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                                                                    Alabama World Language Association

The mission of the Alabama World Languages Association is to motivate educators to contribute to
and to advocate for improved world language education for all students at all levels.


Advocacy

Seal of Biliteracy

The seal certifies that a student is proficient in all modes of a language, such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be assessed in their junior or senior years for language proficiency. Qualified students will receive a seal on their high school diploma to signify the award along with a certificate of achievement. 

Motivate & Advocate

AWLA's mission is to motivate educators to contribute to and to advocate for improved world language learning environments for all students at all levels. AWLA is working to raise public awareness on the benefits of language learning in order to influence the direction of world language education in Alabama. Our goals include:

  • To advocate for world languages at all levels (including adding more elementary and middle school programs)
  • To advocate for a world language proficiency requirement
  • To educate administrators on the specialized needs of world language teachers in the classroom
  • To motivate teachers to improve their language skills
  • To encourage teachers to use the latest language learning methodologies and technologies in the classroom

Advocacy begins with you!! How can you advocate? Check out these 8 Easy steps to become an advocate!

Resources & Links



  • Special Alert: Data Collection and Request for Exemption for Language Educators

    08 Jul 2020 12:16 PM | Malinda O'Leary

    An important message from JNCL-NCLIS  (What is JNCL-NCLIS?)

    Dear Colleagues, 

    Many language advocates have reached out to ask how they can help language educators and programs affect by Presidential Proclamation 10014. At the request of U.S. Department of Education staff, we have created a survey to document and asses impact across immersion and world language programs. Your responses will serve as evidence to the Administration as we advocate for an exemption for language educators. 

    Please complete the survey by 5PM EDT, Friday July 10th. Visit the JNCL-NCLIS Newsroom later this week to access the Action Alert and send a letter to your representatives. 

    COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE

    Best Regards,
    Alissa Rutkowski 
    Manager of Communications, Policy, and Operations 
    JNCL-NCLIS

  • Advocacy Starts in the Classroom!

    16 Jan 2020 1:40 PM | Malinda O'Leary

    For the past four years, AWLA representatives have been attending the JNCL-NCLIS Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. During this two-day event, we are able to meet with representatives from the offices of our elected officials. During the short meetings, we report on the state of languages in Alabama, which includes sharing some success stories about you and what you’re doing in the classroom! Most recently, during ACTFL in November, numerous AWLA board members met with these offices and asked our elected officials to better support funding for world languages. The reception this year, and over the past four years, has been very positive! During the last Advocacy Day, a representative from another state mentioned an idea that may make a huge impact on world language education in Alabama…. inviting our elected officials to our classrooms to see what it is that we do! When we brought this up to our elected officials, they were excited at the possibility of the elected official themselves or a representative from their local office coming to the classroom and see a live course!











    This is where you come in! Using this site (http://myreps.datamade.us/index.html) find the contact information for your state and federal elected officials. Send them an email and also call to invite someone from their office, or the official themselves, to a class! Whenever they agree to come, plan a day in your class where you do something that gives them a good idea of what is like to be a student in a language class! Maybe it’s a day when you plan to be a breakout or when the students are presenting on careers in their language. Use this time as a chance to show our officials the impact you’re making on our students who are the future of Alabama!

    Nick Gossett, Advocacy Chair

    nicholas.s.gossett@gmail.com


Want to get involved?

The Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) hosts its annual Language Advocacy Day and Delegate Assembly each year in Washington, DC.  To participate from home, the JNCL-NCLIS has published a Social Media Guide and Message Templates for communicating with your representatives.  If you would like to go to Capitol Hill or learn more about how you can advocate for languages, visit the JNCL-NCLIS online here.


AWLA Advocacy Chair, Nick Gossett and AATSP Executive Director, Sheri Spaine Long advocating for us at Advocacy Day 2018.


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