United States

TCLP mentor teacher Christina Cannon has been chosen to present with colleague Annie Hasan at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in April 2012. Their CLP proposal will help them cover the cost to attend the conference. Their presentation discussed best practices for teaching songs in the target language, and attendees learned a method of teaching with songs and games that maximizes ‘student talk’ during the class period, keeping students engaged and communicating.

TCLP Host School Alumni Pratt Community School’s Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson was awarded funding for a grant titled “Arabic Language in the World Today”. This proposal included the creation of an Arabic Language Café, where students and their families can practice their Arabic skills in a 'real life' environment. Students used Arabic to create signage for the restaurant, menus, and table learning opportunities. Students waited on tables and utilized their Arabic skills in the ordering and serving of food.

TCLP Host School Alumna Veronique Lahey was awarded funding to create a collaborative learning environment between Mandarin students at Arlington High School in Massachusetts and Exchange Teacher Alumnus Yu Bo’s home school in China. To accomplish this goal, Lahey used an interactive whiteboard, blogs, and videoconferencing software to share student-created videos, facilitate virtual discussions, and assign chat buddies for all students.

At Sonoran Trails Middle School, TCLP Chinese Teacher Alumna Li Qiong received a grant to lay the foundation for a sister school connection between her host school in Arizona and her home school in Hubei, China. Sonoran Trails Principal Bill Dolezal traveled to China as a first time visitor with Li, who developed an itinerary with a travel company in China that allowed Principal Dolezal to meet with Chinese Principal Wang at her home school, No. 6 Middle School of Yichang.

Mentor Teacher, Dr. Steven Berbeco was awarded a grant to host a best practices workshop and professional networking meeting for the New England Association of Arabic Teachers (NEAAT), which is a network of elementary and secondary school teachers from public and private schools in the New England states. The best practices workshop and professional networking meeting was at the Massachusetts Foreign Languages Association in Sturbridge, MA, October 25th-27th. CLP funding allows NEAAT to offer these events as well as provide teacher-training materials for teachers from diverse schools.

2013 alumna exchange teacher, Tan Lihua, received a CLP grant to help implement a Joint-Classroom Project between her U.S. host school district and her home school in China. The goal of the project was to facilitate opportunities for students in the U.S. and China to develop oral and written communication skills in their target languages, learn about one another's cultures and traditions, and ultimately formalize a sister school partnership between JN Fries Magnet School and Concord High School in North Carolina and Da Zu High School in Chongqing, China.

Wendy Pugh, World Cultures Coordinator at Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC) in Washington, DC, received a CLP grant to purchase Arabic language resources for students. CHEC purchased textbooks and CDs on language instruction and Arabic culture to help expand the Arabic language program developed by TCLP teacher Yasser Eldeabes. The school also used the purchased books to implement an Arabic Reading Group that focuses on Arabic language and culture and is open to all students within the District of Columbia Public School system.

TCLP Alumnus School, Lakes International Language Academy (LILA), received funding to help implement a CLP titled “Welcome, Friends!” in cooperation with Deyang Forest Language School in China. This project provided an exciting English-immersion learning experience for 22 visiting students from China and forged new international friendships. During a two-week summer camp on the school's campus, Chinese and American students strengthened skills in their respective target languages by speaking to one another in casual settings, traveling, and participating in fun activities.

Exchange teacher Wei Wei received a CLP grant to implement the Joy of Eight Project at her U.S. host school, Roton Middle School. The project encompassed various activities with the overall goal of motivating middle school students enrolled in Mandarin classes to continue to study the language after they enter high school.