National Language Policy Summit:
An American Plan for Action
January 10-11, 2005
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Background:
The purpose of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Year of Languages Policy Summit is to build upon the National Language Conference sponsored by the Department of Defense and the Center for Advanced Study in Languages held in Washington, DC, June 22-24, 2004. With the “Call to Action” theme of the National Language Conference, a white paper was developed outlining the critical need for building the nation’s language capacity. The goal of the Policy Summit held at UNC-CH will be to take the next steps with a “Plan for Action” theme that will result in concrete measures toward national language policies in a variety of arenas.
Sponsorship:
This ACTFL Year of Languages event will be sponsored by a generous contribution from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education as well as from the University and other funding sources.
On Site Participants:
Invited participants are the members of the 2005: Year of Languages Honorary Committee as well as other national leaders and experts in three sectors. These three groups are:
- Academe
- Business
- Government/Humanitarian.
Preliminary Assignments for the On Site Participants:
On site participants will review the following documents:
- The National Language Conference White Paper
- The report issued by the National Association of State Boards of Education entitled, “The Complete Curriculum: Ensuring a Place for the Arts and Foreign Languages in America’s Schools”
- “Foundations Needed for a Strong American Position,” a paper delivered by the Honorable Rick Lazio, CEO, The Financial Services Forum which can be found at www.nlconference.org
Outcomes:
On site participants will create the plan of action with a timeline and assignments to accomplish the tasks set forward. They will discuss key factors that need to be considered in order for the recommendations to be implemented.
Lead Participants
- Moderator
Jackson Bain
- Introductory Context
James B. Hunt, Former Governor of North Carolina and Chairman of the Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy.
- Keynote Speaker
Bernard Spolsky, Professor, Bar-Ilan University and the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language, “Does the U.S. Need a Language Policy or is English Enough?”
- Working Group Leaders
Academe: Thomas James, Dean, School of Education, UNC-CH
Business: M. Rafiq Bengali, CEO National Bank of Pakistan
Government/Humanitarian: Ray Clifford, Brigham Young University
- Group Facilitators
Marty Abbott Director of Education, ACTFL
Christy Brown Director of Foreign Languages, Glastonbury (CT) Public Schools
Audrey Heining-Boynton President of ACTFL, Professor of Education, UNC-CH
- Recorder / Scribe
Kurt Muller Director of External Relations, CASL
Daily Schedule
Monday, January 10, 2005
Note: All times are in Eastern Standard Time
9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
- Welcome and Introductions: Thomas James
- Summit Goals and Agenda: Jackson Bain
- Policy Context: James Hunt
- Keynote Address: Bernard Spolsky
Does the U.S. Need a Language Policy or is English Enough?
9:45-10:00 AM
- Break for Summit Participants to move to their three working group discussion rooms.
10:00 AM-10:10 AM
- Report of first hour. (Jackson Bain)
10:10 AM-10:45 AM
- Working Group introductions
- Brainstorming of topics
10:45 AM-11:00 AM
11:00 AM-11:10 AM
- Report of Working Groups’progress (Jackson Bain)
11:10 AM-11:30 AM
- Continuation of Working Groups’discussion.
11:30 AM-12:00 PM
12:00 PM-12:55 PM
- Bernard Spolsky continues prepared remarks and takes questions from remote sites. Lunch for Working Group participants.
1:00 PM-1:10 PM
- Report of Summit to this point (Jackson Bain)
1:10 PM-1:45 PM
- Continued general discussion in the three Working Groups. Creation of a list of priorities.
1:45 PM-2:00 PM
2:00 PM-2:10 PM
- Report of Summit to this point (Jackson Bain)
2:10 PM-2:45 PM
- Working Groups discuss implications of priorities. Agreements and disagreements are voiced.
2:45 PM-3:00 PM
3:00 PM-3:10 PM
- Report of Summit to this point (Jackson Bain)
3:10 PM-3:45 PM
- Working Group discussion where participants speak to priorities. Each Working Group identifies their top 5 priorities.
3:45 PM-4:00 PM
- Break. The three Working Groups move back to main room for conclusion of Day 1.
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
- Review of Day 1 of Summit lead by Jackson Bain. Each Working Group reports @ approximately 15 minutes. Assignment given for Day 2 and closure by Jackson Bain.
5:00 PM
- Day 1 video conference ends
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Note: All times are in Eastern Standard Time
9:00 AM- 9:30 AM
- Jackson Bain welcomes all for day 2 of Policy Summit, provides synthesis from day 1, and gives charge for Group Leaders for Day 2. Each Working Group reports back @ 7 minutes.
9:30 AM-9:45 AM
- The three Working Groups move to their breakout rooms.
9:45 AM-10:45 AM
- Working Groups make plans for action answering: what? who? by when?
10:45 AM-11:00 AM
- Break. Working Groups move back to large meeting room.
11:00 AM
- Jackson Bain coordinates group leaders’ reporting their Plans for Action and assignment of tasks for operationalizing the plan of action. Working groups report @ 10 minutes.
11:30 AM
- Closing remarks by Bernard Spolsky
11:50 AM
- Closing remarks by Thomas James
11:55 AM
- Closing remarks by Jackson Bain
12:00 PM
Click here to download the Schedule as a PDF document.
