Cécile Lainé

The SCOLT Awards Committee held interviews at the SCOLT conference March 19, 2026. Cécile Lainé, a French teacher at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, TN, is the recipient of the 2026 SCOLT Teacher of the Year Award. Each state in the thirteen state SCOLT region may send one state language Teacher of the Year to the regional conference.

Cécile was selected on the basis of her excellence in teaching, her strong contributions to world languages, her letters of recommendation, and an interview. She will now advance to the national competition sponsored by ACTFL. During the  ACTFL convention this November, she and four other regional teachers will vie for the title of ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. The teacher selected in November will serve as the national spokesperson for language learning in 2027.

Cécile states, “I am a world Language educator because I believe, as I did growing up in post-war Europe, that languages are not enrichment for the few, but a foundation for a more peaceful and just society. Learning languages and developing cultural competence are fundamentally about living and thriving together in community.”

The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) is a professional organization whose mission is to promote universal World Language education supported by the community, valued by political and business leaders, encouraged by parents and peers, and taught by exemplary instructors. SCOLT congratulates Bertha on this award and thanks her for her efforts to promote world language learning.

Meet all of the 2026 Teachers of the Year from the SCOLT Region and hear their advice for new teachers by visiting this page!

See all previous Teachers of the Year from the SCOLT Region here.