The VOICE of WAFLT

Table of Contents
WAFLT Executive Board Contact Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
From Your President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh LeGreve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
From Your Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katy Dueppen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Pedagogy, Methodology, and Policy

Advocacy Update: We Cannot Do It Alone.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerhard Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
In Memory of Jim Oakley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Lets Talk About Enrollment Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerhard Fischer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2016 Fall Conference Sneak Peek.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linda Havas & Cathy Stresing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
WAFLT Special Projects Grants:
Growing Up Latino: Milwaukees South Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Epstein & Sarah Farkas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2015-16 Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Affiliate Organization Newsletters
The National Network for Early Language Learning NNELL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
American Association of Teachers of French Wisconsin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
American Association of Teachers of German Wisconsin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wisconsin Latin Teachers Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
WAFLT Awards, Grants, and Endowments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

WAFLT Mission:
The purpose of WAFLT shall be to promote, strengthen, and
facilitate the teaching and life-long learning of world languages and
cultures in schools and communities to meet the needs of our
increasingly interdependent world.

The VOICE of WAFLT

WAFLT Executive Board

& Contacts for Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers
President
Josh LeGreve
Green Lake School District
president@waflt.org

New Visions in Action

Subcommittee Chair / Finance
Committee Chair

President-Elect

Kyle Gorden
Elkhorn Area High School
gordky@elkhorn.k12.wi.us

SuAnn Schroeder
Medford Area Senior High School
awards@waflt.org

Communications & Publications

Chair

Past-President

Lauren Rosen
University of Wisconsin
webmaster@waflt.org

CSC Grants-Subcommittee Chair

Summer Institute

Becky Murphy
Golda Meir Middle School, Milwaukee
rmurphyrm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Lisa Hendrickson
lisahen3@gmail.com

Student Travel Scholarship

Subcommittee Chair
Paula Meyer
Appleton North High School
meyerpaula@aasd.k12.wi.us

Language Association
Representatives
AATF-WI President
Andrea Behn
Parker High School, Janesville
abehn@janesville.k12.wi.us

Professional Development
Scholarship Subcommittee Chair

AATG-WI President

Jeanne Schuller
UW-Madison
jmschuel@wisc.edu

Siggi Piwek
Milwaukee German Immersion
School
piweks@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Tommorrows Teachers
Scholarship Subcommittee Chair

WiATJ President

Treasurer

The VOICE of WAFLT

Subcommittee Chair/Editor

Karen Fowdy
kfowdy@gmail.com

Kellie Michels
Muskego High School
treasurer@waft.org

Katy Dueppen
Verona Area High School
voice@waflt.org

Richard Kania
Franklin High School
richard.kania@franklin.k12.wi.us

Professional Development Chair

DPI International Education/World

Languages Consultant

Advertising Subcommittee Chair

Anita Alkas
UW-Milwaukee
alkhas@uwm.edu

Josh LeGreve
Green Lake School District
advertising@waflt.org

Future Teachers Subcommittee

Chair

Public Relations / Advocacy

Committee Co-Chairs

Pablo Muirhead
Milwaukee Area Technical College
muirheap@matc.edu

Karen Fowdy
kfowdy@gmail.com

HS Guests Subcommittee Chair

Keely Lake, PhD

Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam
klake@wayland.org
Secretary
Carley Goodkind
Greenfield High School
carley.goodkind@gmail.com

Gerhard Fischer
gerhard.fischer@dpi.wi.gov
NNELL Representative
Jessica Bradley
Highland View Elementary
jessica.bradley@greendale.k12.wi.us
Fall Conference Program
Committee Co-Chairs

Member Services Subcommittee

Chair
Victoria Carter
Onalaska High School
carvi@onalaskaschools.com

Keely Lake
Wayland Academy
klake@wayland.org

Linda Havas
Greendale Schools
program@waflt.org

Discover Languages Contest

Coordinator

Cathy Stresing
Wauwatosa East High School
program@waflt.org

Justin Gerlach
Mishicot High School
advocacy@waflt.org

Local Arrangements/Exhibits SubCommittee

Grants & Scholarships Committee

Chair

Sarah Fortman
Waukesha North High School

Stephanie Krenz
River Bluff Middle School, Stoughton
grants@waflt.org

Ashley Reinke
Sherman Middle School, Madison
exhibits@waflt.org

Danielle Chaussee
Oconomowoc High School
chausseed@oasd.org
Amber Little
Stoughton High School

WLTA President
Dan Tess
Brookfield Central High School
tessd@elmbrookschools.org
OWL
Vacant
WACLT President
Lacey Melco
Kettle Moraine High School
lacey27@msn.com
AATSP-WI President
Fred Cruz
Brookfield Academy
cruz@brookfieldacademy.org

Mentoring/Leadership Project
Karen Fowdy
kfowdy@gmail.com

The VOICE of WAFLT appears twice annually, in the spring and fall, with
copy deadlines of January 1 and May 15. Manuscripts describing world
language pedagogy as well as study and travel opportunities and
experiences are always welcome, and, if accepted, generally will appear in
the next issue. Submissions for publication should be saved as a Microsoft
Word document and sent as an email attachment to voice@waflt.com. Any
photos or graphics must be sent as separate attachments in a .jpg format.

The VOICE of WAFLT

From Your President ...

s summer starts to wind
down and the days begin to
get shorter, it is once again
time to put plans into motion and
commence another school year of
creating evolving communicators and
growing language learners. And as
with any oncoming autumn, it is also
time to turn our attention to the annual
WAFLT Fall Conference. This year
our conference committee, headed
by the inspiring duo of Linda Havas
and Cathy Stresing, have put together
a phenomenal program focused on
one key aspect of our instruction
proficiency. This years theme is
Paving the Road to Proficiency:
Empowering 21st century learners to
develop their cultural understandings,
cross-curricular literacy, and
communication, which is quite a
timely topic with current opportunities
in our state. Primarily, we should be
proud to be another state that has
adopted legislation for a Seal of
Biliteracy, which is a strong move
that promotes solid global education
with a focus on understanding
multiple cultures and being proficient
in at least two languages.

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award that

graduating seniors may qualify for in
DPI-approved districts that can provide
evidence of biliteracy, bilingualism, and
multicultural competence. If you are
interested in more information about the
Seal of Biliteracy, you can find it at:
dpi.wi.gov/english-learners/wi-seal-of-b
iliteracy.
I highly encourage all teachers take a
look at the requirements and consider
applying for approval for this program.
With this new opportunity, it

is pivotal that we begin shifting the

paradigm of instruction and that we
ensure our instruction is committed to
cultivating strong, proficient speakers
and language users who can perform
at the Intermediate High level in order
to qualify for the Seal. This can seem
like a daunting task at first, but it is
possible, and Wisconsin is ready to
rise to the challenge and create an
atmosphere of high achieving
programs that produce students of
this high caliber.
To this end, we have worked hard to
bring you a number of opportunities to
develop your skills in proficiencybased instruction this year. Thank you
to all who attended the WAFLT
Summer Institute or the ACTFLsponsored MOPI training in Madison
earlier this summer. Both of these
workshops provided an opportunity for
high quality collaboration around the
theme of proficiency. Please watch for
an interest survey as soon as we look
into further MOPI or proficiency
training opportunities for our
membership.
Additionally, do not miss one of three
opportunities to see Thomas Sauer of
LearningShifts (and @tmsaue1 on
Twitter), as he guides us on the shift
to proficiency at the Fall Conference.
Thomas will be providing a
marvelously focused full-day
Thursday workshop, conducting an
engaging three-hour Friday morning
workshop, and delivering our Friday
evening keynote immediately
following the Awards Ceremony.
More information on these
opportunities can be found in the
pre-conference portion of this issue.

Josh LeGreve

As we get closer to the 2016-2017

school year, I know we are all
committed to sharing our passion and
love for languages with our students.
Together, we can create a generation
of globally competent individuals who
appreciate the world we live in and the
variety that makes up our shared
planet. I look forward to seeing many
of you at the Fall Conference in
Appleton. Nos vemos pronto.

Josh LeGreve

Complete details about the

WAFLT Fall Conference can be
found online at waflt.org
under the Annual Conference

The VOICE of WAFLT

From Your Editor ...

hope that you took time this

summer to relax and refocus. Its
going to be a great school year!

