DOCUMENT RESUME ED 397 674 FL 023 999 · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 397 674 FL 023 999. TITLE Learning...

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 397 674 FL 023 999

TITLE Learning Languages: The Journal of the NationalNetwork for Early Language Learning. Volume 1.

INSTITUTION Nationa' Network for Early Language Learning.REPORT NO ISSN-1083-5415PUB DATE 96

NOTE 89p.

PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022)JOURNAL CIT Language Learning; vl n1-3 1995-96

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Academic Standards; Administrator Attitudes;

*Bilingualism; Case Studies; Class Activities;Classroom Research; Classroom Techniques; ComputerNetworks; Distance Education; Early ChildhoodEducation; Elementary Secondary Education; *FederalLegislation: *FLES; Foreign Countries; French;German; Grade 8; Information Networks; InformationSources; Instructional Materials; InternationalCooperation; Language Proficiency; Language Research;Language Taachers; *Language Tests; Medieval History;National Norms; Professional Associations; ResearchProjects; Second Language Instruction; *SecondLanguages; Spanish; Teacher Role; Telecommunications;Testing

IDENTIFIERS Authentic Materials; Bayeux Tapestry; Congress 104th;Content Area Teaching; Europe; Germany; SouthAmerica

ABSTRACTThe three numbers of the new journal contain these

articles: "Content-Related Teaching Through Distance Learning: AViable Alte2native?" (Zoe E. Louton); "Teacher as Researcher:Motivating an Eighth Grade Spanish Class" (Emily Francomano);"Traveling to South America on the Internet" (Margaret Reardon);"U.S. Joins Global Language Education Study"; "Events in Europe: AFocus on Germany" (Helena Curtain); "The Bayeux Tapestry: A MedievalDocument Inspires Students" (Armelle Webster); "LegislativeUpdate--104th Congress, First Session" (Cindy McMillan); "NNELLEndorses National Standards"; "Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning"; "Atlanta Superintendent Strongly Supports NationalStandards" (Benjamin O. Canada); "Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning: One District's Experience" (Elizabeth Rieken);"Proficiency-Oriented Testing: Reality Therapy" (Peggy Boyles); and"Bilingualism in Early Childhood Education: What Do We Know? What DoWe Do?" (Laurie Makin). Professional notes, classroom activity ideas,samples of children's classroom creations, notes on classroomresources for French, German, and Spanish instruction, and aprofessional calendar are also included in each issue. (MSE)

***********************************************************************

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

***********************************************************************

Learning LanThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language 'learning

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE ANDDISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL

HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

nktt..1,04.r Sr___4$4/ziS024A:AS.SeeVt_

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION . .

Wits ol E.:11.10110 5el Researchand Improvement

khDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

CENTER (ERIC)ls document has been reproduced as

ceived from the person or organization

originating it.

0 Minor changes have been made to

improve reproduction quality.

Points of vim, or opinions slated in thisdOcument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

2

Fall 1995Vol.1 No.1

Learning Languages: The Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning is theofficial publication of NNELL. It serves the profession by providing a medium for the sharing ofinformation, ideas, and concerns among teachers, administrators, researchers, and others inter-

- ested in the early learning of languages. The journal reflects NNELL's commitment to promotingopportunities for all children to develop a high level of competence in at least one language andculture in addition to their own.

In an effort to address the interests of the profession, both practical and scholarly articles arepublished. Practical articles describe innovative approaches to teaching and to the administration ofeffective language programs for children. Scholarly articles report on original research and cite bothcurrent research and th.--Try as a basis for making recommendations for practice. Scholarly articlesare r..lereed, i.e., reviewed anonymously by at least three readers. Readers include members of theNNELL executive board, the editorial advisory board, and invited guest reviewers who have expertisein the area. Refereed articles are identified as such in the journal. Write to the editor at the addressbelow to request a copy of author guidelines for preparing articles.

Submissions: Deadlines for information are: fall issueMay 1; winter issueNov. 1; springissueFeb. 1. Articles, claJsroom activities, and materials offered for review may be submitted tothe appropriate contributing editor (see below). Send announcements, conference information, andoriginal children's work (such as line drawings, short stories, and poems) to the editor. Children'swork needs to be accompanied by written permission from the child's parents or guardians and mustinclude the child's name, age, school, and the teacher's name, address, and telephone (add fax ande-mail address, if available).

Submit a favorite classroom activity for the "Activities for Your Classroom" section by sending adescription of the activity that includes title, objective, materials, and procedure. Include picture3 ordrawings as illustration, if available. Send with your name, address, and phone numtvr to theClassroom Activities editor listed below.

EditorMarcia H. RosenbuschDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino HallIowa State UniversityAmes, IA [email protected]

Classroom activitiesDiane Fagin AdlerNorth Carolina State UniversityDept. of Foreign Languages and Lit.Box 8106Raleigh, NC [email protected]

ResearchElsa StatznerNational - Louis University1209-A Central St.Evanston, IL [email protected]

Funding info./Alew legislationJoint National Comm. for Languages1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC 20037

International newsHelena CurtainUniversity of Wisconsin - Milwaukee10523 W. Hampton Ave.Milwaukee, WI [email protected]

Teaching methodsGilda OranBloomsburg University

of Pennsylvania3540 Green St.Harrisburg, PA [email protected]

Editorial AssistantSue Ryan Weiss

Cover DesignGary Blum

French resourcesMyriam ChapmanBank Street School for Children610 W. 112th St.New York, NY 10025

Spanish resourcesSusan WolterWright Middle School6894 N. Park Manor Dr.Milwaukee, WI 53224

German resourcesGertie KesslerOrange Hunt Elementary School6820 Sydenstricker Rd.Springfield, VA [email protected]

ram Learning LanguagesThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning

Volume 1, No. 1 Fall 1995

Articles3 Content-Related Teaching Through Distance Learning: A Viable Alternative?

Zoe E. Louton

10 Teacher as Researcher: Motivating an Eighth Grade Spanish ClassEmily Francomano

13 Traveling to South America on the InternetMargaret Reardon

20 U.S. Joins Global Language Education Study

21 Events in Europe: A Focus on GermanyHelena Curtain

Features2 Notes from the President

9 Activities for Your Classroom

12 Children's Classroom Creations

18 Classroom ResourcesFrenchGermanSpanish

24 Calendar

Learning Languages (ISSN 1083-5415) is published three times a year (fall, win, and spring). Membership duesfor NNELL, which include a wbscription to the journal by academic year, are $15/year ($20 overseas). Please sendyour check to: Nancy Rhmes, Executive Secretary, NNELL, 1118 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20037.Copyright © 1995 by tne Iv ational Network for Early Language Learning.

Learning Languages + Fall 19954

I

This has beena busy andinteresting

year for me...

Notes from the PresidentWelcome to the inaugural issue of

Learning Languages. Congratulationsto Marcia Rosenbusch, Editor, whohas done an incredible job of orches-trating the change from FLES News,NNELL's newsletter for eight years, tothis journal. As a journal dedicated toearly start, long sequence foreignlanguage programs, we envision thatLearning Languages will help fill animportant information void in our field.

NNELL's Executive Board hopesthat more educators and policy mak-ers will take notice of the relevanceand growth of our profession symbol-ized by this important change fromnewsletter to journal, as well as of thepriorities that NNELL has identified forthe future:

1) Public awareness and supportof early start, long-sequence pro-grams;

2) Better K-12 articulation and aunified voice in the foreign languageprofession in the context of a longsequence of instruction; and

3) Increased pre- and in-serviceteacher preparation efforts and oppor-tunities for teachers to continue theirprofessional development.

We know that this publication willprovide even more information to youand we believe that you will continueto use the ideas, research, and infor-mation it contains to enrich yourlanguage teaching. The new format isexciting, especially the new interna-tional section and refereed researcharticles. We expect to receive morescholarly articles from those who areconducting research in K-8 language

classrooms as well as practical articlesfrom teachers. When you see excitinglanguage research, teaching, andlearning going on in your school,district, or university, please encour-age those involved to submit artfriesto Learning Languages.

We thank all four of the excellentcandidates in the NNELL elections. I

would like to welcome our new NNELLboard members: Susan Walker,Second Vice-President, and MerciaFoster, Secretary. Susan has addedher expertise to NNELL since thebeginning of the organization. Mercia,also a founding member of NNELL,has been teaching language for manyyears in Iowa.

In November I will hand over thereins of NNELL to Eileen Lorenz ofMontgomery County Public Schools inMaryland, who will continue the themeof teacher-based research in K-8language classrooms.

I would like to thank all of theBoard members for their support andenthusiasm, as well as all of theNNELL members I have met at net-working sessions around the country.Thanks for the opportunity to be anintegral part of such a vibrant networkof language educators!

VNA64-i44640-r-

Mari HaasTeachers College

Columbia UniversityBox 201

New York, NY 10027e-mail: [email protected]

2 5 Learning Languages Fall 1995

Content-Related Teaching ThroughDistance Learning: A Viable Alternative?Refereed Article

Zoe E. Louto9Project DirectorBeatrice and Filley School DistrictsBeatrice and Filley, Nebraska

Aproliferation of successfulprograms in the past de-cade reflects a growingpublic awareness of the

benefits of including foreign languagein the elementary school curriculum.As varied in type as the school sys-tems to which they accommodate,successful programs usually have twoelements that are generally agreedupon as desirable: 1) a trained lan-guage teacher, and 2) content-relatedmaterials and activities that integrateforeign language instruction into thecore curriculum.

Yet, the majority of small and/orrural districts do not have the financialresources to initiate and implementearly language programs. Many aredoing well to offer the requisite collegepreparatory courses at the high schoollevel. Thus, foreign language oppor-tunities at the elementary level, theideal level for initiating foreign lan-guage instruction, remain out of reachfor many schools.

Distancel3arning programs haveresponded to such instructionalvacuums in many subject areas,including some initial efforts in basicforeign language video instruction forelementary students. The focus ofthese programs, however, is primarilyinstruction in language, whereas acontent-related design integrates thelanguage instruction and the contentof other core curricular subjects. Thisdesign provides comprehensible input(Krashen, 1982), and is focused onreal language in use (Omaggio

Hadley, 1986). In addition, studentsuse the language to learn contentinstead of simply learning the lan-guage itself (Mohan, 1986). A con-tent-related program ensures that theinstruction and materials are appropri-ate to grade level, and are meaningfuland real to the children. Additionally,this type of program helps the class-room teachers in further reinforcementof content.

Clearly, a content-related programoffers many advantages for communi-cative language learning. Is it pos-sible, however, to design an elemen-tary school language program that iscontent-related, integrates well withthe classroom core material, and isdelivered by distance technologywithout the assistance of a languagespecialist in the classroom? Howeffectively can the lessons be imple-mented by the classroom teacher wholacks the expertise of the languageteacher? What degree of proficiencycan be expected of pupils in such analternative method of foreign languagelearning?

An experimental program inNebraska, Content-related FLESthrough Distance Learning, which wasbegun in September 1994, attempts toaddress these questions. The projectis funded by a Federal Foreign Lan-guage Assistance Program grant, withsupplemental funding provided by theCooper Foundation, a private founda-tion in Nebraska. The pupils involvedare from the Beatrice and Filley SchoolDistricts, a cooperative unit formed for

The majority ofsmall and/orrural districtsdo not havethe financialresources toinitiate andimplementearly languageprograms.

Learning Languages Fall 1995 6 3

the purpose of the project. The city ofBeatrice (population 12,300) has fourelementary schools, each having twoclassrooms per grade level. Thevillage of Filley (population 167)located 15 miles from Beatrice hasone elementary school with twogrades per classroom. These schoolsserve as a representative sample ofmany similar school districts awayfrom urban centers. Such districtslack the resources, money, and lan-guage specialists to provide earlylanguage learning opportunities fortheir students.

Description of ProjectThe purpose of the project is to

develop and deliver a three-year,content-related, integrated Germanlanguage program to the five Beatrice/Filley elementary schools beginning atgrade three. The program seeks todevelop language proficiency, height-ened cultural sensitivity, and effectiveintegration of language study with corecurriculum content. The classes areheld three times a week for 15 min-utes at the clEssroom teacher's discre-tion during regularly scheduled classtime. The technological features forthe first year include video presenta-tions and telephone connectionb toeach classroom from a telelinguist. Inthe second year, Internet communica-tion and interactive multimedia appli-cations on the computer to reinforcethe video presentations are planned.

The major components of theprogram are described here.

Video lesson units are prepared byFilley staff, designed on themes fromthe core curriGlilum subject matter,and prerecorded by fluent speakers.

The videos form the primary unitof instruction for the German classes.They are all in German and vary in thelength and method of presentation.Some are brief and can be used for

one lesson, such as a video on thealphabet which includes children ingroups of one to three who form thealphabet letters with their bodies anddepictions of alphabet figures thatmove.

Another video that extends overthree or four lessons shows a nativespeaker reading aloud in German andshowing the story of "The ThreeBears" from a Big Book. As she readsshe points to the pictures that illustratethe words and actions of the text.Because the video is edited by com-puter, sound clips (such as a babybear giggling) and color appropriate tothe page are inserted, thereby makingthe story more meaningful and height-ening student interest.

A longer video, entitled Besuchvom Weltraum (Visit from OuterSpace), comprises enough materialfor three weeks of lessons. The storyline deals with a reporter who followsup on a report of a UFO landing. Shediscovers the aliens (hand puppets)and needs to teach them some basicGerman words and phrases to com-municate. The aliens eventuallybecome homesick and leave. Asequel video concerns the reporterand a space pet the aliens have leftbehind. She discovers the pet, whichshe takes home, but the pet soondisappears. She searches throughmany community institutions (thirdgrade curriculum): grocery store,school, library, drug store, and even apet store. Eventually she finds itasleep on her sofa. The aliens soonreturn to take their pet back home.

The video stories are divided intoepisodes, permitting them to beviewed in small segments of three tofive minutes. The teacher and stu-dents view the video lesson together,after which the teacher continues theinstruction using materials and activi-ties that carry out the video lesson.Lesson plans for the teachers areprepared by the project coordinator,

4 7 Learning Languages 4. Fall 1995

and are adjusted according to inputfrom the classroom teacher, as totiming and subject themes, to maxi-mize reinforcement of core subjectmatter.

The lesson plans implementelements from the video and involvethe children in activities that integrateinto the rest of the curriculum. Forexample, in one video episode thereporter teaches the alien puppets tocount to ten. The classroom teacherthen has the pupils complete simplearithmetic problems and play a boardgame. Depending on the amount ofmaterial in a lesson, the teacher mightchoose to repeat an episode for twoor three sessions, varying the accom-panying activities.

The children have additionalopportunities to learn the lessonmaterial because the teachers havechosen to integrate elements from thelessons throughout the day. Germannumbers, for example, are used notonly during the German class, butwhenever convenient during otheractivities.

Lesson practice and activities aresupervised by the classroom teacherswho are being prepared to be lessonfacilitators.

The group of twelve teachersfrom Beatrice and two from Filleyincludes not only the third gradeteachers who initiated the project, butalso the fourth and fifth grade teach-ers who will be involved as the initialthird grade classes advance to thenext levels. Classroom teachers areresponsible for the day-to-day man-agement and operation of the classes,including the on-going assessment ofthe students.

The classroom teachers involvedreceive preparation in German as wellas in the use of the project materialsand lesson presentations. A specialcourse at the local college has been

designed specifically for this purpose.The design incorporates instruction inbasic German (text: Moeller, Lied loff,Winnifred, Kirmse, and Lalande, 1992)and foreign language methodology(text: Curtain and Peso la, 1994).Outside experts in language andmethods visit the classes periodicallyand serve as consultants. The classesfor teachers serve to advance basiclanguage facility and knowledge ofstructure and usage, as well as toprovide a forum for problem identifica-tion and resolution. These classes areintended to bring the teachers/facilita-tors to novice-mid level of proficiencyduring the three-year period of thegrant.

