SD WORLD LANGUAGE STANDARDS
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SD WORLD LANGUAGE STANDARDS
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Since communication is a necessary and natural part of the human experience, South Dakota must educate students to be linguistically and culturally equipped to interact successfully, at home and abroad, as citizens of the global community. These World Language Standards envision a future in which all students will develop and maintain proficiency in more than one language--modern, classical, or indigenous. Students will also develop a knowledge of the impacts of communication on culture and understanding of diverse peoples.
South Dakota students have the opportunity to benefit from world language programs; however, the scope and availability of these offerings have been limited. In South Dakota schools world language instruction at the elementary level is almost non existent; middle school programs are increasing in number, but generally exist only in a few school systems. High school programs, although offered, are often limited to only two or three years because world languages are not consistently included in the core curriculum. Therefore, teachers of beginning language classes, even at the high school level, may find benchmarks from the elementary and middle school levels of this document more appropriate for their current situations. These standards, renamed goals in the rest of the document, statements of what students should know and be able to do, are not meant to limit, but to enhance educational opportunities. The benchmarks are not to serve as mandates, but as guidelines for instruction and assessment which will enable South Dakota schools to develop and implement K-12 world language curricula.
The vision for South Dakota is that students will have the knowledge and skills necessary to function as world citizens. An integral part of this preparation is the study of world languages. The world impacts South Dakota through international contacts in trade, tourism, and technology. South Dakotans must be able to participate actively in this process. The proficiency necessary to establish and maintain these interactive contacts cannot be attained in a two year language program. World language study must be moved into the K-12 core curriculum to meet the future needs of the people of South Dakota. This document is a tool to enhance and improve meaningful world language instruction in South Dakota as world language skills become an increasingly vital link between South Dakota and the twenty-first century.
The South Dakota World Language Standards and Benchmarks reflect, in part, the goals and standards of the National Standards in Foreign Language Education document. The national standards call for a challenging language curriculum beginning at the elementary level and continuing through grade twelve. This range of language instruction is not currently found in South Dakota school. Because the present situation of limited opportunities for language study is inadequate, this document represents a set of guidelines envisioned for all levels of instruction. In the South Dakota standards document, the term world language is used rather than foreign language. World language is intended to reflect both the cultures that preceded us and our present multilingual populace. World language supports a vision of a multilingual community for the twenty-first century, a community which supports all languages and people as equal citizens of the world community and acknowledges our responsibility to be able to communicate with the people of that world.
The South Dakota World Language Standards writing committee included teachers of world languages representing elementary, middle school, high school, and university levels. After much research and discussion, this group decided to draft the South Dakota standards through a process of adapting and modifying the national standards draft document. The national standards document is a collaborative project of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL), the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). In this adaption process, the South Dakota World Language committee also used input from many surveys, listening sessions, and conference presentations done throughout the state. Other primary documents used by the committee are listed on the World Language bibliography page.
The South Dakota World Language Standards committee gratefully acknowledges the groundwork done and the guidance provided by the National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project.
An important dimension of language study is the actual participation in the exchange of information and ideas using the target language. To communicate effectively in a world language, students need to engage in conversation, exchange opinions, and express emotions. In addition, students must understand, interpret, and present information in both written and spoken forms. To truly gain language proficiency*, students must use the language in personal, practical, and academic situations. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the target language empower learners to engage successfully in meaningful, direct interaction with members of another culture*.
Culture is a central component of world language study. The unique connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken can only be realized by those who possess a knowledge of both. The study of world languages enables students to "try on" and experience new cultures. This allows students to realize that people view the world in different ways, and that cultures react to situations differently. This awareness leads students to an appreciation of the contributions that diverse cultures have made to the world at large. The study of other languages enables students to understand a different culture on its own terms. The teaching and learning of culture should not be a mere presentation of static facts and information, but rather a living, growing, and ever-changing component of language learning.