One thing I always look forward to

before the start of the school year is
paging through the conference listings
for the Fall Conference. Even though
November seems a long way off, I
know that once the honeymoon period
of the first months of school has worn
off, I will be eager for new ideas to
reanimate and improve my instruction
and assessments. I also look forward
to seeing fellow language teachers
from across the state that I only see at
professional conferences. Although we
may only know each other from years
of sitting in sessions together or
chatting at the wine and cheese
reception, that quick wave hello, hug,
or handshake is like a boost of extra
energy. We enjoy our fellow language
teaching colleagues, and learning from
and collaborating with them!
In this edition, WAFLT Special Grants
Award winners, Sarah Farkas and
Samantha Epstein, write about how
they created connections between
high school Latino students and 5th
grade L2 Spanish students to talk
about culture, language, and identity.
These connections are crucial for our
21st century learners. Being able to
see beyond our own linguistic and
cultural identity to create a community
of global learners is the focus of the
Global Education Achievement
Certificate that Gerhard Fischer talks
about as the featured writer for the
Advocacy column. In Gerhards DPI
column, you will read about Wisconsin
world language enrollment trends.

As we reflect on trends in world

language enrollment in Wisconsin,
trends in world language teaching
practices, and begin the start of a new
school year, it is important to consider
what our ultimate goals are for our
students; some students who we will
only see for two years, some who we
will enjoy for six or more years. For
me, I am always thinking about what I
want my students to be able to do with
what they have learned in my
classroom 10+ years from now. I hope
that they will have continued learning
French, or that they remember the
survival phrases that we learned and
reviewed often. Perhaps more
importantly, from a linguistic
perspective, I hope that I equipped
them with the know-how to ask for
more information, to keep a
conversation going with limited
language, to use circumlocution to
negotiate meaning, and to get their
needs met when traveling and
encountering people from around the
world. From a cultural perspective, I
hope that I helped open their world to
the vast and intriguing connections
that we all have with people, places,
and products around the world. I hope
that they are still hungry to learn more
and appreciate our world for all of its
diversity.
Reflecting on goals for our students is
a good point of view to begin with
each new school year. There will be a
new group of students in our
classrooms soon, eager to begin
communicating in a new language and
begin learning how to look at the world
through new perspectives. Have a
great beginning of the school year and
I hope to see you at the Fall
Conference!

Katy Dueppen

The Voice
Editing/Review Committee
Katy Dueppen, Chair
Verona Area High School
Victoria Carter
Onalaska High School
Marge Draheim
Retired, Appleton East High
School
Angela Funk
Clearlake Jr/Sr High School
Kathy Varda
Stoughton High School

Donna Clementi
Blue Ribbon School
Award
for Excellence in
World Language
Programs
Do you have a school or
district World Language
Program that is worthy of
praise? Do you have an
exemplary program model,
well-articulated curriculum,
stellar staff, advocacy and
outside community support,
and program/student
achievement results that speak
to the excellence of your
school(s)? If so, then nominate
your school(s)
for this special award!
Details can be found at
waflt.org.

The VOICE of WAFLT

Advocacy Update: We Cannot Do It Alone

By Gerhard Fischer, International and World Languages Education Consultant,
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

here is some very good news:

1. Enrollment numbers in world

language programs across the
state are stronger than ever.
2. Administrators do not question the
value of world language programs.
Most often, challenges to world
language programs are about
budget and resulting curricular
options.
3. Response to the Global Education
Achievement Certificate Program
(GEAC) has been overwhelmingly
positive.
4. Wisconsin recently introduced the
Seal of Biliteracy. This is great
news for everyone who values
multilingualism.
This country is opening up to the
realities of a global economy and
global responses to the viability of life
on this small planet. An increasing
number of citizens understand that
knowledge about the world and
cross-cultural understanding are
important. There is backlash, but we
will hopefully prevail with messages of
openness, knowledge, understanding,
and inclusion. Fear is not a force for
good; empathy and inclusion are.
World language educators are on the
forefront of those who build bridges
and understand the value of respect
for other cultures and languages. I
recently saw a wonderful PBS
NewsHour profile of the US
ambassador to Vietnam who speaks

fluent Vietnamese. The fact that I

show respect for Vietnamese
language and culture and history, the
Vietnamese people, says Ted Osius,
the fact that I show that respect, that I
clearly enjoy being here, I think has
helped my mission. This ambassador
clearly understands and articulates
the value of language: It connects, it
bridges, it makes understanding
possible. It does help his mission.
There is something else the
ambassador noted in this profile: He
advocates for progress on human
rights. How does he communicate
what he would like to see to the
Vietnamese?1 This is really
important,Osius says. I carry this
card. Its examples of demonstrable
progress on human rights. I have
given this card to members of the
politburo. I point out, these are the
things that were asking you to do. We
couldnt be more clear. It fits on a
card
So, what is the card that we should all
carry? How do we communicate in
clear terms what it is that we want to
achieve? Perhaps we should have a
WAFLT membership contest on
designing that card. What do you
think? Let me try to suggest a frame
for this advocacy tool.
1. World language education is
essential to an understanding of
the world and the human
condition. Ambassador Osius
speaks to that. Lets demonstrate
how our students grow in our
classrooms.

2. Proficiency is important.
Demonstrate high proficiency levels
to your community.
3. Value multilingualism. Embrace
ELL students and families in your
community with different linguistic
and cultural backgrounds. Learn
with them and from them.
4. Work on a community of global
learners in your district. You are
part of that community. You cannot
reach your goals alone.
5. Culture is more complex than
sampling food. Tacos are not
necessarily a window into Mexican
culture, nor is a Wisconsin brat a
good window into contemporary
German culture. Make sure your
students demonstrate depth in their
cultural understanding to the larger
school community.
6. Broaden the definition of your
purpose: Speaking intermediate
high Spanish is great. Advanced is
better. Nevertheless, speaking
Spanish may not be a requirement
for the jobs your students might
apply for. Therefore, focus on the
skills students learn by way of
learning another language: literacy,
cultural understanding,
understanding different points of
view and perspectives. Those are
skills that transcend the specifics of
learning languages. They will also
be valuable when learning a third
language. I am certain that
Ambassador Osius did not take
Vietnamese in high school.

The VOICE of WAFLT

This is how DPI is trying to prepare the

ground for these advocacy efforts:
1. Please remind your administrators of
some non-negotiables if needed:
There is a state statute that requires
the opportunity to learn a world
language, beginning in grade 7.
Remind everyone of that fact. It is
often overlooked. Insist on language
learning right away and do not waste
time with talking about the language.
2. The requirements of the Global
Education Achievement Certificate
frame what I have tried to argue
above:

a. Learning languages is
important.
b. Understanding the global frame
of inquiry in other content areas
is necessary.
c. Reading books about other
cultures is valued.
d. Participation in school-wide
international programs is
required. That also means that
schools need to establish those
programs.
e. Getting to know your neighbors
with different cultural and
linguistic backgrounds is
essential.

The best advocacy tool I can think of at

this point is to argue within the
framework of the GEAC. It provides a
larger community of like-minded
teachers, and it builds support for world
language programs. If your school is not
yet part of this GEAC network, take a
closer look and decide how you may be
able to get your administration and
colleagues on board. Be visible. Make
yourself heard.
We cannot do it alone
________________
1

PBS NewsHour. Meet bicycle diplomat

Ted Osius, Americas modern ambassador
to Vietnam. May 20, 2016 at 6:25 p.m. EDT

The VOICE of WAFLT

In Memory of Jim Oakley

Jim Oakley, former Spanish teacher and WAFLT president,
passed away May 24, 2016. Jim was a very active and
energetic member of WAFLT and dedicated himself to many
causes and initiatives in addition to providing quality language
education in the state of Wisconsin.
Jim was a Spanish Teacher at the middle schools of West
Bend, WI, where he taught for 23 years. As an active part of
our state association, Jim served as WAFLT President from
2002-2004. In addition to being WAFLT pres ident, Jim also
served in many other capacities such as public relations chair.
After retiring, Jim relocated to Ashland, WI, with his wife and
fellow language teacher, Anne Chartier. There, Jim became a
well-respected substitute teacher in the Ashland School
District and served on the Ashland County Board of
Supervisors, just recently being elected for his third term.
Jim was an enthusiastic and dedicated educator. He
organized several exchange visits between students in
Wisconsin and Badajoz, Spain. During his time in the
classroom, Jim worked to make Spanish real for his students
and to instill a passion for global understanding in his
students. Prior to teaching, Jim served in Grenada

through the Peace Corps. During his teaching career, Jim served
as mentor and encourager for many people throughout the state.
He encouraged members to take a more active role in WAFLT,
advocated for stronger programs in Wisconsin, and worked to
archive the history of WAFLT through taped interviews.
Jim Oakleys passion and dedication are inspirational. With his
passing, we have lost a very special person who brought so
much life to language learning. Jim touched the lives of many
people, locally and internationally, and his passion to create a
more globally understanding society will be remembered by all
whose lives he touched.
If you have any memories of Jim to share, please email them
to president@waflt.org. Memories will be compiled and shared
in a future WAFLT publication.

