SOHL TIMES

NEWSLETTER FOR THE SASKATCHEWAN ORGANIZATION FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGES

WINTER ISSUE 2012 / 2013

Keeping Languages Alive

Presidents Message
SOHL continues to posses a prominent role in the field of heritage language education in Saskatchewan. The past successes of SOHL, however, have not deterred our mission to always think forward in terms of making robust advances to realize our vision of establishing a vibrant and thriving environment in Saskatchewan for language & culture. In 2012, SOHL conducted a two-part strategic planning session which will aid SOHL to adapt to our changing environment, develop more innovative programs and increase our overall effectiveness as an organization. In 2012, we had a few staff changes as we said goodbye to Jessica Riess (Office Coordinator) and welcomed Malinda Meegoda to the SOHL as the new incoming Office Coordinator. SOHL once again organized our Annual Provincial Conference in 2012. The 12 edition was held in Regina on October 19th-21st. The theme of the Conference was Learning Languages: a Roadmap to Learning, The conference was a great success with a record participation level. The surveys filled out by the participants indicated that they had benefited immensely from the various workshops and information sessions held at the conference. There will be much to look forward to in 2013 for SOHL and its members. One of the earliest events on SOHLs calendar will be the annual Heritage Language Day. It will be held on February 23rd at Balfour Collegiate in Regina, and I hope to welcome new and familiar faces at this important event. Saskatoon will also be holding a Choral Concert on March 2nd at Centennial Collegiate theatre which will showcase the talents of many facets of multiculturalism in Saskatchewan. SOHL will also be unveiling a new website in the first quarter of 2013 which will make connecting with SOHL more attractive, simpler and easier. SOHL is proud of all its volunteers, members and dedicated staff who have been instrumental in the success of SOHL and who remain the core of the organization. On behalf of SOHL, I would also like to wish you all the very best in all your endeavours in 2013.

Respectfully, Ved Arora, S.V.M., A.L.A

SOHL BOARD MEMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ved Arora Girma Sahlu Mary Kolitsas Beulah Fernando Shakeel Akhtar Pankaj Kumar Bhowmik Zaheed Iftekhar Natalie Owl Liza Padia Vijayalakshmi (Viji) Kalagnanam Adesegun Akintunde President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Past President Director North Director South Director Director Director Director

not in picture: Mary Kolitsas and Liza Padia

ST AFF
Tamara Ruzic Malinda Meegoda Executive Director Office Coordinator

2012 SOHL ANNUAL PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE

The Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages Inc. held its Annual Provincial Conference, Learning Languages: A Roadmap to Learning, from October 19th to 21st, 2012 at the Regina Inn. The planning committee chose to try a longer conference format this year in order to provide more networking opportunities for members, which has been requested in past evaluations. The Conference kicked off with a Friday evening wine and cheese reception, which featured a keynote address by Deputy Minister of Education, Cheryl Senecal. The conference resumed on Saturday morning with a very good turnout of teachers and volunteers participating in the days workshops. Participants alternated between two workshops in the morning and afternoon. Greg Sametz returned for another year to present his workshop Becoming a Cultural Picker which was very well liked by the participants. Shar McGowan presented her workshop, Riding the Waves: Lesson Planning and Classroom Management and also received very positive reviews. On Saturday evening, SOHL held its Volunteer Award Banquet, skilfully emceed by Dr. Jim Leskun. Following greetings by several special guests, Dr. Michael Zimmermann provided a stimulating keynote address on his experience with heritage language education. Mary Kolitsas and Omar Aschim presented the Volunteer Awards to three deserving recipients. Dr. Jim Leskun and Dr. Chidi Igwe received SOHLs New Volunteer Award, and Gabi Harrison was honoured with SOHLs Long-Term Volunteer Award. Finally, the audience was entertained by two performing groups, China Fun and Natya Sudha Dance. On Sunday morning, Nadia Prokopchuk from the Ministry of Education delivered an excellent workshop, Assessing and Reporting Student Progress in Heritage Language Schools, to a group of over 60 teachers and volunteers. Immediately after, SOHL held a short General Meeting, during which various committee chairs reported on the operations and recent activities of their respective committees. Overall, the conference evaluations were extremely positive, and SOHL is proud to have received such encouraging feedback. The comments and recommendations have been recorded, and will be reviewed by the committee in preparation for next years Conference.