A fluent speaker of German communi-cates with the teachers and studentsby speaker telephone (telelinguist).

The telelinguist, who works out ofthe Nebraska Department of Educa-tion offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, callseach teacher's class twice weekly for15 minute sessions. These sessionsprovide an opportunity for the elemen-tary students to use the language skillsthey are developing in real and mean-ingful communication with a fluentspeaker. The telelinguist draws pupilsinto conversation by using a child-centered question format, with stu-dents answering individually or as agroup.

The topics of conversation duringthe speaker phone calls are usuallybased on the lessons currently beingstudied, but questions are also drawnfrom review vocabulary and previouslycovered topics. All responses areaccepted, with the telelinguist restatingor rephrasing the response if correc-tions are needed.

In order to further encouragestudent language acquisition, network-ing is taking place with elementaryschool pupils in Braunschweig, Ger-manyOmaha's sister city. During

The childrenhave additionalopportunities tolearn the lessonmaterial be-cause theteachers havechosen to inte-grate elementsfrom the lessonsthroughout theday.


...fear of foreignlanguages, so

often evidencedby adult learners,soon dissipated

(among theclassroomteachers).

this first year, the pupils made initialcontact sending cards and letters.Internet communication between thegroups will begin during the secondye;:r. Considerable preliminary prepa-ration i necessary for the Internetcomponent, since elementary studentsin German schooIs normally have noclassroom contact with computers.This will, however, provide a means ofcommunication for the students that isimmediate, practical, reality-based,culturally broad, and meaningful,since they will experience authenticlanguage and culture. ED: See therelated article on p. 13.

During the second and third yearsof the project, computer software andan interactive multimedia componentbased on the lesson units will beadded to facilitate communicativecompetence and linguistic proficiencyin listening, speaking, reading, andwriting.

EvaluationOn-going evaluations of the

project will be conducted by theindividual school districts and theproject coordinator. These will includesimple evaluation forms on students'learning of the video content, attitudi-nal surveys of students, parents,'teachers, and administrators using theFLES Program Evaluation inventory, aglobal rating instrument developed byHeining-Boynton at the University ofNorth Carolina (1990).

The foreign language curriculummaterials will be evaluated by AliMoeller, an outside expert in curricu-lum development and foreign lan-guage instruction from the Universityot Nebraska. Dr. Moeller will completea curriculum analysis to assesswhether the curriculum interfaces withthe state and national standards. Shewill also conduct proficiency testing ofthe students in the four skills using amodified form of the Oral ProficiencyInterview.

Additional authentic measuringsystems, such as portfolio assess-ment, anecdotal records, and studentjournals, will assess development oflanguage and cultural proficiency aswell as determine whether the stu-dents view content areas as intercon-r lected rather than as mutually exclu-sive. In order to evaluate the reliabilityof portfolio assessments, a panel ofthree evaluators (a teacher educatorand two practicing German teachers)will also evaluate the portfolios. Tobegin the process, the panel will meetto establish the initial criteria. Theywill then independently run a testevaluation on one or two portfolios inorder to establish inter-rater reliability.When this reliability has been estab-lished, the panel will rate all portfoliosaccording to the predetermined crite-ria.

The evaluation will address theextent to which the project objectirand activities were implemented, L.effectiveness of the project's activitiesin achieving the objectives, and stu-dent outcomes as a result of theproject's activities.

Project ProgressDuring the first year, as expected,

the project director has seen foreignlanguage sessions emerge that differsomewhat from typical languageclasses taught by an on-site foreignlanguage specialist. One majordifference reflects the teachers' lack oflanguage expertise. The classroomteachers do not have the necessaryskill levels to use the target languageexclusively during the languagesessions. Moreover, the pace isslower and the intensity is less than ispossible when sessions are led byspecialist teachers who would be ableto maintain a constant interchange ofcommunication in the target languagefor the length of the session. As acounter to this disadvantage, however,the teachers do not restrict their use of


German to the 15 minute class ses-sion, but rather use it throughout theday. They integrate the languagewherever applicable into the presenta-tion of the other subjects being taught.In this way they treat foreign languageinstruction in much the same way asthey do the other core subjects.

The teachers/facilitators them-selves are experiencing a change inperception, which increasingly empha-sizes the uniqueness of foreignlanguage study and how it can enrichthe person as well as the generalteaching environment. At the onset ofthe project, the field of foreign lan-guages was indeed foreign for themajority of the group. Only four ofthese teachers had previously studieda foreign language for two years in

high school (one in French, one inSpanish, two in German). The otherten had no foreign language back-ground experience.

During the first weeks, someteachers appeared to be reluctantabout the training sessions. A feweven complained to their administra-tors that the work was "too hard" andthat they did not have time for thispreparation in addition to their comMit-tee work. One teacher reported shefelt like she was pulling a ball andchain.

Fortunately, after about fourweeks there was a noticeable changein attitude and receptiveness. Theteachers began to press their princi-pals to purchase German/Englishdictionaries and also bought teachingaids from catalogues with their ownmoney. They began to seek innova-tive ways to use German in theirteachingoften coming to the trainingclass with mini-units they had devel-oped on their own.

This dramatic change became thetopic for discussion in the weeklyteacher preparation class where timeis allowed for problem identificationand remedial strategies. The teach-

ers expressed their initial reluctance bycomments such as, "It was so differentfrom any other course I had taken"; "Iwas afraid of making a mistake (in

German)"; "I felt so ignorant"; "Foreignlanguage learning is so different; I hadnothing to refer back to." This fear offoreign languages, so often evidencedby adult learners, soon dissipated.The teachers reported they weresurprised and delighted when theyrealized that they were understandingthe foreign language. More impor-tantly, they saw that their pupils werelearning the foreign language quicklyand felt that they were an effective partof the process. On a more subtlelevel, they felt their own horizonsbroadening. As one teacher said, "Ifeel so much more a part of theworld!"

The teachers and the telelinguisthave compleed simple evaluationforms on students' learning of thematerial taught during the videdepisodes. These evaluation formsaddress the areas customarily taughtin first year foreign language instruc-tion: numbers, alphabet, colors,greetings and farewells, giving andasking for names, giving own address,classroom items, body parts, andtelling time. The evaluation forms aredesigned to be completed in a mini-mum amount of time.

The initial evaluations by theteachers, the telelinguist, and theproject director indicate that the pupilshave acquired language facility thatthey are pleased to use at everyopportunity in and out of the class-room. Surprisingly, many of the fourthand fifth grade teachers introduced theGerman materials into their class-rooms even though the first year of theproject design did not yet involvethem. This exemplifies the tendencyof classroom teachers to constantlysearch for increased educationalopportunities for their pupils.

An unexpectedoutcome is thereaction of theteachers, whohave felt en-abled to presentthe materialacross thecurriculum.


We view thecomments and

observations bythe teachers/

facilitators as acrUcial element

in affirmingthe project's

success.

We are pleased that the consen-sus of opinions by the participants atthis early stage has been encouragingas to the outcome of the first stage ofthe project and we plan to reportprogress on the project to toe profes-sion. Meanwhile, we welcome con-tacts with others: Zoe Louton, FilleySchools, PO Box 87, Filley NE68357; 402-662-3595; e-mail:[email protected]

ReferencesCurtain, H., & Peso la, C. A.

(1994). Languages and Children:Making the Match. (2nd ed.) WhitePlains, NY: Longman.

Heining-Boynton, A. L. (1990).

First Ever Joint Conference

Advocates for Language Learning (ALL)

and

Second/Foreign Language Acquisition byChildren (SLAC)

(in Conjunction with ACTFL)

November 15-17, 1995Conference Center & Marriott on the Campus

p California State UniversityFullerton, California

"Getting Our Children Readyfor Tomorrow"

Sample Session Topics:

Integrating International Studies and ForeignLanguage into the Curriculum K-6

Incidental Learning vs. Direct Teaching ofVocabulary in an Immersion Program

Becoming a Scientist: Integrating Scienceand the Foreign Languages

Integrating Children's Literature in theSpanish Classroom

Energize your Classroom through Song and PlayKeys to Successful FLES/FLEX Programs in 1995Technology and K-12 Language LearningFLES Meets the Seven IntelligencesTowards Positive TestingThe Current Situation and the Needs of TeacherTraining in Japanese Immersion Education

in the USParents Can Make a Difference: French

Immeesion in Canada and Canadian Parents forFrench

The Development and Testing of theFLES Program Evaluation Inventory.The Modern Language Journal, 74 (4),432-439.

Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principlesand Practice in Second LanguageAcquisition. New York: PergamonPress.

Moeller, J., Liedloff, H., Winnifred,A., Kirmse, C., Lalande, J. (1992).Deutsch Heute. Boston, MA:Houghton Mifflin.

Mohan, B. (1986). Languageand Content. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Omaggio Hadley, A. (1986).Teaching Language in Context (2nded.) Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Order K-8 Culture ResourceManuals

Montgomery County PublicSchools, Rockville, Maryland is pleasedto announce the availability of tworesource manuals that focus on anintegrated approach to the teaching oflanguage, culture, and content. Teach-ing Culture in Grades K-8: A ResourceManual for Teachers of Spanish andTeaching Culture in Grades K-8: AResource Manual for Teachers ofFrench contain a scope and sequenceof objectives for teaching culture inkindergarten through grade 8, as wellas instructional activities developed byteachers.

These manuals are a product of athree-year project supported by theNational Endowment for the Humani-ties. All orders must be accompaniedby a check for $15 (to cover the cost ofprinting and shipping) made payable toMontgomery County Public Schools.

Send letters of request to: EileenLorenz, Department of Academit.,Programs, Montgomery County PublicSchools, 850 Hungerford Drive,Rockville, MD 20850.


Activities for Your Classroom

Jigsaw GeographyKathy StevensGarden City Public SchoolsGarden City, Michigan

Ob'ective:Students will demonstrate knowledgeof geography by fitting together a mapof South American countries as in ajigsaw puzzle.

Vocabularv:Countries of SouthAmerica;Capitals of countriesof South America;Bodies of water sur-rounding South Americaplus the An azon;Direction words: north (norte),south (sud), east (este), west(oeste);Comparative adjectives: bigger(más grande que), smaller(más pequeilo/a que);Where is ...? (e,DOnde esta ...?)What is the capital of . . .?

(Cuál es la capital de . . .?)

country using a large dot. This dotalso differentiates the front side of apuzzle piece from the back.

Cut up the map into countries.Laminate each piece. Create

individual labels for countrynames, capitals, and

bodies of water.Laminate each.Be sure tomake the

countries largeenough to be

seen on the floorby all students when

the map puzzle is beingassembled. Introduce the

countries, capitals, and bodiesof water in South America using

the map transparency. Practiceexpressions listed above in thevocabulary.

Place the laminated countrypieces in a bag. Each student

chooses one. The first student placesher country on the floor. The secondstudent places his country on the floor,describing its relationship to theprevious country (see vocabulary).

Continue until all countries havebeen placed and described. Directstudents to label each country, capital,and body of water with laminatedplace names using the questionslisted in the vocabulary.

When the map is complete, usethe yarn to create the Equator!

Materials:Large poster board map of South

America, cut up into individualcountries and laminated;Individual labels for each country,capital, and body of water;Yarn

Procedure:First prepare the large map pieces byprojecting a transparency image of amap of South America onto a posterboard mounted on the wall. Usingdifferent colored markers, outline theindividual countries on the posterboard. Indicate the capital city of each

Jigsaw puzzlescan make learn-ing geographyfun!


I really hopedthat my stu-dents would

start to feel thatsame kind of

love for thelanguage...

Teacher as Researcher: Motivatingan Eighth Grade Spanish ClassEmily FrancomanoThe Day SchoolNew York, New York

Iwant to tell you about theexciting results of a teacherresearch project I completedlast year. I was introduced to

the idea of the teacher as researcherwhile I was a participant in ProjectRuma, a National Endowment for theHumanities grant-funded project atTeachers College, Columbia Univer-sity. My research project was done inconnection with an assignment inwhich we were to create a curriculumunit that used subject content (thehistory and culture of Mexico) andwriting activities to teach Spanish.

I created a unit for an eighthgrade class based on the Zapotecstory, La mujer que brillaba aCin másque el sol, adapted from a poem byAlejandro Cruz Martinez. I chose thisstory because it is beautiful, bothlinguistically and visually. As a personwho loves Spanish, and loves writingand reading Spanish, I really hopedthat my students would start to feelthat same kind of love for the lan-guage, develop some ownership ofthe language, feel better about them-selves, and really have some fun withthe language while they were learning.

Unfortunately, the class did notfeel like successful language learners;in fact they felt as if they had beenlabeled the "slow" group. Not surpris-ingly, their in-class behavior andengagement had been problematicthroughout the fall. I decided thatafter winter vacation when they cameback, the class would be completelydifferent. I would use an entirelydifferent style of teaching that involv.Aonly speaking in Spanish in the class-

room on my part and the students'parts. My research questions cen-tered around my students' reactions toa new methodology in the classroomin which each lesson was focused onthe story. Would their motivation andengagement increase? Would theydevelop a more intuitive sense ofspoken and written Spanish?

As I taught the unit, I recorded mythoughts in a journal, audio- andvideo-taped some of my lessons,evaluated and compared my students'work, and conducted interviews withsome of my students. The teachingstrategies I used included:

presenting the vocabulary withvisuals from the story;having the students practice thevocabulary by answering questionsabout the story and writing originalsentences;conducting shared readings of thestory;having students act out the story;completing a story map of thecharacters, setting, problems, andsolution;writing and illustrating originalstoriesi pndrntAking a video of the studentsreading their stories.

I started each class making n,ystudents swear that they would speakonly Spanish in class, "Doy mi palabrade honor..." (I pledge my word ofhonor....) They would come in, shakemy hand, and say, "I'm not going tospeak any English today." That reallyhelped because before, I had toconstantly remind them, "We're not

10 13 Learning Languages + Fell 1995

speaking any English today." I have asign, "Hablamos espatiol ahora (We'respeaking Spanish now)/We're speak-ing English now," which helped some-what, but the oath helped a lot more.They started to do their own languagepolicing. "in estás hablando inglés,callate!" (You're speaking English,shut-up!) Even though this was notexactly polite, it was a very meaningfulexchange of language.

I found that motivation just soaredand there was a markedly higher levelof engagement in the classroom.Consequently, classroom manage-ment became much easier. Thestudents really enjoyed reading astory. I often had them sitting on thefloor in a circle, as in kindergarten,and made the class as fun as pos-sible. They loved writing their ownstories, making them into books, andmaking a video.

During reflective interviews, moststudents responded that the class wasnow more interesting and fun. Manystudents felt that they had becomemore successful in communicating inSpanish. They really were able to

communicate meaningfully to oneanother and to me. I noticed thebiggest improvement in oral skills,especially in the asking of questions.

With the changes I made in myteaching, my students experienced anew level of motivation. I know that Iwill keep on teaching my students inthis new way. And I know now that Ican complete a meaningful teacherresearch project!

ReferencesCruz Martinez, A., & Olivera, F.

(Illustrator). (1991). La mujer quebrillaba aün más que e/ sol. SanFrancisco, CA: Children's Press.

Editor's Note: The curriculum unitdescribed will be included in theProject Pluma teachers' resourceguide, which will be available in the fallof 1996. To request a complimentarycopy, send your name and address to:Mari Haas, Teachers College, Colum-bia University, Box 201, New York, NY10025.