The VOICE of WAFLT

Lets Talk About Enrollment Numbers

By Gerhard Fischer, International and World Languages Education Consultant,
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
look at world language
enrollment numbers in all
Wisconsin public schools has
given us positive news over the past
few years. Indeed, enrollments at the
high school level have increased to
about 59% of the total student
population in 2014-15. I approach these
numbers cautiously, because we saw a
sudden increase just about 4 years ago.
New reporting systems may have
caused this phenomenon, and schools
do not necessarily give us the correct
codes for each of the courses offered.
This is especially true in grades 68
where it is hard to separate FLEX from
sequential world language courses. I
am still looking at that batch of data to
make any sense of it.

I like to focus on trends more than on

separate data points. The trend is
clearly upward, which means that more
Wisconsin students are now in some
kind of world language class than ever
before. The three strongest languages
still are Spanish (44% of the total
student population), French (6.76%)
and German (5%). Each of these
languages has been holding steady for
the past three years. This is also true for
Chinese, Japanese, and Latin, albeit at
very low enrollment levels under 1% of
the total student population.
Again, all of this is fairly good news
and does not support perceptions of
sweeping eliminations of world
language programs. Once we drill
down a little, though, and look at
retention rates in each language in
their third or fourth years, we see a
sudden drop in enrollments. This is
what I see:

Spanish

French

German

Drop
after
year 2

31%

29.6%

25.5%

Drop
after
year 3

48%

39.3%

49.71%

The situation in the other languages is no

different, but I see a dramatic drop-off after the
first year already:
Chinese

Japanese

Latin

Drop
after
year 1

38%

37%

25%

Drop
after
year 2

35%

48%

70%

Drop
after
year 3

66%

61%

12%

I will not speculate about the reasons for these

dramatic drops in our enrollment numbers.
Various factors beyond our control may be at
play. Many schools, for example, do not offer
more than two years of a world language.
Scheduling conflicts in students junior and
senior years may be a factor. College
admissions or exit requirements are probably
an important consideration as well.
My main concern is that students, after only two
years in the world language classroom, probably
do not arrive at meaningful proficiency levels.

How can we influence this

situation? What are the factors that
teachers can control? Exciting and
challenging learning environments,
meaningful interaction with
speakers of the language in other
countries, use of technology, and
more. That is what we keep talking
about in meetings and at
conferences. There are larger
forces at work that prevent world
language programs from growing
into longer sequences. We need to
talk about all of these issues and
move forward. The Global
Education Achievement Certificate
(found at globalwisconsin.org)
is one attempt to create an
environment in which world
languages can thrive. Its four-year
world language requirement did not
get adopted accidentally: It is
designed to challenge schools to
offer longer sequences of world
language learning opportunities.
Lets use this requirement to
advocate for what we know is right.
So the bottom line is that there is
some good news (increasing
participation in some kind of
language learning opportunity),
yet little progress in student
retention after the first two years.
An increasing number of
administrators and policy makers
understand this dilemma. Lets
work with them on an increasingly
bright future for world language
learners.

The VOICE of WAFLT

WAFLT 2016 Fall Conference

Paving the Road to Proficiency
Empowering 21st century learners to develop their cultural understandings,
cross-curricular literacy, and communication

November 3-5

ow do you define proficiency?

Is it a student using
memorized phrases and
expressions in a controlled and
predictable context? Is it a student
making slight variations of learned
expressions? Is it expressing new and
complex ideas about abstract concepts?
Or, can it be all those and more? The
answer to all these questions is an
emphatic YES! Encouraging our
students to be creative with language,
to feel comfortable making mistakes
and taking risks, and to try to reach
beyond their perceived limits is our job
as language educators. Keeping our
perceptions fluid and open will help our
students do the same. Take, for
example, the student who tries to
describe egg to her partner while
forgetting the words for white and
round. It came out of a (roast)
chicken. The partners easy guess of
the word and the class laughter that
ensues help everyone see that any one
idea can be expressed in endless ways.

We invite you to come to the 2016

WAFLT Fall Conference, Paving The
Road To Proficiency: Empowering
21st century learners to develop their
cultural understandings,
cross-curricular literacy, and
communication, and, along with your
colleagues, to explore the myriad of
approaches to support our students
quest for improved proficiency.

Here are a few other key reasons to

join us in Appleton from November 3-5:
T Thursday Pre-Conference
Workshop with Thomas Sauer: Are
You on the Path to Proficiency?
Journey down the path to proficiency
with your colleagues to see how
changing the WHAT in our classes will
also change the HOW and can help
you create lesson plans that will help
learners develop ownership in a new
language.
T Friday Morning Workshops We
are once again featuring a wide range
of interactive workshops encompassing
a variety of topics. This year, in
conjunction with CESA 6, we are also
offering PDP Reviewer Training. Space
is limited in this workshop and special
registration is required. Consult the
WAFLT Pre-Conference bulletin for
more information.
T Friday and Saturday One-Hour
Sessions This years conference
includes a plethora of learning
opportunities across languages, levels,
and various areas of focus.
T Friday and Saturday Technology
Workshops Your colleagues are
ready to share their high-tech tricks of
the trade!

T Friday Afternoon Keynote Speaker

Thomas Sauer will present his
keynote address, It's Not What the
Teacher Knows, But What the Teacher
Does. He will also present a 3-hour
workshop on Friday during which he will
focus on connecting proficiency
principles with learning targets.
Complete details about the WAFLT
Fall Conference can be found online at
waflt.org under the Annual
Conference tab. Register early to
secure your seat at the Thursday
Workshop (which has sold out in
recent years), and also into the Friday
morning workshop that is your first
choice. We strongly encourage
starting your registration online to
avoid mistakes. You will have the
opportunity to complete payment with
a credit card, or you can print your
receipt and mail it with a check by the
October 21st deadline. After that, there
is a $10 late fee, so be sure to get
your registration in early! Should you
have any questions, please email us
at program@waflt.org.
We hope to see you in November!
Linda Havas &
Cathy Stresing
Program Co-Chairs

10

The VOICE of WAFLT

WAFLT Special Projects Grant:

Growing Up Latino: Milwaukees South Side
By Samantha Epstein, South Division High School and
Sarah Farkas, Academy of Accelerated Learning and Lowell Elementary School
o we have a culture? It is easy
to recognize culture in others,
but more often than not we fail
to recognize the influence our own
culture has on our lives. Just as we do
not notice the air we breathe or the
force of gravity that keeps us
connected to the earth, our own culture
can be equally invisible to us. There is
a significant body of research,
however, that points to the important
role culture plays not only in our
lives, but in our learning as well. This is
particularly true in regard to learning
second language and second
language literacy (Peregoy & Boyle,
2008). Students in our classrooms
come with a vast array of unique
attributes, including learning styles and
preferences, strengths in specific
intelligences, prior experiences, and
background knowledge. All of these
factors play a significant role in their
learning and second language
acquisition, and are affected by home,
community life, and culture.