2012 SOHL ANNUAL PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE IN PICTURES

SOHL VOLUNTEER AWARD RECIPIENTS 2012

SOHL New Volunteer Award

Dr. Chidi Igwe
Dr. Chidi Igwe has been volunteering since 2008, as both principal and instructor for the Igbo Language and Cultural School in Regina. In that time, he has contributed immensely towards the success of the school in numerous ways. He established the Igbo School Online, which now offers language training to students in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. He has also founded the Igbo Radio program, and in 2011, he was appointed as Igbo Language International Correspondent in charge of North America by the Igbo Language Services of Radio Nigeria International. In addition to his dedicated work with the language school, Chidi sits on the Executive Council of the Igbo Cultural Association of Saskatchewan Inc. (ICAS), is a member of the City of Regina Soccer League, and a former board member of SOHL.

Dr. Jim Leskun

Dr. Jim Leskun is currently the president of the Multilingual Association of Regina (MLAR) and also the President of the Saskatchewan Multicultural Centre Association (SMCA). Dr. Leskun serves on MLARs finance committee and MLARs Regina Multilingual School (RMS) committee, and is a committee member of SOHL. He has been awarded MLARs Honorary Life Membership Award for his contributions to the organization. Jim is a board member of the Saskatchewan Ford Mercury Car Club, has served for six years on the University of Reginas Senate as a representative from the Chiropractors Association of Saskatchewan, and has coached a number of minor sports teams.

SOHL long term volunteer award

Gabi Harrison
Gabi Harrison has worked tirelessly for over a decade to ensure the successful operation of the German Language School in Saskatoon. She is currently the Principal and Coordinator of the school, and is well known in the German community as a passionate promoter of language education. This was apparent in her dedicated efforts to bring a bilingual German immersion program into Saskatoons public school system, and her successful implementation of German language proficiency exams in the language school. Gabi has been an inspirational force to the teachers, staff, and students at her school. Some of Gabis additional involvements include: Vice-President of the Saskatchewan Association Teachers of German (SATG), member of Kanadischer Verband Deutscher Sprachschulen (KVDS), committee member and volunteer for the Saskatoon German Days Committee, and longstanding teacher for SOHLs Mini-Language Program.

2012 Recipients of SOHLs Youth Heritage Language Instructor-Helper Bursary

Rachel McConnell Escuela Hispanica Spanish School of Saskatoon Dilpreet Bajwa and Shivali Sood ICA Hindi School Regina Rodala Aranya, Alma Azwad Ashraf, and Kasmiri Talukder Bangla Heritage Language School Saskatoon Christina Veronin and Annette Friesen Das Schulhaus Regina German Language School Inc. Janna Ross Hernandez Filipino Heritage School Saskatoon Francisco Thomas Pino Salvador Allende Spanish School Saskatoon Kaitlyn de Sousa Martins Brasinha Portuguese Language School Saskatoon, Eva Karki Saskatoon Nepali School Mercy Adebogun Yoruba Language School Regina Jasmin Kamboz Punjabi School Regina Shaher Bano Mehdi Saskatoon Urdu Language School Vanessa Ikeogu Igbo Language and Cultural School Regina Khaleduzzaman Md. Kamruzzaman - Saskatoon Arabic Language and Heritage School

2012 Recipients of SOHLs University of Calgary Bursaries:

Narjis Batool Urdu Language School Saskatoon R.K.S. Arjith Kumara Saskatoon Sinhala Language School Shilpi Rani Bhadra Bangla Heritage Language School Saskatoon Hari Prasad Ojha Saskatoon Nepali School Bessie Aida Pino Salvador Allende Spanish School Saskatoon Chanchal Sethi ICA Hindi School Regina Olatundun Adebogun - Yoruba Language School Regina Khem Nepal - Nepali Bhasha Pathshala Regina Muhammad Zulkarnain Saskatoon Arabic Language and Heritage School

Recipients of SOHLs Workshop Grants 2012

Bangla Heritage Language School Saskatoon - Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Heritage Language Teaching Das Schulhaus Regina German Language School Inc. - Communicative Lesson Planning Heritage Chinese Language School Saskatoon - Electronic Teaching and Learning Methods at an Intermediate Level and the Creation of Teaching Aids Igbo Language and Cultural School Regina - Akuko Ifo and its Importance in Educating the Igbo Child in Igbo Language Lang Wen Chinese Language School Regina - Lang Wen Chinese Language School Workshop 2012 Saskatoon Polish School - How to Polish Teaching Polish Saskatchewan Intercultural Association - Bringing more fun to language teaching by linking between current events and language classes Saskatchewan Intercultural Association - Curriculum and Lesson Plan Development Multilingual Association of Regina - Curriculum Development for Language Teaching Part 1 Multilingual Association of Regina - Curriculum Development for Language Teaching Part 2