Standards and Assessment Conference Report Available

On March 30-April 1, 1995, theSchool of Educatior at the Universityof North Carolina at Chapel Hill hostedthe International Conference onStandards and Assessment (ICSA).

This first-ever meeting broughttogether K-16 educators, state depart-ment coordinators, U.S. Department ofEducation officials, policy makers, andrepresentatives from all of the contentarea standards projects.

The three-day event offeredparticipants six internationally-knownkeynote speakers, six preconferenceworkshops, and over 60 concurrentsessions. Thirty-five states and twoforeign countries were represented.

. Participants had the opportunityto network with representatives fromall levels of the standards and assessment movement. Fascinating ideaswere shared regarding numerousprojects at local, state, and nationallevels.

The 1CSA Report, a refereedjournal with articles that represent awide view of the conference, is nowavailable. For information regardingthe purchase of the 1CSA Report,contact Dr. Audrey Heining-Boynton,1CSA Report Editor, CB#3500Peabody Hall, The University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill,NC 27599-3500.

...motivationjust soared...

Learning Languages Fall '1995 1

14

Children's Classroom Creations

Erin RobinsonGrade 5Renbrook SchoolWest Hartford, CTPat Clark, French Teacher

Editor's Note: The cover and two pages from Erin's delightful book areincluded in Children's Classroom Creations. Erin's book is based on theUri Litre de Creme Alogee, which is one of three stories in the Big Book,Dix Kilometres a Pied, published by Addison-Wesley, 1 Jacob Way,Reading, MA 01867; Phone: 800-447-2226 or 617-944-3700.Shaped books are available from Perfection Learning Corporation, 1000N. 2nd Ave.. Loaan, IA 51546; Phone: 712-644-2831.


Traveling to South Americaon the InternetMargaret ReardonPocantico Hills Public SchoolNorth Tanytown, New York

We often hear that in ourincreasingly interde-pendent world it is vitalfor our students to be

able to communicate in languagesother than English. We are also urgedto help our students develop anunderstanding of other cultures. Forseventh grade students learningSpanish at the Pocantico Hills PublicSchool in North Tarrytown, New York,corresponding with students in LatinAmerica via the Internet was theperfect way to personalize the stu-dents' school language learningexperience. This experience not onlyencouraged students in their contln-ued study of Spanish, it motivatedthem to learn about other cultures.

This experience came aboutwhen the school librarian and I (theSpanish teacher, with very little com-puter or electronic mail experience)participated in a federally-fundedgrant, Focus on Information Technolo-gies, through our local Bureau ofCooperative Educational Services(BOCES). This grant offered us achance to write a curriculum unit thatused the Internet to connect ourstudents with students in Spanish-speaking countries. This program wasespecially interesting to us becziuseSouth America had been designatedas the focus for the seventh gradeSpanish curriculum for that year. Thestudents in our school who partici-pated in this project had studiedSpanish for three and a half years.

And so our adventure on theInternet began. First, we searched the

Internet for links with schools in LatinAmerican countries. We went downmany unexplored paths and hit manydead ends. I traveled to Paraguay bynight and Chile by day trying to getelectronic mail addresses. When wediscovered List Servs (electronicbulletin boards on the Internet wherepeople from all over the world askquestions that anyone reading theboard can respond to through elec-tronic mail), we sent out messagesabout our project and received manyresponses. We were connected withteachers in Argentina, Peru, andColombia and were exhilarated whenwe received responses from themsuch as the following:

Peggy, no te imaginas el interésque ha despertado el correoelectronico en el colegio...quiero queme confirmes si vamos a intercambiarinformackin pronto... Alfredo

We wanted our students to learnmore about Latin America and topractice their Spanish skills as theyconversed electronically with thestudents from that continent.

We first identified the schools withwhich we would correspond: a Jewishschool in Argentina, a Jesuit school inPeru, and a Missionary school inColombia. Next, we divided thestudents into three groups. Eachgroup reselrched one country on theInternet and on CD-ROM's available atour school. We asked students tolearn general information about thecountries as well as information aboutany current political instability. Thestudents made flags, maps, and travel

Peggy,you can't imaginehow much interestelectronic mail hascaused atschool...pleaseconfirm if we aregoing to exchangeinformation soon...Alfredo

Learning Languages 4. Fall 1995 16 13

The librarianwas amazed

at their desireto use perfect

Spanish.

brochures in their Spanish class anddescribed their country in writing.They were also to take part in fourelectronic mail exchanges, after whicha video reporting on the experiencewas produced at the local cabletelevision station, culminating the unit.

In the first electronic mail ex-change, students wrote an autobiog-raphy; in the second, a description oftheir school; next they describedwhere they lived; and finally, theywrote about their favorite pastimes,music, and sports. Before eachexchange we brainstormed ideas theymight include. Each student then

wrote a rough draft of a message,which I helped them correct.

When we went to the library,where the Internet connection islocated, the students worked in pairsto type their messages to their keypalsin Argentina, Peru, or Colombia. Onestudent dictated and watched themonitor for errors while the othertyped. The librarian was amazed attheir desire to use perfect Spanish.

The following are examples ofelectronic mail messages sent andreceived during the project. All corre-spondence was in Spanish. Englishtranslations are provided:

ED: Please note that diacritics and non-English punctuation are not used onthe Internet. The messages received have not been edited, except for the re-moval of last names.

Querida Naomi:

Somos alumnos de 68 delcolegio TARBUT Nos Ilamamos,Yael, Federico, Nicole, Lola, Yee/ K.Todos vivmos en departamentosgrandes. En el grado nos Ilevamosmuy bien. Salimos a muchos ladosjuntos y nos divertimos mucho.Tenemos fami!ias muy grandes,entre ellos tios, abuelos, hermanos,madres y padres. Nos gustanmucho los deportes y en los recreosjugamos al hand-ball, foot-ball,volley-ball, tennis. En el colegioestudiamos 3 idiomas, Ingles,Hebreo y Castellano. Nos gustamucho comunicarnos contigo yqueremos saber mas acerca de tuvida. Esperamos mas noticiastuyas. Un beso.

Federico, Lola, Yael, Nicole y Yael K.Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dear Naomi:

Vn are 6th grade (6B) studentsat TAIRDUT High School. Ournarms are Yael, Federico, Nicole,Loia, Yael K. We all live in bigapartments. At school we get alongvery well. We go out a lot togetherand we have fun. We have bigfamilies, among them uncles andaunts, grandparents, brothers andsisters, mothers and fathers. Welike sports a lot and during recesswe play handball, football, volleyballand tennis. At school we learn threelanguages, English, Hebrew andSpanish. We would really like tokeep in touch with you and we wouldlike to know more about your life.We hope to receive more news fromyou. A kiss.

Federico, Lola, Yael, Nicole & Yael K.

Buenos Aires, Argentina


Ho la, Federico, Lola, Yael, Nicole,Yael K.

Gracias por tus dos cartas. Megustan mucho. Mi escuela espequena. Mi clase favorita esmatematicas. El profesor dematematicas se llama el Sr. S. Esmi profesor favorito. Me gusta /aclase de espanol. La profesora sellama Sra. Reardon.

Es su escuela pequena,mediana o grande? Llevanuniformes? Donde comes elalmuerzo? Cuales sus clasesfavoritas? Tienen un piano? SonUds. populares? Tienen abuelos,bisabuelos y tios? Por favor,escribame otra vez.

Tu amiga

NaomiN. Tarrytown, NY

Ho la me Ilamo Sebastian, estoyen 3 de sec "A" (9° grado), tengo 15a-nos me gusta hacer morey SURFir a fiestas, conocer gente mismejores amigos son Diego, Hernan,Joe la y Valery, no soy muyestudioso, soy de estatura baja, misojos son pardos, pelo casta-nooscuro, tengo una casa grande ytambien otra en una playa privadaque se llama "Lapa Lapa," esperoque me escribas pronto chau

SebastianLima, Peru

Hello, Federico, Lola, Yael, Nicole,Yael K,

Thank you for your two letters.I liked them a lot. My school issmall. My favorite class is math-ematics. My math teacher's name isMr. S. He is my favorite teacher. I

like my Spanish class. My Spanishteacher's name is Mrs. Reardon.

Is your school small, medium,or large? Do you wear unit3rms?Where do you eat lunch? Whichare your favorite classes? Do youhave a piar, ? Are you popular?Do you have grandparents, greatgrandparents, uncles and aunts?Please write me again.

Your friendNaomiN. Tarrytown, NY

He llo,, my name is Sebastian; Iam in the 3rd year of secondaryschool "A" (9th grade), I am 15years old and I like to do moreySURFing, go to parties, and meetpeople. My best friends are Diego,Hernan, Joe la and Valery, I am notvery studious, I am short, my eyesare light brown, my hair is lightbrown. I have a big house and alsoanother house at a private beachnamed "Lapa Lapa." I hope youwrite to me soon, bye.

Sebastian

Lima, Peru

Learning Languages Fall 1995 15

Ho la, Magali, Diego, Matias, Lucianoy Uri

Ho la! Me Ilamo Bethany. Recibitu carta interesante. Pues, Estoy enel septimo grado. La escuela sellama Pocantico Hills. Voy a laescuela a pie o por coche. En miescuela no podemos masticarcorrer en los pasillos, ni llevar gorras.

Estudio ciencias, estudiossociales, matematicas, ingles,espariol 1, arta, education fisica, ytechnologia. Me gustan mas omenos. Como les gusta estudiaringles? Hablan Uds. el hebreo muybien? A que hora va y sale de laescuela? Bailas ballet en tu pais?Te gusta? Me gusta mucho.Escribame pronto.

Hasta luego,BethanyN. Tarrytown, NY

Hola!

Mi nornbre es Joann. Yotengo 15 años. Yo soy de Corea.Vivo en &vita, Colombia.Estudio en E Camino AcademyEstoy en 90 grado. Tengo 4hermanas. Hace 1 mes estoy enColombia. Hablo 4 idiomas:Español, Ingles, Coreano, yPortugues. He vivido en Brasil,Paraguay, Portugal, y Corea. Mideporte favorito es baloncesto.Mi color favorito es e/ awl, y micomida favorita es pizza.

JoannBogota, Colombia

Hello, Magali, Diego, Matias,Luciano and Uni,

Hello! My name is Bethany. I

received your interesting letter. I amin 7th grade. My school is calledPocantico Hills. I walk to school orgo by car. At my school we cannotchew gum, run in the hallways orwear caps.

I study Science, Social Studies,Mathematics, English, Spanish I, Art,Physical Education, and Technology.I sort of like them. How do you likestudying English? Do you speakHebrew well? What time do you goto school and leave school? Do youballet dance in your country? Doyou like it? I like it a lot. Write mesoon.

See you later,BethanyN. Tarrytown, NY

Hello!

My name is Joann. I am 15years old. I am from Korea. I live inBogota, Colombia. I study at ElCamino Academy. I am in 9thgrade. I have four sisters. I havebeen in Colombia for one month. I

speak four languages: Spanish,English, Korean, and Portuguese. I

have lived in Brazil, Paraguay,Portugal and Korea. My favoritesport is basketball. My favorite coloris blue and my favorite meal ispizza.

JoannBogota, Columbia

1619 Learning Languages Fall 1995

Que tal Bethany, me llamo Flaviote.vo 16 y estoy en ultimo alio megusta mucho la musica grungecomo Pearl Jam etc, contestamepronto Chau

FlavioLima, Peru

The students were very excitedabout the project. Before school andduring lunch I would be greeted in thehallways with, "Would you check mymessage? I just want to make sure mySpanish is perfect." "Do you have amessage for me?" and "May I readmy message to the class?"

The librarian and I were verysatisfied with the results of the project.The students were incredibly moti-vated, practiced their Spanish in a realcontext, and learned about the cultureof the people who speak Spanish inArgentina, Peru, and Colombia. Theywere amazed at how similar they areto their South American peers.

Here are some guidelines forreplicating a project like this:

You need at least one computerwith a modem and a connection to anelectronic mail system.

Record all of the paths you takewhen you look for information on theInternet, so that the next time youknow what steps you have takenbefore.

Have specific goals, activities,and outcomes in mind before youbegin. Preplanning helps the projectrun smoothly.

Set specific beginning andending dates for the project with theteachers in the target country. Thiswill help avoid the long wait for re-sponses.

How are you Bethany, my name isFlavio I am 16 years old and I am inmy last year [of secondary school]. I

like grunge music very much likePearl Jam etc. Answer me soon. Bye.

FlavioLima, Peru

Make sure you ask the sisterschool for additional information(besides their electronic mail address)such as mailing address, phonenumber, and FAX number in case youwant to send anything through otherchannels later.

Try to exchange messages withstudentq, of similar ages to your stu-dents.

Plan adequate time for thestudents to use the computers. If youonly have a limited number of comput-ers that access the Internet, you willneed a great deal of time for all of thestudents to be able to send theirmessages.

I encourage you to explore theInternet with your students. I believethat you, too, will find that your stu-dents will love using the language theyhave studied to communicate withtheir peers in other countries. Hereare some helpful resources to help getyou started:

EDNET:

[email protected]

KIDSPHERE:[email protected]

KIDLINK via web browser athttp://www.kidlink.org

The studentswere so inter-ested in LatinAmerica thatthey askedthe principal ifthey could goon a class tripto Mexico!

Learning Languages Fall 1995 2 0 17

Classroom Resources

FrenchCarter, D.A. (1992). Dans un BoisTrés, Trés Sombre. Toulouse, France:Editions Milan.

Fox, M. (1990). A ton avis? France:Kaleidoscope.

Available through Children's FrenchBook Store, 1486 Gainforth Ave.,Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4J1N5;416-465-3015.

Here are two books which makefor wonderful lessons at Halloweentime. Both books are adaptationsfrom English, but they are so engag-ing and so rich in possibilities that Iuse them without any qualms in myclasses.

David Carter's book, Dans unBois Trés, Trés Sombre, is a recount-ing of that classic, scary story, In aDark, Dark Wood. This book hasspooky illustrations and a simplerepetitive text that builds suspense asit goes along. The pay-off is a terrificghost that actually pops out of the lastpage. This is a book that children ofall ages can enjoy. I read it to mybeginning French students in sixthgrade, but younger children will like itas well. As a follow-up activity, mystudents create their own "Dans un(e)(noun) trés, trés (adjective)" book withtext and illustrations that they sharewith the class.

Mem Fox's A ton avis is morecontroversial. This book has complex,surreal illustrations that teachers andstudents may find disturbing, intrigu-ing, or howlingly funny. My seventhand eighth grade students love it. Thetext invites the reader to look at thepictures of a very strange witch and to

guess what kind of person she reallyis. It all comes out well in the end, butalong the way the reader is treated tohilarious pictures of the witch'slifestyle, including a witches' brew,witch hats, and a variety of witchyanimals. There is a lot for students totalk about in this book and it certainlystimulates the imagination. Since thehumor is quite sophisticated, (the witchwears buttons that say "idiot grin" and"hot bats") the book will appeal espe-cially to older elementary students.Definitely weird, but definitely fun!

GermanWilkes, A., Schindler, N. (1992).Duden: Mein erstes WOrterbuch.Mannheim: Dudenverlag. $21.95.

Paschmann, M., Teichmann, D.(1991). Duden: Bildworterbuch farKinder. Mannheim: Dudenverlag.$17.95.

Langenscheidt Picture Dictionary.German/English. (1992). Maspeth, NY:Langenscheidt. $14.95 (Paperback);$19.95 (Hardcover).

All are available from Delta Sys-tems Co., Inc., 1400 Miller Parkway,McHenry, IL 60050-7030; 800-323-8270; Fax: 815-363-2948.

