The World Language Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes Nebraska students for their leadership in language learning, commitment to language study, appreciation for cultural diversity, and communicative competence. Students were nominated by their teachers then completed a submission portfolio.

High Honors

Josephine Anderson
Spanish
Crete H.S.
Teacher: Angela Wagoner

Turner Blick
German
Fremont H.S.
Teacher: Brenda Schiermeyer

Alma Dimas
Spanish
Meridian H.S.
Teacher: Maria Nieves Ruiz Garcia

Miah Hoppens
Spanish
Ogallala H.S.
Teacher: Rosa Zimmerman

Sukanya Kennamthiang
French
Brownell Talbot School
Teacher: Michael Recker

Angela Kwambamba
French
Lincoln Southwest H.S.
Teacher: Alexandra Van Zandt

Nae Mae
Chinese
Omaha Central H.S.
Teacher: Wang Li

Brianna Nelson
Spanish
Millard West H.S.
Teacher: Candida Kraska

Matthew Neville
Spanish
Ralston H.S.
Teacher: Jamie Honke

Lucy Peterkin
Spanish
Millard North H.S.
Teacher: Theresa Jensen

Hannah Rethmeier
Spanish
Crete H.S.
Teacher: Angela Wagoner

Ricards Umbrasko
Chinese
Omaha Burke H.S.
Teacher: Ching Yuk Lam

Honors

Samantha Aguilar
Chinese
Omaha Burke H.S.
Teacher: Ching Yuk Lam

Emily Baier
Spanish
Syracuse Dunbar Avoca H.S.
Teacher: Jacqueline Mohr

Corrin Day
French
Norfolk H.S.
Teacher: Martha Thompson

Justin De Haai Badilla
French
Millard North H.S.
Teacher: Ryan Foehlinger

Sadie Finch
Spanish
Fort Calhoun H.S.
Teacher: Anita Saalfeld

Carly Fortune
Spanish
Leyton H.S.
Teacher: Ashley Lndholm

Paige Gowing
Spanish
Nebraska City H.S.
Teacher: Kevin Mohr

Elizabeth Hernandez
French
Douglas County West H.S.
Teacher: Mary Clare Liescheski

Rayna Hladky
Spanish
Tekamah-Herman H.S.
Teacher: Luis Fernandez

Kirby Hughes
Spanish
West Point Senior H.S.
Teacher: Meghan Schneider

Andrew Johanningsmeier
French
Westside H.S.
Teacher: Anne Johnson

Madison Jones
Spanish
Mullen Jr./Sr. H.S.
Teacher: Kelly Garcia

Ryder Kennedy
German
Bellevue East H.S.
Teacher: Gwen Steele

Antonia Krasser
German
Crete H.S.
Teacher: Julie Schumacher

Amanda La-O-Cartaya
German
Crete H.S.
Teacher: Julie Schumacher

Theresa Nguyen
Chinese
Omaha Burke H.S.
Teacher: Ching Yuk Lam

Mia Ortiz
Spanish
Syracuse Dunbar Avoca H.S.
Teacher: Jacqueline Mohr

Chanakya Pandya
Spanish
Sidney H.S.
Teacher: Brett Avila

Hailey Phipps
Spanish
Mullen Jr./Sr. H.S.
Teacher: Kelly Garcia

Josie Reid
Spanish
Ponca H.S.
Teacher: Jill Camargo

Tate Schmidt
Spanish
Hastings Catholic H.S.
Teacher: Mikayla Niederklein

Savanna Vacek
Spanish
Omaha Central H.S.
Teacher: Melissa Kuskie

Julia Weill
Spanish
Afonza Davis M.S.
Teacher: Catherine Scurlock

Columbus High School Spanish teacher Liliana Velasco led Columbus High Schools first Spanish Competition Day. Velasco credits her department for their work, Principal Steve Woodside for support and encouragement, and Band teacher Jeff Peabody who worked with students to co-create musical performances and to provide technical support.

The event was open to any student currently enrolled in Spanish 3 or higher. Teachers submitted registration to Columbus High School. Students competed in Drama, Folk Dance, Music, Poetry, and Poster/Art.

Fourteen schools registered to attend with 210 students. Unfortunately, the original event date was rescheduled due to flooding in the area. The nine high schools able to attend on the rescheduled date were Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca, Wilber Clatonia, York, David City, Columbus, Cornerstone Christian, Platteview, Plainview, and Norris.

The American Association of Teachers of French Nebraska chapter hosted twenty teachers and sixty students at Camp Carol Joy Holling on March 30-31, 2019. The students choreographed and lip synced French videos. As teams, they competed in a Ratatouille-themed breakout room and various French games. The chefs prepared French meals, and the students ended the night with a bonfire and s’mores.

