Language learning in the USA

Now that you know a bit about education in the US, what do you think language learning looks like in the United States? How do you think it is different of similar to here?

Basic Facts about Foreign Language Instruction in Schools Foreign language in elementary schools 31% 54% private and 24% public Only 78% and 51% respectably in these schools actually received instruction Foreign language in secondary schools 86% Most kids including myself begin language in middle school Language survey Choose a language in 8th grade

Foreign Language Specifics Foreign language in elementary school is usually taught by a seperate teacher who enters into the classroom a few hours a week 33% of foreign language speakers are native speakers Foreign language is only used for about 22% of the time How does this compare to your experience in Spain?

What languages do students in the US study?

Bilingual Education Bilingual education is typically for ELL not focused on creating bilingual speakers generally Bilingual education controversy and history Bilingual education models: Two-way bilingual programs One-way early exit One-way late exit

Recent history of Foreign Language Instruction Foreign language instruction lost all importance in the 1960’s and 1970’s because of budget cuts Then, the the 1980’s foreign language became more of an interest as more immigrants came to the US Today, foreign language education depends a lot on the state you live in Arizona vs. Texas

History of L2 learning methods in the US Grammar Translation Method Translation and memorization Direct Method Teaching concepts and vocabulary through pantomiming and real life objects More focus on spoken language Audiolingual method Behaviorist-positive and negative feedback Instruct without using the native language Drill students on grammar and don’t focus on vocabulary

“Recent” Developments in methods and their affects on US education Noam Chomsky (Innatism) Children are born ready to learn languages (Language Acquisition Device) Students generate meaningful creative sentences to learn or acquire grammar Universal grammar is assumed meaning that we can create sentences we have never heard before

Methods that stem from Chomsky and later interactionists that are important in the US education system Language immersion https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/spanish-immersion-school (5:15) Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling Total Physical Response http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikZY6XpB214

5 Cs of Language Learning Communication Cultures Connections Comparisons Communities

What methods are most common in Spain What methods are most common in Spain? Are there any methods you don’t agree with or that you would like to try?

Foreign Language support today in the USA!! Today there are both national and regional organizations that support Foreign Language education ACTFL TESOL Regional conferences for Language teaching Councils for Language teaching in each state These organizations provide standards and conferences as well as studies to keep improving

Results of Foreign Language Education Results of language learning are unforunately not great The majority of students who graduate with a degree in a second langauge do not meet minimal proficiency (Question about Spanish teachers) Candidates for PhD degrees are considered to have achieved a reading knowledge with only the knowledge of a second-year language students That being said, we have been fairly successful with ESL and ELL programs Historically, I believe that ESL and ELL is seen as being more important

Ally’s Observations This is just ONE perspective that I have drawn from a very small amount of experience! In the United States, textbooks are utilized less and the focus is more on communication whether it is correct or not Early on, I was encouraged to give speeches, write theater, create presentations and participate in activities to learn the language through usage This also means I am not as confident in my grammar In my HS here, it appears that there is more emphasis on textbooks and grammar memorization. Students do much better with those aspects than American students. However, they are also more worried about using the language and making mistakes in communication.

My thoughts on results I think that there is a higher success rate with fluency here in Spain. Students and teachers have consistently higher levels of speaking than teachers and students thatI know in the US. Students are also more highly motivated. But, in my opinion, listening and creative usage of the language may be a bit lower than their American counterparts. This means, that if we can combine the strengths of Spanish language learning with strengths of American language learning we will have more success in teaching our students well rounded knowledge of both Spanish and English!!!

Questions or comments?