Entries by Missy Pankake

TLC Participates in Panel for Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

Richard Ponce de Leon from TLC participated in the panel discussion “Workforce Inclusion Impacting Workplace Safety” at the 2021 Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference held Nov. 2 in Murfreesboro. Richard addressed how language barriers can impact workplace safety. Attendees included TN employers, insurance adjusters, self-insurers, third party administrators, safety and human resource managers, plaintiff and […]

Richard Ponce de Leon to be New Interpretation and Translation Training Specialist

We are happy to announce that Richard Ponce de Leon will be Tennessee Language Center’s new Interpretation and Translation Training Specialist, effective Nov. 1, 2021. Richard was previously a Project Manager for TLC’s Interpretation & Translation Services. As Interpretation and Translation Training Specialist, Richard will design curriculum, ensure quality instruction, and facilitate, supervise, and administer […]

TLC Teaches Demos at Celebrate Nashville

TLC participated in the annual Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival in Nashville. The event drew around 40,000 people from the Middle Tennessee area, and TLC held several short language class demos throughout the day as well as talking to people interested in classes and language services.

TLC Attends Japanese Moon Viewing Event

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in partnerships with the Japanese Consulate General in Nashville, hosted a day of Japanese cultural activities and a moon viewing on Sept. 19. TLC Japanese Teachers Naoko Takeda and Tomi Kowamura taught a Japanese calligraphy class, and TLC Executive Director Janice Rodriguez and World Languages Coordinator Jack Willey set up and manned […]

ESL to Go Receives $93,000 Grant

TLC’s ESL to Go program has received a $93,000 grant from the Tennessee Office for Refugees through Catholic Charities. ESL to Go offers free English as a Second Language classes to approved asylees, refugees, and people with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) that have been in the U.S. five years or less. Classes are offered online, […]

First Online TESL Class Graduates

Prior to the pandemic, the Tennessee Language Center’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) teacher certification course offered 150 hours of instruction, far beyond the standard 100 hours, and included a 30-hour, in-person teaching practicum. Graduates who completed the program had an advantage obtaining jobs in the field because of this teaching experience. Because […]

Titan Up for TLC!

It’s Football Time in Tennessee. If you purchase your Tennessee Titan tickets using our link and the promo code “TLC”, we get $10 donated to us for each ticket and you get up to $25 off. (For specific games listed at link.) Let’s go Titans!

3 TLC Employees Recognized with Awards

Three TLC employees were recently recognized by the University of Tennessee Institute of Public Service with a Five Franklin Award, which notes those staff members who demonstrate great work and service to the institute. Irma Hernandez, Spanish Bilingual Administrative Coordinator, has been with TLC  for a short time but has made a significant impact amongst […]

Welcome Dr. Brian Barnett as New Director of World Languages

We are so excited to welcome our new Director of World Languages at TLC – Dr. Brian Barnett. He comes to TLC from the University of Minnesota, where he served as a senior lecturer in French and as the director of language instruction in French. Brian has a bachelor’s in French and Spanish from Kansas […]

Back to School Event is a Big Success

TLC was proud to participate in the Annual Back to School event at Plaza Mariachi that helps local families in the community with the essential school utensils and backpacks. We handed out pencil pouches and toys to the 1,000+ children who attended and talked to the parents about our English and World Language classes.