Category: book launches

Exciting news for language and education enthusiasts! A Bilingual Revolution for Africa, a new book examining the potential of multilingual education across Africa, has just been released. This book, edited by Ayé Clarisse Hager-M’Boua and myself, brings together educators, researchers, and actors on the ground to explore the benefits of dual-language education in various sectors and countries of Africa.

The book’s preface is written by Yao Ydo, Director of UNESCO International Bureau of Education, while the introduction is written by Ayé Clarisse and I. The book is divided into four parts, each containing essays on various topics related to bilingual education in Africa.

Read more: Book Release: A Bilingual Revolution for Africa

Part one, titled “Language and Cultural Identity,” includes four essays that focus on creating space for students’ linguistic and cultural heritage in the classroom, the assets and advantages of bilingualism, the particularities and limits of bilingual education in sub-Saharan Africa, and the importance and possibility of decolonial multilingual education through African mother tongues.

Part two, “Bi-Culturalism: African Culture and European Culture,” includes four essays on the place of heritage languages in the Cameroonian and Ontario school systems, visions for multilingual education in Côte d’Ivoire, translanguaging in indigenous Kenyan languages, and improving the quality of education in Africa using African languages for teaching.

Part three, “Multilingualism / Language Equity,” includes four essays on the urgent need for reorientation with regards to multilingual education advocacy in Africa, multilingual teachers for the multilingual classroom, multilingual glossaries for teaching and learning, and multilingual education for improved foreign language acquisition.

Part four, “Bilingual Education: Mother Tongue / French; Mother Tongue / English,” includes five essays on the need for bilingual education for the promotion of regional integration of communities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, bilingual schools as a social project, the power of multiliteracy in The Gambia and Ghana, the challenges and relevance of tone didactics, and Fulfulde-French bilingual education.

The book has received praise from various scholars and educators, including Zahra Kamil Ali, Permanent Representative of the International Organization of La Francophonie for the Americas, who notes the strength of the book’s approach in different linguistic contexts. Maya Angela Smith, Associate Professor at the University of Washington, praises the book for prioritizing the lived experiences of multilingual students and providing valuable models for the rest of the world. Teboho Moja, Professor at New York University and the University of the Western Cape, highlights the book’s evidence that children underperform in schools not because they lack the ability to learn, but because they struggle with the languages used in school.

A Bilingual Revolution for Africa provides a positive and constructive vision for the future of bilingual education in Africa. It challenges the myths and obstacles that have retarded the development of dual-language education and offers a means to achieve economic growth and develop human capital within Africa’s multilingual environments. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of language and its impact on human development.

Congratulations to the authors: Agnès Ndiaye Tounkara, Ayé C. Hager-M’Boua, Ama E. Flora M’Baye & Pascaline A. Kouamé, Mbacké Diagne, Djeneba D. Bagayoko, Carole Fleuret & Julia E. Ndibnu-Messina, Michelle L. Solorio, Brenda A. Wawire, Maria J. Aaron, Daniel N. Obah, Pierre de Galbert & Cornelius Wambi Gulere, Feziwe Shoba & Koliswa Moropa, Tony V. Muzau, Félicien M. Maisha, Thomas Bearth et al., Ari Sherris & Joy K. Peyton, Venance Tokpa, and Djibrila Tetereou.

Order it here: https://tbr-books.org/product/a-bilingual-revolution-for-africa

The Word of the Month book launch and signing on 24th October 2022 at 6 p.m.

Sortie du livre The Word of the Month suivi d’une séance de dédicaces le 24 octobre 2022 à 18h

TBR Books, maison d’édition de CALEC le Centre pour l’Avancement des Langues, de l’Éducation et des Communautés, organisation à but non lucratif engagée dans la pro-motion du plurilinguisme, et Gymglish, spécialiste de cours de langues en ligne, ont le plaisir de vous annoncer la sortie du livre The Word of Month. Pour l’occasion, CALEC et Gymglish vous invitent à une séance de dédicaces, suivi d’un moment d’échanges et un apéritif dinatoire en compagnie des auteurs.

Quand ? Lundi 24 octobre 2022 à 18h

Où ? Au Lavoir (chez Gymglish) au 65 rue de Reuilly, 75012 Paris

TBR BOOK, the publishing arm of CALEC, Center for the Advancement of Languages, Education and Communities, a non-profit organization focused on promoting mul-tilingualism alongside Gymglish, specialist in online language courses, are pleased to announce the launch of The Word of the Month book. On this occasion, CALEC and Gymglish are hosting a book signing and discussion with the authors followed by a Q&A session and cocktail reception.

When? Monday 24th October at 6 p.m

Where? Le Lavoir (Gymglish headquarters), 65 rue de Reuilly, 75012 Paris.

Communiqué de presse / Press Release

French is literally everywhere – in our history and values, in our families, and in our neighborhoods and communities, from the croissant or macaron in our local café or bistro to family and place names across the country. These are the stories of French language and Francophone culture in the US, but, even more importantly, the stories of Franco-Americans – ranging from descendants of the earliest French explorers and French-Canadian immigrants to the newest arrivals in the US from throughout the Francophone world. This book is of interest to all of us, whatever our background, as the experience of French language and Francophone culture in the US has similarities to and intersects with the many languages and cultures that have contributed to the American experience.

