Nicole Hanlon, OWLA Scholarship Chair
French Teacher, Buckeye Valley Local Schools (Delaware, OH)

Our 4th annual conference raffle was a huge success, thanks to the support of all of you who attended! With your help, we raised $1,161.25 for our Beginning and Pre-Service World Language Teacher Conference Scholarships, surpassing last year’s total by over $400!

This year, we supported four pre-service students enrolled in World Language Education programs in Ohio and one first-time attendee/beginning teacher. We helped defray the costs of attending our conference. Attending the conference is a valuable experience for them. Their attendance gets them involved in the teaching community early in their careers and provides them with support as well as new ideas. 

I know that many of us, myself included, have found lifelong friends, valuable information, and a treasured sense of community through our own participation in OWLA. Here’s what a few of them had to say about their first OWLA conference experience:

“Attending the OWLA Conference was such a great experience. I really felt a strong connection with other world language teachers, and it was wonderful to encourage and support each other while learning and growing together.

Even though we teach different languages, we’re all united by our passion for language and care for our students. Meeting other student teachers, first-year teachers, and experienced teachers and sharing our experiences gave me a real sense of solidarity. The experienced teachers were especially generous in sharing resources, tips, and advice, which was really helpful and inspiring, and reminded me that I’m not alone as a language teacher. Talking with teachers from across Ohio also gave me new perspectives and motivation.

This experience was really beneficial for me, especially since it was my first time at the conference. It made me feel more confident and supported, and I’m excited to keep participating in the future. BFF!

Thanks again for this amazing opportunity!”

— Pre-Service Teacher

“I think one of the biggest things that I learned from the conference is how important it is to have a network/community of World Language teachers. With the new development of the last World Language programs being eliminated, it is more important that we have a group of like-minded people that can advocate for our work and for the students. Additionally, being able to learn about different strategies is so helpful because I can implement the techniques that will work well and better the Korean language learning experience. Thank you for the opportunity^^”

— Pre-Service Teacher

“I really learned a lot through this conference about how to teach a world language in the classroom. First, I loved the 10 quick, engaging activities that we can do to keep students in the target language and allow them to have fun in the class. Then I learned how to incorporate French songs, dances, and cultural traditions in the classroom and get students moving and staying interested. I also learned about various strategies to encourage students to speak the target language across all levels, which is very important for a world language classroom. Last but not least, I was able to connect with many language teachers and learn more about the profession. I feel extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I hope to start teaching French and Francophone culture and implement all the best practices in my own classroom soon. Merci infiniment!”

— Pre-Service Teacher

“GO BUCKS!!!”

— Pre-Service Teacher

“I was also able to attend the Ohio World Language Association (OWLA) conference due to the scholarship. I don’t know if I would have made time for it, having to pay for it, since I didn’t know anything about it. I loved my experience at OWLA because people are so helpful and supportive. Getting to meet so many wonderful teachers and realizing that I am not alone in my passion for language learning was very empowering. It helped me see that there are effective ways to advocate for language learning, such as getting in contact with the U.S. House of Representatives and posting on social media. I attended a few of the smaller sessions, one of which was titled ‘Having Fun with Improv Games in the WL Classroom,’ and it was so much fun! It was a rapid-fire session where the rules of a game would be briefly explained and then demonstrated with the whole class or volunteers as needed. It was a lot of fun, and I gained a vision for using this in my future classroom. I want to get my students comfortable speaking, especially in front of other people, and this seems like a fun way to facilitate that. I am excited to apply what I learned.”

— Pre-Service Teacher

“Specials, Electives, Unified Arts, STEAM, the list goes on! Because World Languages aren’t part of a core class, principals sometimes don’t know how to group or name our line of work. To participate in a professional development opportunity specifically on teaching culture and language with fellow WL colleagues was like eating a slice of birthday cake! It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it is celebratory and delicious! I especially enjoyed the keynote speaker, Maestro Bryce Hedstrom. His wisdom and experience with the Comprehensible Input method were insightful, and his generosity in sharing his resources was welcomed by many. It was my first time on the Ohio Dominican campus, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quaint and beautiful it was, despite it being nestled in the heart of Columbus! Thank you to all who made this conference possible due to your hard work and dedication.”

— First-Time Attendee

As you can see, this scholarship is invaluable to our mission of outreach and support for teachers in Ohio. Thank you so much for your support of our raffle that allows us to offer this opportunity!