Have a Great Summer!

I cannot believe we are already in May! This school year has just flown by. I know you are all excited about summer! I hope you have time to relax, reconnect with family and friends, postpone your home projects, and do lots of fun things! You deserve it! Thank you for all your hard work to make German immersion the best possible experience for your students. I am excited about continuing working on our curriculum and am looking forward to another great year. Send me pictures of your travels!

2023-2024 Events for DLI German Teachers

May 6, 2024: German Immersion Schools Collaboration (virtual)

June 13-14, 2024: 1st - 2nd Grade Phonics Progression Curriculum Development

July 29 - August 2, 2024: AUDII 2024 (for all new teachers) @ Utah Valley University

August 1 - 2, 20204: AUDII 2024 (for all second-year teachers) @ Utah Valley University

July 31 - August 2, 2024: Bridge Summer Institute

German Language Advisor for the North West Visits Utah DLI German Programs

On April 17 and 18, 2024, Mrs. Gabriele Maiss-Minkler, the German Language Advisor for the Northwest USA and San Francisco, visited our secondary DLI German programs in the state of Utah: Summit Academy Independence and Summit Academy High School in Bluffdale, and Tooele Junior High and Tooele High school in Tooele. Purpose for the visit was to evaluate the schools for potential candidancy as an approved DSD-school. DSD stands for "Deutsches Sprachdiplom", or German language exam.

The DSD is an examination that is designed by the "Kultusministerkonferenz", a committee of German education ministers of all 16 federal states, to be administered in approved schools abroad with a rigorous German curriculum. The DSD is administered on two levels - the DSD I is given to students with a targeted B1 proficiency level according to the CEFR scale, about an Intermediate High to Advanced Low rating according to the ACTFL proficiency scale. The DSD II is given to students with a targeted C1 CEFR level or an Advanced High ACTFL proficiency level. 

Candidate schools go through an extensive application process, requiring support from the German Language Advisor, the respective German embassy, and the Central Agency for Schools Abroad in Germany. A passed DSD examination counts for proof of sufficient German language skills to study at a German university. Germany universities charge minimal tuition compared to higher education institutions in the USA. Universities in the USA might also award credit for passed DSD I and/or DSD II exams. DSD recognition opens up potential resources for approved schools, their teachers and students. 

Fingers crossed that all of our German DLI programs will be approved! To be continued...

New ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024

Have you had a chance to look at the revised ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 yet? Here is the link to the new and improved version and other resources for ACTFL proficiency levels.

AATG Spring Newsletter

Click here to access the AATG Spring 2024 Newsletter.

Articles Worth Reading

Writing is one of the most challenging skills in DLI and in second language acquisition in general. Here is a great article on ideas how to teach writing in the elementary grades.

Movement and motions enhance a student's learning experience by building different neural pathways.  This article presents some ideas how to incorporate movement and spelling in word work! Read the full article here.

Creating positive relationships with students and families is one of the best tools to preempt potential conflicts inside the classroom. Read more here on how teachers communicate not only academic success to caretakers.

Instructional Toolbox

Explicit modeling as an integral part of the modeling cycle is such a powerful instructional tool - not only in the elementary grade levels but also in middle school! Read this powerful article on "cold writing" by Dr. Laura Robb here - good teaching is just good teaching, no matter what grade level!

Lernmaterialien

A2/B1 Text zum Thema Musik. Hier geht es zum Text.

A2/B1 Texte zum Thema umweltfreundliche Schule. Hier geht es zu den kurzen Texten und Arbeitsblättern.

B2 Podcasts zum Thema Berufe in Deutschland. Hier geht es zum Podcast.

B2/C1 Text zum Thema moderne Formen des Einkaufens. Hier geht es zum Text, Videos, Podcasts und Arbeitsblättern!

Scholarship and Grant Opportunities

AATG Awards Nominations

Please consider nominating a German teacher for an AATG Award. They have to be AATG members. Here is the link to the nomination website.

AATG-Sponsored Scholarships

There are still a few opportunities to apply for scholarships for German teachers this summer. Take a look here!

Contact:

Michaela Claus-Nix, Ed.S.

German DLI Coordinator

Utah State Board of Education

mclaus-nix@utahdli.org