French all around us
French Language and Francophone Culture
in the United States

Edited by Kathleen Stein-Smith and Fabrice Jaumont

Paperback • Pub Date: March 20, 2022 • Page Count: 286 •
 Price: $24.99 • ISBN 978-1-63607-208-1 •   

Contributing Authors

Mélissa Baril, Timothy Beaulieu, Elizabeth Blood, David Cheramie, Melody Desjardins, Anthony DesRois,
Joseph Dunn, Georgie Ferguson, Katharine Harrington, Marine Havel, Marguerite Justus, Emmanuel Kayembe, Etienne Kouakou, Mark Labine, Ben Levine, Julia Schulz, Jesse Martineau, Monique Cairns, Jean Mirvil, Jerry Parker, Robert Perreault, Scott Tilton, Agnès Tounkara, David Vermette. 

PRAISE FOR FRENCH ALL AROUND US

“From page to page, myriad politico-linguistic issues, sociological discussions, and personal feelings mingle to sketch out the reality of French and Francophone cultures in the United States.”
—Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States.

“A fascinating travel, deep into American culture and the many Francophone components of the country.”
— Ambassador Ifigeneia Kontoleontos,
International Organization of La Francophonie to the United Nations.

“A testament to the resilience of those who have preserved the language and traditions that are at the heart of who we are.”
— Representative Ryan Michael Fecteau, Speaker of the House of Representatives, The State of Maine.

Written and illustrated for 5- to 7-year-olds, this book celebrates grandmas, superheroes without whom none of us would exist, and the cultural traditions they bear that unify and nourish families across space and time. The millennia-old Korean New Year’s tradition exemplifies the universal importance of multi-generational family and of immigrant origins.

Read More

When asked if the story—her story—depicted in the recently published memoir and ode to the immigrant experience, Immigrant Dreams, created in her a feeling of solidarity and connection to the immigrants of today, Barbara Goldowsky responds, “Absolutely.” Continue reading here.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, it is often the United States that is cited as the country most effective at engaging in cultural diplomacy. Or, the U.S. is touted as a major exporter of “soft power” to the rest of the world. But, in Jane Flatau Ross’ Two Centuries of French Education in New York, it is France’s efforts to spread influence abroad with culture—in this case education—that is given the spotlight. Dr. Ross, through a look at her own internationally flavored life and long career at the Lycée Français in New York, examines the global network of French schools abroad. She focuses on the subject through the lens of K-12 schools in New York from the early 18th century on, particularly focusing on the 20th-century Lycée Français and an earlier precursor. Read Andrew Palmacci’s full article on NewYorkinFrench.net

Needing to talk to children about Covid19 has motivated us to contribute three wonderful books that have been translated into multiple languages. Artist and author Deana Sobel Lederman, and CALEC’s team of translators have teamed up to complete a series of three different stories which take place during the Covid19 crisis. The three stories have already been translated into Japanese, Spanish, Italian and French. They will soon be translated into Russian, Portuguese and Chinese, all (including the original books in English) to be published by our very own TBR Books.

Continue reading New Release: Rainbows, Masks, and Ice Cream

A compelling collection of anecdotes about French and American professionals on their experiences working together. This book reveals the risks of misjudgments. It provides tips and tricks to foster mutual understanding. Its goal is to spark curiosity, encourage professionals to adopt the best methods from both cultures, and to better work together.

Can We Agree to Disagree? Exploring the differences at work between Americans and the French: A cross-cultural perspective on the gap between the Hexagon and the U.S., and tips for successful and happy collaborations, by Agathe Laurent and Sabine Landolt.

Order it now from TBR Books

Imagine you’ve just arrived at a salsa dance class, only to discover that you’re the only person wearing gym shoes. Suddenly, you feel ill equipped and out of place. Your ability to master this beautiful dance is severely hindered.

Expanding on this metaphor, Tammy Oberg de la Garza and Alyson L. Lavigne, explore troublesome cultural gaps Latino students often face in school. The book addresses several themes such as the historical context of racial discrimination, identity issues, loss of one’s language, immigration, bilingualism, cultural heritage, and other barriers Latino’s have faced and still face today. Each chapter combines personal essays with research and theory in order to get the reader to step into the shoes of a Latino student and understand their world. Each chapter then ends with effective classroom practices that all teachers can use to interact with their Latino students more efficiently.

Salsa Dancing in Gym Shoes: Developing Cultural Competence to Foster Latino Student Success aims to help develop and expand the cultural competence of preservice and veteran teachers that aren’t wearing the same “shoes” as Latino students and helps educators gain practical strategies to create positive and safe learning environments for their Latino students.

Order book here

This book is a must read for all teachers that work with the Latino population. It brought back memories of my own educational experiences and I resonated with so many of the stories, but I also realized that school never taught me to teach Latino students like me- which brought me to adapt Anglo-teaching methods… this book really opened my eyes, taught me to unlearn old practices, and learn new methods to teach my (future) students effectively. – Abigail Sanchez