Who Do I Contact with Questions About the Foreign Language Task Force (FLTF)?

Please send your questions and comments to FLTF2011@gmail.com.

There will also be an opportunity to ask foreign language related questions at the Curriculum Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, September 14th at 7pm at Oak Grove School.

Bibliography References

Below please find the bibliographic references referred to in various printed materials produced by the FLTF.

Hakuta, Kenji. (1986) Cognitive Development of Bilingual Children. Los Angeles University of California Center for Language Education and Research, ERIC Digest, EDRS ED 278 260.

Saville-Troike, M. (1984). “What Really Matters in Second Language for Academic Achievement?” TESOL Quarterly.

Curtain, H.A. & Peolsa, C. A. (1988). “Languages and Children—making the Match.” Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing.

The College Board. (2004). 2004 College-Bound Seniors: A Profile of SAT Program Test-Takers. New York, NY: College Entrance Examination Board, 2004, Table 3-3, pg. 5

Stepping Toward Success

Understanding what has been done in the past allows others to recreate successful practices and avoid costly missteps. So what are the steps to consider in regard to a foreign language experience in a K - 8 environment, especially when one size does not fit all across the United States?

Many resources comment on this topic. Below are some of the most frequently discussed success elements and obstacles regarding foreign language programs in research materials available today:

Common Success Factors:

• The connection between language and culture is made explicit, and foreign language is implemented within a cultural context. Cultural awareness and understanding are explicit goals of the program.
• An ongoing program of professional development should allow teachers to advance in their levels of language, culture, and instruction.
• Program incorporates the five (5) C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities.
• Sufficient resources to carry out program.
• Well-planned curricula, designed to meet program goals.
• Instruction is appropriate to the developmental level of the students and consistent with program outcomes and current professional practices.
• Program goals are consistent with the amount of time actually provided for instruction.
• Community and Administration support.

Common Obstacles:

• Inadequate design and/or lack of funding.
• Inappropriate or unrealistic goals.
• Lack of availability of competent foreign language teachers who have experience in teaching their target age group.
• Lack of progress in proficiency - observations of early language programs often reveal that children are faced with repetitions of the same content presented in the same way from one year to the next.
• Lack of coordination and articulation across levels of instruction.
• Inappropriate teaching methodologies for the target age group.
• Assuming the student’s foreign language exposure is only in the classroom, students will not be able to achieve a higher degree of fluency than their teacher.
• Inadequate or insufficient instructional materials.
• Lack of evaluation procedures for students, teachers, and the foreign language program.

Interested in further information on this topic? Please see the source material section below.

Source Material for Above Summary

American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages, “Characteristics of Effective Programs,” http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3655

Gilzow, Douglas F., Foreign Service Institute, (December 2002) Center for Applied Linguistics, Early Foreign Language Programs: Key Elements

Tucker, Richard G., Carnegie Mellon University and Donato, Richard, University of Pittsburgh, Center for Applied Linguistics (August 2001) “Implementing a District-Wide Foreign Language Program: A Case Study of Acquisition Planning and Curricular Innovation”

Rosenbusch, Marcia H., National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center, Iowa State University, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, “Guidelines for Starting an Elementary Foreign Language Program” http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3654

Frequently Asked Questions 1

Q. Is the new After School French Program offered to 2nd and 3rd graders a part of the FLTF and was that the recommendation put forth?

A. No, the FLTF continues to focus on a long term recommendation to the Board of Education to be delivered at the November 2011 BOE meeting. In the meantime, the BOE asked the administration to explore other avenues for foreign language exposure for 2nd and 3rd grades in the 2011 - 2012 school year. As a result, the school contacted Ashleigh Grambo to run an after school program. Mrs. Grambo has taught French in the Chicago Public Schools for 10 years and most recently was a substitute teacher at Oak Grove School during Madame Coyne's maternity leave last school year. We are excited she was able to develop and provide this opportunity. If you are the parent of a 2nd or 3rd grader and interested in this after school program, please see the Oak Grove News virtual backpack or send an email to frenchafterschool@yahoo.com for more information.

21st Century Children and the Role of Foreign Language

According to the Partnership for 21st Century skills, “Every child in the U.S. needs 21st Century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders. This can be accomplished by fusing the three Rs and four Cs. To successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges and a globally competitive workforce, U.S. schools must align classroom environments with real world environments by fusing the three Rs and four Cs:

• The three Rs include: English, reading or language arts; mathematics; science; foreign languages; civics; government; economics; arts; history; and geography.
• The four Cs include: critical thinking and problem solving; communication, collaboration; and creativity and innovation.”

Recognizing the need to close the gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st Century communities and workplaces, Oak Grove School identified “Studying, Selecting, and Integrating 21st Century Skills” as a major component of its Strategic Plan. Research supports foreign language and global awareness are important pieces of 21st Century skills.