Through the development of a service

learning project with students of
different cultures and age groups, our
intention was to bridge the cultural
connectedness of our students and
open their minds to cultural differences
and similarities. Culture shapes
individual perception. Each of us views
the world and ourselves through our
own unique cultural lens. The color,
shape, and thickness of our particular
lens is molded by our different cultural
experiences. Our lens thus serves as a
filter through which we understand the
world and ourselves in relation to that
world. Everything we do, and much

that we take for granted, is filtered

through our cultural lens. The ways
we communicate, the customs we
follow, and how we approach work,
recreation, relationships, and the
world, are based on our individual
paradigms. These frameworks result
from the values, traditions, social and
political relationships, and worldview
that we build with those around us. In
fact, this dynamic set of norms we
hold causes us to be transformed by
our culture. By providing a learning
opportunity for our students to engage
with people of different cultures, they
were exposed to different life
experiences, thus impacting their
individual thought processes and
development.
A shared common history, geographic
location, language, social class, and
religion are cornerstones of a culture. It
is easy to recognize a particular cultural
heritage by the tangible, outward
evidences such as food, holidays,
dress, and artistic expression
(Senkaya, 2012). What is just as
important, but more easily overlooked,
however, are the more intangible
manifestations of culture. For example,
communication style, attitudes, values,
and family relationships are all salient
aspects of culture that are not
outwardly evident. Rather, they require
a depth of knowledge about the
individual person before they can be
recognized. Therefore, our project
centered on students communicating
with one another in both in writing and
in face-to-face interviews to begin to get
a true understanding of each others
cultures.

The filter of culture impacts the way

we think, communicate, and learn. It
is very difficult to unwind the intricate
connections between these factors.
James Banks (1993) identified five
ways educators can increase their
own cultural proficiency and
incorporate students culture into the
learning process: content integration,
knowledge construction, prejudice
reduction, equity pedagogy, and
empowerment of school culture.
The goal of the service project in
which our students participated was to
integrate these components in a
setting that allowed for a cohesive,
culturally responsive learning
environment. The project aimed to
increase our students levels of
cultural proficiencies so that we could
begin to bridge the chasm between
the different cultures within our city.
The city of Milwaukee is known for
being one of the most segregated
cities in the entire country. By
designing a project that focused on
bringing a culturally diverse group of
students together we would be able to
focus on cultural connectedness.
The project began with students writing
each other basic letters of introduction.
There was a great deal of interpersonal
communication between students
throughout the project. The letters
served as a way for the 10th and 5 th
grade students to get to know each
other and form a connection before their
first face-to-face encounter. At the first
meeting, the 5th grade buddies
interviewed the 10th grade students
about what it is like growing up as a

The VOICE of WAFLT

Latino in Milwaukee. Prior to meeting

each other, students received the
questions in both Spanish and English in
order to better prepare for their
interviews. The interview questions
focused around different themes,
including basic biographical information,
racial and ethnic relations, identity, and
the future. By pre-creating the interview
questions, students were able to get to
the core objectives of the project.
Circulating amongst the students during
the interview was quite an interesting
experience. It was amazing to see
young elementary students connecting
with their older peers and realizing that
they had many things in common,
despite their age and cultural
differences. Simply through observation,
it was apparent that the project was
opening the minds of both the high
school and elementary students.

Photos taken during the first

meeting held at South Division High
School

Upon returning to their respective

classrooms, students then spent time
discussing the similarities and
differences with their buddies that
they noticed as well as common
themes which arose from their
conversations together. Once they
identified the different cultural
components that arose, we
brainstormed how we could display
our findings in an artistic installation.
The students decided that they
wanted to create drawings that
signified not only what they learned
about the Latino culture, but how it
was connected to their buddies
cultures. Students then met for a
second time in the library at the
elementary school and completed the
final component of the project.

11

As we look to the future, we would like

to consider different ways to expand
the project by including additional
members of the Milwaukee
community. By increasing the cultural
proficiencies of our students,
ourselves, and members of our
community, our hope is to bridge the
cultural divide that the city of
Milwaukee has endured for decades.
References
Banks, J. (1993). Multicultural education:
Historical development, dimensions,
and practice. Review of Research in
Education, 19, 3-49.
Nieto, S. (2000). Affirming diversity. New
York: Longman.
Peregoy, S.F. & Boyle, O.F.
(2008). Reading, writing, and learning
in ESL, 5th edition. Boston: Pearson.
Senkaya, O. (2012). Same world, different
lenses: A brief overview of cultural
differences. The fountain on life,
knowledge, and belief. Retrieved on
November 3, 2014 from
http://sound.fountainmagazine.com/85/
1326.mp3

12

The VOICE of WAFLT

Photos taken during the

second meeting held at
Academy of Accelerated Learning

Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers & Discover Languages

Wisconsin
Presents the 2016 Discover Languages

Student Video & Postcard Contests

Contest Theme:

Quest Toward Language Proficiency!

For All Students Enrolled in World Language Classes in Wisconsin
Elementary (PK-5) ~ Middle School (6-8) ~ High School (9-12) ~ Post-Secondary
(Undergraduate)
As you learn more about our world, bring the world to Wisconsin.
Show us how much languages mean to you and how important they are in your life!
Submission Deadline October 7, 2016
Visit waflt.org for contest details to begin!

Help Wisconsin Discover Languages and

Discover the World!

The VOICE of WAFLT

13

Thank You, Contributors!

WAFLT thanks the following individuals for their contributions in 201516.

General Endowment Fund

Linguiphile ($100+)

Sponsor ($25-49)

Contributor ($1-24)

Donna L. Clementi

Deb Bowe-Wielgus
Justin Gerlach
Linda Havas
E. Alan Magnuson
Lauren Rosen
Jim Oakley & Anne Chartier
Lynn Sessler Neitzel
Cathy Stresing

Sharon Bradish
Kit Chase
Danielle Chaussee
Jaci Collins
Bryon Despres-Berry
Diane Flanders

Benefactor ($50-99)
Marcia Fry
Lisa Hendrickson
Jean Hindson
Gisela Nina Holmquist
Richard Olson
John Pustejovsky

Meg Graham
Jeff Haubenreich
Lorraine Poplaski
Deanna Willems
Deana Zorko

Professional Development Scholarship Fund

Student Travel Scholarship Fund

(Honoring Dr. Roma Hoff, Dr. Connie Knop & Dr. Irne Kraemer)

(Honoring O. Lynn Bolton)

Linguiphile ($100+)

Contributor ($1-24)

Benefactor ($50-99)

Contributor ($1-24)

Donna L. Clementi
Paul & Nuria Hoff
Peter Hoff
Richard Olson

Sharon Bradish
Bryon Despres-Berry
Diane Flanders
Karen Luond Fowdy
SuAnn Schroeder
Lynn Sessler Neitzel
Deanna Willems
Deana Zorko

Peter B. Hoff
Jim Oakley & Anne Chartier
Richard Olson

Sharon Bradish
Shane Boeder
Bryon Despres-Berry
Diane Flanders
Bridget Geboy-Helfenstein
SuAnn Schroeder
Lynn Sessler Neitzel
Deanna Willems
Deana Zorko

Benefactor ($50-99)
Sy Kreilein
Sponsor ($25-49)
Justin Gerlach
Jean Hindson
Gisela Nina Holmquist
Keely Lake
E. Alan Magnuson
Mara Marks
Michelle Nielsen
Jim Oakley & Anne Chartier
Lauren Rosen

Sponsor ($25-49)
Justin Gerlach
Gisela Nina Holmquist
E. Alan Magnuson
Lauren Rosen

Your Contributions Are Appreciated!

Please consider contributing to one or more of these funds for
2016-17. You can do this online at waflt.org log into your online
account, and click Endowment Contributions on the top of the
page to make your contribution, or mail your check to P.O. Box
1493, Appleton, WI 54912, noting to which fund(s) you would like
your donation assigned.

14

The VOICE of WAFLT

WI NNELL Representative
Jessica Bradley
Highland View Elementary School
5900 S. 51st Street
Greendale, WI 53129
(608) 423-2750, ext. 2102
jessica.bradley1@gmail.com

he National Network for Early

Language Learning provides
leadership in support of
successful early language learning
and teaching in grades pre-K-8.

NNELL advocates for early language

learning of all languages. Learn more
about how you can support NNELL's
advocacy efforts in our Advocacy
section.
Membership in NNELL provides you
with a voice at the national level to
support early language learning.

