National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations
LightNews LightNews
banner
nfmlta.bsky.social
National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations
@nfmlta.bsky.social
22 followers 37 following 76 posts
The NFMLTA promotes the rich diversity of languages by supporting scholars and educators at every level, and by connecting research to teaching practice.
https://nfmlta.org/
Posts Replies Media Videos
nfmlta.bsky.social
"As UK universities continue to suffer tighter budgets and diminishing staff numbers, smaller, non-STEM based faculties are the first to fall. Questions of 'what makes a degree valuable?' inevitably come into play."

#languages #languageeducation #languagelearning

thetab.com/2026/02/12/w...
'We talk more about being multicultural more than being multilingual': Why language degrees are in crisis and why we should all be worried
Languages are in decline, and not by accident. As universities tighten budgets, the cost of cutting them may be far greater than we realise
thetab.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:57 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"[T]here are somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 distinct languages still in use around the world. Studies have found that at least 40% are endangered, and on average, a language disappears every two weeks."

#languages #langchat #languageresearch #languageeducation

today.uconn.edu/2026/02/one-...
One World, One Language? UConn Professor on Personal Quest to Reclaim Endangered Languages - UConn Today
Even as thousands of languages are endangered, efforts to save them are underway
today.uconn.edu
February 11, 2026 at 2:41 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"I would urge us to remember that we are here...because we believe in the power of a diverse, exploratory education that will make us better citizens of the world. What is the study of foreign language but learning to understand more of the place we all inhabit?"

www.thecrimson.com/article/2026...
Every Harvard Student Should Take a Foreign Language | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
A student who places out of the language requirement will never have to engage with language study at Harvard, devaluing what the College itself calls “an essential component” of the liberal arts.
www.thecrimson.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:11 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
We're in the home stretch! NFMLTA is accepting applications for its Conference Support, New Professors, and Career Researchers grants until March 1. Visit nfmlta.org for more information!
February 9, 2026 at 5:29 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"94% of families that speak a non-English language at home said that it was 'very' or 'extremely' important that their child grow up speaking multiple languages...55% of monolingual English-speaking families agreed."

#languageeducation #languagelearning

www.the74million.org/article/as-t...
As Trump Pushes English Only, New Polling Shows Families Embrace Bilingualism
Nearly 95% of non-English-speaking — and 55% of English-speaking — families say it’s important for their child to grow up speaking multiple languages.
www.the74million.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:56 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"Universities, at their best, are spaces where students learn to listen, to hesitate, and to see the world from unfamiliar perspectives. Language learning plays a unique role in this process because it institutionalizes humility."

#langchat

education.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/higher-...
From foreign to universal: Rethinking language learning in higher education
The article explores the purpose of language learning in higher education, questioning traditional utilitarian justifications. It suggests that learning a universal auxiliary language, detached from c...
education.economictimes.indiatimes.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:43 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"Organizations like SIL International track language speakers, but totals vary depending on whether dialects are counted separately and how language proficiency is measured."

#languages #languagelearning #languageeducation #languageresearch #langchat

people.howstuffworks.com/most-spoken-...
10 Most-spoken Languages in the World (2 Are From India)
If you are searching for the most-spoken languages in the world, you are really asking how people communicate across culture, history, and geography.
people.howstuffworks.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:59 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
We are honored to announce the recipients of the 2026 NFMLTA/MLJ Roundtable Conference Grant: Sheilah Nicholas (University of Arizona), Tiffany S. Lee (The University of New Mexico), and Terese L. McCarty (UCLA)!

Visit nfmlta.com for more information about our grants.
January 20, 2026 at 5:03 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"The puzzle of the origin of Basque and of the pre-Roman languages of the peninsula may be, piece by piece, beginning to fall into place."

#language #languageresearch #languageeducation #languagelearning #langchat

www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/n...
New Connections Discovered Between the Ancient Iberian Language and Basque, Beyond Numbers
A recent study carried out by researcher Eduardo Orduña Aznar of the University of Barcelona provides new data on one of the most persistent enigmas in the linguistic history of the Iberian Peninsula:...
www.labrujulaverde.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:48 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"This initiative prepares student linguists to visit local state primary and secondary schools to breathe new life into language learning."

