Languages Look Good on Paper [MCGRAW-HILL]

Putting on symposiums for Spanish teachers is a fabulous direction for textbook companies to go in this day and age. And getting leaders in the field like Martina Bex to take part? You cannot go wrong. And if it means I get to take part? All the better.

So when I got to join McGraw-Hill’s next teacher-empowering initiative online–with still more leaders like Derek McCoy!–how could I be anything but elated?

I took this opportunity to shine a spotlight on what I see as the difference between perception and reality when it comes to support for world languages these days. The truth is, I think those not in this specific field don’t really know what support looks like or really what languages are even FOR!

Here’s an excerpt:

There was a time when languages were weapons, trained on separating the scholars from the slackers. Language was supposed to be some intellectual litmus test for la crême de la crême, proof of a student’s worthiness to advance. That’s why politicians and parents, tycoons and even teachers, say they believe everyone should learn another language, but then remain wistfully monolingual themselves. 

Language was used to divide, so now divided adults pretend they believe it’s what kids need without believing it themselves, just because it looks good on paper.

Read more about how we can make believers without test scores and statistics on McGraw-Hill’s Inspired Ideas blog.