If you are a teacher interested inusing the four components of a com-municative classroomlistening,speaking, reading, and writingthesebooks provide an invaluable resource.Students using them will gain culturalknowledge and will have lots of funlooking at the illustrations, in addition

2 118 Learning Languages + Fall 1995

to listening to, speaking, reading, andwriting the words. The books are anexcellent reference for journal writing.They can be placed in a WritingCenter for students to use as they lookup w 'rds and expressions.

Mein erstes Wörterbuch contains60 full-color pages with photographsof real German scenes and objectsthat are labeled in German. Topicsinclude clothing, the body, things in thehouse, things in the garden, colors,shapes, numbers, food and drinks,sports, school, toys, zoo, farm,weather, and shopping, just to name afew.

BildwOrterbuch fur Kinder alsoconsists of 60 pages with full-colorscenes surrounded by smaller picturesshowing articles from within the scene.Topics include the house, family, city,school, farm, seasons, shops, traffic,playground, clothing, hospital, andmany more.

In both of these books the scenesand items are labeled only in Germanand use the appropriate article withthe nouns. BildwOrterbuch ilk Kinderuses illustratcns, while Mein erstesWörterbuch shows photographs.

Langenscheidl Picture Dictionaryuses the German and English word foreach illustration. It contains 3,336terms and helps students acquirevocabulary and dictionary skills. Thefull-color illustrations show actions andideas suitable for the young reader.The words are arranged in alphabeti-cal order. Nouns are used with theappropriate German article.

All three books contain a Germanindex which makes it easy for studentsto look up a specific word. Thesebooks are a terrific resource for aGerman reading/writing program.They are best for students who arebeginning to read and for students infirst or second grade immersionclasses.

SpanishGarcia Lorca, F. (1986). FedericoGarcia Lorca para niños. (3rd ed.)Martin, E. (Ed.). Madrid: Ediciones dela Torre.

Available from Ideal ForeignBooks, Inc., 132 - 10 Hillside Ave.,Richmond Hill, NY 11418; 718-297-7477. Cost is $13.95.

Introduce your students to Span-ish language poetry with FedericoGarcia Lorca para nitios. This book,which is one in a series on Spanishpoets, gives you 32 pages of back-ground on Garcia Lorca and over 50poems mr children. Many poems areshort and very appropriate for elemen-tary and middle school classes. Thelonger poems can be used with moreadvanced students or immersionstudents. Some poems lend them-selves to choral recitation while oth-ers, to illustration by the students.Students might also imitate GarciaLorca's style in creating their ownSpanish poetry. You will find this bookto be an excellent resource for intro-ducing authentic Spanish poetry toyour students.

Callfor

PapersThe 'ERIC? clearinghouse on Languagesand linguistics invites you to submit papers,

reports, curricula cf other materials forinclusion in the le13101$ database.

Submisscrts should be sent to:

Acquisitions CoordirbstorERIC/CLL

1118 22nd Street NWWashington DC 20037

TEL 202429-9992EMAIL ERICOCALORG


It is importantthat the U.S.

be involved incooperative

efforts of thisnature -

Paul Simon

U.S. JoinsGlobal LanguageEducationStudy

The United States is partici-pating in the first phase ofan international compara-tive survey of language

education conducted by the Interna-tional Association for the Evaluation ofEducational Achievement (lEA). Thissurvey, coordinated by the Center forApplied Linguistics (CAL), is similar tothe recently conducted survey mea-suring U.S. students' mathematicaland scientific abilities and comparingthem to those of other students inother countries. Over 30 countriesare participating in thi; study.

The study will contribute signifi-cantly to our understanding of lan-guage education in the U.S. andaroutd the world, and will provide abasis for suggesting improvements inour educational system. As U.S.Senator Paul Simon observed, thestudy "will give us an opportunity tobetter gauge where the U.S. stands inrelation to other nations in this impor-tant area. It is important that the U.S.be involved in cooperative efforts ofthis nature."

In the first phase, CAL will reporton the teaching of Spanish, French,German, Japanese, and English-as-a-Second Language. This phase of thestudy will also include conductingresearch on the social, political, andeducational context in which languageeducation is carried out. The gather-ing of data for Phase One has beencompleted and country representa-

tives met to share results in June1995. Phase Two is much moreextensive, and will involve the testingof students and collection of data onstudent proficiency and on the kinds ofteaching that go on across the country.The research will result in identifyingmodel programs and describing themthrough case studies.

Support for CAL's participation inPhase One is provided by the SpencerFoundation, Teachers of English toSpeakers of Other Languages(TESOL), the American Council on theTeaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL), the American Association ofTeachers of Spanish and Portuguese(AATSP), the American Association ofTeachers of German (AATG) and theCouncil of Chief State School Officers(CCSSO). At present, funding isavailable for U.S. participation in thefirst phase of the study only.

The national language educationprofile that the U.S. is preparing for theinternational study will be available asa separate report, to be published bythe National Clearinghouse for Bilin-gual Education (NCBE) in winter 1995.

The IEA, founded in 1969 underthe auspices of UNESCO Institute ofEducation in Hamburg, has conchictedover 15 international comparativestudies. The. Council of Chief StateSchool Officers serves as the U.S.representative to the lEA by designa-tion of the Board of InternationalComparative Studies in Education.


Events in Europe: A Focus on GermanyHelena CurtainUniversity of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin

The world of early languagelearning within our own country isfascinating and it is heartening to seethe attention that such programs arecurrently being given. Because thissame interest is surfacing in otherparts of the world, a column focusingon the international aspects of earlylanguage learning is inaugurated inthis issue. I invite you to send items ofinternational news to me for possibleinclusion in this column. Thank you.

Helena Curtain

Concerns related to early lan-guage learning in other parts of theworld are very similar to the concernsfound in the United States. Thisarticle reports on information related toearly language learning in Germany.

The Association for ModernLanguage Teachers in the state ofBaden-Warttemburg (1989) called forlong sequences of instruction begin-ning as early as possible, along withmore emphasis on communicative,activity-oriented language teachingand increased teacher training.Steinbach (1993) in Saxony Anhalt,one of the new states in the easternpart of Germany, gave strong reasonsfor a long sequence of instruction:fosters tolerance, an openness to-wards others, and the ability to under-stand other points of view; integrateschildren from other countries into theGerman school system; starts lifelonglearning in the area of languageinstruction; and allows today's stu-dents to adjust to the new Europe as itcontinues to develop into a commu-nity.

Piepho (1992) discussed the needfor German children to learn otherlanguages early and described appro-priate conditions for early languageprograms:

Early language learning should notsimply be mandated as anothersubject in the elementary school, butshould be formulated in an entirelynew way.

The decision as to which languageto teach and how the program shouldbe organized should be made on aschool-by-school basis by parents andteachers.

The financing of programs must besecured before programs are stArted.

There is a need for coordinatedsupport for early language learningprograms, including the provision of acurriculum, materials, teacher hand-books, and ih-service opportunities, sothat individual schools have theresources needed to implementquality programs.

The emphasis on early languagelearning should be made clearly visiblein the school.

Opportunities should be providedfor teacner exchanges and visits tocountries where the target language isspoken so that teachers can learn thelanguage needed for everyday schoollife.

Children must have opportunitiesto use their language skills in realcontexts with speakers of the lan-guage.

Children's growth in their Ian-

80 percent ofthe children inthe Third Worldgrow up learn-ing two or morelanguages.


guage learning should be assessedeven if the early language learningprogram does not give grades.

The Kinder lernen europäischeSprachen (Children Learn EuropeanLanguages) association advocatedthe start of foreign language learningin grade three of primary school andidentified a developmentally appropri-ate and activity-oriented approach asa logical first step in this direction(Gompf, 1990). The organizationbased its advocacy on The HamburgAgreement of 1964, which recognizedas an educational right of everyindividual in Germany, the commandof at least one foreign language. TheKinder lernen europaische Sprachenassociation argued that competencein at least one foreign language is anindispensable occupational minimumqualification in view of the closecooperation of the European states inthe European Common Market.

The association indicated that therequirement to start foreign languagestudy at grade five (ages 10/11) in allGerman schools was not being ful-filled and urged the restructuring ofthe German school system to a!low forprimary school language instruction.

Among the aims of the associa-tion are the following (Gompf, 1990) :

1. Promote knowledge about theearly start of foreign language learn-ing in the primary school by systemati-cally collecting and widely publicizingarguments and information concern-ing developments in this field.

2. Promote publicity in the mediasupporting foreign languages in theprimary school.

3. Inform parents about the pros-pects for earlier foreign languagelearning in the European context.

4. Inform and motivate teachersand their professional organizations atall school types and levels.

5. Urge opinion- and 'ecision-makers in executive and legislativebodies and in political parties at fed-eral and state levels to facilitate earlyforeign language study.

6. Organize workshops, confer-ences, and symposia to deal with thetheoretical problems and practicalexperiences related to an early start inforeign languages at the primary level.

7. Contribute to teacher training andthe spread of modern, developmen-tally-appropriate teaching strategiesand materials.

8. Promote and support relevantresearch on foreign language teachingfor the younger learner.

9. Act as a distributor of informationon early foreign language teachingand learning.

10. Promote contact and coopera-tion with institutions following similarobjectives in Germany and the wholeof Europe.

ReferencesFachverband Moderne

Fremdsprachen (FMF). LandesverbandBaden-Warttemburg (1989).Fremdsprachenunterricht und -lernenfür die Welt von Morgen. KoblenzerErklarung des FachverbandesModerne Fremdsprachen (FMF).Fachverband Moderne Fremdsprachen(FMF). Landesverband Baden-Wurttemburg Mitteilungsblatt, 3, 5-9.

Gompf, G. (1990). Ziele undAufgaben von Kinder lerneneuropaische Sprachen e.V. In Gompf,G., ed. Kinder lernen europaischeSprachen e.V. Förderverein für frühesFremdsprachenlernen Jahrbuch 90.Stuttgart: Klett.

Piepho, H. E. (1992). Englisch inder Grundschule. Handreichungenund Materialien far denFremdsprachenunterricht in derGrundschule. Bochum: VerlagFerdinand Kamp.


Steinbach, G. (1993). ZumfrOhbeginnendenFremdsprachenunterrich in Sachsen-Anhalt (konzeptionelle

VorOberlegungen). Hamburg:Mittelilungsblatt des FMFLandesverband 17 (33/34), 15-18.

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Annual Meeting

November 18-20, 1995

Anaheim, California

NNELL Annual Meeting

Saturday, November 18th, 19954:45 6:00 pm

Orange County Salon 2Marriott Hotel

During this session you will meetthe officers of NNELL, who will pro-vide a short report on the year'sactivities and discuss plans for futurework. Afterwards, session partici-pants will have the opportunity toexplore topics of interest and concernto early language learning educatorsin a small group format.

The small group sessions will befacilitated by the NNELL regionalrepresentatives. During this time, newteachers will be able to dialogue withexperienced teachers, while thosewith experience w:ll explore topicsmeeting their interests and concerns.One topic already sugpsted for theagenda is "Building support for earlylanguage programs through advo-cacy." Send suggestions for discus-sion topics to Eileen Lorenz, NNELLFirst Vice President, MontgomeryCounty Public Schools, 850Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD20850; e-mail: [email protected]

FLES Swapshop Breakfast

Sunday, November 19, 19958:00 - 9:3r am

Pacific Ballroom BHilton and Towers Hotel

Join your colleagues for a fullAmerican breakfast to discuss effec-tive teaching techniques and re-sources in the K-8 classroom.

Bring 200 copies of a one-pageteaching activity to share. Include thefollowing information in the activity:your name and address, larluageand grade level, lesson topic, objec-tives (language, content, thinkingskills, culture, key vocabulary), materi-als, description of activity, and assess-ment. Publishers' FLES materials willbe on display.

Swap Shop coordinators areMarcia A. Spielberger, Georgia De-partment of Education, and Mary LynnRedmond, Wake Forest University.Publishers' Displays coordinator isMary Bastiani, Portland (OR) PublicSchools.

Note: Tickets may be purchasedon site on a space-available basis.Contact ACTFL (914-963-8830) forfurther registration information.


Calendar November 15-17, 1995Joint Conference of Advocates for Language Learning (ALL) and Second Lan-guage Acquisition by Children (SLAG), Fullerton, CA. Paul Garcia, 5530 OakSt., Kansas City, MO 64113; 816-523-1939.

November 18-20, 1995American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Anaheim,CA. ACTFL, 6 Executive Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701-6801; 914-963-8830;Fax: 914-963-1275.

March 12-16, 1996National Association For Bilingual Education, Orlando, FL. NABE, 1220 L St.,NW, Suite 605, Washington, DC 20005-4018; 202-898-1829; Fax: 202-789-2866; E-mail: [email protected]

March 28-31, 1996Central States Conference and Kentucky Council on the Teaching of ForeignLangauges, Louisville, KY. Jody Thrush, CSC Executive Director, 3550 Ander-son St., Madison, WI 53704; 608-246-6573.

April 11-13, 1996Southwest Conference on Language Teaching; Albuquerque, NM. JoannPompa, Executive Director; Mountain Pointe High School; 4201 E. Knox Road;Phoenix, AZ 85044; 602-759-8449.

CAL Publishes Valuable Resources

The 1995 updated list, "Totaland Partial Immersion LanguagePrograms in U.S. Schools," includ-ing 187 schools teaching ninelanguages, is now available free ofcharge from the Foreign LanguageEducation and Testing Division ofCAL.

The 600-page revised "1995Directory of Two-Way BilingualPrograms in the United States," byDonna Christian and AnnaWhitcher, is available for $30 (plus$3 postage and handling) from theNational Center for Research onCultural Diversity and SecondLanguage Learning at CAL.

To order the directories, writeto: Center for Applied Linguistics,1118 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC20037.

Teaching Methods EditorSolicits Articles

The editor of the Teaching Meth-ods section of Learning Languagesencourages readers to submit bothpractical and scholarly articles onsuccessful strategies for meeting thevarious challenges facing the K-8language teacher in the school situa-tion. Articles may also address inno-vative approaches to the preparationof pre-service and/or in-service K-8language teachers. An important goalof this section of the journal is to offerarticles that will broaden teachers'perspectives and encourage excel-lence in early language learning.Please send your articles to Gilda M.Oran, Bloomsburg University ofPennsylvania, 3540 Green St., Harris-burg, PA 17110; 717-232-1118; Fax:717-232-9175.


NNELL Executive Board

PresidentMari HaasTeachers CollegeColumbia University525 W. 120th St., Box 201New York, NY 10027mbh14@columbia. edu

SecretaryPatty RyersonWellington School3650 Reed Rd.Columbus, OH 43220

Executive SecretaryNancy RhodesCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC 20037nancy@caLorg

First Vice-PresidentEileen LorenzMontgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford Dr.Rockville, MD [email protected]

TreasurerMarty AbbottFairfax County Public Schools7423 Camp Alger Ave.Falls Church, VA [email protected]

Membership SecretaryGuadalupe Hernandez-SilvaCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St NWWashington, DC [email protected]

NNELL Appointments

Second Vice-PresidentMary Lynn RedmondWake Forest UniversityDepartment of EducationBox 7266, Reynolda StationWinston-Salem, NC [email protected]

Past-PresidentAudrey Heining-BoyntonForeign Language EducationCB #3500 Peabody HallUniv. of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC [email protected]

BylawsMaureen Regan-Baker22 Pearl St.Stoningham, CT 06378

Publisher LiaisonAnnette LowryForeign Language Dept.Fort Worth !SD100 N. University Dr., Suite 221Fort Worth, TX 76107

Northeast Conference Rep.Harriet Barnett225 Clinton Ave.Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Membership and PublicityVirginia GramerMonroe SchoolForeign Language Office210 N. MadisonHinsdale, IL 60512

Central Slates Conference Rep.Debbie Wilburn-RobinsonOhio State University276 Cunz Hall1841 Millikin Rd.Columbus, OH [email protected]

Southern Conference Rep.Carine FeytonUniversity of South FloridaCollege of EducationEDU 306H, Tampa, FL, [email protected]

28

Political ActionGilda OranBloomsburg University


Pacific Northwest Council RepJo Ann 011iphant11004 11th St. SWTacoma, WA 98498

Southwest Conference Rep.Joseph HarrisHarris Bilingual Immersion School501 East ElizabethFort Collins, CO 80524

Membership FormPlease enroll me as a member of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)aid send me a one-year subscription to Learning Languages. I am enclosing a check for$15.00. (Overseas rate is $20.00.) Make checks payable to NNELL.NO PURCHASE ORDERS PLEASE.