One of the most important benefits of world language study is that it often leads to improvement in the first language by strengthening the skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students benefit from world language study by discovering different patterns among language systems and cultures and understanding howthe two languages and cultures interact. This interaction causes students to reflect on the patterns, and thus, gain insight into their own language and culture. The study of a second language and the resulting intercultural exploration expand students' world views in different ways. On one hand they acquire an awareness of alternative views of other cultures, while at the same time, they gain insight into their own language and culture through the perspective of the target culture.
As businesses expand domestic and international markets, United States citizens must be knowledgeable of other cultures and languages to understand their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the world. Understanding more than one culture and language is an increasingly desirable job skill. Students do not have to travel abroad to encounter another language or culture. They can experience and appreciate diverse languages and cultures in their local communities. Students will find their ability to communicate in other languages enables them to expand their employment opportunities and allows them to pursue their own interests for leisure and personal enrichment.
The ability to communicate in a world language can expand and enrich understanding and knowledge of the world. As students learn another language, they gain access to the means of communication and ways of thinking or perspectives unique to the target culture. Because of events or issues significant to a target culture, these perspectives are available only through the study of the target language. Using authentic materials* from the target culture empowers students with knowledge, no matter the topic or task. Through world languages, students can connect with world events, other areas of formal study or interest, and learning experiences in or out of school. These connections enable students to see and think outside the bonds of "one language, one culture."
| V GLOSSARY |
Authentic materials: resources including books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, menus, videos, recordings, CD's, etc. which are used by people in the target culture; also designated as realia
Circumlocution: using other words, phrases, expressions, or gestures to communicate when the speaker does now know the direct translation or there is no direct translation between the home language and the target language. A roundabout way of saying things.
Culture: generally understood to include three components: the view of the world (attitudes, mind sets, values) held by members of any given group, the behavior patterns derived from that world view, and the forms which have been created or adapted over time by members of the culture. In world languages, the term "culture" refers to not only the great figures of history, the literature, arts, and sciences, but also to the aspects and objects of daily living common to the peoples of that race or ethnicity.
Home culture: local culture; the culture native to the learner.
Home language: the first or primary language of the learner.
Language proficiency: the ability to use language for purposeful communication. In world language study, proficiency refers to one’s ability to use language to communicate feelings, ideas, and information in a socio-linguistic context.
Native speaker: a person who speaks a given language as a first or primary language, having learned it from infancy or very early childhood.
Non-verbal language: gestures, facial expressions and body language; the meaning and appropriateness of non-verbal communication differ greatly from culture to culture.
Patterns of behavior: actions or interactions which are derived from a culture; these include greetings, leave-takings, eating habits, games, songs, celebrations, etc. The actions/interactions may be related to home, family, school, work, recreation, or celebration.
Realia: see above: authentic materials)
Target culture: the culture of the people who speak the target language.
Target language: the language that is being taught or learned.
| VI BIBLIOGRAPHY |
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (ACTFL). (1986). Proficiency Guidelines. Yonkers, NY: ACTFL Materials Center
Draper, J.B. (1994, March). National Standards in Foreign Language Education: Answering the Questions. Eric Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics Bulletin. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Lowe, P. Jr. and Lisken-Gasparro, J. Testing Speaking Proficiency: the Oral Interview. Eric Clearing on Language and Linguistivs Q & A.
National Standards in Foreign Language Education. (1995). I.C.T.F.L. Accents 8, 1: 8-9.
National Standards in Foreign Language Education: Draft for Review and Comment. (1994, August). Washington, DC: National Standards Project.
National Standards in Foreign Language Education: Draft for Review and Comment. (1995, April). Washington, DC: National Standards Project.
Ohio Department of Education. (1995, October). Ohio Model Competency-Based Foreign Language Program Draft. Columbus, OH: Author.
Presentation packet (1994, November). National Standards in Foreign Language Education. Washington, DC: National Standards Project.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education. (1995, February). World Languages Framework. The Massachusetts Curriculum Framework Draft. Malden, MA: Author.
The contents of this page have neither been reviewed nor approved by Augustana College.