If you would like to participate, visit the AATF Nebraska Facebook page (NATF Nebraska Association of Teachers of French) or email AATF Nebraska President Cara Heminger at caraheminger@gmail.com.

The American Association of Teachers of German Nebraska chapter hosted German Students’ Convention April 6, 2019 at School Middle School in Lincoln. The students competed in skits, music videos, spelling, trivia contests, poetry, cake baking, art, poster, and directed dialog.

This year’s participating high schools were Bellevue East, Bellevue West, Columbus, Gretna, Lincoln East, Lincoln High, Lincoln Southeast, Millard North, Omaha Burke, and Westside. Millard North Middle School also competed. A total of 200 students participated, honoring the theme Wunderbar Together, that was established by the German Embassy.

If you would like to participate next year, visit the AATG Nebraska website at https://aatgnebraska.weebly.com/

There are many places on campus to use language skills, and not all are in the Modern Language Building. Here are some places to know at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

• Office of Global Strategies: OGS coordinates and supports global activities throughout the campus and abroad. It is the oversight office for the following offices.
• International Student and Scholar Office: The function of ISSO is to supports international students. However, ISSO often provides opportunities for international students to connect to Nebraskans.
• Education Abroad Office: EAO works with all departments to provide resources before, during, and after experiences abroad.

The University of Kansas is pleased to announce pre-registration for the first annual World Languages Fair to be held Saturday, October 19th, 2019. The event will bring high-school students to the Lawrence campus for a day focused on exploring world languages and cultures. Sessions will include mini-lessons in a range of languages, presentations on target cultures, and discussions of how intercultural competence can enhance different fields of study. During an extended lunch period there will also be information booths where students can learn more about language-related scholarships, study abroad opportunities, and internationally-focused student organizations on campus.

The event is free for all participants. All registered attendees will receive a free lunch and the opportunity to win a free t-shirt and other prizes. Schools are responsible for their own transportation costs to the event, but schools unable to afford those costs are asked to contact the Open Language Resource Center (olrc@ku.edu) about possible support.
While there are plans to expand participation in the coming years, we can only accommodate 300-350 students for the 2019 event and will be choosing schools to ensure some degree of geographical balance. Please fill out the online form —— to place your school into consideration for one of these limited spaces. Individual students, including those being home-schooled, are also invited to contact the Open Language Resource Center about participation. All applications for pre-registration must be received by Friday, May 3, 2019.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by the end of May. Additional information, including the specific sessions that will be offered during the event, will be sent out in the latter part of the summer. Updates will also be provided on the Open Language Resource Center website (olrc.ku.edu) as they become available.

Katy Cattlett, Vice President
Supervisor of Dual Language and World Languages
Omaha Public Schools
katy.cattlett@ops.org

What was your motivation to become a language teacher?
My path to becoming a language teacher was unexpected. Originally, I wanted to teach English as a Second Language. My university required extensive coursework in a language other than English and I chose to study Spanish in order to hopefully communicate with my future students’ families. Eventually, I became bilingual and started teaching in bilingual programs. I found dual language and found my passion!
In five words or less, describe your classroom approach.
Enriched education for all!
What power do you find in speaking another language?
I have authentic access to others’ perspectives and experiences. With that access comes great responsibility. It is my responsibility to treasure the gift of a language that has opened so many doors for me. I must use this gift to increase equity for all.

College applications were filed months ago and acceptance letters are on the way. April is a perfect month to have those last-minute discussions with seniors about preparing for college. Here are some possible ways to prepare your K-12 students. The post-secondary transition is often intimidating to students. Creating transition opportunities in your classroom lowers their anxiety and increases their chance of success.

Reach out to local schools
Contact an instructor at your local community college or university to share typical expectations and to describe the curriculum.
Plan a school visit
Arrange a school visit that focuses on the language learning opportunities offered in a nearby school. Even if several of your students have plans to attend elsewhere, this should prepare this to know what questions to ask and what resources to find at the school they do attend.
Career Discussions
Use a guideline like ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency in the Workplace handout to help students assess how much language instruction will be necessary to support the career of their choice.
Connect to Language Opportunities
Hopefully, students will find a myriad of opportunities to use language on campus. They won’t know where to look until you give them directions. Suggest chat groups or round tables, language partners, online language learning services, trips, study abroad programs, and other college language experiences.
The Language Lab
Language labs are back but in new ways. If your school has not used a language lab, you may want to find an example online to show your students.