Increasingly we hear key leaders outline the imperative for the United States to “strengthen its language policy”, that other nations recognize they operate in a global economy and that “understanding other societies and cultures is both valuable in its own right and necessary to be competitive”, and that the “line between domestic and international issues is increasingly blurred.” If this is the world of our 21st Century children, how does foreign language support their success in that world?

According to Advocacy Chair of the California Language Teacher’s Association, Nicole Naditz, “World language programs also provide one of the only avenues for students to explore the diverse perspectives that shape how others in the world respond to situations within and beyond their communities....If we aren’t providing language and cultural education to our students, are we really preparing them to assume roles in the global society they are inheriting? Can we claim to have graduated students with a full complement of 21^st century skills if they can’t communicate in the languages their future employers need? What about the languages needed by our community organizations? Or those needed during these times of increased concern for national security? How are we preparing our students to interact in positive and productive ways with those from cultures different from their own?”

Interested in reading more about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills or the California Language Teacher’s Association? Click on the following links: http://www.p21.org http:/www.clta.net

Note: The American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has “5 C’s” they refer to when teaching foreign language. Although similarities exist in the category definition, they are different and define the manner in which each group organizes their materials, standards, and goals.

Foreign Language - Acquisition, Academics and Attitudes

Did you know as humans we have a “critical period” for learning new languages? Take a look at the attached graph. (Picture is a representation of the graph referenced and discussed in this video link) It illustrates there is a ‘critical period’ to begin language acquisition. Beginning after the age of 7, our ability to learn a new language begins to drop off. After puberty, our abilities are far more limited.

The FLTF spent considerable time researching foreign language. One theme which presented itself was the outcome foreign language study has on other areas of academic learning and achievement, as well as the impact it has on the development of attitudes towards other cultures. The information available on this subject is enormous. Highlighted below are some research summaries that may be of interest to readers.

• Comparison of FLES children starting language in Grade 1 - Grade 6 as compared to monolingual peers in Grade 6 revealed higher scores in divergent thinking. (Landry 1974)

Landry, R.G. (1974). A comparison of second language learners and monolinguals on divergent thinking tasks at the elementary school level. "Modern Language Journal

• Comparison of 6th Grade FLES students to English-only controls showed an increased level of metacognitive processing, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. (Foster and Reeves 1989)

Foster, K. M., & Reeves, C. K. (1989). Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) improves cognitive skills. FLES News

• A study of 13,200 3rd graders and 5th graders in Louisiana Public Schools revealed that, regardless of race, gender, or academic level, children taking foreign language classes did better on the English section of the Louisiana Basic Skills Test than those who did not. (Dumas 1999)

Dumas, L.S., Learning a Second Language: Exposing Your Child to a New World of Words Boosts Her Brainpower, Vocabulary, and Self-Esteem, Child, February 1999, 72, 74, 76-77, summarizing Rafferty, E.A., Second Language Study and Basic Skills in Louisiana (Louisiana Dep’t of Educ. 1986) (in study of 13,200 3rd-5th graders studying French 30 minutes per day achieved significantly higher scores on the Basic Skills Language Arts Test than non-participants, regardless of gender, academic level or race).

• Grade 3, one semester of FLES Spanish - math and language arts scores improved compared to the control group (Armstrong and Rogers 1997)

Armstrong, P.W. and J.D. Rogers. (1997). Basic Skills Revisited: The Effects of Foreign Language Instruction on Reading, Math and Language Arts.” Learning Languages, Spring. (*"Presents a study that provides quantitative and qualitative evidence of the effect of foreign language education upon the basic skills of elementary students, with the hope that such evidence will provide information and assistance to parents and educators who are investigating the benefits of elementary school foreign language programs.")

• Mastering the vocabulary of a second language enhances student comprehension and abilities in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects. (Saville-Troike 1984)

Saville-Troike, M. (1984). "What Really Matters in Second Language Learning for Academic Achievement?" TESOL Quarterly

• Research suggests that attitudes about other groups and peoples are formed by the age of 10 and are often shaped between the ages of four and eight. Learning a language at a young age helps connect a child with another culture while they are still open-minded and have not yet begun to restrict their views of others whom they perceive to be different. (Curtain & Pesola 1988)

Curtain, H. A. & Pesola, C. A. (1988). "Languages and children—Making the match." Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Research continues not only for school-aged children, but a lot of research is directed towards infants as well. The attached video link highlights some of the things being learned about language and babies and where the answers to those research questions could lead us in the future. Enjoy!

The History of Foreign Language in the United States

Adapted from History of Foreign Language by Leon Panetta, view full article

Leon Panetta is the current United States Secretary of Defense and was the Director of the CIA from 2009 - 2011. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 - 1993. He is the founder of California State University’s Panetta Institute and served as President Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff from 1994 - 1997. The attached article was given as an address at the 1999 Stanford University Foreign Language Summit.