Name

Title or Grade Level

School orjAgiliation

Mailing Address

City, State ZipCheck whether this address is Home School

Check if this is a renewal Check if this is an address change from last year

Mail this form and your check to:National Network for Early Language Learning

Center for Applied LinguisticsAttn: Nancy Rhodes, Executive Secretary

1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC 20037

Marcia H. Rosenbusch, EditorLearning LanguagesDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino HallIowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa 50011

Learnm8 Lanegua esThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning

30

Winter 1996Vol.1 No. 2

Learning Languages: The Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning is theofficial publication of NNELL. It serves the profession by providing a medium for the sharing ofinformation, Ideas, and concerns among teachers, administrators, researchers, and others inter-

- ested in the eady learning of languages. The journal reflects NNELL's commitment to promotingopportunities for all children to develop a high level of competence in at least one language andculture in addition to their own.

In an effort to address the interests of the profession, both practical and scholarly articles arepublished. Practical articles describe innovative approaches to teaching and to the administration ofeffective language programs for children. Scholarly articles report on original research and cite bothcurrent research and theory as a basis for making recommendations for practice. Scholarly articlesare refereed, i.e., reviewed anonymously by at least three readers. Readers include members of theNNELL executive board, the editorial advisory board, and invited guest reviewers who have expertisein the area. Refereed articles are identified as such in the journal. Write to the editor at the addressbelow to request a copy of author guidelines for preparing articles.

Submissions: Deadlines for information are: fall issueMay 1; winter issueNov. 1; springissueFeb. 1. Articles, classroom activities, and materials offered for review may be submitted tothe appropriate contributing editor (see below). Send announcements, conference information, andoriginal children's work (such as line drawings, short stories, and poems) to the editor. Children'swork needs to be accompanied by written permission from the child's parents or guardians and mustinclude the child's name, age, school, and the teacher's name, address, and telephone (add fax ande-mail address, if available).

Submit a favorite classroom activity for the "Activities for Your Classroom" section by sending adescription of the activity that includes title, objective, materials, and procedure. Include pictures ordrawings as illustration, if available. Send with your name, address, and phone number to theClassroom Activities editor listed below.

Editor Editorial AssistantMarcia H. Rosenbusch Sue Ryan WeissDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino Hall Cover DesignIowa State University Gary BlumAmes, IA [email protected]

International newsHelena CurtainUniversity of Wisconsin - Milwaukee10523 W. Hampton Ave.Milwaukee, WI [email protected]

ResearchElsa StatznerNational - Louis University1209-A Central St.Evanston, IL 60201mrugge:[email protected]

Teaching with TechnologyJean W. LeLoupVisiting ProfessorHQ USAFA/DFF2354 Fairchild Drive, Suite 6H63USAF Academy, CO 80840-6244LeloupJW96DFF%USAFA

@dfrnallusafa.af. mil

Contributing Editors

Classroom activitiesDiane Fagin AdlerNorth Carolina State UniversityDept. of Foreign Languages and LitBox 8106Raleigh, NC [email protected]

Teaching methodsGilda OranBloomsburg University


AssessmentPeggy BoylesForeign Language CoordinatorPutnam City Schools5401 NW 40th St.Oklahoma City, OK 73122pboyles@ionetnet

31


Spanish resourcesLori Langer de Ramirez166 Nichols Ave.Brooklyn, NY [email protected]


Funding info./New legislationJoint National Comm. for Languages1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC [email protected]

Learning LanguagesThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning

Volume 1, No. 2 Winter 1996

Articles3 The Bayeux Tapestry: A Medieval Document Inspires Students

Armelle Webster

10 Legislative Update - 104th Congress, First Session. Cindy McMillan

Features2 Notes from the President



15 ERIC Digest

18 Classroom ResourcesFrenchGermanSpanish

20 Calendar

Learning Languages (ISSN 1083-5415) is published three times a year (fall, winter, and spring). Membership duesfor NNELL, which include a subscription to the journal by academic year, are $15/year ($20 overseas). Please sendyour check to: Nancy Rhodes, Executive Secretary, NNELL, 1118 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Copyright @ 1996 by the National Network for Early Language Learning.

Learning Languages Winter 1996 32 1

Each of usshares themission...

Notes from the PresidentNineteen ninety-six marks the

ninth anniversary of the founding ofthe National Network for Early Lan-guage Learning. Over these past nineyears, NNELL's membership hasincreased to over 600. Each of usshares the mission of sustaining andimproving foreign language educationin general, with a particular emphasison kindergarten through grade eight(K-8).

In November 1995, when theNNELL Board Meeting convened inAnaheim, California, officers, regionalrepresentatives, and committee chairsworked together to identify sharedsuccesses and areas of concern to theNNELL membership. As we looked atwhere we have been and plan to go inthe future, we identified three goals forthis year:

* Political action initiatives* Standards for foreign language

learning at the national and statelevels

* Teacher-based research.

Political Action. The currentpolitical climate is one in which educa-tional policy, goals, and funding arebeing closely scrutinized. Throughoutthe nation many K-8 foreign languageteachers are working to defend pro-grams that are under attack becauseof budget shortages or a lack ofunderstanding about the advantagesthat students derive from learning asecond language. Under the leader-ship of Mary Lynn Redmond and KayHewitt, the Political Action Committeewill work with regional, state, and localrepresentatives to distribute legislative

updates, provide information aboutnational issues impacting foreignlanguage education, and suggeststrategies for developing action plansto organize K-8 foreign languagecolleagues in communicating a unifiedmessage to decision makers.

Standards. The final version ofthr Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning were presented at the inau-gural session of the American Councilfor Teachers of Foreign Languages(ACTFL) in November. NNELL sa-lutes our colleagues who spent manyhours developing and revising thestandards with invaluable input fromprofessionals. It is our professionalduty to develop a deeper understand-ing and knowledge about these (our)standards.

Further, members of NNELL mustbecome involved in initiatives todevelop state standards to ensure thatthe K-8 perspective is accuratelyrepresented. NNELL will he workingwith ACTFL to distribute informationand promote understanding of theforeign language standarth,

Teacher As Researcher. Teacher-based research is a relatively new toolin the field of foreign languages. It isan approach that allows us to exploreand reflect on what goes on in ourclassrooms. By collecting and exam-ining data about issues of interest, wehave a first-hand opportunity to inves-tigate these issues and share theresults with our colleagues. Under theleadership of Mari Haas, this initiativebegan last year and will continue to

NOTES Please turn to Page 7

2 33 Learning Languages Winter 1996

The Bayeux Tapestry:A Medieval Document Inspires Students

Armelle WebsterThe Country SchoolMadison, Connecticut

For many language teachers,the opportunity to spend sixweeks in a foreign countrydevoted solely to studying

literature, art, history or languagesand visiting the places that inspiredthese, is the stuff of dreams. ForNational Endowment for the Humani-ties (NEH) Summer Fellows, thisexperience becomes a reality. Theresearch plan all applicants proposecan be tailored and focused as theywish; the whole package is personal-ized to their unique needs and dreams.

Research on the Bayeux TapestryAs a 1994 Macmillan-NEH Sum-

mer Fellow, I had the opportunity tospend six intense and rewardingweeks in Normandy, France, and inEngland, devoting my time to re-search on the Bayeux Tapestry andWilliam the Conqueror and developingappropriate lessons on the topic formy middle school French studentsand other students in the school.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a uniqueembroidery dating back to the 11thcentury that is the only work of its kindto have survived since the earlyMiddle Ages. The Tapestry depictsthe Conquest of England by William,Duke of Normandy, culminating in theBattle of Hastings in 1066. It is madeof a strip of linen 230 feet long and 20inches wide, embroidered not wovenas its name suggests using eightdifferent colors of woolen yarn, skiil-fully used to create an effect of per-spective. This picture story, probably

meant for an illiterate public, is sup-ported by captions in Latin that suc-cinctly clarify the events depicted.

This oversized comic strip unfoldsas a colorful and exciting tale ofhunting, feasting, friendship, oaths ofallegiance, treachery, and intrigue. It

ends in a furious battle scene withflashing swords, somersaulting horses,and the death of Harold with an arrowthrough his eye. It shows the buildingof a fleet to transport 7,000 men and3,000 horses across the British Chan-nel to England, and the gathering ofsupplies such as food, armaments,and tools. It shows ships plowing theseas and knights riding to battle. Thetapestry also shows Haley's Comet inthe English sky perceived as an omenof misfortune for England.

As I was planning my study, Iproposed to follow the footsteps ofWilliam and started in Falaise, hisbirthplace. On the Place Guillaume /eConquérant in front of the ruins of theoriginal chateau where William wasborn, the impressive bronze statue ofWilliam on his horse dominates. Itmiraculously remained intact duringthe heavy bombing of the town ofFalaise during the Second World War.

I visited Caen, William's favoriteresidence, where he had two abbeysbuilt in order to be allowed by the Popeto marry his cousin Mathilde. I wenton to Lessay in the Cotentin Peninsulaand enjoyed an organ concert in thevery abbey built by William. I thenexplored the picturesque chateau ofPirou, a small-sized Norman strong-

An NEH fel-lowship is avery specialway forteachers toupdate andenhance thecurriculumwhile renew-ing their en-ergy andenthusiasm.

Learning Languages Winter 1996 34 3

As an amateurhistorian, I felt

honored thatmy fellowship

gave me aserious profile

that allowed meto meet and

converse withexperts on the

Middle Ages.

hold where a modern version of theBayeux Tapestry, telling of the inva-sion of Sicily by the Normans, isexhibited.

I also saw the Mont Saint Michel,a monastery built on an island which isdepicted on the Bayeux Tapestry withits treacherous quicksand. I went onto Sainte Suzanne where William, inhis attempt to conquer the whole ofFrance, met his match and after threeyears of futile attacks made peacewith the lord of the fortress. There,the Museum of Medieval Costumegives a precise and informative viewof the clothing worn by William and hissoldiers.

Later, I proceeded on to Englandto the town of Battle, the site of thefamous Battle of Hastings at whichWilliam became King of England. InLondon, I visited Westminster Abbeywhere William's crowning took Place.

In the town of Reading, I discov-ered an intriguing Victorian version ofthe Bayeux Tapestry made by theWardle family, who took great care inmaking an exact copy of the Tapestry,while censoring the crude details toavoid offending the Victorian taste ofthe time.

In Bosham, near Hastings, I madecontact at The Penny Royal Theaterwith a playwright who is the author ofKing Harold, a recent play based onthe events in the Tapestry. I wasstruck by the fact that the Tapestry isstill very present in many artists'creative minds.

A pharmaceutical company,Bayer, provided me with a paper copyof their very own six feet long BayerTapestry, commemorating the 130thanniversary of the Bayer company. Itis both original and amusing.

I returned to France and traveledback to Bayeux where my main con-tact was the Director of the CentreGuillaume le Conquérant, MadameSylvette Lemagnen. She had verykindly provided me with an appropriate

bibliography on the subject at the timethat I was still only considering apply-ing for an NEH Fellowship. She mademe feel welcome, gave me freeaccess to view the original 11th cen-tury embroidery and provided me withvaluable contacts with local scholars.

A few blocks away, Les Ateliersde la Reine Mathilde is a museum-workshop that teaches the embroiderystitch of the Tapestry as well as thelocal traditional art of lace making.The director is knowledgeable andhelpful and in order to show me theBayeux stitch, she supplied me with amini tapestry kit (complete with linencloth, naturally dyed wool, and aneedle) and put me to work.

While I am not yet an expertembroiderer, I have clearly gained abetter understanding of the effort andartistry involved in an endeavor suchas the 230 foot long embroidery. Mymodest attempt at the Bayeux stitch isonly ten inches wide but my littleNorman ship is taking shape.

The Bayeux Tapestry contains allthe ingredients that make a good storyfor students of all levels. Although it isa 900-year-old document, the story isstill as vivid and touching as anycontemporary tale. It is also visuallyexciting and provides an authentic andrealistic look at life in the 11th century.It is an ideal subject for an interdisci-plinary study as it branches out into anumber of equally interesting themes.

Lessons Developedfrom the Tapestry

Back at school in September, Iused my renewed energy to get mystudents as excited about the earlyMiddle Ages and the Bayeux Tapestryas I was. At my school, French isintroduced at the kindergarten leveland taught in all classes until eighthgrade. Latin is introduced at theseventh grade level.

Thanks to a complete series ofslides purchased in Normandy, I


introduced the Tapestry in French tomy eighth graders who also translatedthe Latin captions with the help of theLatin teacher, and thus followed thestory line. Later, the students wereorganized in groups and supplied witha long strip of tan burlap cloth, cray-ons, and markers and embarked ontheir own narrative epic in the style ofthe Tapestry. The theme and lan-guage of the captions were chosen byeach group independently. Theresults of this activity were varied andequally interesting.

One group drew a typical day atschool with Latin captions whileanother group illustrated the Americannovel they were studying in Englishclass in a comic strip form. Somestudents invented a story for children,drew it on the cloth and completed itwith a story line in French. One other"tapestry" depicted the 40 year historyof our school, following an interview ofthe school headmaster. Another useof the burlap cloth was the creation ofshort copies of key scenes in theTapestry such as the oath of Harold toWilliam. The cloth was stapled onto aflat piece of wood, copying the exactwidth of the original tapestry, with alength of only two feet. These copiesare quite persuasive and decorative.

These original and always humor-ous creations decorated the walls ofthe school lunchroom for severalweeks and werescrutinized andcommented uponby many students.

Giant posterswere made in classby projectingenlarged photo-graphs with anoverhead projectoronto a large sheetof poster boardtacked to the wall.The students then

rtwtr

completed their posters by addingappropriate French vocabulary tothem. The students had fun makingthe posters and the results werestriking and produced excellent eyecatchers for the bulletin board.

A vivid class discussion clearlybrought to light a number of interestingquestions that became the subjects offascinating research projects. Whilesuch subjects as 11th century shipbuilding, weapons and food wereinvestigated, one student researchedHaley's Comet and mathematicallychecked to see if the "hairy star" hadactually been seen in the English skiesin 1066, knowing that it last appearedin 1984. He also was interested inreading through ancient literature tosee if Haley's Comet had always beenconsidered a bad omen when it ap-peared in the sky every 76 years. Hequickly came to the conclusion that thequestion would be more appropriateas a Ph.D. thesis!

A student who is an excellenthorse rider wanted to investigate theanimals depicted on the BayeuxTapestry and compare the riding gearof 1066 with modern equipment. Sheproduced an informative paper inFrench in book form with illustrations.

One student was interested infashion and hairstyles on the Tapestryand compared the clean-shaven faces

van.11.11;IjmnLtment,

17:4!rikliiWigiordgeli;POI '4L , ,

it,1 I, nErruZirr==t1

71Finigf:17, -L-rr,"4

1

mattcawste-A7-20..k.kpu---Emily Blanchard6th Grade - 12 years old

Learning Languages 4 Winter 1996 36 5

My studentsgradually real-

ized that themystery of the

Tapestry is infact part of its

charm, andthat it is stillgeneratingconflicting

views fromscholars today.

