journal of Contemporary Education vol. 5 no 1 (Apr) 2022. Published online Feb 4, 2022. https://redfame.com/journal/index.php/ijce/article/view/5477
“French Language and Francophone Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa — Interdisciplinary Reflections on Multilingualism and French Language Education.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (IJHSS). vol 11, no 10 Oct 2021. Published Feb 7, 2022. http://www.ijhssnet.com/journal/index/4794
Presentations (in reverse chronological order)
Presentation on “French All around Us: French Language and Francophone Culture in the United States” at the Book Launch at the office of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) at the UN. May 5, 2022.
Presentation at the Colloque, “l’Université de Montréal et du monde de demain.” May 3, 2022.
Presentation on “French All around Us,” at the Rassemblement 2022 (UMaine Franco-American Programs), April 23, 2022.
Presentation on”Languages for Us All: Access, Affordability, and Advocacy” at the SCOLT (Southern Conference on Language Teaching) 2022 conference in Norfolk, VA. (April 1, 2022).
Presentation on The Gift of Languages: Paradigm Shift in US Foreign Language Education, at the University of Southern Maine Franco-American Collection. March 18, 2022.
Presentation on “French Language Advocacy: The Power of Partnerships,” at the FLAME 2022 conference March 12, 2022.
Presentation on “Language Advocacy: Maximizing the Power of Proficiency” at the CSCTFL (Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2022 virtual conference (March 4, 2022).
Presentation on “Mother Languages Are Spoken by 70 Million Americans at Home, but Only One in Five Students Can Access Language Learning in Our Schools!” at the CTAUN (Committee on Teaching about the UN) webinar in observance of International Mother Language Day –MULTILINGUALISM – THE NEW GLOBAL COMPETENCE STANDARD: MOTHER LANGUAGE + 2 https://teachun.org/conference/2022-un/ (Feb 21, 2022).
Featured in (In reverse chronological order) —
“French All around Us” featured by CALEC/TBR Books at the Festival du Livre de Paris 2022. (April 22-24, 2022).
Included in ASFAP’s winter issue 2021 of the Gazette violette for my (forthcoming early 2022) book, French All around Us: French Language and Francophone Culture in the United States. TBR Books, 2022,
I am so happy to share with you that I have — The French in Our Lives, forthcoming from Routledge in December —
In December, I was Interviewed on French language and Francophone culture in the US by Michel Doucet on “Michel le Samedi” on Radio-Canada (December 11),
.I am delighted to inform you that in November I had an article published, “Multilingualism in the Global Village,” in Language Magazine.
In addition, I presented at several conferences —
Presentation on “La Langue française et la culture francophone aux États-Unis” at the WikiConvention francophone 2021 (Nov 21, 2021).
Presentation on “French and Foreign Language Advocacy in the Post-Covidian Era,” at the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2021 virtual convention (Nov 19-21, 2021).
Presentation on “World Language Advocacy — Building Language Skills and Cultural Knowledge in a Multilingual World” at the NHAWLT (New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers) 2021 conference (Nov 13, 2021).
October was also a wonderful month for language advocacy! I am so happy to have had the opportunity to present at several state conferences this month — in Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York — thank you, DECTFL, FLAVA, PSMLA, MaFLA, and NYSAFLT!!!
I am looking forward to December and to 2022, with a new article, “French Language and Francophone Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa — Interdisciplinary Reflections on Multilingualism and French Language Education,” in The International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, forthcoming in the December issue, and a new book, French All around Us — French Language and Francophone Culture in the United States, forthcoming in early 2022, TBR Books.
Advocacy is needed more than ever, and advocacy can help to build awareness and to strengthen programs every day, and to defend and support at-risk programs.
I can hardly believe that it has been 10 years today since I earned my PhD.I am so grateful to all my friends and supporters — teacher, colleagues, friends, and especially, family! 6 books and 2 forthcoming, plus numerous articles and conference presentations, later, my motto remains “Qui s’instruit sans agir, laboure sans semer.”
