National Standards - Foreign Language

When the Foreign Language Task Force (FLTF) researched the national standards for when and how foreign language education should be taught, it was discovered there are no national standards for these two items.  However, there is great support from the science and academic communities, supported by research, regarding how important foreign language is during the elementary years.  Many of these topics are discussed in the various articles posted on this blog.

A task force created through a grant from the US Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities has created the Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century, first published in 1996.  This continuing project is a collaboration of many groups.  Based on the Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century and supported by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the following standards (or 5 C’s) have been used as a guide to develop many foreign language programs in the United States:

The 5 C’s - Standards for Foreign Language Learning

Communication - Communicate in Languages Other than English

• Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions
• Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics
• 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

• Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied

Connections - Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

• Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language
• Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures

Comparisons - Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

• Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language and the concept of culture through comparisons of the language studied and their own

Communities - Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World

• Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting
• Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment

For more information on the “5 C’s” please visit http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392