Nebraska celebrated the power of languages throughout World Language Week 2019. Student events provided an opportunity to practice and use German, Spanish, and French. The University of Nebraska Kearney offered a special luncheon as part of its film series UNK@TheWorld. Students who showed distinction in language learning were recognized as World Language Distinguished Scholars. The following materials are still available online as free downloads: Power of Languages posters, Power of Languages stickers, College, career, civic ready posters, Infographics.

To see the full biographies of World Language Distinguished Scholars, please visit the online slideshow.

College entrance requirements for world language vary by school and by program. Students are best advised to consider their ultimate goal and to choose their high school language enrollment accordingly. While the University of Nebraska Lincoln states that incoming students must have two years of world language, some programs at UNL require more.

Programs With an Admissions Requirement of Four Years

• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Computer Science
• Dance
• Economics
• Graphic Arts
• Meteorology
• News-Editorial
• Physics
• Political Science
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Theater Arts

The University of Nebraska Kearney’s annual spring film series, UNK@TheWorld, continues with a showing of Roma at the World Theater in downtown Kearney.

Dr. Michelle Warren, Professor of Spanish at UNK, shared that Roma is a monumental film in that it is the first Mexican film to win Best Foreign Language film and the first foreign language film to win for Best Director. Lead actress, Yalitza Aparicio, is the first indigenous woman to be nominated for Best Actress.

Roma will be shown April 5 and 6 at 7:30 pm. On April 7, the showing will be at 2:00 pm. Following the presentation of the film, there is a discussion led by Dr. Warren and Dr. Jonathan Dettman. Catering will be provided by Kearney’s Taquería Komal. All performances are free to anyone with a UNK identification and $5 to the general public.

When considering sharing with students, remember that Roma is rated R for violence, strong language, and limited sexual content. Although too strong for younger viewers, it can provide an excellent source for discussion on the topics of family, immigration, prejudice, social violence, and social policy. The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles.

The following jobs are posted at Teach in Nebraska, www.nebraskaeducationjobs.ne.gov: 

• French 9-12, Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha
• French 9-12, Roncalli Catholic High School, Omaha
• Spanish 10-11, Scottsbluff Public Schools, Scottsbluff
• Spanish 4-12, Central Valley Public Schools, Greeley
• Spanish 6-8, Scottsbluff Public Schools, Scottsbluff
• Spanish 7-12, Loup City Public Schools, Loup City
• Spanish 7-12, Morril Public Schools, Morrill
• Spanish 7-12, Winnebago Public Schools, Winnebago
• Spanish 9-12 Teledistance, Educational Service Unit 5, Beatrice
• Spanish 9-12, Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha
• Spanish 9-12, Falls City Public Schools, Falls City
• Spanish 9-12, Falls City Sacred Heart Catholic School, Falls City
• Spanish 9-12, Fillmore Central Public Schools, Geneva
• Spanish 9-12, Mercy High School, Omaha
• Spanish 9-12, Mount Michael Benedictine School, Elkhorn
• Spanish 9-12, North Platte Catholic Schools, North Platte
• Spanish 9-12, Schuyler Community Schools, Schuyler
• Spanish 9-12, South Central NE USD#5, Fairfield
• Spanish K-8, St. Thomas More School, Omaha
• Spanish/Art K-12, Nebraska Unified School District #1, Verdigre

Dr. Janet M. Eckerson, President-Elect
Past-President NATSP
Spanish Educator, Lincoln Public Schools
jeckers@lps.org

What was your motivation to become a language teacher?
When I studied abroad in college my eyes were opened to the power of language to connect you with the world.
Describe your classroom approach in five words or less.
Input, output, interaction and authentic resources
What power do you find in speaking another language?
The power of language to connect you, not just to other individuals in the target culture, but also to an entire word of ideas and experiences beyond your own.  It is a new opportunity to appreciate in a deep and life-changing way the richness of human culture.

79% of Nebraska secondary students are enrolled in a World Language course.

The Nebraska Department of Education annually surveys school districts to record course enrollment in secondary coursework that is worth high school credit. The chart reflects the courses listed in the survey and the enrollment numbers, which include grades 7-12.

Job Postings:

Nebraska employers need bilingual staff. The following occupations reflect job postings seeking bilingual employees in various languages in Nebraska in February 2019. Courtesy the NEworks website.

• Bakers
• Educators (all ages, all areas)
• Forest and Conversation Workers
• Healthcare (all areas)
• Interpreters and Translators
• Shoe Machine Operators
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Telephone Operators
• Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings
• Training and Development Specialists