Whit Scudder6th Grade - 11 years old

of the Normans with the thin mus-taches of the Saxons. Another stu-dent compared medieval tools withmodern ones and was struck by theirresemblance.

One boy focused on Aesop'sFables in the borders of the Tapestryand discovered that the fable of theFox and the Crow appears in threedifferent places. He speculated thatthe cheese was probably a symbol forthe crown of England, passing fromHarold's hands to William's.

The findings were shared inFrench with the whole class, whichbenefited from everyone's work. Manypuzzling questions remained unan-rwered, however, and my studentswere intrigued by the fact that onecould study a subject that is stillsurrounded by mystery.

Some wooden shields and axeswere made in woodshop classes. Oneparticularly musical student recorded atape of medieval music that comple-ments the Tapestry. All this creativeeffort culminated in an exhibit entitled"The Normans are Invading the Coun-try School," showing nasal helmets,shields, posters of warriors in chainmail, and the students' own narrativetapestries.

The exhibit sparked the interest ofyounger students who in turn wantedto know about the story on the Tapes-

try. I visited the third grade class andpresented a slide show telling them inEnglish the story of William andHarold. They became excited and Irealized that the rhythm of the narra-tive of the comic strip-like-story pro-vided suspense, tension, moments ofrelief, and a sudden accelerationculminating in the final violence of thebattle scenes, and was very appealingto them. After many questions, eachstudent made a free drawing of ascene they liked. I gathered eachpicture, laminated them and boundthem together in chronological order.This book is a touching treasure.

The theme of the Conquest ofEngland and of the creation of theBayeux Tapestry seems to haveexcited the imagination of creativewriters, particularly the 20th centuryhistorical novelists. Interestingly, eachof the recent following novels takes adifferent perspective on the events of1066. In The Striped Ships by EloiseMcGraw (1991), two Anglo-Saxonchildren witness the events of theConquest of England and get involvedin the embroidery work of the BayeuxTapestry. In Odo's Hanging by PeterBenson (1993), the reader experi-ences the events and the creation ofthe Tapestry through a youngNorman's eyes. Finally, in L'Oiseau deLune by Lars Bo (1993), the story

presents a youngViking's point of view andinvolvement in themaking of the Tapestry.Each of these novelsprovides excellentreading for teenagersand adults alike. Myeighth graders havebeen encouraged to readone of these novels forextra credit or extrapleasure!

Another recent workof fiction worth mention-ing here is The Invention

6 37 Learning Languages + Winter 1996

of Truth by Marta Morazzoni (1993),who focuses on the act of creationand on the vision, the sustained effort,and good leadership that are neces-sary to create a unique work of artsuch as the Bayeux Tapestry.

After six weeks of research inNormandy, I felt ready and eager tobring the Bayeux Tapestry closer tomy students in Connecticut and tomake it accessible for them to enjoyas a wealth of clues and informationon medieval life. Its extraordinaryfreshness appeals to their imaginationand makes the Tapestry an excellentsubject of exploration for students.

NoteBooks, slides and reproductions

of the Bayeux Tapestry may be mail-ordered from:

Centre Guillaume le ConquérantTapisserie de BayeuxRue de NesmondBayeux 14400France

AcknowledgmentI am grateful to the NEH for

allowing me to study such a richsubject. Being a 1994 Macmillan-NEH Summer Fellow gave me astature without which I would not havegained access to libraries, archivesand scholars on the Bayeux Tapestry.My fellowship was an intensive butrewarding experience which set thepace for the year ahead.

ReferencesBenson, P. (1993). Odo's Hanging.

London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd.Bo, L. (1993). L'Oiseau de Lune.

Caen: Presses Universitaires deCaen.

McGraw, E. (1991). The StripedShips. New York: Macmillan.

Morazzoni, M. (1993). TheInvention of Truth. New York: AlfredA. Knopf.

NOT.ES11101coltmed from Page 2promote involvement of K-8 foreignlanguage teachers in shaping for.,Ignlanguage education.

These three goals touch all of usindividually in our classrooms andcollectively as members of NNELL.Each of us has a responsibility tobecome better informed and remainknowledgeable in these areas. Wemust use the results of these efforts tohelp us deliver the best foreign lan-guage education possible for ourstudents.

I invite each of you to becomeactive in NNELL. Our strength andvoice as an organization that repre-sents K-8 foreign language teacherswill become stronger with each contri-bution.

You can begin by attending aNNELL Networking session at aregional or state conference wherecolleagues will help you identify how tobecome involved in areas of interest.NNELL offers many opportunities foreach of us to make a contribution toour profession. Finally, I urge each ofyou to recruit at least one colleague tojoin NNELL. Together we can make apositive impact on the K-8 foreignlanguage teaching profession.

I wish each of you continuedgrowth in all your personal and profes-sional endeavors during this schoolyear and I hope that you will shareyour many successes with your col-leagues in NNELL. I invite you tocontact me personally with your suc-cesses, ideas, and concerns.

Eileen B. LorenzAcademic Programs

Montgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford DriveRockville, MD 20850

e-mail: [email protected]

These threegoals touchall of us...

Learning Languages . Winter 1996 38 7

Activities for Your

DrawingInventors

Kathy Gruyaert, Core French TeacherColborne Street SchoolStrathroy, Ontario, Canada

Elaine Marentette, French ConsultantMiddlesex County Board of EducationHyde Park, Ontario, Canada

Classroom

Conclusions:and Inventions

/yv

Ob ective:Students will practice the skills of reading and induc-tion (forming conclusions based on information aboutinventions) as a model for drawing conclusions abouttheir own inventions.

Materials:Inventors and inventions grid. (See sample grid onnext page.)

Procedure:Students will read the grid horizontally and makeconclusions based upon that information. Next,students read the grid vertically to make conclusionsabout:

the inventors (Qui?/Who?),the dates of inventions(Quand?/When?), andthe changes made to inventions(Changements?lChanges?).

Finally, students share their conclusions orally. As afollow-up activity, students prepare a similar grid fortheir own class based upon the inventions they havemade. They engage in further conversation aboutinventors, inventions, successes, failures, etc.

1?.41.4.;50`1"14.- A

3 9

8 Learning Languages Winter 1996

Theme: Le défiIssue Principale: L' invention

Qu'est-ce que nous pouvons conclure?

L'invention Qui?Betty Graham(américaine)

Quand?1951

Changements?pour les poly-copiespour l'encredans un tube enforme de stylocouleurs

Conclusions

Examplesof ConclusionsStudents Gave

In FrenchBetty must have made a lotof mistakes. The changesindicated a new need.

Liquide correcteur

Le téléphone

IP%Alexander GrahamBell (canadien)

1876 sans cordecellulairetelécopieurà commande vocalevisiophone

The number of changesshows it has been a usefulhivention (but needed to bemodernized).

Velcro Georges de Mestral(suisse)

1948 ? Nothing has changed, so itwas a good invention.

Les jeans Levi Strauss(american)

1860 1950-juste pour leshommesauparavant, maisaussi pour lesfemmes maintenantcouleurs

Very few changes showthey've been popular for along time.

Le crayon

A

Nicolas Conté(frangais)

1795 avec une gommemCcaniqueen couleurs

A very useful old inventionwith few changes.

Conclusions

Examplesof ConclusionsStudents Gave inFrench

A lot of inventors aremales and arevaried nationalities.

The yearsare all diff-erent,thereforethere areinventionshappeningall thetime.

Inventions change asneeds change.

4 0

Learning Languages Winter 1996 9

Join withothers in

your profes-sional orga-nizations to

take steps toinfluence

public policyas it relatesto language

education.

Legislative Update - 104th Congl ess,First SessionCindy McMillanJoint National Committee for Languages (JNCL)National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS)Washington, DC

The frenetic pace surrounding"the first hundred days" and thelegislative fixation on the "Contractwith America" dominated the Congres-sional agenda early in this session.Once that agenda was declared"completed," fiscal matters took centerstage.

For NNELL members concernedwith education in general and lan-guages more specifically, the sessionhas been an anxious one. Educationreform measures begun in the 103rdCongress have been endangered, andthe Department of Education, theNational Endowment for the Humani-ties, and exchange programs have allcome under fire. Rescissions threat-ened many language programs, andthe uncertainty surrounding the bud-get/appropriations process leavesprogram administrators wondering ifthe money they have been promisedwill indeed be forthcoming. Through-out much of this period, the Adminis-tration and minority party have had allthey could do just to avoid the newmajority's steamroller.

Perceived as a somewhat periph-eral issue in relation to the fiscal crisis,English as the official language legis-lation has begun moving quite quicklyin this Congress. The House has heldtwo hearings on the issue and theSenate held their first on December6th with another scheduled for Febru-ary 6th.

The NCLIS continues its advo-cacy on behalf of the language profes-sion in all of these matters. Pendinglegislation, mentioned in this summary,will likely have an impact on the

language profession.Join with others in your profes-

sional organizations to take steps toinfluence public policy as it relates tolanguage education: write letters toyour members of Congress, makephone calls, visit elected officials, writeletters to the editor, and offer op-edpieces for your local papers. Pastsuccesses are no indication of howcurrent decisions will be made, andwithout vocal support, many importantprograms of interest to JNCL-NCLISmembers may be drastically reduced,if not eliminated.

Education ReformA number of Congressional

members campaigned on so-called"reform" agendas in last year's elec-tion. Nevertheless, education reformis c!early under assault in this Con-gress. Education policy at the federallevel is currently in tandem with thetrends toward anti-reform anddraconian budget cuts we have wit-nessed in the states.

There are six bills pending thissession which propose to eliminateeither the Department of Education,federal funding for standards, theNational Education Goals Panel(NEGP), the National Education andStandards Improvement Council(NESIC), or a combination thereof. Inaddition, "Emergency Supplemental"and "Additional Supplementer rescis-sions packages have made educationreform programs primary targets.

RecissionsThere have been two rounds of


rescissions in this Congress. Aftermuch negotiation, the first was signedinto law by the President in April, andthe second was vetoed in June. AsCongress did not have enough votesto override the veto, there was nomore action on that bill. Many educa-tion programs that were slated forelimination survived the process, butthe attempted cuts were reintroducedin the appropriations bill later in thesession.

Budget ProcessThe rescissions were merely the

prelude to the budget showdownbetween the Administration andCongress that culminated in a 21-daygovernment shutdown which has yetto be resolved. As of January 18,1996, there has been no budgetagreement and six appropriations billsare outstanding, including Labor,Health and Human Services (HHS),and Education.

If there is no agreement on thesebills before January 26, one of twothings could happen: Congress couldpass another Continuing Resolution,or the government could undergoanother partial shutdown. In subse-quent Continuing Resolutions, Repub-licans wish to pursue a "targetedappropriations" strategy that wouldfund some programs and not others.If this is the case, many foreignlanguage and exchange programscould be in jeopardy. Recognizingthat the budget reconciliation bill will,to some extent, set national prioritiesfor the next seven years, the Presi-dent remains committed to socialprograms like Medicare and educa-tion, while the Republicans are stand-ing firm on their goal to balance thebudget and provide tax cuts.

At this point, thL President hasoffered a seven-year balanced budgetusing the Congressional BudgetOffice figures, but negotiations havebroken down because the budget

does not reflect GOP priorities. It

remains to be seen if an agreementwill be reached shortly or if this conflictwill carry through the election year.

AppropriationsWork on the 13 appropriations

bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 became3ven more difficult when it was linkedto the Republican wish to force thePresident into a budget agreementthat would balance the budget withinseven years. The House passed itsversion of a Labor, HHS, and Educa-tion appropriations bill that includedreductions worth $3.5 billion in August.Democrats in the Senate have threat-ened to filibuster education appropria-tions as reported by the committeebecause of the drastic reductions, andRepublicans have not been able tomuster the votes to bring the matterbefore the full Senate. There aremajor differences between the Houseand Senate version of this bill, so theconference between the two is ex-pected to be arduous.

Meanwhile, the Administration isthreatening to veto the bill because itslashes funding for the President'sreform efforts. As of January 18, theDepartment of Education is operatingunder a Continuing Resolution thatprovides appropriations at whichever islower: pending House or Senateappropriations figures for FY1996 orFY1995 spending levels. In caseswhere a program would be eliminated,it will receive 75 percent of the FY1995level. It has been speculated thatthere will be no Labor, HHS, or Educa-tion appropriations bill for FY 1996,and that all spending for this fiscalyear will depend on a series of con-tinuing resolutions such as the one theDepartment is currently operatingunder.

English as the Official LanguageThere are seven bills that would

make English the official language of

Many educa-tion programsthat wereslated foreliminationsurvived theprocess, but...

Learning Languages Winter 1996 4 2 11

O. a morepositive note,

Rep. JoseSerrano (D-

NY) has intro-duced an

"English PlusResolution"

the U.S. government. Hearings onthe House side were very partisan innature, and there were no oppositionwitnesses in the first Senate hearing.

In addition, proposals to drasti-cally red :e federal funding for do-mestic discretionary programs wouldhave adverse effects on the ESL andbilingual education communities.There are significant decreases infunding proposed for Education for theDisadvantaged, Bilingual and Immi-grant Education, and Adult and Voca-tional Education.

On a more positive note, Rep.Jose Serrano (D-NY) has introducedan "English Plus Resolution" thatwould counter the official Englishlegislation with pro-active languagecalling for competency in English andlanguages other than English.

These are the major issuespending in the Second Session of the104th Congress. But other legislation,such as reauthorization of adult andvocational education that seeks toconsolidate programs and send themoney in the form of block grants tothe states, changes to the NationalSecurity Education program, and anattempt to abolish the United StatesInformation Agency and the Agencyfor International Development, amongothers, is likely to have an impact onthe profession as well.

NCLIS will continue to monitordevelopments and provide timelyinformation to its members. Individualmembers must work with professionalorganizations to use this informationin a way that will have a positiveimpact on the public policy process.

NoteNNELL is an active member of

the Joint National Committee forLanguages (JNCL) and the NationalCouncil for Languages and Interna-tional Studies (NCLIS).

Elementary School GuideOffered by Ohio FL Association

The Ohio Foreign LanguageAssociation has prepared a guide toprovide Ohio educators with informa-tion atout early start foreign languageprograms.

The publication is designed toassist parent, teachers, administra-tors, curriculum specialists, and schoolboard members in making decisionsabout early foreign language pro-grams. A concise review of theliterature and answers to frequentlyasked questions are also provided.

Since Ohio students in the futuremay have to demonstrate competencein a foreign language in order tograduate, the guide provides a valu-able resource to Ohio educatorsconsidering the value of an early start.The guide, however, is a helpfulresource for anyone interested in anearly start to the study of languages.

Among questions addressed inthe guide are: "In what grade shouldelementary programs begin?" and"What language(s) should elementarychildren study?" Complete referencesare included at the end of the guide forthe information and references cited.

To order the guide, contact:

Deborah Wilburn Robinson, EditorOFLA FLES Committee ChairOhio State University249 Arps Hall1945 N. High St.Columbus, OH 43210

E-mail: [email protected].

Request the "Ohio Foreign Lan-guage Association FLES Guide." Costis $1.00 per copy (5 1/2 X 8 1/2inche.;; 12 pages).

4312 Learning Languages Winter 1996

Network for Foreign-Born Parents Formed

An Arlington, Virginia, mother oftwo, Alice Rasmussen, recently estab-lished The Foreign-Born ParentNetwork (FBPN) and newsletter forthe purpose of establishing a forum forexploring strategies parents can usefor raising their children to be citizensand leaders in a multicultural world.

