The A & R Productions Scholarship is now available. Applications are due November 13, 2022. This scholarship provides free registration to the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL) to two world language educators.  Please submit application and all documents to [email protected]. To access the application, visit our Awards & Scholarships page.

Join us Thursday - Saturday, October 20-22, 2022 for our virtual conference! Registration is now open and closes on Monday, October 17. For more information, visit our Professional Growth page!

Elementary school- PAINT BRANCH CHINESE IMMERSION SCHOOL
Student- NICOLÁS RIVERO  
Teacher- Ms. Pei-Husan Li

​Tuesday, August 16, 2022
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Check in starts at 4:50 PM

Faculty enter the world language classroom with high ambitions and expectations, but sometimes equipped with very few successful strategies for second language acquisition for beginning level students. Faculty often ask, "How communicative can Level I be?" ACTFL recommends that language educators and their students use the target language es exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instructions. Participants will leave this session with a toolkit assisting in:

• Developing the classroom culture: How do you want your classroom to feel? How do you want it to sound? What do you want it to look like?
• Implementing Diagnostics exams to determine student proficiency levels
• Starting from scratch with Unit 0
• Providing advice for students: Bridging the gap between class and personal life
• Creating sensible and healthy boundaries
• Teaching Study Skills and individual learning styles
• Establishing cross curriculum connections

to embark on the communicative journey conducted almost entirely in the target language, encompassing the five C's of language instruction and supporting K-16 Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century established by ACTFL.

This webinar will be presented in English.

​Register at this link

Calling all world language educators! MFLA WANTS YOU! 
Share your incredible talent with the great state of Maryland at our FULLY VIRTUAL FALL CONFERENCE Thursday October 20, Friday October 21, and Saturday October 22! 
You can fly solo or with a team! We are always excited to learn from our colleagues. 
Access this Google Form to submit your proposal today. Proposals are due Sept. 1st and the deadline will not be extended! Take a few moments and fill it out today! 

MFLA is proud to announce Aiden Ensor, 2021 graduate of Smithsburg High in Washington County and Maryland Seal of Biliteracy recipient has been selected as this year's Ann Beusch Scholar. Aiden currently attends Hagerstown Community College and will transfer to Salisbury University in the fall to pursue a career in Spanish and Secondary Education. Congratulations!

Save $5 on membership dues by renewing your regular (current educator) or Friend of MFLA membership for two years for only $55!

Membership will be valid for 2 school years (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024)

Renew now and join us for the Fall 2022 Conference (Oct 2022) with registration discount. 

 **First time members are free for the first year! JOIN NOW. New Members are not eligible for this special. 

Hui Liang, Chinese teacher at Centennial High School and Howard County 2021 Language Teacher of the Year, is the 2021 MFLA Language Teacher of the Year.
 
Ms. Liang’s application clearly demonstrates a record of leadership in World Languages at Centennial High School, throughout the HCPSS school system, and in the community at large. She is, for example, to name just a few of her roles, the current Board Director of the Chinese Language Association of Secondary/Elementary Schools, and instructional leader of the STARTALK program. Her experience in organizing conferences, designing teacher workshops, and presenting at local, state and national conferences is impressive.
 
Throughout her interview, it became clear to the committee that Ms. Liang has a deep understanding of what students need at each level and beautifully differentiates instruction in her classroom. She looks for ways to encourage students to do better, “go further”.  We are impressed that her philosophy is to not only teach language, but to also to “teach students to be better human beings”.
 
Ms. Liang is poised in her articulation of a clear message of advocacy. In her interview, she demonstrated her superb ability to express important ideas to self-promote. This will be very useful when she gets to a NECTFL interview.
 
An excerpt of a letter written by a parent reads, "She goes well above helping her students attain mastery in Mandarin, engaging their sense of wonder and exposing them to Chinese culture and customs...Ms. Liang’s Chinese program has been the single best highlight of our son’s high school experience. He feels very connected to her and to the other students in the class. Each day he looks forward to growing in his knowledge of a language and culture that will help him better understand people in his community and in the world. Ms. Liang’s positivity, creativity, and delight in her students have all helped our son find joy in high school learning...."
 
A student says, "Ms. Liang’s overall ideals in her education have greatly impacted me over the last two years, especially how she strives to create meaningful relationships with her students and to help us all achieve mastery not just for a grade, but for the sake of connecting with the language and culture."

Spanish teacher Ryleigh Ahearn has received the DORA KENNEDY NEW TEACHER AWARD from the Maryland Foreign Language Association (MFLA). Dora Kennedy, former Supervisor of World Languages for Prince George’s County Public Schools, and methods instructor at the University of Maryland, had a lifelong passion for building teacher leaders. The purpose of this award is to support MFLA members who are new to the teaching of World Languages and interested in participating in a professional learning opportunity to improve their implementation of current best practices in the classroom.
 
In July 2021, Srta. Ahearn participated in the four-day American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The theme of the conference was Celebrating Diversity. One of the focuses of Srta. Ahearn’s study at the conference was project-based learning activities to teach culture, diversity, global citizenship, and social justice. After the conference, she plans to share her work with the Gerstell Spanish Department and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She will also present a session at a future MFLA conference for world language teachers in our state.