Awards and Scholarships
Paul T. Griffith Teacher of the Year Award
The 2023 Illinois Language Teacher of the Year is Erinn Vincent.
Each year, ICTFL names an outstanding world language educator as its Illinois Teacher of the Year. The awardee becomes a candidate for the Central States Conference Regional Teacher of the Year Award and serves as an ICTFL delegate to Language Advocacy Days in Washington D.C. The ACTFL award is intended to elevate the status of our profession at the state, regional, and national levels by creating opportunities for recognizing the most accomplished members of our profession.
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Distinguished Service to World Language Learning Award
ICTFL is pleased to invite nominations for the ICTFL Awards for Distinguished Service to World Language Learning for, which, by decision of the Board of Directors on February 28, 2005, henceforth replaces the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards. The award recognizes individuals for both Exemplary Teaching and Training and for Contributions Outside the Classroom
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The ICTFL Award for College World Language Teaching Majors
The ICTFL Award for College World Language Teaching Majors recognizes college students preparing to become teachers of world languages. As many as five such awards will be presented annually, to recognize promising students enrolled in Illinois colleges and universities.
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The ICTFL Award for
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The Presidents Award for Building ICTFL
Annually since 1994, the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages has offered as many as two President's Awards to members who distinguish themselves through service to ICTFL in organizational development.
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ICTFL Scholarships
Fund for the Future Scholarship
Fund for the Future Recipients attending ICTFL Fall Conference
If you are a pre-service or first-year through fifth-year language teacher, apply for an ICTFL Fund for the Future Scholarship to attend an ICTFL event such as WinterFest, Kickstart or our Fall Conference.
ICTFL 2024 World Language Teacher Scholarship Winners
We are very happy to announce the recipients of the ICTFL Scholarships for Future World Language Educators in Illinois. Two high school seniors, Savannah Amatyleon and Madeleine Pool, will receive the ICTFL $500 scholarship, and two university students, Sarah Hansen and Candelaria Barrientos Jimenez, will receive the ICTFL $1000 scholarship.
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Savannah Amatyleon is a senior at Mahomet-Seymour High School in Mahomet. She credits her dad who is Peruvian with sparking her interest in Spanish. “Every summer, my dad leads a group of people from my church on a mission trip to Trujillo……When I was in Peru for the first time, I quickly realized that my passion was for Spanish and Hispanic culture. Being immersed in the culture and getting to use my Spanish daily was amazing for me…..I would love to be able to help others with language through education.”
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Madeline Pool is a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton. She thanks two of her high school teachers for inspiring her to become a Spanish teacher. They “have such positive energy, and are always willing to help and answer questions. I have formed such great relationships with both of them that it makes Spanish even more enjoyable. They have so much passion for teaching and for the language that it makes everyone else in the room enjoy the class no matter how hard the material is. This led me to think I want to become a Spanish teacher…….”
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Sarah Hansen attends Elmhurst University in Elmhurst where she is an elementary education major with a dual focus on teaching Spanish and English language learners. She adds, “My passion for teaching English learners stemmed from a research paper I did while in high school on the disproportionate number of English Learners in Iowa versus the number of teachers who were qualified and able to provide an effective learning experience for those whose first language is not English. This was one of many inequities in the Education field that motivated me to become an educator.”
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Candelaria Barrientos Jimenez is completing a masters program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb where she is majoring in Spanish and Hispanic Studies. She describes the challenges of being a heritage speaker who feels very comfortable understanding Spanish in family reunions, but who struggles at times in more professional settings. She adds that these “realizations propelled my journey of becoming as proficient in Spanish as I am in English.”
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Congratulations to all the winners. We wish you the best as you pursue your World Language studies and your career choice!
Lionel E. Smith Scholarship for future African American World Language teachers
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Although Lionel was not an educator, he strongly believed in the power of education to change lives and open new horizons. For thirty years, he supported his husband’s work in language education and observed the transformation of students’ lives through language studies and travels. Lionel believed that reparations should be made in the form of educational opportunities for African Americans in the United States. To honor his memory, the Lionel E. Smith Scholarship for future African American Language Teachers was established through the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. A cash award of $500 will be given to an African American senior in an Illinois high school who intends to become a language teacher. The award will be renewable each year as long as the student continues to make progress toward becoming a language teacher. ICTFL will administer the scholarship. | ||