Announcements

AELRC Receives Language Resource Center Funding

January 24, 2023

Georgetown University’s Assessment and Evaluation Language Resource Center (AELRC) has been awarded a third grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI Language Resource Centers Program to support its mission of facilitating useful assessment and evaluation practices in foreign language education. With nearly $700,000 in renewed grant funding for 2022-2026, the AELRC will continue and expand its role as a leading innovator and resource provider for U.S. K-16 foreign language educators. 

The AELRC, founded in 2014, is directed collaboratively by researchers at Georgetown University, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), and ACTFL. Dr. Meg Montee, Associate Research Professor at Georgetown, serves as the Director. The AELRC is one of 16 Title VI Language Resource Centers that exist throughout the United States. 

The AELRC supports innovative foreign language programming through the creation of effective assessment and evaluation tools. The focus of the 2022-2026 grant cycle is the creation of new LCTL assessments in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Ukrainian, the creation of a digital resource library, and the development of robust professional development offerings and resources for world language teachers focused on strengthening their assessment and evaluation practices. Additionally, AELRC researchers will conduct a national study of K-16 language program articulation designed to overcome barriers to language study as students transition from high school to higher education. 

The LRC grant renewal will allow the AELRC to realize its project goals while staying committed to advancing equity in foreign language education by providing tailored resources and professional development opportunities to foreign language educators at community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions.