Dahlberg Rosenbusch Early Language Learning Essentials

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!)



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.


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


Programs”

• Treating foreign languages differently from other academic subjects.


Programs”

• Implementing an entire new program in every grade level at the same time.

1K

23

4 56


Programs”

• Leaving critical articulation issues to be dealt with later.


Programs”

• Planning and scheduling the foreign language curriculum in

isolation from the general curriculum.


Programs”

• Relying on English for communication in the foreign language classroom.

What is this in Chinese?


Programs”

• Making a language choice based on popularity, without attention to other important factors.


Programs”

• Ignoring the needs of students who enter the program in later grades.


Programs”

• Hiring teachers for the program who do not have both language and teaching skills.


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


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


Partial Immersion


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


Language-Focus Programs

(FLES)


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


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]