FLAGS

Discover Languages Event set for the California State Fair!

After a full (very, very full) day at the State Fair on August 17, we can state unequivically that it was a great success. Families visited our booth to play games, talk about language learning, take the "Are you smarter than a language teacher" quiz and spin the wheel for Discover Languages merchandise. We even had a surprise visit from Julie Shok Tam, Miss Asia Sacramento 2008! The event was so well-received that the manager of the building in which we were set up sent us a card stating that she hoped we will come back next year! We are definitely planning to return. Please consider joining us for a three-hour shift. It is a lot of fun--you get to play games and give away free stuff, so volunteers are sure to be a hit with the fairgoers!

I want to advocate for language study!

Are you interested in spreading the word about the importance and benefits of multi-lingualism? There are many ways to get the word out, and most of them are easy and require little extra time or materials. Here's a short list to get you started at school, but there are many more ways to publicize at school and in the community:

Post student work in the front office display case
Put language trivia questions in the daily announcements
Post "help wanted" ads for jobs requiring language speakers on your windows--make sure to face the ads to the outside so all passers-by can see them!
Include some Discover Languages talking points in your back-to-school night presentations
Sign up to have a table or booth at your high school's 8th-grade parents' night (or equivalent event designed to attract incoming freshmen to your school). Stock the table with the authentic materials you use for teaching and, of course, a one-page flyer on the benefits of language study in general and of your language in particular.
Have students create posters about the benefits of language learning (have them research first, and check their facts). Then let student government hang the posters around campus. You may want to do this during Discover Languages month (February) or during the weeks when students are choosing their schedules for the next year.

Check back here regularly for Discover Languages events or go to the RSS feed to see when this page is updated!

For more information about the Discover Languages campaign, please visit http://www.discoverlanguages.org.