Join today @
www.nnell.org/membership
Visit our Wisconsin page @
www.wi-nell.org

Collaboration is Powerful
Helena Curtain and I recently hosted
our fourth Curriculum Writing Days at
Greendale High School with teachers
from all over the state. It was an
absolutely incredible and powerful
experience for all teachers in
attendance. These teachers took the
opportunity to collaborate, network,
and build incredible thematic units that
are deep and rich. We found that
many high school teachers faced
challenges with textbook vocabulary
lists that do not make sense put
together. So, we took textbook units

Central States NNELL

Representative
Nicci Saari
Eastwood Middle School
4401 E.62nd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 254-5588 Ext. 109
nsaari@msdwt.k12.in.us

and reorganized them so that they

would make more sense to students.
The textbook units also missed
vocabulary that can be added to make
curriculum so much more meaningful
for students. Elementary teachers
dont have textbooks to use with
students, and have difficult situations
to overcome to permit time to teach
students to speak. Despite all of these
challenges, Curriculum Writing Days
enable teachers to collaborate and
use all of the expertise in the room to
create units that maximize the time we
have with students during a unit.
Listening, speaking, reading, and
writing are incorporated into units by
creating situations and scenarios that
make sense to students, and in a way
that students would want to listen,
speak, read, or write. Helena
challenged teachers to work with what
they have to make units that will
empower students. The challenge is to
take a topic and make it a theme. A
topic is a loose collection of
vocabulary. A theme is deep, rich,
meaningful, and inspiring. We highly
recommend Curriculum Writing Days
to teachers around the state of any
language, level, etcetera, in order to
engage in a wonderful professional
development opportunity. Did I
mention that it was free?!

FLESFEST 2017
Saturday, February 25
Alverno College, Milwaukee
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

FLESFEST is a professional,
Saturday-only conference that takes
place each spring in collaboration with
WAFLT. FLESFEST provides useful
strategies to teachers of elementary
programs, as well as beginning
language teachers of any ages, that
teachers can apply immediately after
attending the conference. It supports
elementary world language teachers
from the ground up, and has support
from some of the most knowledgeable
professionals in world language
instruction today. It is one of the most
inspiring, motivating, and engaging
conferences Ive ever attended and
highly recommend it to any world
language teacher, regardless the level
the teacher teaches.
Curriculum Writing Days, January &
June 2017
Curriculum Writing Days is scheduled
for one day on Saturday, January 21st
from 9am to 3pm and 3 days, Tuesday
through Thursday, June 20-22, 2017
from 9am to 3pm each day.
Curriculum Writing Days offers a
workshop model of professional
development led by Helena Curtain
and Jessica Bradley Girolami.

The VOICE of WAFLT

Teachers of all levels and all ages

come together to build deep and
meaningful student-focused thematic
units from beginning to end with
performance assessments that aim to
increase proficiency. This workshop
model is FREE to anyone who
attends. Sign up at www.wi-nell.org on
the link for Curriculum Writing Days.

Join NNELL
Join NNELL at www.nnell.org. You can
pay via credit card or even by check.
We hope you will network with us here
in Wisconsin. You can always visit our
Wisconsin NELL website as well for
more information at
www.wi-nell.org.
Submitted by:
Jessica Bradley

15

NNELL Membership
Regular Membership: $30
All memberships are for the
academic year September-August
Two Issues of Learning Languages.
Three Issues of E-NNELL Notes
Access to Members Only area of
website (www.nnell.org) media,
advocacy, resources
Program Building Publications
NNELL Publications
Attendance at annual board
meeting at ACTFL conference.
Annual Summer Institute held at
Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa
every July

16

The VOICE of WAFLT

Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers

President
Lacey Melco
Kettle Moraine High School
(715) 551-9282
lacey27@msn.com

WACLT President-Elect
Yuan Yao
New Berlin School District
(262) 789-6590 x3025
yuan.yoa@nbexcelence.org

Past-President
Sarah Bailey
UW-Marathon County
(715) 298-8118
sarah.bailey@uwc.edu

Treasurer
Zona Karoliussen
Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted
Learners
(920) 448-2135
zfkaroliussen@gbaps.org

hinese programs are providing

students opportunities to
experience Chinese culture
and arts. Besides students language
learning, teachers develop their own
student-driven cultural activities in
their communities, districts, schools,
and classrooms. Qiuhong Zhang,
Chinese teacher at Notre Dame
Academy (NDA) in Green Bay, shared
that this was the second year having a
Chinese program in her school, and
the new program opened a window to
their community. Students
experienced multiple Chinese cultural
activities, such as tea appreciation,
Chinese cooking class, a Ping-Pong
tournament, as well as a Chinese New
Year celebration. We are pleased to
see how well the Chinese programs
are growing in these few years in
Wisconsin. NDA is a great example of
the opportunities that teachers are
giving to students to think globally and
to experience this world through the
language that they are learning.

Most middle school and high school

Chinese programs in Wisconsin travel
annually with students to China Town in
Chicago. The Chinas First Emperor
and His Terracotta Warriorsexhibition
was held in Chicago, the only place the

Secretary
Yinghan Xue
Neenah High School &
Shattuck Middle School
(920) 751-6800 x19230
yxue@neenah.k12.wi.us

warriors will be seen in North America

this year. Many schools, such as
Leonardo da Vinci School, Verona Area
International School, and Neenah
schools took advantage of the event
and planned field trips with students to
visit and appreciate the extraordinary
authentic historical artifacts and learn
the history.
WACLT held a very successful
Chinese speech contest at UWMilwaukee in April 2016, organized by
president Lacey Melco,
president-elect, Yuan Yao, and former
past president, Natasha Pierce. Over
140 students competed, one of the
largest numbers in the history of the
contest. Qiuhong Zhang did a
beautiful job organizing the
performances for the opening and
closing ceremonies. Performances
included a lion dance performed by
the Shao Lin Center of Waukesha,
singing, dancing, martial arts, and tai
chi. The Confucius Institute at UWPlatteville provided many special gifts
for participants. Students were able to
participate in activities during lunch,
such as tea appreciation and Chinese
knot tying. We look forward to next
year's speech contest!

Thank you to all the volunteers who

shared their time and talents to make
this event a huge success.

A Tai Chi performance done by instructors

from the Confucius Institute at UW- Platteville
during the opening ceremonies of the 2016
Chinese Speech Contest.

A dance performance performed in the

opening ceremonies at the 2016 Chinese
Speech contest.

The VOICE of WAFLT

This year, in the state of Wisconsin,

more schools were able to provide
travel opportunities to China. Twelve
students from Sun Prairie High School
traveled to China with their Chinese
teacher, Chen Dong, during their spring
break, 14 students from New Berlin
Schools traveled to Beijing, Shanghai,
and Xian from June 20-28,
and 9 students from Kettle Moraine
High School traveled to Beijing, Xi'an,
Shanghai, Guilin, and Hong Kong from
June 15-27.
We welcome all WACLT members to
attend the WAFLT Fall Conference
this November. We strongly urge you
to attend the WACLT business
meeting on Saturday, November 5.
We will set a date for the 2017 speech
contest among other important topics.
We are looking forward to seeing you
all at the WAFLT Fall Conference!
Please note, there is a correction to
the previous article of The Voice. The
most recent article prior to this listed
the author of the article as Lacey
Melco, however, it should have listed
that the article was written by Yinghan
Xue, WACLT secretary.

Honored guest speaker and WACLT 2015

Teacher of the Year, Professor Hongming
Zhang, speaking at the 2016 Chinese Speech
Contest to encourage and congratulate
students during the opening ceremonies.

17

Lion dance performed by Shao Lin Center

Keng Fu School during the closing ceremonies
of the Chinese Speech Contest.

Lion dance performed by Shao Lin Center Keng Fu School during the closing
ceremonies of the Chinese Speech Contest.

Submitted by:
Yinghan Xue
& Lacey Melco

Photo of WACLT members volunteering at 2016 Chinese Speech Contest .

