January 4, 2010

Dear CLTA members,

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of CLTA’s service to the world language professionals of California. From it birth 40 years ago, as the California Foreign Language Teachers’ Association, thanks to the efforts of a group led by long time Executive Director Hal Wingard, to its rebirth as CLTA, the California Language Teachers’ Association, we have seen incredible growth in the level of our service to the world language and culture community of our state.

Do you remember the Pract-Inns, weekend language programs for those wishing to immerse themselves in the language they taught without traveling out of the country? Do you remember the Summer Seminar at UC Santa Barbara, a program that gave our colleagues a full week of professional development each summer for 22 years?  Do you remember the National Standards Road Show, with Hal Wingard, Marjorie Tussing, Duarte Silva and Lorraine D’Ambruoso presenting awareness workshops so our colleagues could become acquainted with them?

Have you ever eagerly anticipated the annual conference so you could recharge your professional batteries and reconnect with colleagues from around the state? Have you ever received a government grant that enabled you to study in a country where you could be immersed in the language and the culture for an extended period of time? Have you ever been recognized by your colleagues for your outstanding contributions to the profession? Do you look forward to the monthly newsletter wrapped around Language Magazine?

These are the more noticeable activities that CLTA has engaged in for the past 40 years. But there is also behind-the-scenes action that helps ensure the continued vitality of our association and support the need for world languages and cultures in our schools. Our Futures Academy works with members interested in developing their leadership capabilities for both the affiliates and the state association.

Our Advocacy Committee works with our Legislative Advocate Kathryn Lynch to assure that our legislators are continually reminded of the importance of our discipline. We have had great success in this arena. Teachers of less-commonly-taught languages can now be to be certified in those languages. There is now an elementary school authorization for world languages. And most important, thanks to Senator Betty Karnette’s support, we now have World Language Content Standards.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, CLTA is planning a birthday party at this year’s conference in San Diego. We would like to invite any member, past or present, to come help us celebrate.  We plan an exhibit of realia, entertainment, food, a no-host bar and a birthday cake. If you would like to join us, the event will take place at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center on Saturday, March 13, at 6 PM.

We hope to see you there.

CLTA Officers and Affiliate Representatives