Introducing Maestra Flores!

August 15, 2021August 23, 2021Leave a comment

Michelle Borgert Flores is our program’s Lead Teacher. She is a Nebraska certified teacher and has taught elementary and middle school grades for nine years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She was born in California but lived in Argentina for 5 years. Her parents are both Argentinian and her family is all still there.

She moved to Lincoln with her husband Aaron and they are expecting their first child in October. They have two cat babies as well, named Nani and Meeko. Her favorite travel spot is to Osaka, Japan and her favorite food is bean burritos. She loves gardening, listening to audio books, knitting, traveling (especially to Disney world), and spending time with family and friends.

Is it really beneficial to learn a second language?

June 12, 2019Leave a comment

U.S. employers say yes! A study released just last month by the American Council Teaching Foreign Languages stated that:

“The demand for language skills in the U.S. workforce is greater than ever before. In boardrooms and in the field, with customers and partners and on social media, U.S. employers today are increasingly conducting business in a language other than English. Accordingly, the ability to effectively communicate in more than one language is a critical asset for U.S. students and employees—not only in boosting their marketability in the workplace, but in helping them thrive in a global economy.”

A couple of key takeaways important to us include that “9 out of 10 U.S. employers report a reliance on U.S.-based employees with language skills other than English” and that “Spanish, Chinese and Japanese see the highest demand among U.S. employers.”

Click here to read the full article: ACTFL Study

Students should be provided with foreign language instruction at a younger age

February 4, 2019February 4, 2019Leave a comment

“According to Education Week, 91 percent of public schools nationwide offer foreign language instruction at the high school level, while only 58 percent of middle schools and 25 percent of elementary schools do the same. This statistic seems backwards though, as according to Newsweek, scientists have found that children must start to learn a new language by the age of 10 in order to achieve the fluency level of a native speaker. It’s frustrating knowing that despite all my studies, I likely will never truly become this level of fluent because no outlet was available for me at a young age.”

Click here to see the whole article: Students should be provided with foreign language instruction at a younger age