WORLD LANGUAGE STANDARDS

BY STATE

NATIONAL (K-16+)

• What is ACTFL and what are the National Standards for Language Education? (summary)
• ACTFL K-12 Performance Guidelines; more on ACTFL K-12
• Linguafolio - Formative language tool by the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages, aligned to the CFE and ACTFL. [Linguafolio 1-page grid; ppt; video]
• AP Spanish alignment to ACTFL K-12 standards  (College Board World Languages Framework)
• Benchmarks & proficiency descriptors as per one leading proficiency assessment, the STAMP (see below)
• Comparison of major proficiency scales

 What do the ACTFL proficiency ranges, culture and world language standards look like in practice?

See these examples of:

Standards-driven performance-based assessments

World Languages Cumulative Growth Expectations (NJ) for:

• Language Proficiency in: Pre-School; the other K-12 grades
• Cultural Competence

CALIFORNIA (K-12)

• California Department of Education Foreign Language Frameworks and upcoming world languages content standards. Invitation for field review.

PROGRAM ARTICULATION BASED ON STUDENT PROFICIENCY     

 vs. OTHER APPROACHES

DJUSD FLAP Assessments

MLPA

STAMP (Background, versions 1 & 2; V2 reporting guide, rubrics, student guide)

NOELLA

RESEARCH-BASED PROFICIENCY EXPECTATIONS: 

 1) AGE AND SECOND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Research shows that the earlier a child starts learning a second language, the better.

The resulting level of proficiency will be markedly different depending on whether the L2 studies start in early vs. late childhood (where phonology is the first area of the brain to terminate, followed by morphology and syntax) versus puberty and adulthood (where there no longer is a true L1 level of ultimate attainment). Research notes.

 2) JIM CUMMINS:

Aspects of Second Language Proficiency 

"Much of the controversy concerning the education of bilingual students derives from failure to distinguish between different aspects of English language proficiency. Specifically, we need to distinguish three types of proficiency in English. The first is conversational fluency in the language; second is discreet language skills and third, academic language proficiency." ... “Research has repeatedly shown that second language learners usually require at least five years of exposure to academic English to catch up to native speaker norms.” ... (sound file)

The Ethics of Doublethink: Language Rights and the Bilingual Education Debate (article)

3) PROFICIENCY EXPECTATIONS. State of Delaware.  Full report.

PROGRAM DESIGN

• Dual Language Programs; Graph
• Two-Way Bilingual Immersion,  CDE Language Policy and Leadership
• Articulation by aligning to proficiency expectations. (a) NJ World Languages Program Description; State of NJ, NJ K-8 Project; (b) DoDEA K-12 Language Program Features and Expectations;  (c) Pittsburgh Public Schools, K, 3, 5, other.
• CASLS, Center for Applied Second Language Studies, Univ. of Oregon

• Review of Research and Best Practices on Effective Features of Dual Language Education Programs, 2005 by Kathryn Lindholm-Leary

• Framework of Best Practices for NM Dual Language Programs
• Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, by CAL 

EDUCATING WORLD CITIZENS

1. Why learn a second language?
2. Performance Guidelines for World Languages: The "content" or the "what" of learning (academic achievement) versus the performance or the "how well" of learning a language (language proficiency).
3. College credit for: (a)  ACTFL OPI. (b) CLEP, or College Level Examination Program, Spanish CLEP description; (c) College Board: AP Spanish test is aligned to the ACTFL K-12 standards (see the College Board World Languages Framework). Test Description, UC Davis credit for AP Spanish
4. Commonwealth of Virginia 30-min. video on world languages, immersion, distance language learning, and the use of Linguafolio. 

 MORE ON GOVERNMENT-FUNDED FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROJECTS

Case Study: The PPS FLAP MODEL 

 THE MATH OF L2 PROFICIENCY

(Quoted with permission from CASLS Researcher Linda Forrest ACTFL 2008 presentation)

 TIME is of the essence!

• The lifetime total number of class hours is critical for student success.
• Without enough time, the other factors cannot affect outcomes.

 How long does it take? 

According to the Foreign Service Institute: To reach a speaking general professional level of proficiency (Cummins' "conversational fluency") of ACTFL Superior/ILR 3 (for adults with high aptitude, who already know several languages, in a class size of 6, studying 25 class hours per week plus 15-20 hours of self study*):

• Spanish/French: 600 class hours
• German: 750 class hours
• Hindi, Russian, Thai or Urdu: 1,100 class hours
• Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese or Korean: 2,200 class hours

How many years of study is that?

Assuming 45 minute periods, 600 class hours would take 5 years of 5 world language periods per week. (So, to reach this level, in any language, you need to start before high school.) 

Now you do the math:

a) How many years would it take if a student takes four world language periods a week instead of five?; b) How many years to become proficient in German?; c) In Russian?; d) In Chinese or Japanese? 

What about younger learners? Younger students will definitely have an age advantage (see 1 on left). However, keep in mind who the FSI study participants were. Also, the highest levels of the ACTFL scale require adult-like sophistication and life experiences. Younger students will lack those --along with a mature and consistent performance until their late teens. However, their early foundation will allow them to reach much higher levels than late starters!