Second Language and Curriculum Goals

Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom. Successful Communication:

Formerly, most teaching in second language was grammar based. The current organizing principle for second language study is communication, highlighting the why, the whom, and the when. So, while grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, it is the ability to communicate with users of other languages that is the ultimate goal of today’s second language instruction. (Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st century, ACTFL, et al, Allen Press, Inc., 1999).

Correlation Between Length of Study and Proficiency There are various approaches to language instruction in Oregon. A student who begins second language study in the early elementary grades and continues an uninterrupted sequence of instruction will advance further than a student who does not begin language study until high school. However, student proficiency in a second language may be achieved over different periods of time depending on such factors as: Age of the learner Varying learning speeds and learning styles of students Teaching methodologies Abilities and interests of the instructor Scheduling patterns of the language program Scope and sequence of the language program Authenticity of the cultural environment and materials (Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, ACTFL, et al, Allen Press, Inc., 1999)

You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.

Connecting Oregon Content Standards to the “Five C’s of Standards for Foreign Language Learning” The reasons for studying foreign languages are as diverse as the students themselves. Regardless of the reason, foreign languages have something to offer everyone. It is with this philosophy in mind that the National Standards Task Force identified five goal areas that encompass all of these reasons: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities – the five C’s of foreign language education.

Communication: Communicate in Languages Other Than English 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 1.2 Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics. 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied. 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.

Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the second language. 3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the second language and its cultures.

Comparisons : Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture 4.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. 4.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

Communities : Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World 5.1 Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. 5.2 Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. The Five C’s of Standards for Foreign Language Learning are embedded in the Oregon Second Language Standards. (Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, ACTFL, et al, Allen Press, Inc., 1999) (Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, ACTFL, et al, Allen Press, Inc., 1999)

Framework of Communicative Modes Interpersonal Direct oral and or written communication Productive abilities: speaking, writing Receptive abilities: listening, reading Knowledge of cultural perspectives Recognize different practices in communication Realize cultures use different patterns of interaction

Framework of Communicative Modes Interpretive Listener,viewer, reader works with visual, printed or recorded materials Receptive abilities: listening, reading, viewing Knowledge of the relationship between cultural perspectives and it’s products and encoded meaning Ability to analyze, compare and interpret content in language and culture in both the target and U.S. culture

Framework of Communicative Modes Presentational Productive communication using oral or written language Productive abilities: speaking, writing, showing Knowledge of cultural perspectives governing interactions Able to present cross-cultural information Recognize that cultures use different patters pf interaction

Development of cultural understanding includes developing an awareness of other people’s world views, of their unique way of life, and of the patterns of behavior that order their world.

What is Culture? “Big C” Culture Formal Culture Requires knowledge of social, political, and economic institutions, great figures of history, literary and artistic works “little c” culture aspects of daily living housing, clothing, food, patterns of daily behavior

The true content of the foreign language course is not the grammar and the vocabulary of the language, but the cultures expressed through the language.

Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom. Successful Communication:

March 2011 This presentation was created for Oregon Second Language Standards by Jody Soberón Brookings Harbor High School Brookings, Oregon rds/standards.pdf