Entertainers Wanted
SOHL will be holding its annual Heritage Language Day celebration in Regina on the afternoon of Saturday, February 23, 2013 at the Balfour Collegiate Auditorium. This event commemorates February 21st, UNESCO-proclaimed International Mother Language Day, a day to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world. Please mark your calendars, and notify your students, community members and friends of this special celebration! Posters with additional information will be sent shortly. The program consists of a number of colourful multicultural performances, many of which are presented by SOHLs members. We are currently accepting entertainment proposals. If you or your group is interested in performing, please simply send the SOHL office a brief description of the performer/group, the content (song, dance, etc.), and approximate length of performance. Ideally, the performances should be 5 to 10 minutes in length. Proposals must be received by January 31st due to the high number of requests received last year, please note that submitting a proposal does not automatically guarantee a spot in the program.
contact SOHL for more information email: sohl@sasktel.net (phone) (306) 780-9275

SOHL Member Events

MLAR ( Multilingual Association of Regina) Events TEACHERS WORKSHOP
A Heritage Language Teachers Workshop was held on Saturday November 3rd, 2012, sponsored jointly by the Multilingual Association of Regina (MLAR) and the Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL). The workshop topic was Curriculum Development for Language Teaching.

The workshop sessions were presented by Juanita Tuharsky of the Regina Public School system who teaches at Balfour Collegiate.

MLARs Teacher Award Night

MLARs Teacher Award Night will be held on May 6th, 2013 at the Travelodge Hotel on Reginas South Albert Street. All member Heritage Language Schools are encouraged to consider possible nominees for these awards which will include: 1. A Youth Teacher award to a youth who helps with the language program. 2. A New Teacher award to a teacher who has been teaching a heritage language from 1 to 4 years. 3. A Long Term Teacher award to a teacher who has been teaching a heritage language for 5 or more years. Nomination documents are available by contacting MLAR Office. When nominating a teacher for an award, make sure that you provide enough information about the nominee as the Judges will make their selection based on the amount and quality of the information provided.

Saskatchewan Intercultural Association Inc. (SIA) Events

The Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA) with support fom The Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL), held a workshop titled, Developing Materials and Activities for Heritage Language Classrooms on Saturday November 17th at Aden Bowman Collegiate. Ling Zhang, an ESL instructor with more than 10 years of teaching experience facilitated the workshop to the teachers and coordinators of the language schools. The workshop was funded by SOHL and was attended by 30 teachers from language schools. Upcoming Events SIA will be also be holding a second workshop in the Spring on the 20th of April 2013. The title of the upcoming workshop is Bringing more fun to language teaching by linking current events and language classes. Saskatoon Choral Concert: A multicultural gathering featuring song and dance performances will be held on the 2nd of March 2013 at Centennial Collegiate theatre. For more information plase contact Hossein Taslimi ( P): 978-1818 ext. 223 (e): sms@saskintercultural.org

a Very Nordic Christmas

Every year, the Norwegian community launches the Christmas season with a special Norwegian Christmas service. "The service is conducted in the Norwegian language, but for those who are not fluent in the language, we make it bilingual," - (organizer), Rev. Gene Grant says. "The bulletin is printed in both languages and the scripture reading, for instance, will be printed in the Norwegian language, generally with the same reference in English underneath. However, the Christmas scriptures are familiar to Christians of all languages. In 2012, the service was held at the Zion Lutheran Church in Saskatoon on the 9th of December.

Community News, events & opportunities

Promote your Volunteer Opportunities on SaskCultures website
Promote your cultural volunteer opportunities by submitting a posting on the Volunteer Opportunities page on SaskCultures website Career section. To submit your volunteer posting, please visit: http://www.saskculture.sk.ca/volunteeropportunity_submit.php

Taking the Pulse of Saskatchewan on Aboriginal issues in Saskatchewan survey results

A recent study, done by the University of Saskatchewan, in conjunction with The Leader Post/Star Phoenix and CBC-Saskatchewan of 1750 Saskatchewan residents, found several myths about First Nations people still exist. For example 36.7% still believe First Nations people dont pay enough taxes. To read more about the survey and results specifically related to Aboriginal issues, http://ssrl.usask.ca/takingthepulse/pdf/TTP2012AboriginalSaskatchewan.pdf ToolKit Workshop Series In conjunction with the Community Research Unit, SCIC, and the U of R Business and Professional Development, RPIRG (Regina Public Interest Research Group) the Toolkit Workshop Series will be happening for the second time. The series aims to teach students and community members skills that can help them with work in community based and non-profit organizations. Workshops include Engaging youth Intro to Graphic Design Research and Evaluation Techniques for Community Organizations

for more information visit: http://rpirg.org/events-projects/toolkit-workshop-series/

