speakup mctlc2007

8/14/2019 SpeakUp MCTLC2007

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Speak up for Languages

Gaelle Berg,Minneapolis PublicSchools

Ursula Lentz, CARLA

MCTLC Presentation,October 9, 2007


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Speak Up For Languages

Why All Kids Need To Learn Other Languages


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Speak Up For LanguagesThings don't just happen. They are made

to happen.

John F. Kennedy


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Speak Up For Languages"The transformation of personal power

comes with the exercise of some quite

simple and accessible politicalprocesses and leads to ultimate self-determination in the world around us."

- Samuel Halperin


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Common Questions:

Doesnt everyone in the world speakEnglish?

Why cant I say a word after two yearsof study?Dont we need to focus on reading,writing, math and science?

How will learning a second languageaffect childrens English language andliteracy development?

Can we afford to add another thing to

the curriculum?


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Why all kids need to learn languagesOur successful participation in theglobal economy requires competency

not just in math, science, and literacy,but also proficiency in foreignlanguages and intercultural competencyin order to communicate across borderswith potential friends and formpartnerships.

Committee for Economic Development, 2006


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6**Number of fluent Arabic speakers in the US Embassy

in Iraq.

*Source: The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward A New Approach, page. 92.


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Its hard to represent Americas interestsabroad when we cant speak thelanguage. While the US has a number ofprograms that are ideally suited toincreasing Americans foreign language

competency Fulbright-Hays, theNational Security Education Program,the Foreign Language AssistanceProgram, and Title VI of the Higher

Education Actfederal support for themhas lagged for years. Increasedinvestment in these programs today willyield big and lasting dividends. -

American Council on EducationSOLUTIONSFOROURFUTURE.org


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Doesnt everyone else speak English?

Only 9% of American adults say they

are fluent in at least one otherlanguage.

Compared to 50% of Europeans whosay they are fluent in at least one other

language than their mother tongues.


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Doesnt everyone else speak

English?The old joke :

Someone who speaks three languagesis trilingual. Someone who speaks twolanguages is bilingual. Someone who

speaks only one language is American.


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Doesnt everyone else speak English?The average number of languagesspoken by American business

executives is 1.5, compared with anaverage of 3.9 languages spoken bybusiness executives in the Netherlands.

Only about 25% of Americans havepassports.


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Doesnt everyone else speak English?The world is very diverse:

If we could shrink the Earths population to avillage of precisely 100 people, with allexisting human ratios remaining the same, it

would look like this:


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Just how diverse?There would be

- 57 Asians

- 21 Europeans- 14 North and South Americans

- 8 Africans

- 70 would be non-white, 30 white.- 70 would be non-Christian, 30

Christian


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Global VillageFifty percent of the wealth of the entireworld would be in the hands of only 6

people all six would be citizens of theUnited States.


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Global VillageSeventy would be unable to read.

Fifty would suffer from malnutrition.

Eighty would live in substandardhousing.

Only one person would have acollege education.


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When one considers our world fromsuch an incredibly compressed

perspective, the need for tolerance andunderstanding become glaringlyapparent.

(Reprinted with permission from First Guaranty Bank andTrust)


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Why all kids need to learn languagesThe day has long past when a citizencould afford to be uninformed about the

rest of the world and Americans placein that world. CED therefore believe it iscritical to ensure that all studentsbecome globally competent citizenswho will lead our country in the twenty-first century.

Council for Economic Development, 2006


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Education reform forces meant to holdstates accountable for studentachievement in reading, math, andscience are encouraging schools to

devote more time to those subjects andeffectively narrowing schools curricula.Many schools do not give all childrenthe opportunity to learn languages orinternational topics. While it isimportant to master these subjects,schools must move beyond them if

their students are to be prepared for alobal societ . CED, 2006


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Why all kids need to learn languagesThe 2007 Phi Delta Kappa / Gallup Pollof the Publics Attitudes Toward the

Public Schools highlights the publicsinterest and concerns in five areas:

NCLB

Testing

Special Needs

Globalization


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Why all kids need to learn languagesIn the area of Globalization, the PDK/GallupPoll 2007 reveals:

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans think that

students need to spend more timelearning about other nations andcultures

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans believe that

all children should becomeproficient in a second language inaddition to English

7 in 10 believe that foreign language

instruction should begin in elementary


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How do we prepare students to

be inter-culturally competent?

Students need to not only compete withbut collaborate with people from aroundour world - our global community.


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Learning world languages preparesstudents for global understanding andliving in a multicultural, multilingualworld. Study of and through another

language provides essentialcommunication skills and enhanceslearning through improved cognitivedevelopment, transferable reading

skills, reinforcement of other subjectareas, cultural literacy, sensitivity, andtolerance for diversity.

