Man facing camera presenting book to three children with back to camera

TLC Consulting with Meraki Learning Center on World Language Curriculum

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TLC’s Director of World Languages Brian Barnett is consulting with Meraki Learning Center about developing a world language curriculum for its students. Meraki is a unique homeschool and enrichment center in Nashville tailored to the learning needs and interests of its students. Brian is also working with the French instructor to develop activities for several students with proficiency in French at Meraki. This work will help Meraki develop a well-planned world languages component to its curriculum to facilitate learning and enrich the language experiences of its students.

Construction worker laying on ground after falling

TLC Offers Fall Terminology Webinar for Interpreters

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TLC offered an online webinar in April for Spanish interpreters on the terminology for falls, particularly in regard to Workers’ Compensation cases. The work involves specialized knowledge of both medical and legal terminology. Spanish Interpreters from Tennessee, Louisiana, and New Mexico completed the webinar and are now better able to handle appointments for Workers’ Compensation cases after completing the course, and the clients they are interpreting for are better represented.

Black and green logo from CMCSS Clarksville Montgomery County School System

TLC Offers PD Training to Clarksville Teachers

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Dr. Brian Barnett, TLC’s Director of World Languages, presented a professional development workshop to Clarksville-Montgomery County School System world languages teachers in February. The workshop was part of their in-service day, and focused on facilitating target language comprehensibility. This is the third professional development workshop he has done for them.

Vertical strips of Japanese calligraphy being hung on whiteboard by a teacher

Japanese Students Celebrate Kakizome

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TLC hosted a free Kakizome recently for current and new Japanese students. Kakizome is a traditional Japanese New Year’s event where people write their hopes and wishes for the new year in Japanese script with a calligraphy brush. Each student was then invited to share their wishes for the New Year – in English or Japanese – with the rest of the group. In addition to Japanese classes from beginning to advanced, TLC also offers Japanese calligraphy classes for those with an interest.Guy standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

Girl standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

Girl standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

Spanish For Educators Receives VP Citation

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TLC is proud of the Spanish for Educators program created by the World Languages team for receiving the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service Vice Presidential Citation. This award recognizes a special effort by staff members who go above and beyond normal job assignments or have worked relentlessly on a complex project. Congratulations to Brian Barnett, Jack Willey, Maya Campbell, and Stasie Harrington for their work on creating this course.

Spanish for Educators was created for  K-12 teachers, school staff, and administrators with very little to no previous Spanish study to develop cultural understanding and a basic repertoire of conversation skills to engage with Spanish speakers in their schools and local communities. It is offered four times a year. Contact worldlanguages@tennessee.edu for more information. 

black graduation hat with gold tassel resting on several thick books with rolled up diploma in front

Summer TESL Class Graduates

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Congratulations to the graduates of our Summer Class of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)! Each student completed 150 course hours in this online program. This is the 61st TESL class that has graduated at TLC. Great job!

 

Screengrab with the words Congratulations TESL 61 and six small windows of Zoom participants showing

Afghan mother holding a child in front of a computer

TLC Working with Afghan Refugees in Middle TN

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TLC Partner Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville, has welcomed 332 Afghan refugees to Middle Tennessee. The Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE), another TLC partner, has settled over 200 Afghan refugees and is expecting up to 100 more. These refugees were displaced by the largest evacuation in 50 years of people from their home country to the U.S.

In the first quarter of 2021, TLC has tested 289 of these refugees to ascertain their English proficiency and either placed them in a TLC English as a Second Language (ESL) class at the appropriate level or referred them to other agencies for assistance. TLC will be testing and referring all the adult refugees in the Nashville area. So far, 108 Afghans have attended a TLC ESL class with more expected to enroll over the coming months.

In addition, TLC was able to offer an Afghan interpreter a scholarship to attend our legal interpreter training, and we hope to be able to offer additional scholarships in the future.

 

 

Woman and man posing in front of 880 Ranchera painted on the wall

Cara to Cara Radio Program Features TLC

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Director of World Languages Brian Barnett was recently a guest of Cara to Cara radio program sponsored by the Hispanic Family Foundation (HFF).  For the Spring 2022 World Languages term, we are offering an in-person beginning Spanish class at HFF. Registration for Spring Term starts March 7 and classes begin the week of April 18.  TLC also offers English classes at HFF.

Watch the interview.

Woman at flip chart under pop up tent teaching several seated students

TLC Teaches Demos at Celebrate Nashville

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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.

People standing under pop up tent and talking

ESL to Go Logo

ESL to Go Receives $93,000 Grant

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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, and ESL to Go also has a classroom on wheels that can travel to the apartment complexes where refugees live, eliminating the need for transportation to and from class. This grant will cover the cost for classes for around 170 students.