National Language K-12 Learning Standards

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Why do the Standards exist? The Standards were developed by the American Council for the Teachers of Foreign Language & Individual Language Professional Associations. They were designed to update language instruction across the United States with research-based methods & a common benchmark for measuring student progress. What are the K-12 Standards? The standards have 5 goal areas which comprise foreign language education called the "5 C's": Communication - developing communcative competence Cultures - perspectives, products & practices of the cultures who speak the language studied Connections - with subjects beyond the language studied Comparisons - developing an ability to compare language & cultural differences Communities - using language within & beyond the school setting & becoming a life-long learner Adapted from Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century What is Language Proficiency? Proficiency is the ability to use language to communicate in linguistically, culturally and socially appropriate ways (ACTFL). In short, knowing "how to say what to whom and when to say it." A Proficiency based curriculum trains students to use functional language. This is accomplished by learning language in context. Students are taught learning strategies by engageing in student-centered (not teacher-centered) activities. Use of authentic materials is key to helping students develop these strategies. What are authentic materials and why should I use them? Early & frequent use of authentic or "native" material is key to a standards-based language education. No student is too young or too low in level to learn from age & level appropriate authentic material. This is the context in which students develop learning strategies for language acquisition. What are the ACTFL Proficiency & Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners? The guidelines were developed to measure student progress in real-world functional tasks against the National Standards. Rather than beginner, intermediate & advanced levels, the proficiency guidelines provide useful criteria to measure a student's speaking & writing skills and are divided into: Novice - low, medium & high Intermediate - low, medium & high Advanced - low, medium & high The ACTFL Performance Guidelines assess a student's: Comprehensibility Comprehension Language Control Vocabulary Use Communication Strategies Cultural Awarness