Joint National Committee for Languages,2007


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Where do we stand in Minnesota?In the nation and in Minnesota

approximately one-fourth of seventh

to twelfth grade students study aforeign language it comes out toabout 24%)

fewer than one-in ten college

students enroll in a foreign languageclass.

78% of enrollment are in introductorylevel courses.


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Where do we stand?40% of students say they are takinglanguages to meet the college entrancerequirement of two years of a language in

high school.While many students take more language,enrollment drops dramatically after theintroductory courses in both HS andcolleges.

Two years of language amounts to about300 hours of instruction, which is woefully

inadequate to develop an usable level of


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Where do we stand?In a Washington Post poll, adultsresponded to the question What

subject do you wish you had taken moreof in high school?

The answer more foreign languagewas second only to more math.


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Why cant I say a word after two

years of language study?Shift of focus from:

Knowing about the languageAcademic context

To:

What learners know and can do withthe language

Real-life scenarios


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Best PracticesNot their parents language class

National Standards for LanguageLearning in 21st Century focus on threemodes of communication within an

authentic context.


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Accountability/Assessment at the Core


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Describing levelsIntermediate-Low is considered the levelat which learners can create with

language.Requires three, generally four yearsof continuing language study

Come early and stay late for higherlevels of proficiency.


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Proficiency levels needed in the Work World

Customer Service, Police

officers, teachers

Advanced Low

Doctors, Sales

representative, Socialworker

Advanced Mid

Students with masters degrees

or doctoratesUniversity professor of

foreign languages

Narrate and describe in

past, present and future

and deal effectively with

an unanticipated

complication.

Advanced High

Educated native speakers;

students from abroad after a

number of years working in aprofessional environment.

Interpreter,

Accountant, Executive,

Lawyer, Judge, FinancialAdvisor

Discuss topics extensively,

support opinions and

hypothesize. Deal with alinguistically unfamiliar

situation.

Superior

Who has this proficiency?Corresponding JobsFunctionsProficiencyLevel


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Proficiency levels needed in the Work WorldWho has this proficiency?Corresponding JobsFunctionsProficiency Level

Novice Low

After two years of high school.Novice Middle

Communicate

minimally with

formulaic and

rote utterances,

lists, and phrases.

Novice High

After 4 years of high schoolIntermediate Low

After 6 years of middle/high

school, AP

Tour Guide, CashierIntermediate

Middle

Graduates with FL degrees who

have not lived in target language

speaking countries

Aviation personnel,

Telephone operator,

Receptionist

Create with

language,

initiate, maintain

and bring to aclose simple

conversations by

asking and

responding to

simple questions.

Intermediate High


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How do we improve what has

come to be called the cultural

illiteracy of a majority of U.S.students and give them a global

vision?


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Start language learning earlyBegin to learn early in grade school.Longer study = more proficiency.

At middle or high school, students cancontinue learning the same language or

change to another of interest. Learning alanguage builds language learningabilities and makes it easier to learnadditional languages!


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Start language learning earlyElementary programs are key

to developing students second languageacquisition ability;

to fostering positive, receptive attitudesabout language and culture.

Without long-sequences (5-6 years) of

language study, success on AP exams inworld languages remain possible for onlyan elite, select group of our studentpopulation. -The CollegeBoard , 2005 White Paper


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Dont we need to focus reading,

writing, math and science?

Languages impact academic

achievementResearch in Louisiana shows 2ndgrade students learning a languagescored higher on state tests when

adjusted for all includingsocioeconomic variables

Taylor-Ward, C. (2003 ). The Relationship between ElementarySchool Foreign Language Study in Grades Three through Five and

Academic Achievement on the Iowa tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) andthe Fourth-grade Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for


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http://nnell.org/nnellresourcesadvocacypkt.htm

Elementary students studying languagesoutperformed those who did not studylanguages:

Outperformed on language arts and mathtests, regardless of race , gender, oracademic level

Lower socioeconomic students performed

just as wellOutperformed non-language students onevery subtest of state assessment

Languagesimpact academic achievement


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ACT Scores: National2007 composite 21.2

Career and course aspirations

Foreign Languages: 23.6

Engineering: 22.7

Letters: 24.5

Sciences: 23.7

Source: http://www.act.org/news/data/07/data.html


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ACT Scores: Minnesota2007 ACT composite scores of students

with educational or career interest in:

Foreign languages 24.0

Engineering 24.5

Letters 25.3

Sciences 24.9

Source: http://www.act.org/news/data/07/data.html


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SAT: NationalFour or more years of language studyraised SAT scores

Average - Critical Reading: 502 Math:515

Students with 4+ years of:

Sciences - Critical R: 550 Math: 580

Foreign Language - Critical R: 565 Math:579

Art & Music - Critical R: 534 Math: 541

Math - Critical R: 542 Math: 581


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SAT: MinnesotaAverage - Critical Reading: 596 Math:603

Students with 4+ years of:Sciences - Critical R: 614 Math: 646

Foreign Language - Critical R: 617 Math: 622

Art & Music - Critical R: 614 Math:610

Math - Critical R: 614 Math: 646


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Languages impact academic achievement

oTake as much language as possible inhigh school. Selective colleges

recommend 3- 4 of world languagestudy.