18

The VOICE of WAFLT

American Association of Teachers of French Wisconsin Chapter

La Prsidente
Andrea Behn
Parker High School, Janesville
abehn@janesville.k12.wi.us

Le Trsorier
Brian Wopat
Onalaska High School
wopbri@gmail.com

La Prsidente-Elue
Ellen Onsrud
Lake Mills High School

Lancienne Prsidente
SuAnn Schroeder
Marshfield High School
suann007@gmail.com

Grand Concours
Jennifer Bolen
Central High School, La Crosse
grandconcourswi@gmail.com
AATF Regional Representative
Eileen Walvoord

AATF Web site: www.frenchteachers.org

Sign up to be on the AATF-Wisconsin list serve at: AATFWisconsin-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Visit: www.theworldspeaksfrench.org

Mes Chers Collgues,

nother year is upon us! By now
the school year is in full swing
and you are in the midst of
planning, teaching, and grading. Bon
courage!
In the last five years I have become
increasingly involved in world language
organizations at the state, regional, and
national levels. I encourage all of you to
do the same. Start small. Consider
presenting at the WAFLT Fall
Conference or becoming more involved
in AATF-WI. The connections we make
serve us well, allowing us to advance in
our profession; it benefits our students,
too. Here are a few other benefits of
joining if youre not currently a member:

implement changes, doing all the

work, and burning out. Sadly, our
administrators dont always know
how to help us and we sometimes
dont feel we have any support.
Fear not! Heres an opportunity
that you dont have to spend a lot
of time or money on. I recommend
joining the French Teachers in the
US Group on Facebook. If you
dont want to use your personal
Facebook account, create one
using your school email and use it
for professional development. This
is a group strictly for French
teachers and teaching; however,
members also provide invaluable
feedback and support.

1. Networking When you get a

bunch of French teachers in the
same room, what do you notice
happening? Sharing, empathy, and
encouragement. Every time I attend
a French teacher event of any sort,
I cant help but notice how
awesome we all are. Ive chatted
with so many of you these last two
years and several themes keep
coming up. Either we are islands
at our schools or we are trying to

2. Professional Development
Professional development can be
such a loaded term for educators.
Many schools provide what they
want or need us to do and know, but
they fail to take into consideration
our needs. Additionally, in order to
make effective changes we need
time to reflect on what we have
been doing, what our students are
showing us, and where we should
go next. PD with French teachers

helps us achieve those things in a

very short amount of time when we
have like-minded people to discuss
and create with. Ive found that a
simple cup of coffee with a colleague
can lead to amazing things!
3. Take Charge of Your Career No
one is more up-to-date on how to
teach French to our students than
we. To incite change, we need to
have resources and colleagues
who can back us up, collaborate
with us, and share new things. I
have gotten so much from others in
the last few years! In fact, it has led
to some very good conversations
about how language should be
taught at my school. Sometimes
this can lead to change that will
positively impact not only you and
your students, but your entire world
language staff and their students,
too. Using other members as
experts can make a huge
difference.
4. Educator Effectiveness In your
head youre probably saying
enough said, but really, if you are
being evaluated on professionalism

The VOICE of WAFLT

theres no better way to show

evidence than to be an active
member in AATF-WI. We are
working hard to sponsor events in
Wisconsin that have value to you.
Join us, wont you?
As a reminder, we are still organizing
the Concours Oral and facilitating the
Grand Concours. The next national
convention will be in St. Louis, MO, on
July 16-19, 2017, and we will be
present at the WAFLT Fall Conference
and other events throughout the year.
If youre not already a member, please
consider joining us at our AATF-WI
Business Meeting to find out more
about what were doing for YOU!
Submitted by:
Andrea Behn

19

20

The VOICE of WAFLT

American Association of Teachers of German Wisconsin

President
Siggi Piwek
Milwaukee German Immersion
School
piweks@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
Vice President
Jeanne Schuller
UW-Madison
jmschuel@wisc.edu

Past President
Tobias Barske
UW-Stevens Point
tbarske@uswp.edu

Treasurer
Melanie Lasee
Ashwaubenon High School
mlasee@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us

Secretary
Stephanie Krenz
Stoughton High School
fraukrenz@gmail.com

Herzliche Gre an alle Deutschlehrerinnen und Deutschlehrer in Wisconsin!

n January I took over the
responsibility as your WI-AATG
President from Tobias Barske, a
German professor at UW-Stevens
Point. Mark Wagner ended his
six-year term serving on the Board of
our chapter. If you have worked with
either Tobias or Mark, you know them
as a wonderful resource for ideas and
as strong educational leaders. On
behalf of the German language
teachers in Wisconsin, I would like to
thank them for their commitment and
dedication advocating for and
representing us throughout our state.

Our new team of officers is ready to

roll up their sleeves, and get down to
business. Jeanne Schueller from
UW-Madison will be my Vice President
for the next two years, and Melanie
Lassee (Ashwaubenon High School)
and Stephanie Krenz (Stoughton High
School) will continue in their roles as
Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.
We hope that we will represent you
and the WI-AATG as well as Mark and
Tobias did.
We already have had a number of
events this year promoting the study of
German. Our annual Pronunciation
Contest took place on February 20th

at Rufus King High School in

Milwaukee, and the state competition
was on March 19that Marquette
University, Milwaukee. On April 21st,
UW-Madison hosted the 27th annual
German Day. This year's theme was
Deutsch - Sprache der Zukunft.
Forty schools and 700 students (550
in 2015 and 650 in 2014) participated.
Many students from all over our state
also took part in the DSSV German
Essay Competition. Four-hundred ten
students from 18 schools responded
to writing prompt Jeder kann die Welt
verbessern ich auch! One student
was selected as the grand prize
winner to receive a paid study trip to
Germany, and the writers of the top 50
essays were awarded cash prizes
totaling $11,000 at the ceremony on
May 1st at Marquette University High
School in Milwaukee.
Finally, more and more Wisconsin
students are participating in the annual
National German Exam. Over the past
five years, their number increased
from 735 in 2012 to 858 in 2016
(16.7% increase). This is very
encouraging news, as is a
Goethe-Institute finding that the
number of U.S. students learning
German at all levels of instruction has

increased by 14% from 2005 to 2015.

Please join our national organization,
the AATG, if you have not already
done so, and encourage your German
language teacher colleagues to join as
well. Being an AATG member gives
you access to a variety of resources
(networking, teaching materials, etc.),
and also allows you to take advantage
of a number of professional
development opportunities (seminars,
webinars, workshops, conferences)
throughout the year.
I hope to see you at our annual
WAFLT Fall Conference, and/or at
ACTFL in Boston.
Danke fr euren Einsatz fr eure
Lernenden und fr Deutsch in
Wisconsin,
Submitted by:
Siggi Piwek

The VOICE of WAFLT

Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese

President
Richard Kania
Franklin High School
(414) 423-4640, ext. 2116
Richard.Kania@franklin.k12.wi.us

President-Elect
Shinji Takahashi
UW-Milwaukee
(414) 229-5650
takahash@uwm-edu

Activities Director/
Secretary
Yuko Kojima-Wert
UW-Milwaukee
(414) 229-5650
kojima@uwm.edu

Web Page Editor

Masako Lackey
UW-Milwaukee
(414) 229-5650
lackey@uwm.edu

President ex-officio
Atsuko Suga Borgmann
UW-Milwaukee
(414) 229-5650
suggatsu@uwm.edu

Treasurer
Yu Kitamura
(715) 424-0239
yu.kittamura@wrps.net

Membership Information: Please visit the AATJ website http://aatj.org/membership/index.html

Please visit our website for K-16 Japanese instruction in Wisconsin: http://sites.google.com/site/wiaotoj

Konnichiwa!
all has arrived in Wisconsin
and the WAFLT annual
conference is right around the
corner. I hope everybody had a good
start to a new semester and is having
success this fall. This issue has lot of
information on events related to
Japanese education in Wisconsin.
Please read along!

WAFLT Fall Conference 2016

The WAFLT Fall Conference will be
here in no time. The theme of this
years conference is Paving the Road
to Proficiency. Our focus will be
empowering 21st century learners to
develop their cultural understandings,
cross-curricular literacy, and
communication.
We expect to have many
presentations regarding Japanese
pedagogy and we look forward to
sharing ideas on educating our
students. Please also note that to help
ensure that you all can come and
participate, the business meeting is on
Saturday morning, November 5. We

hope you will all attend and discuss

how, working together, we can
strengthen our programs.
Events Held
WiATJ hosted an event at Anime
Milwaukee from March 11-13, 2016.
During the convention, WiATJ
members led sessions on basic
Japanese, Calligraphy, Translating
Manga, Drawing Manga, Shogi and
Go. On Sunday, Hibiki Milwaukee
performed. Finally, WiATJ sold T-shirts
throughout the festival.

