Exploring World Language Models at the Elementary School Level Putting the World Into World-Class Education July 11, 2008 Shuhan Wang, Ph.D. Asia Society Nancy Rhodes Center for Applied Linguistics Photo: Center for Democratic Studies, University of Haifa, Israel
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Exploring World Language Models at the Elementary School Level
Putting the World Into World-Class EducationJuly 11, 2008
Shuhan Wang, Ph.D.Asia Society
Nancy RhodesCenter for Applied Linguistics
Photo: Center for Democratic Studies, University of Haifa, Israel
How Important Is It for All Children In the U.S to Learn a Second Language?
National survey sample 2007-08: elementary and secondary schools, public and private
Goal: collect comprehensive data on FL instruction; replicate 1987 and 1997 surveys
More than 5,000 schools sampled; >60% response rate obtained
Data currently being compiled; results available at ACTFL Conference 08
National K-12 Foreign Language Survey
Preliminary observations (from “eye-balling” the data; not yet based on final results)
Number of elementary schools offering FL does not appear to have increased in the last decade
Of those elem. schools not offering FL, few are interested in offering FL in the next two years (while ten years ago, more than half of schools not teaching FL were interested in offering it)
Many schools comment that NCLB has had a major (negative) effect on their language programs
Pockets of innovation around the country
Elementary Schools Teaching Foreign Languages (1987, 1997, and 2008?)
22% 31% ?0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Per
cent
age
of E
lem
enta
ry S
choo
ls
offe
ring
Fore
ign
Lang
uage
Year
1987 1997 2008
US Students Need to Develop Global Competence
Disposition
Experiences Perspectives
Skills
Knowledge
Student
Wang,2008, work in Progress
What Does it Take to Develop Speakers at
High Proficiency Levels?
High Proficiency Levels
Time matters: for a native English speaker to reach native-like proficiency level: --Commonly Taught Languages: 720 hours--Less Commonly Taught Languages: 1320 hours
(Omaggio-Hadley, 2001)
(Malone, M. E.; Rifkin, B., Christian, D. & Johnson, D. E., 2005. Attaining High Levels of Proficiency: Challenges for Foreign Language Education in the United States. http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/attain.htm.
Build on the language background of heritage language speakers
Start language learning early to build a strong base for second, third, and fourth language learning
Provide intensive immersion experiences for students at the postsecondary level, including overseas study in a target-language culture
(Malone, et al., 2005, p. 2, 10/26/05)
Why Is Early Language Learning Desirable? Children learn through PLAY
P: Peer socialization L: Learning by concrete examples A: Activity-based inquiry Y: Yeast for future development as a total person
Advantages:− Phonological window open− Parameters for language learning expanded− Content learning reinforced− Cognitive skills activated and strengthened − Natural imitators and risk takers− Enjoy show and tell and the fun to communicate for
meaning− Time to go thorough articulated sequential learning
Three Differences in Program Models
1. The amount of time spent per day in the study of foreign language
2. The language used by the teacher in class
3. The subject matter of the class
Program Models
Model % of time in FL Goals
Immersion 50 - 100% (focus is on learning subject matter in FL)
Become functionally proficient in L2 Master subject content Acquire cultural understanding
FLES 5 - 30% (focus is on learning language and sometimes subject matter)
Become proficient in listening, speaking; some focus on reading, writing Acquire cultural understanding
Language Experience
1 – 5% Develop interest in languages; learn basic words; develop cultural awareness
13
Elementary Schools with Foreign Language Programs that Offer Various Program Types (1987 and 1997)
FLES (B)45%
Intensive FLES (C) 12%
FLEX (A)41%
Immersion (D)2%
FLES (B)34%
Intensive FLES (C) 13%
FLEX (A)45%
1987 1997
Immersion (D)8%
Note: Some schools have more than one program type.
14
Spanish FLES Student Language Sample
Spanish Immersion Language Sample
What resources are available?
Funding Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP)
www.grants.ed.gov
Critical Language Flagship Programs http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/funding_institutions.html