Talk to HS counselors about how to fitfour years of language into the HS

schedule. Students who studied another language

for four years in high school performbetter on on college placement tests

and can earn college credits.


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Can We Afford to Add OneMore Thing to the curriculum?

Can we afford not to?


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Languages add value to our diplomacyThrough the learning of otherlanguages, students open a window to

the worldLearn a new way of thinking

See the world with a new set of eyes

Open their minds


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Languages add value to our diplomacyHow can we teach more languages tomore students at more levels so that

they are as at home in countries aroundthe world as they are in their ownneighborhoods?


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Languages add value to our diplomacyWe have an obligation to empowerothers with the gift of languages

Build respect and break the cycle offear and ignorance

Build hope for the future so that our

children can enjoy a more tolerant ,enriched, and respectful world oftomorrow


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Sen. Hagel (NE) and Sen. Feingold (WI)

(S. Res. 104 2005)Participate in exchanges

Study or volunteer abroad

Work with immigrants or refugees

Host foreign students

Participate in sister-city programs

Learn a world language


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A Call to Action for National

Foreign Language Capabilities:

Build language and cultural

understanding capability;Develop language and culturalcompetency;

Develop language skills in a wide range

of critical languages


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A Call to Action for National

Foreign Language Capabilities:

Strengthen programs and tools inforeign languages and cultures; and

Integrate language training into careerfields and increase the number oflanguage professionals.

www.nlconference.orgclick on Papers; then White Paper


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US Defense Department: Defense

Language Transformation Roadmap

For officers and for enlisted ranks

Identify language assets

Recognize need for understanding of othercultures

www.languagepolicy.org/dodlangroadmap.pdf


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Languages add value for heritage culturesMinnesotas 2000 Census:HeritageLanguage Speakers

9.3% of Minnesota residents speak alanguage other than English at home

(390,000 people out of Minnesotas totalof 4.2 million people, over age 5)

http://www.mla.org/census_main


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Minnesotas Heritage LanguagesSpanish, Hmong, German, Africanlanguages, Vietnamese, French,

Scandinavian languages, and Chinese(over ten thousand speakers each)

Russian, Laotian, other Slaviclanguages, Native North Americanlanguages, Arabic, Cambodian, otherAsian languages (more than fivethousand speakers each)


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Languages add value through diverse

perspectives

Students understand other peoplespoint of view and broaden their own

perspectives of the world.


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Languages add value through

diverse perspectivesACTFL National Standards: Culture

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an

understanding of the relationshipbetween the practices and perspectivesof the culture studied.

Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate anunderstanding of the relationshipbetween the products and perspectivesof the culture studied.


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Languages add value to our economyTop Ten countries that Minnesotaexports to (in order):

Canada, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, UnitedKingdom, Germany, Mexico, France, China,South Korea, Belgium, and Hong Kong.

More than $9 Billion dollars a year

Knowing another language = earningmore $$ in business, sales, diplomaticand military careers.


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How do we produce confident,

competent language users to

interact in the global community?


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Wheres the growth?In the number of languages taught inour schools

In the number of years that studentsstudy a language

In the grade levels in which students

can study languages


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Policy and Practice Supports neededA well-marked route: clear andaccessiblepaths to language proficiency

Few bumps in the road: cumulativelanguage learning that is supported forlong sequences

Aligned policies from all sources thataffect language learning to work towardcommon goals .

Donna Christian, Center for AppliedLinguistics


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Policy and Practice Supports

Achievement of our language goalsrequires support from education andlanguage policies at all levels (federal,

state, local) to foster the ongoingdevelopment of second language andheritage language proficiency in allways possible.

Legislation

Regulations

Appropriations

Donna Christian, Center for Applied


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Speak up for languagesHelp youth discover language learning -

a tool that will help them to become

better communicators in their mothertongue,

more inter-culturally competent

ready to compete with andcollaborate with peoples from aroundthe world


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How do we do this?Joint National Committee for

Languages

http://www.languagepolicy.org/

ADVOCACYMADE EASY

Tips for Conducting a Public Advocacy Workshop http://www.languagepolicy.org/advocacy/


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Speak up for languages


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Thanks!

to Paul Sandrock, WI DPI for sharing

parts of his presentation to MCTLC2005.

speakup mctlc2007

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