To place more focus on our students (English Learners, per current U.S. Department of Education terminology) in the 2023-24 school year, rather than the subject we teach (English for Speakers of Other Languages), the ESOL Office is becoming the EL Office. We encourage everyone to make the switch when referring to our students as English Learners, or ELs—or even better, as emergent multilinguals to demonstrate an asset-based mindset! We will be referring to our teachers as EL teachers moving forward, and we have updated our email listservs to reflect this change, as follows: Continue reading
Category Archives: ESOL
Interpretation & Translation Workshop on April 15
The ACPS International & ESOL Program is offering an Interpretation and Translation Workshop on Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for staff who currently work in this capacity and are interested in learning more about best practices. The workshop will be held in the ESOL Office, located on the 3rd Floor of the Northside Public Library at 705 Rio Road West in Charlottesville. Lunch will be included! Staff who plan to attend should click here to RSVP.
Questions? Contact Ambha Lessard.
Winter Semester of Rosetta Stone Now Open for Enrollment!
Interested in learning another language to better communicate with our students and families or to further your own personal growth? The winter semester of Rosetta Stone is now open for enrollment for any interested ACPS staff! Click here to register through the Professional Learning Management System (PLMS). Continue reading
Empowering Our Multilingual Learners in All Classrooms
The ESOL Office is pleased to offer an ongoing series of professional development sessions to teachers who are looking to improve equitable opportunities for emergent multilinguals in their classrooms. These sessions, offered via Zoom with an in-person option, are now available for registration in the PLMS: Empowering Our Multilingual Learners in All Classrooms. Participants are encouraged to sign up and attend as many or as few of the sessions as they are able!
Sessions will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. on the following Thursdays: Continue reading
Interested in Improving Your Spanish? Join Our Spanish for Educators Group!
Would you like to better communicate with your Spanish speaking students or families? Have you taken Spanish in the past but struggle to remember it now? If so, join us at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning November 8 for Español para Educadores: Conversación y Camina! We’ll get our steps in and practice our speaking and listening in Spanish. We will plan to meet in Pen Park at Picnic Shelter 1, and you can attend as frequently or infrequently as you’d like. Continue reading
Interested in Adding an ESOL Endorsement? Free Opportunity for Praxis Prep from the VDOE!
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is offering a FREE opportunity this November for teachers who are interested in adding an ESOL endorsement to their existing teaching license. The EducateVA ESOL Praxis Prep Workshop will be held in Harrisonburg on three consecutive Saturdays: November 5, 12 and 19. Tuition will be covered by the VDOE, and mileage will be reimbursed by the ACPS International & ESOL Program. For more information, please see the workshop flyer, and reach out to Lauren MacLean, ACPS Assistant Director of ESOL, World Languages, and Homeschool, if you plan to register. Space is limited to two participants per school division!
New Translation Solution Coming to ACPS Website on May 3
For the past few years, ACPS has used Google Translate’s website translator widget to provide free and automatic translation of our website content. However, Google announced in 2019 that they would no longer support their website translator widget. Eventually the tool will cease to work, likely without warning.
In order to ensure that our web content is accessible to users who prefer to read text in a language other than English, ACPS has partnered with a website translation service called Weglot (pronounced Wē-glŏt). Beginning Monday, May 3, Weglot will seamlessly integrate with our website to offer translation options. Continue reading
Winter PD Opportunities: Staff Wellness, Supporting English Learners & Culturally Responsive Teaching
The following virtual professional learning opportunities are starting soon or ongoing. You can view more details on the ACPS Professional Development site and register on our internal PD Opportunities page. If you have any questions, please email Lauren Price or Jenn Sublette. Continue reading
ESOL & SPED Interpretation/Translation Protocols
The ESOL and Special Education departments have partnered to provide information to school leaders, Special Education Case Managers, and ESOL teachers that clarifies processes and documents how the two departments are collaborating to provide meaningful, accessible communication for ALL families: ESOL & SPED Interpretation/Translation Protocols.
Communicating with Multilingual Families: A Guide for Teachers & Staff
Did you know that Albemarle County Public Schools has processes for interpreting and translating that can help staff bridge the gap with parents whose primary language is not English? Check out our Communicating with Multilingual Families: A Guide for Teachers & Staff (ACPS login required) to access helpful online resources, learn how to get started with (and pay for) interpretation and translation services, and get the help you need. Continue reading