Late 1700’s/Early 1800’s:

• US was a multi-lingual society, able to exist peacefully around issues of language learning & use
• Little local or federal policy existed
• Immigrants maintained native language skills & learned English
• Native English speakers hired private tutors to study other languages
• Modern language learning was viewed as a skill

Mid 1800’s

• Native American languages did not fare well
• Children were forbidden to speak native languages
• Despite these issues, the wave of immigration from Europe forced local schools to teach in native languages & English

Circa 1900

• Efforts began to extend language programs into elementary schools
• Standards were established and models created

WWI

• Unprecedented levels of xenophobia rose in the US
• Native language speakers (other than English) were forbidden to be spoken
• Foreign language newspapers were eliminated
• Foreign language programs were eliminated
• The “new ethic” in the US became “Americanization” for national unity
• English was mandated in New Mexico schools
• Citizenship started being denied to immigrants unable to speak English

WWII

• The US found itself at a disadvantage in the war because Americans were unable to communicate in languages other than English
• The Army Language Method was developed

1950’s

• The National Defense Education Act passed providing federal funds to adopt the Army Language Method in schools and colleges

Late 1960’s/Early 1970’s

• Federal funding began to decline
• Local schools districts needed to make tough decisions about curriculum
• Foreign language programs were unable to be assessed, creating a perception students were not gaining anything from the programs
• Foreign language programs quickly declined
• College entrance requirements for foreign language were eliminated in some major universities, foreign language enrollments plummeted
• Elementary school language programs virtually disappeared

Late 1970’s/Early1980’s

• Interest in early education foreign language climbed
• New information about the way Americans in the Foreign Service and Peace Corps developed speaking proficiency came to light
• Proficiency guidelines were created
• Interest began in how to cope with the language needs of linguistic minorities

Beyond the 1980’s

• Progress in FL programs remains slow
• The most long standing elementary programs are a result of local initiatives
• Regardless of the program model adopted, districts face challenges in finding teachers adequately prepared in foreign languages and an understanding of student learners
• In the absence of a national curriculum and policy, school districts have implemented or eliminated programs without research and program assessment based on finances
• Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) outline and propose policy strategies in order to advance foreign language proficiency outcomes among all U.S. students (2009)

Foreign Language Delivery Formats

Did you know there are different ways to teach foreign language to students? Each delivery format meets different outcomes based on the goals of a defined foreign language program.

Essentially, there are three different ways to deliver foreign language instruction. No format is considered “good” or “bad” as it depends on the program goals of each particular language program and the resources available to meet those goals. Is fluency the goal? Or, is a broad understanding of the culture a goal? Or, is the goal something else entirely? Immersion, Integration, and Exposure are the three main foreign language delivery formats and each of these formats can be further split into sub-categories.

Immersion Programs deliver language instruction in the new language at least 50% of the day. Therefore, subject area instruction (such as math, history, etc.) is taught in the new language. A version of this format is typically used when high fluency levels are a program goal, but for this program format to be successful, this option requires classroom teachers to be fluent in the new language. Typically a school that chooses an immersion program focuses on that particular language during the student’s entire enrollment at the school.

Foreign Language Experience (FLEX) Programs (also referred to as Exposure Programs) fulfill the goal of exposing students to one or more languages and cultures. Ideally they create enthusiasm and motivate students to pursue further study of foreign language. Exposure programs are not meant to develop foreign language proficiency. With exposure as the goal, this model can help alleviate human resource, financial, and time constraints.

Integration or FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) Programs aim for some level of language proficiency. This format typically follows a sequenced learning structure from understanding to speaking to reading to writing. The focus of these programs is on the development of listening, speaking, and cultural awareness. As a result, classes are typically taught as a distinct subject matter. The format may be content based (the teacher must teach the foreign language and the subject content, e.g. math, social studies, etc.) or content aligned (the teacher reinforces what is taught in class and the foreign language instructor is not responsible for teaching content.)

Oak Grove School has been offering foreign language to students in some format for twenty or more years. As of Fall 2011, Oak Grove School offers the following in foreign language instruction:

Grade 4: Spanish in an Exposure (FLEX) Format

Grade 5: Spanish in an Exposure (FLEX) Format

Grade 6: French in an Exposure (FLEX) Format

Grade 7: High School Spanish Level 1 (part 1)*

Grade 8: High School Spanish Level 1 (part 2)*

No foreign language instruction is offered in K - 3.

*Current CES French students in 7th and 8th grade continue to be on track to complete High School French 2 by graduation.

This brief summary is solely meant to provide a general overview of the main types of foreign language delivery formats. If you are interested in a more detailed summary description and/or the related source documents, please click here for more information. Once at the linked document, click on the FLTF Delivery Matrix icon.