P-20 World /Foreign Language Education in Colorado:

WORLD LANGUAGES INTEGRAL TO P-20 EDUCATION

Presented to the Senate and House Education Committee

April 2, 2008

State World Language Advisory Council of Colorado

Janine Erickson Co-Chair, Dagmar Haney, Past Chair,

Toni Theisen, Colorado & South West Regional Teacher of the Year

Dedicated to the late Representative Sam Williams, House Minority Leader, sponsor of House Bill 94-1207, that included Foreign Languages into the Standards Based Education Act.

The SWLAC Mission is to provide leadership in

facilitating and promoting policies and practices that

support P-20 language education

in Colorado.

The SWLAC Mission is to provide leadership in

facilitating and promoting policies and practices that

support P-20 language education

in Colorado.

“It is critical that we not view the needs of our students through a lens of our own experience. The world in which they will live and work will be fundamentally different than the one in which we were raised. It is imperative that we focus on developing in our youth the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will serve them well as they learn to function in the global society of the 21st Century.”

Marty Abbott, Director of Education, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

What is SWLAC and what have we accomplished?What is SWLAC and what have we accomplished?

ACTFLACTFL

ACTFL Performance Guidelines

Proficiency Levels by Years (Spanish - High School - 7500 students)Proficiency Levels by Years (Spanish - High School - 7500 students)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Novice-Low

Novice-Mid

Novice-High

Intermediate-Low

Intermediate-Mid

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Novice-Low

Novice-Mid

Novice-High

Intermediate-Low

Intermediate-Mid

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Novice-Low

Novice-Mid

Novice-High

Intermediate-Low

Intermediate-Mid

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Novice-Low

Novice-Mid

Novice-High

Intermediate-Low

Intermediate-Mid

1 year of study 2 years of study

3 years of study 4 years of study

Number of Instructional Hours Necessary to Reach Intermediate-Low - Intermediate-Mid FSI/DLI Adult Learners • Highly Motivated

Number of Instructional Hours Necessary to Reach Intermediate-Low - Intermediate-Mid FSI/DLI Adult Learners • Highly Motivated

Category I: 240 Instructional Hours

Spanish, French, Italian

Category II: 300 Instructional Hours

German

Category III: 360 Instructional Hours

Russian, Vietnamese

Category IV: 520 Instructional Hours

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean

Category I: 240 Instructional Hours

Spanish, French, Italian

Category II: 300 Instructional Hours

German

Category III: 360 Instructional Hours

Russian, Vietnamese

Category IV: 520 Instructional Hours

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean

* 1 school year = 120-140 instructional hours

Vision:

Use multiple means to deliver language

instruction.

Vision:

Use proven programs that develop long sequences of P-20

language learning to acquire advanced levels of proficiency.

Vision:

Provide access to P-20 language learning that encourages

students to build on previous language proficiency.

Vision

Ensure that ALL languages are supported in our educational

system to guarantee Colorado’s future success in the world.

Vision:

Increase the number of qualified world language instructors in

the state of Colorado.

Recommendations:

•Support the adoption of the revised Colorado Model Content Standards

•Consider a world language high school requirement of two years of the same world language or test via the Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) at a minimum proficiency level of a Novice-High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) rating scale

•Consider a Colorado diploma (special recognition)—long sequence program beginning in elementary school or test via the STAMP at a minimum proficiency level of Intermediate-Mid on the ACTFL rating scale.

•Colorado diploma (special recognition)—long sequence program beginning in elementary school or test via the STAMP at a minimum proficiency level of Intermediate-Mid on the ACTFL rating scale.

•Grant world language credit based on demonstration of proficiency•Support the adoption of the SWLAC revised Colorado Model Student Content Standards, which is a general recommendation of CAP4Kids.

•Include in Senate Bill 133 that scholarships for teachers include world languages which is a critical needs area of study, and of which there is a shortage.

•Consider the possibilities of world language being part of the STEM grant to ensure another aspect of global competitiveness.

Through learning languageswe learn about

cultures.

Through learning about cultures we learn

respect for others.

Through learning respect for otherswe can hope for

peace.