Massachusetts Foreign Language Association
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Help Inform Us on Language Learning in K-12 Schools

IMPORTANT

JNCL-NCLIS invites you to complete this informal survey to provide us with the most up to date information regarding language education in your school/district. By gathering this information, we can better prepare tools and strategies to advocate and provide support. In order to get the best results possible, please have only one representative from your school’s world language department complete this. (Chair of department, if possible). 

If there are multiple schools in your district that offer world languages, please note whether you are filling out the form for your school only or the whole district.

Click here for the survey!

Tips for Grassroots Advocacy

Empowering Local Changemakers!

As a language educator, you share important resources with your students, their families, your colleagues, and the greater community every day. Beyond providing language instruction, you help individuals to connect more profoundly with others, celebrate varied perspectives, develop problem-solving skills, and take advantage of new opportunities—whether they are academic or professional, in town or half a world away!

Learn more here!

Advocacy Updates

MAFLA & JNCL-NCLIS Partnership

MAFLA is proud to partner with the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS), a national coalition advocating for language education and international studies in the United States. Their mission is to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language, fostering linguistic diversity and cultural understanding.

Higher Education Survey Findings

This fall, JNCL-NCLIS released its Higher Education Survey Findings & Recommendations for Language Education report, which addresses critical challenges in language education while inspiring innovative solutions for the field.

World LEAP Act

The World Language Education Assistance Program (World LEAP) Act is a proposed grant program through the U.S. Department of Education to enhance K-12 world language and dual language programs. The Act prioritizes equitable access to language education for diverse socioeconomic and demographic groups, supports heritage and English language learners, and emphasizes professional development for educators.

JNCL-NCLIS’s efforts with World LEAP were recently highlighted in the National Review op-ed titled, “A Little Language Education, Trying to Emerge from the Mad Max of Congress.“  This article underscores the essential and bipartisan importance of language education funding, emphasizing its critical role in driving economic growth and strengthening national security.

America’s Languages Caucus Briefing

Last summer, JNCL-NCLIS held a powerful congressional briefing to address federal initiatives aimed at tackling the challenges facing K-12 language education: Recap of the America’s Languages Caucus Briefing, Addressing the Language Education Crisis in K-12 Schools.

JNCL-NCLIS News

This month, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) announced 14 FY24 World Language Advancement and Readiness Program (WLARP) grant awards totaling more than $18.6 million. This amount is far above the $10 million in appropriated funds from FY24, thanks to supplemental DODEA support. In this round, districts in 11 different states received three-year WLARP awards that ranged between $500,000 and $2 million. They will be able to use these funds to establish or expand existing innovative world language programs in a variety of languages, including German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

With this fourth round of annual grants, WLARP has now provided more than $68 million in funding to 31 different school districts spread across 18 states. Amanda Seewald, JNCL-NCLIS Executive Director shared, “JNCL celebrates the continued growth of programs funded by WLARP. We are thrilled that every applicant received funding in this round despite the limited appropriations of $10million for FY24. JNCL advocates continue to work to restore $15million in appropriations for FY25 and beyond.”

LEARN MORE HERE!

JNCL-NCLIS ACTION ALERT

 

ACTION ALERT

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have now approved separate versions of Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) education and defense funding, and they remain very far apart on spending levels. With a simple click of a button, you can tell your Members of Congress to protect language education program funding in the final FY25 Labor HHS Education and Defense Appropriations bills.

If enacted, the House bill’s proposed elimination of Title II-A and Title III would remove all specially directed funding for the more than 5 million English Learners in this country and delete the federal government’s largest investment in professional development for K-12 teachers and school leaders. Similarly, the Senate’s proposed $5 million cut to WLARA would significantly pare back federal investments in innovative world language programs at military-connected public schools.

The good news is that we have time to push back on these devastating budget cuts. Congress is likely to push off final spending decisions until after the November elections.

Let’s use this time to educate Congress on the value and importance of these critical language education programs!

JNCL-NCLIS Language Education Funding Analysis, Senate Appropriations Committee Finalizes Education & Defense

Dear Ronie,

Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2025 Labor HHS Education and Department of Defense spending bills.

Overall, the Labor HHS Education bill represents a significant funding upgrade from the House Appropriations Committee’s version. Where the House bill proposed to cut approximately $11.1 billion from the Department of Education’s budget and eliminate 17 programs, the Senate bill would actually increase the Department’s funding by more than $900 million and retain all programs.

For language education, the news in the Labor HHS Education bill was largely positive:

  • Title III, English Language Acquisition, received a $5 million increase in the Senate bill, a significant victory considering the House proposed to eliminate all funds for it.
  • Title IV-A, the flexible block grant that some districts use for language education programs, was accorded a $10 million increase over last year, which is the same that it received in the House bill.
  • Title II-A, the professional development grant program that the House also proposed to eliminate, received level funding in the Senate bill.
  • Title VI of the Higher Education Act, which sustained a more than $4 million cut in the House bill, was level funded in the Senate bill.
  • Indian Education, Native Hawaiian Education, Alaska Native Education, and Native American Language Resource Center were all flat-funded.

View the full analysis and funding comparison chart here.

The Committee also offered its support of “initiatives to build multilingual teacher pipelines through Grow-Your-Own initiatives and provide professional development in multilingual education for existing school staff and teachers” and “efforts for post-secondary fellowships to bolster the multilingual educator pipeline.”

Unfortunately, the Department of Defense’s FY25 spending bill, included only $10 million for the World Language Advancement and Readiness Grant Program (WLARP). While this is the same level as last year, it is still $5 million less than the House FY25 Defense spending bill included and $5 million less than FY23’s final appropriated level. JNCL-NCLIS will continue to work to show Congress WLARP’s value and restore the program to its $15 million funding level.

Congress is now in recess until September. When it returns, it will have very few days left to legislate before recessing for the election. It is anticipated that Congress will pass a Continuing Resolution, a temporary budget measure, to keep the government operating from October 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year, until December.

JNCL-NCLIS News

 

Before leaving for September recess, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC), Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced a full reauthorization of Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

The Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act would reauthorize U.S. Department of Education higher education world language programs through 2030.

JNCL-NCLIS has worked closely with the Coalition for International Education to gather support for this reauthorization legislation and to ensure that Congress provides appropriate funding levels for Title VI in annual appropriations.

“Language education can broaden horizons and expand opportunities for Americans,” said Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). “As the co-chair of the America’s Languages Caucus, I’m proud to support the Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act which would extend language programs so critical to building a workforce ready to compete around the world. By investing in language and international education programs today, we ensure our nation can continue leading the world and the global economy.”

JNCL Legislative Alert

TAKE ACTION

On June 27th, the House Labor HHS Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved a bill that would slash $11 billion from the Department of Education, which is a 13% drop from last year, and eliminate 17 federally funded education programs. While not all cuts are not publicly known, it is clear that the House bill would completely eliminate two key language education programs – the $890 million English Language Acquisition (Title III) program and the $2.19 billion Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A) program. Take action today to help restore funding for these language programs! 

CLICK HERE FOR MOR INFORMATION

Special Announcement JNCL-NCLIS

In a significant stride towards advancing language education and policy, the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) proudly announces its 2025 advocacy events. These events, taking place both in-person and virtually, aim to unite educators, policymakers, and language enthusiasts from across the nation. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in dynamic discussions, participate in workshops, and advocate for robust language programs. Whether joining on-site or online, participants will be instrumental in shaping the future of language education and policy.

Special Announcement: JNCL-NCLIS In-Person & Virtual Advocacy Events in 2025 (languagepolicy.org)