MSI Press Blog

Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from My 20th Language by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver --  First Language Literacy: The Lifelong Launchpad A foundational truth in my lifelong language journey is this: literacy in one’s native language shapes the success of all language learning that follows. Literacy builds the internal architecture of language awareness—structure, logic, rhythm, and flexibility. Those who develop high literacy in their first language possess a powerful springboard for mastering others. This difference becomes strikingly clear when comparing institutional outcomes. I served as a leader in both the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and the Defense Language Institute (DLI), where language instruction is intensive and time-bound. While students at both schools receive nearly the same number of classroom hours, the proficiency expectations differ significantly: FSI graduates are trained to reach professional fluency, while DLI students typically aim for working profi...

Reading is one of the most natural human inclinations. Some children begin sounding out words at two. Some begin at seven. Some leap in on their own; some need gentle instruction. The range is wide, normal, and healthy. But enthusiasm is fragile. My niece wanted to read in preschool. She asked. She was ready. Her teacher told her no — that’s first‑grade work . So she waited. And when first grade finally arrived, she looked around the room, saw the toys, and said, essentially, no thank you . “I wanted to learn last year. Now I want to play.” She did learn to read — and she reads well — but it took longer than it needed to. Not because she lacked ability, but because her spark had been dampened. On Literacy Day, that’s the reminder worth carrying: Read to children. Surround them with books. Encourage curiosity. And when they are ready — not when you are ready, not when the school calendar says it’s time — let them run. Support them, follow their pace, and trust their timing. Literacy g...

  Excerpt from Achieving Native-Like Second Language Proficiency PREFACE Contrary to popular thought in some quarters, learning languages to very high levels of proficiency, i.e. those very close to those of native speakers, is, indeed, possible. Not only is it possible, it is done on a routine basis by a number of learners, not only in other countries, but in the United States , as well. True, the numbers in the United States are not large, but they are sufficient enough to show that it can be done here, as well as in countries of Europe , Eurasia , Latin America , and elsewhere. Further, there are some very skilled teachers quietly producing these levels of proficiency also on a regular basis.       The problem is not the ability to teach to native-like levels of proficiency in direct instruction programs or the ability to learn to native-like levels of proficiency, given the appropriate help and experience. Rather, the problem lies in the all-too-per...

  Shenan (CB) Leaver, author of Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest , was recently interviewed by the Mission Village Voice , where his book is being serialized. From the MVV introduction to the column: "Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest is collection of anecdotes about a 'detail-oblivious' homemaker and traveler, told from the point of view of CB, her mentally challenged son. The simplicity of language has made this book a favorite with ESL students, and the humorous 'conclusion' about life from a child's point of view endears it to anyone with a sense of humor. The reason CB's mother worked with him to write the book was to teach him the impact of literacy -- why people write and why people read. Even though it has been impossible for him to learn to read and write very much, through the joint preparation of the book he did learn a lot about literacy. CB is a 42-year-old CHARGE Syndrome, on of about 4-5 worldwide his age. He was given 0% chance of living, dispro...

  Linguacy, a term coined by Brecht and Ingold (2002), is not just about speaking or understanding a language. It’s about grasping the systems of meaning that shape how people think, solve problems, and communicate—whether through words, numbers, diagrams, or gestures. I didn’t set out to learn these things, but over time, I found myself needing to understand them in order to function across unfamiliar terrains. Some of the differences were subtle. In certain places, math is taught through calculation first, theory later. That reversal of order changes how students approach problems. Instead of being handed a formula and told to apply it, they’re expected to wrestle with the numbers and discover the logic through use. It’s not better or worse—it’s just a different way of thinking. The orientation of math problems also varies. Some are designed to be solved forward, step by step. Others are meant to be worked backward, with the answer in mind and the path reconstructed. That shi...