$100,000 of funding available for community groups in Regina

Do you have a project that needs a boost to make it happen? Farm Credit Canada (FCC) wants to hear from you. Apply online now The FCC Regina Spirit Fund is a $100,000 fund to support community enhancement projects by charitable and non-profit organizations in Regina. Its FCCs way of giving back to a city where 600 of their over 1,500 employees live and work. Applications are being accepted right now for all funding available in 2012. The deadline to get your application submitted is February 6, 2012 and the $100,000 will be awarded in April 2012. Criteria Each project is evaluated based on its ability to enhance the community. Winning projects may receive up to $25,000 in funding. The FCC Regina Spirit Fund supports a variety of projects that address different needs in the city and enhance the quality of life for people in Regina. For your project to be considered for funding, your organization must be: A registered charity, or Non-profit organization that is registered with Saskatchewan Justice (Corporations Branch Corporate Registry) Your project must: Enhance the quality of life for people in Regina Be located in the city of Regina Recognize FCCs contribution To apply, go to www.FCCReginaSpiritFund.ca. Do you have a project that needs a boost to make it happen? Farm Credit Canada (FCC) wants to hear from you.

Free Language Learning System Available at the RPL

Mango is an online language learning system teaching practical conversation skills for a varietyof popular languages, such as French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and much more. Mangoalso has English as a Second Language course. If you would like Mango to track your progress,make sure you create a profile when you first log in. Whats the point of learning vocabulary if you cant put it together in a meaningful way? Each Mango lesson is focused on practical, common conversation skills and includes instruction on vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, AND culture. Our lessons are written and developed by native-speaking teachers who understand the nuances of the language and the culture. They know what skills and information you will need at each stage of your learning process. Strategically placed memory building exercises make sure that youll remember what you learn as you go. Critical thinking exercises help you intuitively build on what you learn so you can adapt it to similar conversations in real life. - Mango is free, but requires a valid library card number to use

Request a Specific Title in your Language!

The libraries have a special fund available for purchasing requested titles that may not currently be part of the multilingual collection. Therefore, if you are searching for a particular book in any language that is not available, simply go to your nearest library branch and place a request for the book.

How to get a Library Card

Your Library card is your passport to a wide range of Regina Public Library programs and services!To sign up for a card, visit any RPL location or any other Saskatchewan Public Library and ask a staff member at the Circulation Desk to assist you. Adults & Young Adults (ages 14+) must show two pieces of identification, one establishing their current Regina address and a second piece that verifies identity. Children (under 14 years of age) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who must show two pieces of identification, one establishing his or her current Regina address and a second piece that verifies identity. These documents will be used to register the child.The parent or legal guardian will need to sign the childs Library card. The signer assumes responsibility for any Library charges incurred by the child. Borrowers are responsible for all materials borrowed on their card and any charges, including fines and replacement costs, resulting from the late return, damage or loss of materials. Any fees owing must be paid prior to annual Library card renewal.

SOHLs flagship radio program, SOHL Connection airs every Tuesday on Reginas community radio station, 91.3 CJTR fm from 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm. The program is co-hosted by Malinda Meegoda and Shane Malloy. The program had a successful year with a wider array of SOHL CONNECTION ranging from spoken wordguests frequenting the show artists to cinemaexperts, language professionals, community organizers and many more. If you would like to be on the show to promote a cultural event, please contact the SOHL office at (email): sohlcoordinator@sasktel.net (phone): 306.780.9478 You can also listen to SOHL Connection online at www.cjtr.ca
Mini Language Lessons Program The Mini Language Lessons Program brings heritage language education to regular classrooms all over Saskatchewan. Our heritage language teachers provide eight hours of instruction from January to March each year. SOHLs 2012/13 Mini Language Lessons Program is into its seventeenth year in operation. The program for 2012/13 commenced in January 2013. We have matched 55 classrooms in numerous communities all over Saskatchewan in addition to Saskatoon and Regina. A full update will follow once the program is completed in March.
For more information please contact the sohl office: sohlcoordinator@sasktel.net (p) :306.780.9478

New SOHL Website SOHL will be coming up with a new website in 2013 with a new look and feel. Our Current website (www.heritagelanguages.sk.ca) is still active but will undergo a complete makeover. Stay tuned for more updates In the meantime please connect with SOHL on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In.

The Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages gratefully acknowledges the funding assistance and moral support that it has received from The Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Cultureand Recreation, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, SaskTel, SaskEnergy, CJTR Community Radio.

SASKATCHEWAN ORGANIZATION FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGES 2144 Cornwall Street, Regina, SK S4P 2K7 (phone) 306.780.9275 (fax) 306.780.9407 (email) : sohl@sasktel.net www.heritagelanguages.sk.ca