National Standards: 5 C’s ACTFL Performance Guidelines Summer Teacher Institute ‘08 Naomi Omizo

Presentation Outline Background of National Standards 5 C’s: Definitions 11 Standards Relationship to ACTFL Performance Guidelines

Background of Standards Development Response to a national effort in the 80’s-90’s to develop national standards in all subject areas. 1993: Initiation of development of national standards in foreign languages: content standards (what students should know and be able to do in foreign language education.) Collaborative effort by members of diverse sectors, including foreign language educators from throughout the U. S.

Background (cont.) Task: To define content standards (what students should know and be able to do) Task force development of national foreign language standards completed. (1996) Development of language-specific standards based on the generic foreign language standards by language professional organizations. (1999)

What are the 5 C’s? Communication ( Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational ) Cultures Connections Comparisons ( Language and Culture ) Communities ( multilingual communities at home and abroad )

Eleven Standards 1.1 (Interpersonal) Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 1.2 (Interpretive) Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics. 1.3 (Presentational) Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics

What is Culture? Perspectives ( world view: meanings, attitudes, values, ideas) Practices ( patterns of social interactions) Products ( books, tools, foods, laws, music, games, etc.) Example: Exchange of business cards in Japan

Big “C” and small “c” Big C: formal formal institutions, historical events/persons, products of literature, science Small c: daily life food, clothing, houses, tools,patterns of behavior that are necessary and valued in the culture

Eleven Standards (cont.) CULTURES 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied. –Ex.: Respect/heirarchy/status and exchanging of bus. cards 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives –Ex.: Valuing youth: face creams, cosmetic surgery

Eleven Standards (cont.) CONNECTIONS 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language –Ex.:Students discuss other school subjects in the target language, I.e., music in the target language 3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures. Ex.:Using authentic sources that would be used by students of the same age in the native language, first graders listening to songs in the target language

Eleven Standards (cont.) COMPARISONS 4.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. –Example: Students discuss word order, meaning and hypothesize about how the culture organizes information and how it reflects it values. 4.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. –Example: Comparisons of products ( games, crafts) between cultures.

Eleven Standards (cont.) COMMUNITIES 5.1 Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. –Using the language as a tool for communication with other speakers of the language in schools, community and abroad. –Ex.: ing native speakers 5.2 Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. –Accessing information and entertainment in the other language to enrich one’s life. –Ex.: Listen to music from the other culture, play sports or games of the other culture.

Relationship to ACTFL Guidelines 1986: ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines –Provided a way to measure performance in reading, writing, speaking and listening. 1998: ACTFL Performance Guidelines –Defines how well students can be expected to meet the content standards –States the characteristics of language users at the various stages of learning and development according to the communicative modes: interpersonal, interpretive and presentational - Focuses on content.

THE RESULTS Clarified the importance of foreign language learning and how language learning can be used in meaningful ways for the present and future. Fostered a broader view of second language study and competence Created a stronger, better focused and more unified second language curriculum throughout the nation.