21

22

The VOICE of WAFLT

C UW-Milwaukee held its fourth

annual Japanese Language
Speech and Recitation Contest on
March 4, 2016. The top awards
were:
Speech
Grand Prize winner Clarke Smith
(Carthage College)
1st Prize David Salosky
(Carthage College)
2nd Prize Amanda
MacDonald (UW-M)
3rd Prize -- Peter Grzywacz (UW-M)
Recitation
1st Prize -- Nana Yorke (UW-M)
2nd Prize Jenna Busha (UW-M)
3rd Prize Ariel Pea (UW-M)
C Japan Quiz Wisconsin 2016 was
held on January 30, 2016, at
Franklin High School. High School
students who are taking Japanese
in Wisconsin competed against
each other based on their
knowledge of the Japanese
language and culture. This year
students from Franklin, Madison,
Manitowoc, and Wisconsin Rapids
gathered in Milwaukee to compete.
Thanks to a very generous grant
from the Mazda Foundation, the
top two teams, from Madison
Country Day School and Wisconsin
Rapids, were able to travel to
Washington, DC and represent
Wisconsin at the National Japan
Bowl.

C The Midwest Japanese Speech

Contest, sponsored by the
Japanese Consulate of Chicago,
was held on March 26, 2016. This
speech contest covered all Midwest
states that fall within the jurisdiction
of the Japanese Consulate of
Chicago, including Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Congratulations to Kevin Leor
(UW-River Falls) for winning the
Japan Airlines Category 4 Award.
If you or your institution has any news,
held any events, received any awards,
or has comments, please share them
with us so we can include them here in
future newsletters. We would love to
hear from you.

In closing, Wisconsin is one of the

leading states in Japanese education
and it is very important that we
continue to be visible in the area of
world language education. Your
participation in WAFLT makes a
difference. If you are not yet a
member, please become one today by
registering at: waflt.org.
Likewise, if you havent become a
member of WiATJ yet, please do so
via the AATJ website and sign up
today:
www.aatj.org/membership/index.html.
We always welcome any ideas you
have to help improve WiATJ and to
meet your needs. Please let us know if
you have any ideas to contribute. The
door is always open.
Submitted by:
Rick Kania

The VOICE of WAFLT

23

Wisconsin Latin Teachers Association

President
Daniel Tess
Brookfield Central High School
tessdanielp@gmail.com

Secretary
Vacant

Webmaster
Keely Lake, Ph.D.
Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam
klake@wayland.org

Treasurer
William W. Kean
110 S. Henry St. #204
Madison, WI 53703

Salvte omns
t was invigorating to find out that
the 2016 ACTFL Teacher of the
Year award went to a Classicist
from Massachusetts, Edward Zarrow.
A look at his regional conference
presentation via actfl.org reveals that
he is truly all about his students and
community. He also understands that
the teacher has the great onus of
creating the culture of rigor, learning,
and fun which can turn our students
into our language advocates and
life-long learners.

As a profoundly ignorant adolescent, I

had no idea which language to study in
high school, but my father had
suggested to me the Latin teacher who
had taught him, because he knew I
would love the instruction and climate
in his classroom. I ended up sticking
with Latin and adding in a few other
languages along the way, all because
of the first language teacher who
challenged me and made it fun.
In this edition of The Voice, we
welcome two Latin teachers to the
state and wish them well in all their
endeavors as they continue in the fray
of learning, teaching, and advocacy
that so many of us have been
privileged to call our lifes passion.
Submitted by:
Daniel Tess

Mike Barefield, University School

of Milwaukee
I am from New York, went as an
undergrad to Wake Forest in North
Carolina where I got my BA in History,
and have my Masters in Ed from
Pace University in New York. Prior to
moving to Milwaukee I spent the last
6 years of my career teaching Latin
and coaching lacrosse at The Harvey
School, about 30 minutes north of
New York City. I moved out here to
Milwaukee to take over the Latin
program at The University School of
Milwaukee and to coach lacrosse.
I kind of fell into teaching, to be
honest. When I graduated from Wake
Forest, I did not know what I wanted
to do with my life, so I started helping
out my old lacrosse coach, which led
to me subbing at the school, and
finally to working full time as a
coach/Latin teacher. In terms of
teaching languages, I have always
had a strong love of languages. I
grew up in a bilingual French/English
home, and I think that this exposure
to languages help guide my passions.
Throughout high school and college I
took Latin, Greek, Arabic, Russian,
Italian, and French. Exposing myself
to these different languages and
cultures allowed me to see the world

through different perspectives in the

way that only languages can offer.
I first fell in love with Latin in middle
school. For me it was a doorway to an
entirely different world, almost an alien
one. I was/am super into history, and I
felt as if Latin connected all of my
interests all at once. I also felt that
translating was like solving a puzzle or
a riddle that the ancients had
challenged me to solve. It was fun and
a challenge that I had not experienced
before in school. This love continued
all the way through high school and
transferred over to my interest in
Greek.
My experiences transfer directly over
into my philosophy on teaching. Every
day needs to be an experience.
Especially with the classics a study
that requires discipline, focus, and
attention to detail it is incredibly
important to create that culture of
support and caring in the classroom.
So far I am loving Milwaukee. It is very
different than the Bronx, but those
differences are a welcome change.
Milwaukee has so much to offer that
after my first year I feel as if I have
only scratched the surface.

24

The VOICE of WAFLT

Lindy Knight, DSHA, Milwaukee

I grew up in southeast Connecticut and

had the privilege of studying Latin from
6th grade onward. Upon graduating high
school, I attended Bucknell University,
where I earned my Bachelors in
Classics with a minor in Theater. While
at Bucknell, I studied abroad in Greece
and Turkey, focusing on the Eastern vs.
Western ancient worlds. I also worked
on the Thebes Synergasia Excavation
Project for a season, an archeological
dig sponsored by Bucknell in Thebes,
Greece. Following Bucknell, I moved to
Chicago and received my Masters in
Secondary Latin Education from
Northwestern. I taught at a few schools
on Chicagos North Side before moving
up to Milwaukee (knowing no one in the
area!) to take on Latin at Divine Savior
Holy Angels High School.
Growing up, I studied Latin throughout
middle and high school; truth be told, I
never loved it. I was looking forward to
dropping Latin for my senior year of high
school. However, at the ninth hour, I
decided to stick with it. That year, we
read The Aeneid with a new Latin
teacher, and she changed my life.
Suddenly, Latin wasnt dry grammar but
vibrant and relatable in a way no subject
had ever been before. That course, and
The Aeneid in particular, sparked in me
a passion for Classics and for the Latin
language that I hadnt felt before. From
that point on, I knew I wanted to be a
Latin teacher, to help other high school
students feel the excitement of

experiencing the ancient world by

reading the words of Roman authors.
Studying authentic text, be it from
Cicero, Catullus, or Vergil, allows
students to grasp the humanity of the
ancients and, most importantly, to see
how history is always bound to repeat
itself.
To me, the purpose of education is to
teach our students the social,
emotional, and moral skills necessary
to become successful adults, beneficial
to modern society. A teachers job
encompasses more than content
material. Our students come to class
with individual interests and passions,
strengths and weaknesses. In my
experience, the best teachers are
those who recognize this, consciously
work toward getting to know each
student personally, and treat each with
the respect they themselves demand in
return. Such student-teacher
relationships are the cornerstone to a
safe environment conducive to
learning.

Having spent very little time in

Wisconsin before moving to Milwaukee
this past August, and still being new to
the greater Midwest, I cannot say
enough about my experiences here
thus far. I have the joy of teaching at a
school with overly supportive
colleagues, who made me feel
welcome and appreciated from the
beginning. I have students whose
passion for language and enjoyment of
life brighten my days. And beyond all
this, Wisconsin has an incredible
community of Latin teachers. I had
never attended at State Latin
Convention prior to this year, and was
thus a little daunted by the prospect of
leading a delegation of 32 students
there; but I never needed to worry. The
fantastic leaders of the WJCL and
other teachers in attendance guided
me through the nerdy chaos that is a
Latin Convention and helped me
create an experience for my students
that they will never forget. Suffice it to
say, DSHA wont be missing a
Convention any time soon! All in all, I
could not ask for a better or more
supportive environment for teaching
Latin than Wisconsin.