#languages #languagelearning #languageeducation #languageresearch #langchat

www.nationalworld.com/education/st...
Student Superheroes Launch Bid To Save Modern Languages
A hand-picked team of multilingual superheroes is on a mission to show the next generation that learning modern foreign languages can be fun — and open the door to future success.
www.nationalworld.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:05 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
Periodic reminder: We are now accepting applications for three of our grants. Visit nfmlta.org for more information.
January 9, 2026 at 2:57 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"The English Learner Education Support grant program facilitates the development of alternative bilingual education programs, enriches curricular materials, and fosters resources like bilingual education hubs."

#languageeducation #languageresearch #langchat

www.wwlp.com/news/massach...
www.wwlp.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:54 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
NFMLTA is pround to help sponsor this event. Register now!
January 7, 2026 at 5:08 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"Parents clearly recognise that languages open doors, whether that’s to future careers, cultural understanding, or simply the ability to communicate confidently in an increasingly interconnected world."

#languagelearning #languageeducation #langchat

www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/2573958...
Revealed: 84 of Londoners want more languages despite decline in entries
Residents in London say languages matter despite a 35 drop in students taking GCSE MFL and universities cutting degrees.
www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 2:45 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
Open for applications now!! Visit nfmlta.org for more information.
January 2, 2026 at 5:38 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
In this episode of Research in Action, Professors Darren LaScotte, Colleen Meyers, and Elaine Tarone discuss common classroom approaches to copying another person's speech in language education.

youtu.be/43qkhatsufs?...
Research in Action: Tracking, Shadowing, and Mirroring
YouTube video by NFMLTA
youtu.be
December 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"The danger lies in embedding the value of our discipline—and of academia in general—within the logic of profit, as it is precisely this logic that threatens its very continuity."

#languages #languagelearning #languageeducation #languageresearch #langchat

languagemagazine.com/2025/12/29/t...
The Road (Many Times) Taken
Gorka Bilbao Terreros argues that we need to look beyond the practical, career-focused benefits of world language education and stress the personal and societal positivity to inspire prospective stude...
languagemagazine.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
Important reminder: Three NFMLTA grants open for applications to start the new year. Visit nfmlta.org for details. (And help us spread the word!)
December 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"It champions the desire to recapture a vanished human origin, the faith that literary and linguistic scholarship can address questions of cultural differences, and the confidence that questions about...the meaning of life can be addressed through a study of texts."
utdailybeacon.com/95007/news/s...
Study of languages finds new life
Lacey Milam Staff Writer Philology, a study long considered dead by most scholars, is not as dead as it seems, said Geoffrey Harpham, director of the National Humanities Center, at a lecture on Thursd...
utdailybeacon.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"Key measures include expanding the foreign-language teaching workforce, recruiting foreign teachers, updating curricula and textbooks, reforming testing and assessment, applying digital technology and strengthening international cooperation."

#languageeducation

e.vnexpress.net/news/news/ed...
Vietnam to pilot Chinese, Japanese and Korean education for preschoolers - VnExpress International
Vietnam will pilot Chinese, Japanese and Korean lessons for preschoolers under a new national plan to strengthen foreign-language skills and future workforce competitiveness.
e.vnexpress.net
December 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
Congratulations to the NFMLTA's 2026 president, Sheri Spaine Long, winner of the @modernlanguage.bsky.social 2025 ALD award for Distinguished Service to the Profession.
December 17, 2025 at 3:52 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
Congratulations to Olúwáfúnkẹ́ Ògúnyá of Howard University, recipient of one of this year's Conferene Presentation Support grants!
December 12, 2025 at 8:50 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"Inform families very straightforwardly that speaking their first/family language and reading in that language at home is not only okay, but also crucial to a child’s successful overall development and English learning."

#languagelearning #languageeducation

www.smartbrief.com/original/why...
Why honoring home languages matters in education - SmartBrief
Many students maintain their identity through their home languages, writes Elena Schmidt.
www.smartbrief.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:08 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"The dramatic decline in the uptake of language qualifications can be explained by two key factors: the push of STEM subjects and an overreliance on Google Translate and AI."

#langchat

theboar.org/2025/12/lang...

Language learning at ‘breaking point’ as Nottingham cuts signal wider MFL freefall
The Boar
theboar.org
December 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
nfmlta.bsky.social
"The flagship will, however, see a number of world language programs end, including those in Chinese, Arabic, French and German."

#languages #languagelearning #languageresearch #languageeducation #langchat

www.highereddive.com/news/oklahom...
Oklahoma regents vote to cut 41 ‘low-producing’ academic programs
The state coordinating board also moved to suspend another 21 programs across Oklahoma's public institutions.
www.highereddive.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM