The State of World Languages in Georgia Susan Crooks Foreign Language Specialist Georgia Department of Ed

Georgia Needs Language Expertise The top 10 countries we exported to in 2004 were 1. Canada 6. China 2. Japan 7. Germany 3. Mexico 8. France 4. United Kingdom 9. Korea 5. Netherlands 10. Italy Exports to China increased 55% in the last year, and Korea increased by 48%.

Data combines import and export figures for 2006

Nationally we have a trade deficit. In 2006 we had a trade deficit of $69.9 billion

We need to prepare our students for an increasingly diverse and global world of work. Knowledge of a foreign language is the key to survival in the future.

NC Standard Course of Study Website “ The workplace of tomorrow is a world of many cultures and languages...With new forms of global commerce we can’t even imagine today”(Kiplinger Washington Editors, 1996) 200,000 Americans annually lose out to jobs with business because they do not know another language. Managers who know how to deal with a diverse workforce will have an edge. NC Standard Course of Study Website

Foreign Language study has academic benefits Builds greater cognitive skills Enhances listening skills and memory Improves test scores

Research proves it! 12 dozen studies on the relationship between language learning and cognitive ability revealed that children who study a foreign language perform better on standardized tests in English, math, and social studies. Robinson, 1992

FL study helps with literacy A significant relationship exists between high scores in reading and extended foreign language study for students of average intelligence. Garfinkel and Tabor, 1991

Ga. SAT Scores years C R Math Write English Math Natural Science Social Science Foreign & Classical Language Art and Music

The research: SAT-Verbal scores of students who had taken four to five years of foreign language were higher than those of students who had taken four to five years of any other subject. Neither economic background nor intelligence affected student performance. Cooper,1987

Elementary FL Research 13,200 third and fifth graders in Louisiana taking foreign language outscored other students on the English portion of the LA Basic Skills Test, regardless of race, gender, or academic level Rafferty, 1986

So what’s up in Georgia? The Model Elementary Language Program has lost funding. 24 of 29 schools kept their programs. Of the 185 school systems in Ga. less than 20 have system wide Middle School language programs. Outside of Metro-Atlanta, many high schools have only one language, at most 2, with 3 or less years of study.

How can we improve the situation? We must become advocates and educate our communities as to the importance of language learning. We must make language relevant and meaningful for our students. We must love what we do and infect our students with a love for learning language.

The New Graduation Rule Voted on Sept. 13 by SBOE Proposes one diploma for all students Adds one year on Math and one year of Science for all students Increases proposed units to 23 for graduation Relegates 2 years of language to a “Recommended Elective” for college bound students

Georgia Performance Standards Foreign Language Performance Standards have changed very little because they were already performance based. The standards include an ACTFL description of what students should look like at each level. They are accompanied by Thematic Units, written and tested by teachers in the field.

Our standards are located at For now they are located in the middle of the page under the box labeled M.A.G.I.C. Level I Thematic Units will also be posted on our newly created standards site.

Important things to remember: The textbook is a guide, not the curriculum Language acquisition takes time Think in terms of student performance-use all modalities Ask for student input

Professional Language Organizations Can Be Helpful ACTFL- National conference coming to San Antonio, Nov , 2007 SCOLT- Regional conference coming to Myrtle Beach, April 3-5, 2008 FLAG- State conference meeting in Augusta Feb. 29-March 1, 2008

Websites of Professional Organizations Here you can get information about a variety of topics, including scholarships to study abroad.

Language Specific Organizations AATF- //class.georgiasouthern.edu/aatf AATG-www. ga-aatg.org AATSP- GJCL, ACL-

Programs are available to improve your language ability Embassy of Spain- Salamanca, Granada, Cobb County, Goethe Institute Alliance Francaise Consulate of France atlanta.org Mexico (see SCOLT and FLAG sites) Canada

Languages should be accessible to all students All students who speak their native language can learn a second language Grammar is part of language learning, but should not be the main focus Practicing in all modalities everyday has huge results

I hope your class is the one students look forward to everyday me anytime at