Elementary School Program Models: Defining the
Essentials
Marcia Rosenbusch and Carol Ann Dahlberg
National Chinese Language ConferenceMay 1, 2009
A new job!?
But…?!?
Our profession in the past….
Wake-up call forMathSciencesLanguages (especially Russian!)
Our profession in the past….
Our profession in the past….
1.1. Lack of qualified teachersLack of qualified teachers
2.2. Inappropriate goalsInappropriate goals
3.3. Lack of articulationLack of articulation
4.4. Inappropriate instruction Inappropriate instruction and/or deliveryand/or delivery
National Standards: Students
Standards for Foreign Language Education: Preparing for the 21st Century
The Vision…The Vision…• All students can be successful language and
culture learners.• Language and culture education is part of the core
curriculum.(p. 7)
National Standards: Teachers
FL Teacher Candidates ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers, 2002 ACTFL/NCATEACTFL/NCATE
Beginning FL Teachers Standards for Licensing Beginning FL Teachers, 2002 INTASCINTASC
Accomplished FL Teachers World Languages Other than English Standards, 2001 NBPTSNBPTS
September 11, 2001September 11, 2001
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Scheduling the foreign language too infrequently and/or in class sessions that are too short.
“…accomplishment of such content standards required students to be enrolled in elementary programs that meet from 3-5 days per week for no less than 30-40 minutes per class.
3-5 days per week30-40 minutes per
class
• Planning schedules and workloads that lead to teacher burnout.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
Many Additional Responsibilities of a Language Focus (FLES)
Teacher:• interacting with numerous
classroom teachers
• developing curriculum and materials• communicating with parents and community
• building public relations
Many Additional Responsibilities of an Immersion Teacher:
• responsibility for content areas and language development
• developing curriculum and materials• communicating with parents and community
• building public relations
• Launching an early language program without sufficient planning--not enough time
--not enough involvement of the rest of the school community
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Treating foreign languages differently from other academic subjects.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Implementing an entire new program in every grade level at the same time.
1K
23
4 56
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Leaving critical articulation issues to be dealt with later.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Planning and scheduling the foreign language curriculum in
isolation from the general curriculum.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Relying on English for communication in the foreign language classroom.
What is this in Chinese?
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Making a language choice based on popularity, without attention to other important factors.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Ignoring the needs of students who enter the program in later grades.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
• Hiring teachers for the program who do not have both language and teaching skills.
“Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language
Programs”
What advice would you give to Mary Sunshine now?
1.2.3.4.5.
What Matters Most?
• Time allotted for the program/classes
• Intensity of program and instruction
• Continuity of the program
• Teacher effectiveness
Time + Intensity of Instruction => (Potential) Rate of
Language Acquisition and Learning
Time = number of minutes hours years spent learning and acquiring language
Intensity of Instruction = a.Frequency and Duration of Classes
b.Time on Task during instruction
c. Consistent use of target language during instruction
d.Opportunities for interaction
e.Substance, Relevance, and Challenge of language experience (Cognitively Engaging, Intrinsically Interesting, Culturally Connected)
Time + Intensity of Instruction => (Potential) Rate of
Language Acquisition and Learning
PLUS
Uninterrupted study of the same language across grade levels and
institutions
Continuity:
Teachers who are:
Teacher Effectiveness:
• well-prepared• enthusiastic and dedicated • knowledgeable about students• knowledgeable about language and culture • knowledgeable about best practices in
world language education.
What are the goals of our programs?
SuperiorCan support opinion, hypothesize, discuss
topics concretely and abstractly, and handlea linguistically unfamiliar situation
Proficiency Inverted Pyramid
LOW
LOW
LOW
MID
MID
MID
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
NoviceCan communicate
minimally withformulaic and rote
utterances, listsand phrases
IntermediateCan create with
language, ask and answer simple
questions on familiar topics, and handle a
simple situation or transaction
AdvancedCan narrate and
describe in all major time frames
and handle a situation with a
complication
Novice
Advanced
Intermediate
Survive and cope in the country
Limited work ability
Satisfy most work requirements
Visual Representation of Anticipated Performance OutcomesAs Described in theACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners
In mt ee dr i- a t eIntermediate N o v i c e
AdvancedAdvanced
K-4K-8K-127-125-125-89-109-12
PreAdvancedN o v i c eDescriptors are based on information gathered from foreign language professionalsrepresenting a variety of program models and articulation sequences.Descriptors are appropriate for languages most commonly taught in the U. S.Descriptors assume a sustained sequence of Standards-based, performance-outcomelanguage instruction. © ACTFL 1998From Foreign Language Annals 31:4 (Winter 1998), p. 484
ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12
Learners
Adapted from Languages and Children: Making the Match, 4th Edition, 2010
Language, Culture, and Curriculum Content are essential elements of every curriculum model.