Rasmussen, herself, grew up inseveral cultures: she was born inVietnam; as a young child she lived inLaos, then moved to France; aftermarriage, she moved to the U.S. Herdominant language is French, but shealso speaks Lao, Vietnamese, English,and Spanksh.

She is passionate about her beliefthat foreign-born parents have aresponsibility to teach their culture andlanguage to their children as a way ofpreparing them to live in a multiculturalworld. She points out that bilingualismprovides children a unique gift thatensures them a better chance atsuccess in the "global marketplace."

She developed a French immer-sion program for her own children.They are now not only skilled inFrench, but have recently begunasking their mother to teach themSpanish.

Rasmussen also believes thatparents need to take an active role inhelping their children resist biasagainst other cultures. She teaches acourse in global human resources atGeorge Washington University inWashington, DC, and a class onmarketing across cultures in Fairfaxand Arlington Counties, VA. Becauseof her teaching experience, Rasmussenis able to provide provocative informa-tion in the FBPN newsletter aimed atconvincing parents of the need to takea proactive role in the education oftheir children.

Rasmussen's ideas have foundstrong support among parents whoare encouraged to dialogue with the

editor and founder of the networkabout issues discussed in the newslet-ter. For example, in the second issueof the newsletter, subscribers areasked to respond to the dilemmafacing foreign-born parents who findthat the standards of their children'sAmerican school are lower than that towhich they were accustomed in thecountry where they were schooled.Readers are asked, "What would youdo next?" According to Rasmussen,responses will be included in the nextissue of the newsletter.

Subscription rates for individualsand families are $35/year for the sixissues of the newsletter. Varyingsubscription rates are offered to publicschools, non-profit, and commercialinstitutions.

For more information contact:

Alice RasmussenThe Foreign-Born Parent Network2700 N. Wakefield St.Arlington, VA 22207-4131Phone: 703-812-8716E-mail: [email protected]

"I have beenwaiting for aresource likethis one foryears!"

"I support whatyou do!"

(comments fromparents published inIssue No. 2 Nov/Dec, 1995 p. 1.)

Effective Assessment InstrumentsInvited for Publication

Learning Languages announces anew feature on Assessment that willbegin in the Spring 1996 issue. Read-ers are invited to submit effectiveassessment instruments they havedeveloped for publication in the jour-nal.

Additionally, there is interest inpublishing a variety of scoring rubricsfor different skill areas and/or assess-ment projects. Please send yoursubmissions to: Peggy Boyles, Con-tributing Editor for Assessment,Putnam City Schools, 5401 NW 40th,Oklahoma City, OK 73122 or by e-mailto [email protected].

Learning Languages Winter 1996 4 4 13


3.

Madelyn PuenteGrade 3Glastonbury Public SchoolsGlastonbury, CTJane Graveen, Spanish Teacher

This illustration is part of a book written and illustrated by

third graders as part of an interdisciplinary unit taught withthe collaboration of the classroom, art, and Spanish teach-

ers.

Since the children were studying tropical rain forests in theirclassroom, in the Spanish class they learned relatedvocabulary and expressions. Having already exploreddomestic animals, the students could describe in Spanishspecial features of the rain forest animals, e.g., paws, tail,

wings, etc. The writing activity followed a structured patternpracticed orally, then in writing.

The art teacher taught the children a colorful collagetechnique for illustrating the animals, birds, insects, orreptiles. When the book was ail assembled, it was color

copied, a parent printed out the student script, and thestudents read their book while they were being videotaped.

Jane Graveen

Este pájaro es un colibri.

Es muy pequetio y de muchos colores.

Tiene alas.

Vive en la selva tropical.

This bird is a hummingbird.

It is very small and has lots of colors.

It has wings.

It lives in the tropical rain forest.

NNELL Seeks Publicity Chair

NNELL invites members to applyfor the position of Chair of PublicRelations. Duties of the Chair willinclude preparation and distributionof print and non-print informationabout early language learning andmaterials to promote NNELL mem-bership.

The Public Relations Chair mustattend the NNELL Executive Boardmeeting which is held each year atthe ACTFL Annual Conference. Thenext meeting will be held on Novem-ber 21, 1996, in Philadelphia.

Please send letters of applicationto: Eileen Lorenz, Academic Pro-grams, Montgomery County PublicSchools, 850 Hungerford Drive,Rockville, MD 20850; 301-279-3911;[email protected].

14 45 Learning Languages :. Winter 1996

ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICSCENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS

Digest December 1995

Integrating Language and Content: Lessons from Immersion (EDO-FL-96-04)

National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning

This Digest is based on a report published by the National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning, Integrating Languageand Content: Lessons from Immersion. by Fred Genesee. Copies of the report are available from NCRCDSLL, 1118 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20037.

One of the most interesting innovations to emerge insecond language education during the last three decades is thelanguage immersion program. In this method of languageinstruction, the regular school curriculum is taught through themedium of a second language. The first immersion programswere developed in Canada to provide English-speaking stu-dents with the opportunity to learn French, Canada's otherofficial language. Since that time, immersion programs havebeen adopted in many parts of North America, and alternativeforms of immersion have been devised. In the United States,immersion programs can be found in a number of languages,including French, German, Spanish. Japanese, and Chinese.

With the purpose of highlighting the lessons to be learnedfrom immersion, this Digest presents selected findings fromresearch carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of immersionprograms in Canada and the United States. These lessons arerelated to the importance of (1) integrating language withcontent instruction, (2) creating classroom environments thatare discourse-rich, and (3) systematically planning languageinstruction along with content instruction.

Language Integration Over IsolationThe first lesson to be learned from immersion is that when

second language instruction is integrated with instruction inacademic content, it is more effective than teaching the lan-guage in isolation. Proficiency in the target language is not aprerequisite to academic development; rather, language learn-ing results from using language to perform authentic commu-nicative functions.

During the last 10 years, there has been a shift away fromteaching language in isolation to integrating language andcontent instruction. There are at least four reasons for this shift.First, language is acquired most effectively when it is learnedfor communication in meaningful and significant social situa-tions. The academic content of the school curriculum can pro-vide a meaningful basis for second language learning, giventhat the content is of interest or value to the learners.

Second, the integration of language and content instruc-tion provides a substantive basis for language learning. Impor-tant and interesting content, academic or otherwise, gives stu-dents a meaningful basis for understanding and acquiring newlanguage structures and patterns. In addition, authentic class-room communication provides a purposeful and moti vatingcontext for learning the communicative funceons of the newlanguage. In the absence of content and authentic communica-tion, language can be learned only as an abstraction devoid ofconce ltual or communicative substance.

A third reason for the shift toward language and contentintegration is the relationship between language and otheraspects of human development. Language, cognition, andsocial awareness develop concurrently in young children. Inte-grated second language instruction seeks to keep these compo-nents of development together so that second language learn-ing is an integral part of social and cognitive development inschool settings.

Finally, knowing how to use language in one social contextor academic domain does not necessarily mean knowing howto use it in others. The integration of second language instruc-tion with subject content respects the specificity of languageuse. For example, evidence indicates that the way language isused in particular academic domains, such as mathematics(Spanos, Rhodes, Dale, & Crandall, 1988), is not the same inother academic domains, such as social studies (Short, 1994).

A variety of integrated approaches to second languageteaching have been developed. Immersion is a specific type ofintegrated instruction. The primary focus of immersion is notlanguage learning but academic instruction. Immersion pro-grams have proved to be successful; the academic achievementof immersion students is comparable to that of students edu-cated through their native language. This indicates that thestudents in immersion programs acquire the second languageskills they need to master the academic skills and informationappropriate for their grade level.

Opportunities to Use the Target LanguageThe second lesson to emerge from research on immersion

is that approaches that provide opportunities for extendedstudent discourse, especially discourse associated with activi-ties selected by individual students, can be particularly benefi-cial for second language learning.

Research on French immersion programs in Canada hasshown that immersion students often perform as well as nativeFrench-speaking students on tests of French reading and listen-ing comprehension. However, they seldom achieve the samehigh levels of competence in speaking and writing. Althoughfunctionally effective, the oral and written skills of immersionstudents indicate a number of shortcomings. Immersion stu-dents' grammar is less complex and less redundant than that ofnative speakers and is influenced by English grammar. Theavailable studies suggest that this results, in part, from learningenvironments in which there is a lack of opportunity to engagein extended discourse.

The solution to the shortcomings in immersion students'productive skills seems to lie in the use of methodologies that

cAL Center for Applied Linguistics, 111B 22416Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

apply techniques to practice language forms with a communica-tive approach. "Such tasks and activities will meet the samecriteria as is demanded of the communicative teaching of gram-mar: purposefulness, interactivity, creativity, and unpredictability"(Clipperton, 1994, p. 746).

Activity-centered immersion programs, particularly thosethat focus on individual choice of learning activity, achieve highlevels of second language proficiency even in the productiveskills. Stevens (1976) compared students who worked on self-selected activities in collaboratdon or consultation with otherstudents and who were expected to make oral and writtenreports in the target language on their work with students whoall worked on the same teacher-directed activities at the sametime and in the same way. Although students in the activity-centered program used the target language for only 40% of theschool day, they attained the same levels of target languagespeaking and reading proficiency and almost the same levels ofreading and writing proficiency as the students in the teacher-centered program, which provided all instruction in the targetlanguage. The success of the activity-centered classes can beattributed to two main factors: 1) students had regular opportu-nities for extended discourse; and 2) students were highly moti-vated because they used the target language in situations ofpersonal choice.

In sum, the use of instructional strategies and academictasks that encourage increased interaction among learners andbetween learners and teachers is likely to be beneficial for secondlanguage learning.

Effective Curriculum DesignThe third lesson to be learned from immersion is that the

integration of language and academic objectives should becarefully planned, providing for the presentation, practice, andapplication of specific language forms that are necessary fordiscussing different academic content. If integrated instructionis not planned systematically, teachers may use strategies thatare not optimal for promoting full second language develop-ment. Swain (1988) examined how immersion teachers usedFrench to teach a variety of academic subjects. The study foundthat teachers used a functionally restricted set of languagepatterns, corrected content more often than linguistic form, andwere inconsistent in their corrections of linguistic form. Theseresults suggest that in an effort to make academic material ascomprehensible as possible, immersion teachers might be adopt-ing communication strategies that rely on linguistic skills theirstudents already have, and students may not be challenged tolearn new language skills. In order to develop the students'language skills fully, immersion teachers must progressivelymodel more complex language and use instructional activitiesthat demand more complex language skills from students.

Instructional strategies and tasks must be carefully selectedso that students use and learn targeted aspects of the language.Without such systematic plans, teachers may provide inconsis-tent or even random information about language forms. Asystematic focus on the structural aspects of the language greatlyenhances learning of targeted gramma tical features.

Increased attention to language forms does not mean lessfocus on communica tion and meaning. Salomone (1992) reportson an immersion program in the United States that "exemplifiesthe current trend of all second language instruction: using the

second language rather than knowing about the language,with bilingualism as the ultimate instructional goal" (p. 9).However, having verified a lack of accuracy and a continued"fossilization" in the students' speech, teachers in the programstudied by Salomone incorporated systematic planning andexplicit teaching of the grammar and vocabulary componentof the syllabus. This strategy greatly improved the results.Other studies describe the specifics of direct language instruc-tion in an immersion context (e.g., Clipperton, 1994; Laplante,1993) or show the benefits of identifying the semantic andsyntactic features and language functions and tasks that arepart of the academic language for a content area and incorpo-rating them in the design of lesson plans (Short, 1994).

ConclusionExperiences in immersion classes illuminate the practice

of second language teaching and indicate effective ways ofattaining high levels of academic content mastery and targetlanguage proficiency. Evaluations of a variety of immersionprograms suggest at least three elements of general relevancefor second language instruction: 1) instructional approachesthat integrate content and language are likely to be moreeffective than approaches in which language is taught inisolation; 2) an activity-centered approach that creates oppor-tunities for extended student discourse is likely to be benefi-cial for second language learning; and 3) language objectivesshould be systematically targeted along with academic objec-tives in order to maximize language learning.

ReferencesClipperton, R. (1994). Explicit vocabulary instruction in French

immersion. Canadian Modern Language Review, 50, 736-49.Laplante, B. (1993). Strategies peclagogiques et enseignement

des sciences en immersion française: Le cas d'uneenseignante. Canadian Modern Language Review, 49, 567-88.

Salomone, A. M. (1992). Student-teacher interactions in se-lected French immersion classrooms. In E. B. Bernhardt(Ed.), Life in language immersion classrooms (pp. 97-109).Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters.

Short, D. (1994). Integrating language and culture in middle schoolAmerican history classes (Educational Practice Rep. No. 8).Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: National Centerfor Research on Cultural Diversity and Second LanguageLearning.

Spanos, G., Rhodes, N., Dale, T., & Crandall, J. (1988). Linguis-tic features of mathematical problem-solving: Insights andapplications. In J.P. Mestre and R.R. Cocking (Eds.) Linguis-tic and culture! influences on learning mathematics (pp. 221-40).Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Stevens, F. (1976). Second language learning in an activity-cen-tered program. Unpublished master's thesis, ConcordiaUniversity.

Swain, M. (1988). Manipulating and complementing contentteaching to ma ximi ze second language learning. TESL CanadaJournal, 6, 68-83.

aso.

This report was prepared with funding from the Office of Educa-tional Research and Improvement, U.S. Dept. of Education, undercontract no. RR93002010. The opinions expressed do not necessar-ily represent the positions or policies of OERI or ED.

47

Research Notes:Language Learning and the Developing Brain

"Gray Matters: The DevelopingBrain" is a public radio program thatwas recently broadcast by PublicRadio International and produced inassociation with the Dana Alliance forBrain Initiatives, an independent, non-profit organization made up of over140 of the nation's leachg brainscientists. The content of the pro-gram, which focused on how theyoung brain develops into a "reading,writing, and rollerblading 10-year-old,"and which addressed early languagelearning, is reported here.

The child's brain is different fromthe adult brain in that it is a verydynamic structure that is evolving. Atwo-year-old child has twice as manysynapses (connections) in the brain asan adult. The young brain must usethese connections or lose them.Thus, failure to learn a skill during acritical or sensitive period has impor-tant significance. According to Dr.Michael Phelps, Chairman of theDepartment of Molecular and MedicalPharmacology of the UCLA School ofMedicine, the learning experiences ofthe child determine which connectionsare developed and which will nolonger function.

Dr. Patricia Kuhl, a SpeechScientist at the University of Washing-ton, reports that babies are born"citizens of the world" in that they candistinguish differences among sounds(temporal, spectral, and durationcues) borrowed from all languages.They are ready to learn any languagethey hear, but by six months of age,they start to specialize in their nativelanguage.

Dr. Susan Curtiss, Professor ofLinguistics at UCLA, who studies theway children learn languages, notesthat in language development there is

a window of opportunity in which thechild learns the first language nor-mally. After this period, the brainbecomes slowly less plastic and by thetime the child reaches adolescence,the brain cannot develop "richly andnormally any real cognitive system,including language."

The four- or five-year old learninga second language is a "perfect modelfor the idea of the critical period."According to Dr. Curtiss:

...the power to learn language isso great in the young child that itdoesn't seem to matter how manylanguages you seem to throw theirway....They can learn as many spokenlanguages as you can allow them tohear systematically and regularly atthe same time. Children just have thiscapacity. Their brain is just ripe to dothis....there doesn't seem to be anydetriment to... develop(ing) severallanguages at the same time.