Moved recently? Changed jobs? Changed names?

Update your WAFLT profile! Your profile information is the main vehicle for WAFLT
to keep in touch with you and pass on information about what is happening in our
organization.
Verify/update your own information today:
1. Go to waflt.org and click on Login from the right end of the menu bar at the top.
Dont remember your password? Click on Forgot Password and retrieve it
using your email address or login ID.
2. Type in your login ID or email address and your password to enter.
Still cant login? DO NOT create a new login! Instead, contact
webmaster@waflt.org for assistance.
3. On the left click account information.
4. Click edit at the top to make changes. Dont forget to save!
If possible add a personal email address in addition to the school one as
some schools block waflt.org.

The VOICE of WAFLT

25

American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese

President
Fred Cruz
Brookfield Academy
(262) 783-3200
fred.cruz@brookfieldacademy.org

Secretary
Gladys Wisnefski
Oshkosh West High School
Oshkosh School District
gwizz@new.rr.com

NSE Coordinator
Aaron OConnell
Waukesha School High School
(262) 970-3710
aoconnel@waukesha.k12.wi.us

Past- President/SHS
Monica Lentz

Treasurer
Jeanne Kasza
West Bend High School
(262) 388-3023
jkasza@west-bend.k12.wi.us

Webmaster
Sara Ruiz
West Bend High School
(262) 388-3023
sruiz@west-bend.k12.wi.us

Oral Competition
Richard Hallberg/Lisa
Bane/Janet Bull
Badger Middle School
West Bend School District
(262) 388-3023 (Janet Bull)
jbull@west-bend.k12.wi.us

Queridos Colegas,
n May 2016, we held our
AATSP-WI board meeting at City
Market in Wauwatosa. At this
meeting, we thanked the Concurso
Oral coordinators from Badger Middle
School at West Bend for making this a
successful event. The participation of
schools, students, and teachers
makes us feel very happy to know that
Concurso Oral is still going strong, and
we promise to keep this language
event stronger in the future. I
personally would like to thank Gladys
Wisnefski and Sara Ruiz for helping us
with some of the selections for
Concurso Oral.

Another successful event was our

National Spanish Examinations and
we would like to thank Aaron
OConnell for promoting it. This is a
great opportunity for our students of all
levels to receive a formal assessment
of their Spanish skills.
Cultural events for Spanish teachers
were held this summer and were
posted on our Facebook page:

La Casa de Esperanza (Fiesta

Waukesha), UWM Latino Alumni
activities, Latino Arts-Milwaukee, and
Latino Night at the Park.
During our meeting we also discussed
the great opportunity that we have to
invite our local and talented cultural
presenters, who will be our guests of
honor at our WAFLT Fall Conference
in November. Last year our cultural
event was excellent, and the
attendance at our meeting was
outstanding. Thank you for being
there.
At our meeting we made the selection
of the Teacher of the Year, and talked
about the different scholarships given
to students participating in our
Concurso Oral and National Spanish
Examinations. We also wanted to
make sure that all teachers had the
opportunity to take advantage of our
Spanish Honor Society and its events.

The meeting in May was my last as

President of AATSP-WI after many
years of serving the association. This
does not mean that I will be gone from
AATSP-WI. I have great respect for
the officers, the fantastic teachers I
have met, and the great connections I
was able to make during my years as
President. It is time for new blood to
bring their new ideas for the
association, and to start working
toward the future. I will be around to
help our new President and
Vice-President, knowing that
AATSP-WI will be in good hands.
Thank you very much for your great
support, and for giving the opportunity
to serve you. Let us continue being
los mejores and let us build new
language experiences.
Submitted by:
Fred Cruz

26

The VOICE of WAFLT

Professional Development Opportunities

Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers (WAFLT) Fall Conference November 3-5, 2016,
Appleton, WI | Information: waflt.org
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference November 18-26, 2016,
Boston, MA Information: actfl.org
FLESFEST February 25, 2017, Alverno College, Milwaukee | Information: www.wi-nell.org
Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages March 9-11, 2017, Chicago, IL
Information: csctfl.org
Join a Language Listserv: Communicate with other language teachers; post and/or read notices of
importance to teachers of specific languages.
Through DPI: To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: majordomo@badger.state.wi.us. Write nothing in
the Subject line. In body of message write: Subscribe French (or German, Japanese, Spanish, Latin)
Through Your Language Association: Go to: waflt.org On the home page, click on Wisconsin
Language Associations. Contact the organization to find out how to join their listserv.

The VOICE of WAFLT

WAFLT Awards, Scholarships, and Grants: Details & Forms available @ waflt.org
WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator Award:
WAFLT's highest recognition, may be conferred annually on
an individual of the language teaching profession who has
demonstrated long-term achievement and service to WAFLT
and to the profession locally, statewide, regionally, and/or
nationally. Nomination Deadline: March 15
Anthony J. Gradisnik Award: May be conferred on an
individual or group especially from outside the world
language teaching profession who shares Mr. Gradisnik's
enthusiasm and advocacy for language education in such
areas as international education, early language learning,
and creative initiatives in language education. Nomination
Deadline: March 15
Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award: May be conferred
annually on an individual new to the language teaching
profession with one to three years experience who has
demonstrated excellence in teaching and leadership in the
promotion of language learning and international
understanding; has given service to school, community, and
state organizations; and has shown commitment to regional
and national organizations. Nomination Deadline: March 15
WAFLT Excellence in Language Study Award: May be
conferred on students who have demonstrated great
achievement and progress in language study and who
exhibit great potential for further achievement in the
language. Students currently enrolled in a world language
course offered at their school. Elementary, middle school,
high school, and post-secondary students are eligible.
Nomination Deadline: March 15
WAFLT Honors in Language Study Award: May be
conferred on students who have demonstrated outstanding
achievement in and commitment to their schools language
programs. Students currently enrolled in the most
advanced world language course offered at their school;
high school and post-secondary students are eligible.
Deadline: March 15
WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award: May be
conferred annually on students in teacher-training
programs who have shown exceptional promise and
potential to become outstanding World Language
educators. Students currently enrolled in a teacher-training
program are eligible. Nomination Deadline: April 1
Donna Clementi Award for Excellence in World
Language Programs: Recognizes one school and/or
district that promotes language learning through quality
programs.

WAFLT Professional Service Award: May be presented

annually to recent retirees who have served both the
profession and their students in providing quality world
language education. Recent retirees with a minimum of ten
years experience as World Language educators and who
have been members of WAFLT a minimum of five years within
the past ten years are eligible. Nomination Deadline: May 15
WAFLT Recognition of Merit: May be presented annually to
individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or
who have made significant contributions to the language
teaching profession. Nomination Deadline: February 15
WAFLT Student Travel Scholarship: Designed to help
Wisconsin pre-collegiate world language students to
participate in language and cultural immersion programs,
this scholarship was established in 1999 to honor O. Lynn
Bolton, a Spanish teacher in the West Allis-West Milwaukee
school district. Nomination Deadline: December 1
WAFLT Scholarship for Professional Development:
Designed to help World Language educators in Wisconsin
improve their classroom teaching skills, this scholarship was
established in 1995 to honor Professor Roma Hoff as she
retired from the Department of Foreign Languages at the
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The fund was expanded
to honor Professor Constance Knop who retired from the
faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996, and
again in 2005 to honor the memory of Professor Irne
Kraemer who served in many capacities at Carthage
College. Nomination Deadline: April 15
WAFLT Scholarship for Tomorrows Teachers: Designed
to offer financial assistance to attend the WAFLT Fall
Conference for up to 20 college-level students preparing to
become language teachers. Deadline: September 25
WAFLT Special Projects Grants: Designed to support
research efforts, exchange initiatives, special programs, and
projects that clearly demonstrate an ability to benefit a broad
constituency of World Language educators and students in
Wisconsin. Deadlines: April 15 and November 15
WAFLT Central States Extension Workshop Grant:
Designed to offer financial support for two WAFLT members
to attend the Central States Extension Workshop each
spring. Recipients of the grant are expected to work together
to present a WAFLT Extension Workshop at the Fall
Conference in Appleton. Deadline: December 15

27