Our work with beginning and experienced foreign language teachers is based on the standards for student learning established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL):
- Communication (use the target language in the interpretive, interpersonal and presentational modes);
- Cultures (gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures through study of their products, practices and perspectives woven throughout language learning);
- Connections (use the target language to connect with other disciplines, and acquire information);
- Comparisons (develop insights into the nature of language and culture);
- Communities (participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world).
Our work with beginning and experienced English language teachers is based on the standards for student learning developed by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Learners of English need to develop communicative competence to realize their personal, social, and long-term career goals. The standards frame English language acquisition as
- Social language;
- Academic language;
- Sociocultural knowledge.
All elementary and secondary school students currently in the United States will be living in and contributing to an increasingly diverse society and interdependent community of nations in the 21st century. To realize their personal, social, and long-term career goals, individuals will need to be able to communicate with others skillfully, appropriately, and effectively. The challenge of contemporary education is to prepare all students for life in this new world, including those learners who enter schools with a language other than English. The purpose of this document is to identify the ESL standards and their role in meeting this challenge.
Contact information:
Gresilda (Kris) A. Tilley-Lubbs for all languages including ESL
Judith L. Shrum for French, German, Latin and Spanish
