Cable in the Classroom is pleased to present via podcast [MP3, 54MB], the November 21, 2006 edition of the U.S. Department of Education's Education News Parents Can Use.

This episode features a conversation with experts from school districts, associations and others about what is being done in our nation's schools and communities to ensure that students graduate with the ability to communicate in critical languages. The program explores ways to provide students with the language skills to engage foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical regions; to encourage reform and promote understanding; convey respect for other cultures; and provide an opportunity for others to learn more about America and its citizens. It addresses questions such as:

• Why is foreign language instruction so important today, especially in “critical need” languages?
• What does brain research say about the importance of learning second languages?
• What are policymakers, together with schools, doing to increase the number of students learning critical foreign languages?
• How does the National Security Language Initiative fit into this effort?
• What can parents and communities do to promote foreign language proficiency in children, and to encourage children to learn about and respect other languages and cultures?
• What do effective school- and district-level foreign language instruction programs look like?
• What steps can parents take if their child’s school has no foreign language program?

For more information about this program, please see the U.S. Department of Education's show notes.

Listeners may also be interested in the October 2005 edition of Cable in the Classroom Magazine, which focused on global awareness in the 21st century.

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