A Guide to the Treasure in the World Language Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve Sailing to Success in the World Language Classroom

A language is not an academic subject. What is your reaction to this statement?

A language is something that happens between people in flesh and blood. That is where it is. That is what it is. No more. No less. Individuals experience the world individually. That is called perception. Communities experience the world together. That is called language. Greg Thomson, SIL International

An Analogy Acquiring language is like building your pirate ship

The seaworthiness of the finished product depends on several factors The quality of your materials The caliber of your plans The level of your work The dedication of your crew The time you have Your knowledge of the goal

Where do we realistically expect our students to “sail” in 4 years? (discuss)

 Write down ideas you have about what a student who completes 4 years of high school language should be able to do  Share these ideas with your small group  Make a general list with the whole group Think and share

On Dry Land? In Sheltered Coves? In Coastal Waters? Among the Islands? On the High Seas? On Calm Lakes?

The standards present the knowledge, skills, and abilities that ALL learners should acquire during thirteen years in the California public school system. How long does it take to build the ship? AARRGH, Matey

Category 1: French/Spanish/Italian 600 hrs* Category 2: German/Greek/Hindi 750 hours* Category 3: Vietnamese 1100 hours* Category 4: Chinese/Japanese/Korean 2200 hrs* Time to “General Professional Proficiency” in Speaking/Reading *These numbers = class hours Draft World Language Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, p. 2

*Here’s the “dirty little secret” Research based on Foreign Service Institute: “It must be kept in mind that students at FSI are almost 40 years old, native speakers of English, and have a good aptitude for formal language study, plus knowledge of several other foreign languages. They study in small classes of no more than six. Their schedule calls for 25 hours of class per week with three to four hours per day of directed self- study.” Draft Foreign Language Content Standards For California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, p. 2 (Emphasis mine)

Let’s do the math Spanish: 600/25 = 24 weeks 3.5 hr. x 5 days x 24 wks = = 1020 hours of study by focused, knowledgeable, mature, multi-lingual, apt students in small classes

Let’s do the math California Schools 180 days – 8 days testing = – 12 days school business = x.75 hours = 120 hours 120 hours x 4 years = 480 hrs with unfocused, inexperienced, immature, monolingual, unapt students in large classes

Category 1: French/Spanish/Italian 1020 hrs* Category 2: German 1275 hours* Category 3: Vietnamese 1870 hours* Category 4: Chinese/Japanese/Korean 2740 hrs* Time to “General Professional Proficiency” in Speaking/Reading *These numbers = exposure hours

We have a choice... Build a small, well-constructed craft that provides pleasure...

... or attempt a large craft that takes us nowhere.

Where do we realistically expect our students to “sail” in 4 years? (changes?)

Resources for building our Language Ship  Content Competence (Raw Materials)  Student Population (Crew)  Standards (Treasure map)

Standards  Tell us where we’re going  Help us see where we’re sailing  Let us decide how to get there

CA Standards = Treasure Map ACTFL Guidelines = Depth Chart

Components of Standards Four Stages:Four Stages: Formulaic – understand and produce chunks of language without conscious, formal knowledge of their internal structure Created – understand sentence level relationships and use sentences and strings of sentences Planned – understand and produce paragraphs and strings of paragraphs Extended – understand and produce cohesive texts composed of multiple paragraphs

Components of Standards Five Categories: Content – what Communication – how Cultures – who and why Structures – support (“grammar/syntax”) Settings - when

world & its complexities my world & larger world Content me and my world me

Dry Land Lake Cove Coast Islands impersonal rules body parts, illness health, medical care cultural differences in HC policy issues in HC High Seas

Communication Three Modes:Three Modes: Interpersonal – Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and exchange opinions Interpretive – Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics Presentational – Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners and readers on a variety of topics

“We can no longer afford to simply learn about languages and cultures but rather, we must provide students with opportunities to learn languages and cultures by participating in communicative interactions that prepare for real-world language use and global citizenship.” World Language Content Standards For California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, p. 1 (emphasis mine ) Communication is the water on which we sail.

Talking about language is like reading charts and manuals but never setting sail to find the treasure.

Cultures Practices: Practices: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied Products: Products: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied.

Structures Orthography: Orthography: Students learn spelling and punctuation Phonology: Phonology: Students learn sounds Morphology: Morphology: Students learn forms Syntax: Syntax: Students learn to put sentences together properly Semantics: Semantics: Students learn language meaning Pragmatics: Pragmatics: Students learn non-language meaning

Settings Community: Community: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting Informal and Formal: Informal and Formal: Students use the language in informal and increasingly formal situations Life-Long Learning: Life-Long Learning: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment

Knowledge Connections Cross-curricular: Cross-curricular: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the language Acquisition: Acquisition: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are available only through the language and its cultures

Knowledge Connections Language: Language: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and others that they know Culture: Culture: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and others that they know

Stages: Stages: where we’re sailing ≠ course level may require more or less time do not progress linearly Secondary learners will require more than one year to move from one stage to the next and may spend a significant amount of time within two adjacent stages Acquisition is messy; no neat little boxes Variants include language, setting, students

Stage 1 - Formulaic Learners comprehend and produce (communication) learned words and phrases (structures) dealing with discrete elements of life (content) in highly predictable common daily situations (settings/culture)

Stage 2 - Created Learners comprehend and produce (communication) sentences and strings of sentences (structures) dealing with topics related to self, the immediate environment, survival and courtesy (content/culture) in transactional and some informal situations (settings/culture)

Stage 3 - Planned Learners comprehend and produce (communication) oral and written paragraphs and strings of paragraphs (structures) dealing with concrete and factual topics of public interest (content/culture) in most informal and some formal situations (settings/culture)

Stage 4 - Extended Learners comprehend and produce (communication) oral and written essays (structures) dealing with unfamiliar, abstract, practical, social and professional topics (content/culture) in informal and most formal settings and problem situations (settings/culture)

What kind of ship will your students sail?

And where will they find their treasure?

COACH Foreign Language Project Inc. Website: ©2008 Robert Harrell/COACH Foreign Language Project Sailing to Success in the World Language Classroom Professional Development Workshops