Task+Group+2

To Create a vision for a viable K-12 articulation continuum, reflecting the latest research in the field of second language acquisition.

Any world language introduced at the elementary level is valuable. But central to any decision is the continuation of that language at the middle and high school levels to achieve a well-articulated program. Spanish and French are the most commonly taught. However, as was mentioned at our first meeting, Mandarin, Arabic, Korean, and Japanese are choices that are appealing in today's world from an economic and trade perspective. Another determining factor might be the availability of well-trained teachers and their commitment to the WL program. Data gathering such as a parent/student questionnaire, could be a first step in deciding which language to offer at this level. Spanish and French are taught at the elementary level in alternating grades beginning in kindergarten. Students are seen once a week for forty minute sessions. At this level, instruction is thematic based with vocabulary and structures dealing with students' surroundings such as school, classroom, friends, home, family and community. It is also interdisciplinary with language teachers taking their cue from classroom teachers or an event (science, social studies, mathematics, Fire Prevention Week, Constitution Day, etc.) to prepare lessons accordingly. Both languages are offered in middle school (Grades 7 & 8) and students have a choice whether to continue with the language studied in elementary school or switch to the other. However, language instruction in Grade 7 is only half a year while Grade 8 is a full year. In high school the choices are broadened with offerings of Italian, Greek or Latin.
 * What languages(s) should be taught at the elementary level?
 * How are we currently articulating the WL program?

I am not aware of any formal questionnaires or surveys that have been conducted since the inception of the WL Program. Nevertheless, parents have voiced their support of world language instruction in casual conversation. This question could be developed into a series of questions to be included in the survey addressing which language should be offered at the elementary level. An effective WL program hinges upon the length and quality of instruction. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Performance Guidelines recommends a program that meets a minimum of three times per week for thirty minutes. "A program that does not offer a sufficient amount of contact time will impact how district students achieve the standards and will deny access to excellence and equity in achieving the standards." (NJDOE World Languages K-12 Information Guide). Availability of highly qualified teachers as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act is another factor to consider. Two international teacher placement agencies have been approved to operate in the State of New Jersey: Visiting International Faculty ([|www.vifprogram.com]) and Amity International ([|www.amity.com]).
 * What is community perception to the WL program?
 * What is the best way to deliver an effective WL program?

"A quality program builds upon each preceding level of instruction" (Curtain & Pesola, 1988) and the middle school program for students continuing the study of a world language should be significantly different from a program offered to students just beginning a world language. The NJ World Languages Curriculum Framework recommends that "districts should establish a separate track for continuing Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) students. As students reach the high school level with extensive backgrounds in world languages, curriculum at that level must also change in significant ways. Successful articulation can only be accomplished with the full partcipation of elementary, middle school, and high school teachers in planning the program to assure continuous development of language skills. "The globilization of economies, the rise of China and India, advances in science and communications technology, acceleration of international migration - and the fact that virtually every major health, environmental, and human security challenge Americans face can be solved only through international collaboration - will require our high school graduates to be far more knowledgeable about world regions, cultures, and global issues" An example of a school's response to globalization is the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago, an inner-city magnet school founded in 2000. Every student studies a world language for four years and experiences a home-stay exchange with a sister school in China, France, north Africa, Japan, Switzerland, Chile, Italy or South Africa. Use of technology, including video-conferencing, connects the classrooms to their sister schools and to subject matter experts around the world. This school is also the flagship of Chicago's Chinese language program, the largest in the country. (World-Smart Students, Vivien Stewart,Phi Delta Kappan. Bloomington: Nov 2008. Vol.90, Iss. 3; p. 203). The emphasis of language instruction has shifted from grammar/translation based to a focus on communication. The goal of foreign language instruction is to facilitate genuine interaction with others. The student needs to know //how//, //when//, and //why// to "say" //what// to //whom//. This approach encompasses the linguistic as well as the social and cultural aspects of effective communication. Effective curriculum design must take into account that the language learner needs to internalize a sound system, a basic lexicon, basic grammatical structures, communication strategies and rules about how the language is used appropriately in interaction. Technology such as video-conferencing, e-mail, computer software and the Internet are being used to help students reinforce their language skills, engage in communicative interaction with peers who speak the foreign language, and find out more about the culture and everday life in that country.
 * What shifts are occurring through globalization that impact program/articulation decision?
 * What are the most effective methodologies/practices for teaching a world language?

Characteristics of Effective Second Languages (World Languages) Instruction
 * 1) Teacher uses target language extensively and encourages students to do so.
 * 2) Teacher provides opportunities to communicate in target language in meaningful and purposeful activities that simulate real-life situations.
 * 3) Skill-using activities predominate.
 * 4) Time devoted to listening, speaking, reading, and writing is appropriate to course objectives and to language skills of students.
 * 5) Culture is systematically incorporated into instruction.
 * 6) Teacher uses a variety of materials.
 * 7) Most activities are student-centered.
 * 8) Student tasks and teacher questions reflect a range of thinking skills.
 * 9) Instruction addresses student learning styles.
 * 10) Teacher uses the textbook as a tool, not as a curriculum. (Developed by the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages Programs-Teaching & Learning to Standards 2002-2003)

Assessments should be performance based and reflect the the way students are taught. Ideally, assessments should be formative and summative based on common criteria and benchmarks. Assessments should help the student understand the learning process and mark their progress. "Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Title VI: International Reasearch and Studies Program, ACTFL is in a postion to move forward with a national assessment project of its own. ACTFL will draw from the work done on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, as well as other existing assessments, such as the Standards-Based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP), and the Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments (MLPA)...to develop a prototype for standards-based, performance-based assessments." (Achieving Articulation through Assessment, Jacque Bott Van Houten)
 * What are the best ways to assess learning in the current WL program?

What motivates students to learn a world language? "There are several factors which combine in a profile of the successful language learner. Obviously, the motivation to learn is important. However, it has been noted that those who experience some success are among the most motivated to learn. Thus, motivation may be as much as a result of success as a cause. "(Yule, 1996, p.195) Motivation can also be viewed from three distinct perspectives: With these definitions in mind, students "may be unmotivated to learn a foreign language because they fail to see the rewards, connect the learning only to superficial needs (e.g. fulfilling a requirement), and see no possibility of a social context in which this skill is useful."
 * 1) Behavioristic - the anticipation of a reward
 * 2) Cognitive - the individual's decisions
 * 3) Constructivist - the individual's personal choices but within a social context (Brown, 2000,pp.161, 162)