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Next meeting Friday June 24 @ 9:00 in Essex elementary Media Center.
Marias articles 3 and 4. Read the articles highlight the most important things. Find the schools that do not have Spanish in your assigned schools from the DRG.

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**//News from Representative Rush Holt//**
**12****th** **District, New Jersey** __**http://www.holt.house.gov**__ //For Immediate Release, May 26, 2011// //Contacts:// //Rep. Holt: Thomas Seay, 202-225-5801// //Sen. Lautenberg: Lautenberg Press Office 202-224-3224//

**HOLT, LAUTENBERG INTRODUCE BILL TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING** **LEGISLATION WOULD IMPROVE U.S. COMPETITIVENESS AND NATIONAL SECURITY** (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) and Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that they have introduced, in both the House and the Senate, the Foreign Language Education Partnership Program Act, which would support revolutionary classroom programs that provide carefully sequenced foreign language classes from kindergarten through high school. “Because of poor foreign language education, American companies today lose international contracts, our scientists miss important opportunities for collaboration, and clues critical to our national security go untranslated,” Holt said. “We need to dramatically improve how our children learn languages by establishing a foundation at the earliest ages and building on it through high school, college, and beyond.” "The best way for our young people to master a foreign language is to start at an early age and continue learning throughout their education. This legislation seeks to create more aggressive language programs that will help close the language gap for American students," Lautenberg said. "If more Americans are fluent in languages from around the world, the United States will be better prepared to compete in a global market and protect our national security."

Research indicates that language education beginning in primary school and continuing through high school is the best way to introduce a child to a foreign language. According to the U.S. Department of Education, however, only 44 percent of American high school students are enrolled in foreign language classes, and only 31 percent of American elementary schools even offer foreign languages.

To address these problems, the bill would create a new K-12/higher education foreign language education partnership program. It would provide up to $50 million in annual funding for model programs of sequenced foreign language instruction from K-12, with the goal of graduating high school students with an advanced level of proficiency. Any foreign language is eligible, but the Secretary of Education may establish priorities on languages critical to national needs.

Information on successful programs and practices will be widely disseminated, with a goal of encouraging school systems nationwide to adopt similar approaches.

Holt’s bill will be referred to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, of which Holt is a member. It is cosponsored by Reps. David Wu (D-OR), Pedro R. Pierluisi (D-PR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jared Polis (D-CO), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Lautenberg’s bill is cosponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).

//**Excerpts from New York Times Article Supporting Study of Spanish:**//

Primero Hay Que Aprender Español. Ranhou Zai Xue Zhongwen- New York Times Article by Nicholas D. Kristof
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "In fact, I think the rush to Chines is missing something closer to home: the paramount importance for our children of learning Spanish."

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "I'm a fervent believer in more American kids learning Chinese. But the language that will be essential for Americans and has far more day-to-day applications is Spanish."

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "Every child in the United States should learn Spanish, beginning in the elementary school; Chinese makes a terrific addition to Spanish, but not a substitute." <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "Spanish- it’s an everyday presence in the United States — and will become even more so. Hispanics made up 16 percent of America’s population in 2009, but that is forecast to surge to 29 percent by 2050, according to estimates by the Pew Research Center. "Another reason to bet on Spanish is that Latin America is, finally, getting its act together. Of all regions of the world, it was arguably Latin America that rode the recent economic crisis most comfortably. It’ll be a language of business opportunity in the coming decades. We need to turn our competitive minds not only east, but also south."

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "Moreover, Spanish is easy enough that kids really can emerge from high school with a very useful command of the language that they will retain for life, while Mandarin takes about four times as long to make the same progress. Chinese has- thousands of characters to memorize as well as the landmines of any tonal language."

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> "In effect, Chinese is typically a career. Spanish is a practical add-on to your daily life, meshing with whatever career you choose. If you become a mechanic, you’ll be able to communicate better with some customers. If you’re the president, you’ll campaign more effectively in Texas and Florida."

Lisa will also contact COLT, state BOE about which districts have FLES statewide, and in the ERG
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"> [|Click here to see the article Spanish vs. Chinese]