The focus changes as time and intensity increase across the continuum.
Minimum90-120 min.
Weekly
MaximumFull Day
Full Immersion
Intensity and Time
Content Focus
ContentContent
LanguageCulture
Language Focus
LanguageLanguage
Conte
ntCulture
Continuum of Intensity and Focus for Early Language Programs
Leading to ProficiencyImmersion:
50-100%/dayContent in TL
Adapted from Languages and Children: Making the Match, 4th Edition, 2010
Minimum90-120 min.
Weekly
MaximumFull Day
Full Immersion
Intensity and Time
Content Focus
ContentContent
LanguageCulture
Language Focus
LanguageLanguage
Conte
ntCulture
Less thanMinimum
Programs with less intensity:• less than 30-40 minutes daily, and/or • less than three times per week • may not be able to meet the performance goals of the Standards for
Chinese Language Learning and K-12 Performance Guidelines.
Continuum of Intensity and Focus for Early Language Programs
Leading to ProficiencyImmersion:
50-100%/dayContent in TLExploratory
will
Private
From the Center for Applied Linguistics, National K-12 Foreign Language Survey (2009). Draft data.
Immersion 2%
56%
EXPLORATORY42%
Immersion13%
39%
48%
Public
EXPLORATORYLANGUAGEFOCUS
LANGUAGEFOCUS
(FLES)(FLES)
Program Types Offered by Elementary Schools With Language Programs (Private, Public) (2008)
LESS than
minimum LESS than
minimum
What Matters Most?
Time allotted for the program/classes
Intensity of program and instruction
Continuity of the program
Teacher effectiveness
Achievement of the goals will vary depending on how much time is allocated for the program.
Shared Goals among Early Language Programs Leading to Proficiency:
To become functionally proficient in the new language
To acquire an understanding of and appreciation for other cultures
To master subject content taught in the foreign language
Total/Full Immersion
TimeTime CharacteristicsCharacteristics
50-100% in TLSubject matter taught in TL
• Usually all L1 speakers• Literacy taught in L2• Introduction of L2
instruction in Grade 2 or 3; time increases to 50-50 or 40-60
ContentContent
LanguageCultureContent-Focus Programs
Dual Language
TimeTime CharacteristicsCharacteristics
At least 50% in TLSubject matter taught in TL
• Students are both L1 and L2 native speakers
• Literacy may be presented in both languages
• Each group has peer models in their target language
• Each group learns content in native language
ContentContent
LanguageCultureContent-Focus Programs
Partial Immersion
TimeTime CharacteristicsCharacteristics
Approximately 50% in TLSubject matter taught in FL
• Usually all learners are English (L1) speakers
• TL and classroom teacher often work as a team, seeing two groups of children
• Literacy may begin in both languages (exceptions)
ContentContent
LanguageCultureContent-Focus Programs
Language-Focus Programs
(FLES)
TimeTime CharacteristicsCharacteristics
5-15%at least 30-40
minutes per dayat least 3-5 days per
weeklanguage per se
• Focus is on language learning, with the integration of culture and content
• Students study a single language throughout the program sequence
LanguageLanguage
Conte
ntCulture
“Sampler” Programs: Exploratory
TimeTime CharacteristicsCharacteristics
Frequent and regular sessions over a short period of time ORShort and/or infrequent sessions over an extended period of time
• Sampling of one or more languages
• Motivation to language study
• Cultural and linguistic awareness
• Sometimes taught mostly in English
““Remember, these are samples--not supper!”Remember, these are samples--not supper!”
Elementary School Program Models: Defining the
Essentials
Marcia [email protected]
Carol Ann [email protected]