FLAG

The Year of Languages in Georgia
Celebrate! Educate! Communicate!

ACTFL's The Year Of Languages (2005) campaign comes at a time when there is renewed interest at the federal level in the role of foreign languages as regards national security (see the JNCL-NCLIS Delegate report in this issue of The Journal.) While our profession knows that national security is only a part of the importance of foreign language learning, we can and should capitalize on the current national security theme, and we should use The Year of Languages to gain as much publicity for our discipline as possible.

Work has already begun to make The Year of Languages a major event in our state. The Georgia Consortium for World Languages (GCWL) has been formed as an association of the various language organizations in our state. Its goal is to combine resources and to orchestrate activities for The Year of Languages. In addition to representatives from FLAG, the DOE, and other foreign language organizations, it also includes representation from consulates and other international agencies and offices. The GCWL will soon have its own web site.

FLAG is working with the GCWL to support major events in our state, including a kick-off media event this fall. FLAG is also working within its own to promote The Year of Languages, especially at the local level.

To date, the FLAG Board has discussed the following possible ways of promoting and advocating for foreign languages in the coming year.

1. All FLAG sponsored events, such as the Spoken Language Contest and the FLES Contest, will carry ACTFL's The Year of Languages logo. Efforts will be made to use the events to gain media coverage.
2. Several banners publicizing The Year of Languages will be purchased for use at FLAG sponsored events. These banners may also be used by schools and other language organizations in the state for events such as language fairs, international food days, etc.
3. FLAG is exploring the possibility and affordability of producing a series of three radio "spots" (30 and/or 60 seconds) to air via the Georgia Association of Broadcasters during a single month in 2005. If found to be feasible, the three messages would be heard 350 times over 312 local radio stations during the chosen month. FLAG is now investigating how to fund these "spots" and is actively seeking a sponsor. The sponsor's name would be included in the message.
4. FLAG is also considering creating several sets of "Burma Shave" type signs. (If you are too young to remember these signs, do a web search. One site is here) These signs would be in sets of five signs each. Each set would carry a message promoting foreign languages and would be made available to the academic alliances. The idea would be for the set of signs to circulate in several towns and cities within an academic alliance. Jackie Konan, Director of Academic Alliances, will help coordinate this part of the YOL activities.
5. FLAG is participating in SCOLT's poster contest and is soliciting posters from schools in three categories: elementary school, middle and high school, post-secondary. Details on the poster contest may be found in this issue of The Journal.
6. FLAG will put a link on its web page to The Year of Languages website created by the GCWL and to ACTFL's YOL site. The FLAG web site will also include a link directing parents and those who are not teachers to a page summarizing the benefits of language learning and inviting them to actively support foreign language study.
7. South Carolina's foreign language association, SCFLTA, has secured free billboard space and plans to mount a billboard campaign. ACTFL is currently working with the billboard company, which is a national company, to see if an agreement can be reached that will allow SCFLTA's idea to be implemented in other states. Depending on costs, FLAG may or may not participate.
8. FLAG and the GCWL will ask Governor Perdue to proclaim 2005 as The Georgia Year of Languages. FLAG will post a proclamation letter on its web site so that it will be easier for the membership to get local mayors to make similar proclamations, the idea being to gain local media coverage.

Much of the above is tentative, and FLAG and the GCWL are still in the planning stage. FLAG would like to hear ideas from the membership about how it can make ACTFL's The Year of Languages campaign work for our cause in Georgia.

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