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Background
The Standards for Foreign Language Learning were
developed by a task force of language educators
during the early 1990s with the help of a
three-year grant from the US Department of
Education and the National Endowment for the
Humanities. The task force consisted of 11
members, representing a variety of languages,
levels of instruction, program models and
geographic regions. The task force defined content
standards for foreign languages, resulting in a
document that was first published in 1996. Below,
you will find a description of the philosophy
behind the standards as well as the standards
themselves.
For more information on the standards, see the
ACTFL description of the
standards.
For purchase information, see their page on
ordering.
Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
Preparing for the 21st Century.
110pp. Copyright 1996, National Standards in
Foreign Language Education Project.
1-9 copies, $20.00 per copy (includes
shipping)
10 or more copies, $15.00 copy (includes shipping)
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Philosophy
Language and communication are at the heart of
the human experience. The United States must
educate students who are linguistically and
culturally equipped to communicate successfully in
a pluralistic American society and abroad. This
imperative envisions a future in which ALL students
will develop and maintain proficiency in English
and at least one other language, modern or
classical. Children who come to school from
non-English backgrounds should also have
opportunities to develop further proficiencies in
their first language.
Standards
1. Communication: Communicate in Languages
Other Than English
1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide
and obtain information, express feelings and
emotions, and exchange opinions.
1.2: Students understand and interpret written
and spoken language on a variety of topics.
1.3: Students present information, concepts,
and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on
a variety of topics.
2. Cultures: Gain Knowledge and
Understanding of Other Cultures
2.1: Students demonstrate an
understanding of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of
the relationship between the products and
perspectives of the culture studied.
3. Connections: Connect with Other
Disciplines and Acquire Information
3.1: Students reinforce and further their
knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign
language.
3.2: Students acquire information and recognize
the distinctive viewpoints that are only available
through the foreign language and its cultures
4. Comparisons: Develop Insight into the
Nature of Language and Culture
4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the
nature of language through comparisons of the
language studied and their own
4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the
concept of culture through comparisons of the
cultures studied and their own.
5. Communities: Participate in Multilingual
Communities at Home and Around the World
5.1: Students use the language both within and
beyond the school setting
5.2: Students show evidence of becoming
life-long learners by using the language for
personal enjoyment and enrichment.
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