What a wonderful month for language advocacy! I am so happy to have had the opportunity to present at several state conferences this month — in Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York — thank you, DECTFL, FLAVA, PSMLA, MaFLA, and NYSAFLT!!!
Advocacy is needed more than ever, and advocacy can help to build awareness and to strengthen programs every day, and to defend and support at-risk programs.
I am delighted to share with you that this has been a busy summer, with a session on French language advocacy at the AATF annual convention and honored as an “Author of Union” in late June, followed in July by the publication of a new article and of the translation of my new book into six languages. In August, I had another article published.
In June, I presented a session on advocacy with two colleagues from the AATF Commission on Advocacy and was honored as an “Author of Union.”
In July, my article, “Bastille Day and Beyond,” was published in Language Magazine, and my new book, Multilingualism as a Global Competency: Skills for a 21st Century World, has been translated into six languages — French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.
In August, my newest article, my newest article, “Cosmopolitanism and Multilingualism in a Globalized World: Perspectives on the Lack of Foreign Language Learning in the US,” is in the current issue of TPLS: Theory and Practice in Language Studies.
I am delighted to report that the spring semester has been a busy one for language advocacy, including publication of 2 books and several articles including review practitioner and peer-reviewed, several conference presentations at the state, regional, national, and international level, and several media appearances in French.
In January, I had the opportunity to present on “Just in Time: French Language Advocacy in the Post-Covidian Era: Perspectives from the AATF,” and to participate as a career counselor in the virtual MLA Career Center at the MLA 2021 convention. My 5th book, Multilingualism as a Global Competency: Skills for a 21st Century World, was published. I was interviewed on Radio-Canada’s Point du Jour with Elsie Miclisse.
In February, my article, “Our Diverse U.S. Culture, Heritage Languages, and International Education,” was published in International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars.
In March, my 6th book, Strategic Language for the French Language in the US, was published by the AATF. My article, “In Celebration of French,” was published in Language Magazine, and “Life in Two Languages: A Personal Journey,” my review of François Grosjean’s A Journey in Languages and Cultures: Life as a Bicultural Bilingual, was published in GSLR: Global Studies Literature Review. I also presented at several conferences, on “Foreign Language Advocacy: Multiple Perspectives, but One Vision,” at the CSCTFL 2021 conference; “Foreign Language Advocacy — Expanding Access and Opportunity,” at the SCOLT 2021 conference; and on “Foreign Language Advocacy: Connections, Collaborations, and Creativity,” at the SWCOLT 2021 conference. I was featured in the video “Le Mois de la Francophonie selon… les autres” on la Vox Pop du Mois de la Francophonie on TFO ONFR+ (Ontario francophone).
In April, I presented on “The Importance of World Language Advocacy” at the OFLA online mini conference.
In May, my article, “Foreign Languages in Higher Education in the US — Issues and Advocacy” was published in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice (JHETP). I also presented on “Multilingualism, a Collaborative Skill: Cultural Fluency in Our Diverse World” at the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars online international conference.
I am honored to continue to serve as Chair of the AATF Commission on Advocacy and to have been selected as a member of the MLA Delegate Assembly. I continue to serve as a member of the ATA Education & Pedagogy Committee, the CSCTFL Advisory Council, the NECTFL Advisory Council, and as a SCOLT sponsor. It was an honor to serve as Communications Officer of the NCIS in 2020.
I am delighted to have had the opportunity to present on “Just in Time: French Language Advocacy in the Post-Covidian Era: Perspectives from the AATF” at the MLA 2021.
Many thanks for the opportunity to the MLA organizers, and special thanks to my co-presenters, Robert Peckham, Founding Chair of the Commission on Advocacy and Past Vice President of the AATF; Jayne Abrate, Executive Director of the AATF; and Sister Mary Helen Kashuba, Past President of the AATF.
I am so grateful to all my friends and supporters — teacher, colleagues, friends, and especially, family! 6 books and 2 forthcoming, plus numerous articles and conference presentations, later, my motto remains “Qui s’instruit sans agir, laboure sans semer.”
Language Matters 