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December 2001 Language Link

Dealing With Terrorism: Resources for Language Educators

While major policy changes to promote language proficiency in the United States have not yet emerged, responses to the events of September 11 by a wide variety of education-related organizations have been prompt. Many organizations acted quickly to provide resources for teachers to use when discussing terrorism and its effects with their students, as this was a pressing need in the days, weeks, and months following the attacks. These resources have been made available through a number of means.

We focus here on resource compilations related to language issues. This list is not intended to be comprehensive, but may provide a representative sampling of the types of resources that are currently available specifically for teachers interested in learning more about (and working with their students on) language groups and language issues.

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) compiled CAL's Response to the Tragedies of September 11, which includes links to instructional materials for Pashto (a national language of Afghanistan); resources available from CAL's Refugee Service Center such as Fact Sheets and Phrase Books for many different refugee groups; and online publications dealing with various issues related to refugee and immigrant populations.

The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE) compiled a resource list called Promoting Cultural Understanding in the Classroom and Community. This resource includes topic areas such as "The Middle East, Islam, and Arab Americans" and "Challenging stereotypes, intolerance, and racism," with links to online articles and lesson plans on these topics for a variety of age groups.

The National Foreign Language Center created a collection of resources and answers to frequently-asked questions about the linguistic resources available in the United States. This compilation includes a discussion of critical languages and how language proficiency affects national security, as well as recommendations for how we can build a more language-proficient society.

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) has established several resources in response to the September 11 attacks, including a section on "Resources to Promote Understanding" and news sources for teachers who work with English language learners. TESOL has also created a discussion board for ESL/EFL teachers and students around the world to post their reflections on September 11 online.

Teaching Tolerance developed a comprehensive list of resources called September 11 and After with links to lessons and other resources on topics such as "Bias Against Arab Americans and Muslims." These resources are specifically designed for classroom use, including links to curriculum units and reproducible materials.

UCLA's Language Resource Program Web site includes links to information about heritage language resources, materials for less-commonly-taught languages, and news articles about the critical need for additional language resources in the United States.

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