When children wait until highschool to start studying a foreignlanguage, the job is much harder. Thetask now involves learning the rules ofgrammar, translating, reading, andtrying to develop language learningstrategies. The task is a different onethar it was for the young child in thesensitive period for language learning.Brain plasticity has been lost, thenumber of synapses has greatlyreduced, and the brain no longer hasthe same facility to restructure itselfthat it had when the child was young.

"Gray Matters: The DevelopingBrain" is available from: WisconsinPublic Radio Assoc., The Radio Store,821 University Ave., Madison, WI53706-1497; 1-800-652-7246. Audio-cassette (for 40-minute program)$8.00; transcript $6.00; shipping $3.00.

"Even in latechildhood...onecannot learn afirst languagefully or naturallyor normally"(Dr. SusanCurtiss)

Learning Languages Winter 1996 17

48

Classroom Resources

FrenchDoucet, M. B. (1992). Le HoogieBoogie. Louisiana French music forchildren. Cambridge, MA: RounderRecord Corporation.

Available from Rounder RecordCorporation, # 1 Camp St., Cam-bridge, MA 02140; 1-800-443-4727.Cost is $15.00 for CD and $9.50 foraudio tape.

This recording is an interestingcompilation of Cajun music for chil-dren that invites them to move, stamptheir feet, and clap their hands. Chil-dren will enjoy learning the HokeyPokey Louisiana-style. There aremany cute songs, but also manytouching and culturally fascinatingones. I especially like the ones aboutthe cocodrie and the maringuouins(crocodiles and mosquitoes).

Several songs appear to be oldFrench and English folk songs thathave achieved a Cajun transformation.Not all of the songs are appropriate forvery young children, but there isenough variety here to satisfy a broadrange of students. This recording isparticularly good for extending stu-dents' awareness of the francophoneculture of Louisiana.

GermanTransparency Set E 706, Fruits andVegetables.

Available from Teacher's Discovery,2741 Paldan Dr, Auburn Hill, MI48326; 1-800-Teacher. Cost is $19.95.

This transparency set of fruits andvegetables is a very colorful visual thatcan be used in elementary and uppergrade German classrooms. Thetransparencies are useful as a classwarm-up, an introduction, practice,review, and assessment of vocabulary.In addition, using this transparency setcan be an invaluable tool for develop-ing dialogue and discussion.

The fruit and vegetable transpar-ency set consists of 28 full-colortransparencies, 28 transparencies ofword overlays, two situation transpar-encies, and one transparency showingfruits and vegetables to be cut out.Also included for duplicating areblackline masters and exercises. Thepicture transparencies, with the 28vegetables and fruits, show actualphotographs of the items and lookvery real. The German word overlaytransparencies use the appropriatearticles in front of the singular andplural nouns.

Placing a background transpar-ency such as the dining room or thecafeteria on the overhead projector,the teacher can build situations usingthe characters and the cut-out fruitsand vegetables. Teacher and stu-dents can develop a dialogue, writestories in their German journals, usethe situations during math for variousgraphing activities, pattern works, andaddition and subtraction problems.

The transparencies are also agreat tool to use in the integratedlearning classroom. For example,they could be used in science andhealth in a unit on nutrition or seedsand bulbs. The activity sheets can be

18 49Learning Languages Winter 1996

duplicated and used for categorizing,showing preferences, or listing waysto serve fruits and vegetables.

This transparency set can beused in all elementary and uppergrades since the activities can easilybe adjusted to the appropriate gradelevel. Other transparency sets avail-able from Teacher Discovery includeclothing, body parts, and householdand classroom objects.

SpanishHaas, M. (1996). The Language ofFolk Ad. New York, NY: Addison-Wesley.

Available from Longman Publishers,10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY10606-1951; 1-800-552-2259. Costfor each component: $49.33 forposters, $10.60 for activity book, and$26.60 for teacher's guide.

The Language of Folk Art is anexciting trip through Latin Americausing its rich and varied crafts as adeparture point for language explora-tion. The program, which can beadapted for almost any level of lan-guage study, includes eight full-colorposters of different examples of folkart, two student activity books, and ateacher's guide, all of which can bepurchased separately.

The eight units in the program arebased on the following culturally-richpieces of realia: an arpillera (appliquéwall-hanging) from Peru; a woodentruck filled with Andean people fromBolivia; a vejigante mask from carni-val in Puerto Rico; a band of woodenanimal musicians from Mexico: aminiature Andean kitchen from Ven-ezuela; an arpillera from Chile;papier-mâché Day of the Dead skel-etons from Mexico, and carved ani-mals from a New Mexican folk tale.

The posters are beautiful and will

attract student interest as soon as theyare displayed in your classroom.

Lessons, which revolve aroundthe posters, are fun and varied andprovide ample room for individualteacher style and the differing needsand learning styles of students. Thelanguage that flows naturally from thelessons is authentic and content-based, which serves to motivate thestudents.

A wealth of fascinating informationabout the art featured in the posters isprovided in the Teacher's Guide. Usedwith any level, this program will provemotivational and exciting both for youand your students as you journeythrough the language of Latin Ameri-can folk art.

v

Journal Adds New Section:"Teaching with Technology"

Learning Languages is pleased toannounce a new feature on the use oftechnology in foreign language teach-ing and learning, entitled "Teachingwith Technology." Information oncommunications technologies, as wellas reviews of computer programs andapplications used to enhance foreignlanguage education will be featured.

The main focus, however, will beon articles written by language teach-ers who have successfully incorpo-rated these technologies into theirinstruction. Learning Languagesinvites informative articles aboutpractical applications of communica-tions technologies in the classroom, aswell as teachers' experiences with,and their perspective on, differenttechnologies as they relate to foreignlanguage learning.

Send submissions to: Jean W.Le Loup, Visiting Professor, HQUSAFA/DFF, 2354 Fairchild Drive,Suite 6H63, USAF Academy, CO80840-6244 e-mail: LeloupJW%DFF%[email protected]. mil

Learning Languages + Winter 1996 50 19

Calendar Spring 1996 Conferences

March 28-31, 1996Central States Conference and Kentucky Council on the Teaching of ForeignLanguages, Louisville, KY. Jody Thrush, CSC Executive Director, 3550 Ander-son St., Madison, WI 53704; 608-246-6573.

April 11-13, 1996Southwest Conference on Language Teaching and New Mexico Organization ofLanguage Educators, Albuquerque, NM. Joann Pompa, SWCOLT ExecutiveDirector, Mountain Pointe High School, 4201 E. Knox Road, Phoenix, AZ 85044;602-759-8449, ext. 3036; Fax: 602-759-8743.

April 18-21, 1996Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, New York City.Rebecca Kline, Northeast Conference, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013-2896; 717-245-1977.

Summer 1996 Courses and Workshops

June 16-July 12, 1996Methods for Teaching Foreign Languages in Elementary and Middle School,Concordia College, Moorhead, MN. Carol Ann Pesola, Concordia College,Moorhead, MN 56562; 218-299-4511; or AATG, 112 Haddontowne Court #104,Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-3668; 609-795-5553; Fax: 609-795-9398; E-mail:[email protected].

July 23-28, 1996The National FLES* Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD.Gladys Lipton, Modern Languages and Linguistics, University of Maryland,Baltimore County, MD 21228; 301-231-0824; 410-455-2109; Fax: 301-230-2652;E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].

July 23-August 2, 1996Culture and Children's Literature: France and Mexico, Iowa State University,Ames, IA. Marcia H. Rosenbusch, National K-12 Foreign Language ResourceCenter, N157 Lagomarcino Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011; 51 5-294-6699; Fax: 515-294-2776 or 6206; E-mail: [email protected].

July 31-August 10, 1996Seminar on Teaching German at the Elementary and Middle School Level,Plymouth State College, NH. Gisela Estes, Department of Foreign Languages,Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH 03264; 603-535-2303; or AATG, 112Haddontowne Court #104, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-3668; 609-795-5553; Fax: 609-795-9398; E-mail: [email protected].

Fall 1996 Conference

September 25-28, 1996Third European Conference on Immersion Programs, Universitet de Barcelona,Barcelona, Spain. Deadline for submitting papers is April 15, 1996. InstitutEuropeu de programes d'immersis, Provence, 324, 1r., E-08037 Barcelona,Catalonia; Phone 011-34-3-4588700; Fax 011-34-3-4588708.


NNELL Executive Board

PresidentEileen LorenzMontgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford Dr.Rockville, MD [email protected]

SecretaryMercia FosterImmaculate Conception School4 Riden CircleCharles City, IA [email protected]. ia. us

ExecutWe SecretaryNancy RhodesCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St NWWashington, DC [email protected]

First Vice-PresidentMary Lynn RedmondWake Forest UniversityDepartment of EducationBox 7266, Reynolda StationWinston-Salem, NC [email protected]

TreasurerMarty AbbottFairfax County Public Schools7423 Camp Alger Ave.Falls Church, VA 2204274553.211©compuserve.com

Membership SecretaryGuadalupe Hernández-SilvaCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St NWWashington, DC 20037lupe©cal.org

NNELL Appointments

Second Vice-PresidentSusan WalkerParkway Northeast Middle School4560 Ohio Ave.St. Louis, MO 63111

Past-PresidentMari HaasTeachers CollegeColumbia University525 W. 120th St., Box 201New York, NY 10027mbh14©columbia. edu


Central States Rep.Debbie Wilburn-RobinsonONo State University249 Arps Hall1945 N. High St.Columbus, OH [email protected]

Southern Rep.Carine FeytenUniversity of South FloridaCollege of EducaUonEDU 306H, Tampa, FL 33620-5650feyten©typhoon.coedu.ust edu

MembershipVirginia GramerMonroe SchoolForeign Language Office210 N. MadisonHinsdale, IL 60512

Pacific Northwest Rep.Jo Ann 011iphant11004 11th St. SWTacoma, WA [email protected]

Southwest Rep.Elena SteeleClark County School DistrictDepartment of Foreign Language

Curriculum and Instruction601 N. 9th St., Office 31Las Vegas, NV 89101 52

Political ActionKay HewittLexington Elementary School116 Azalea DriveLexington, SC 29072les@scsn. net

Northeast Rep.Harriet Barnett225 Clinton A%/e.Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Membership FormPlease enroll me as a member of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)

and send me a one-year subscription to Learning Languages. I am enclosing a check for

$15.00. (Overseas rate is $20.00.) Make checks payable to NNELL.

NO PURCHASE ORDERS PLEASE.

Name


School or Affiliation

Mailing Address

City, State Zip

Check whether this address is Home School

Check if this is a renewal Check if this is an address change from last year




Marcia H. Rosenbusch, EditorLearning LanguagesDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino HallIowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa 50011

Learning LanguagesThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning-

Spring 1996Vol.1 No.3

54

Learning Languages: The Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning is theofficial publication of NNELL. It serves the profession by providing a medium for the sharing ofinformation, ideas, and concerns among teachers, administrators, researchers, and others inter-ested in the early learning of languages. The journal reflects NNELL's commitment to promotingopportunities for all children to develop a high level cf competence in at least one language andculture in addition to their own. See the inside of the back cover for more information on NNELL.

In an effort to address the interests of the profession, both practical and scholarly articles arepublished. Practical articles describe innovative approaches to teaching and to the administration ofeffective language programs for children. Scholarly articles report on original research and cite bothcurrent research and theory as a basis for making recommendations for practice. Scholarly articlesare refereed, i.e., reviewed anonymously by at least three readers. Readers include members of theNNELL executive board, the editorial advisory board, and invited guest reviewers who have expertisein the area. Refereed articles are identified as such in the journal. Write to the editor at the addressbelow to request a copy of author guidelines for preparing articles.

Submissions: Deadlines for information are: fall issueMay 1; winter issueNov. 1; springissueFeb. 1. Articles, classroom activities, and materials offered for review may be submitted tothe appropriate contributing editor (see below). Send announcements, conference information, andoriginal children's work (such as line drawings, short stories, and poems) to the editor. Children'swork needs to be accompanied by written permission from the child's parents or guardians and mustinclude the child's name, age, school, and the teacher's name, address, and telephone (add fax ande-mail address if available).

Submit a favorite classroom activity for the "Activities for Your Classroom" section by sending adescription of the activity that includes title, objective, materials, and procedure. Include pictures ordrawings as illustration, if available. Send with your name, address, and phone number to theClassroom Activities editor listed below.

Editor Editorial AssistantMarcia H. Rosenbusch Sue Ryan WeissDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino Hall Cover Designlowa State University Gary BlernAmes, IA [email protected]

International newsHelena CurtainUniversity of Wisconsin - Milwaukee105:.1 W. Hampton Ave.Milwaukee, WI [email protected]

ResearchElsa StatznerNational - Louis University1209-A Central St.Evanston, IL [email protected]

Teaching with TechnologyJean W. LeLoupVisiting ProfessorHO USAFA/DFF2354 Fairchild Dr., Suite 6H63USAF Academy, :0 8084043244LeloupJW9OFF%USAFA

@dfmail.usafa.af.mil

Contributing Editors

Class. 'orrl activitiesDiane Fagin AdlerNorth Carolina State UniversityDept. of Foreign Languages and Lit.Box 8106Raleigh, NC [email protected]

Teaching methodsGilda OranBloomsburg Universityof Pennsylvania

3540 Green St.Harrisburg, PA [email protected]

AssessmentPeggy BoylesForeign Language CoordinatorPutnam City Schools5401 NW 40th St.Oklahoma City, OK [email protected].:

55


Spanish resources .

Lori Langer de Ramirez166 Nichols Ave.Brooklyn, NY [email protected]


Funding info./New legislationJoint National Comm. for Languages1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC 2003776306. 535@compuser ve.corn

Learning LanguagesThe Journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning

Volume 1, No. 3 Spring 1996

Standards for Forei n Language Learning3 NNELL Endorses National Standards

4 Standards for Foreign Language Learning

5 Atlanta Superintendent Strongly Supports National StandardsDr. Benjamin 0. Canada

7 Standards for Foreign Language Learning: One District's ExperienceElizabeth Rieken

Articles14 Proficiency-Oriented Testing: Reality Therapy

Peggy Boyles

24 Bilingualism in Early Childhood EducationWhat Do We Know? What Do We Do?Laurie Makin

Features2 Notei from the President



22 CIassroom ResourcesGermanSpanishFrench

29 ERIC Digest

31 Calendar

Learning Languages (ISSN 1083-5415) is published three times a year (fall, winter, and spring). Membership duesfor NNELL, which include a subscription to the journal by academic year, are $15/year ($20 overseas). Please sendyour check to: Nancy Rhodes, Executive Secretary, NNELL, 1118 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20037.Copyright © 1996 by the National Network for Early Language Learning.

Languages Spring 1996 56

We ask you toshare with us

examples ofyour work in

the classroomthat relate to

foreign lan-guage stan-dards, your

students' work,or events ofnote in your

district or state.

Notes from the PresidentThe arrival of spring brings re-

newed energy and growth all aroundus. We hope that as you read Learn-ing Languages, you will find articlesand information that renew yourenergy and spark interest for contin-ued professional growth.

This issue celebrates an historiceventthe completion of the Stan-dards for Foreign Language Learning:Preparing for the 21st Century.NNELL was an early supporter of thestandards movement and providedvaluable input into the standardsdevelopment process.

We would like to thank Dr. Ben-jamin 0. Canada, Superintendent ofSchools, Atlanta, Georgia, for allowingus to share his inspiring remarks atACTFL on the significance of foreignlanguage standards. Dr. Canada is amember of NNELL and we warmlywelcome his support for early lan-guage learning. Be sure to read hisremarks and share them with adminis-trators in your district.

You will find Gwinnett County(Georgia) Public Schools' experienceas a pilot site for the standards projectof great interest as you explore howthe standards interface with yourschool district's curricular framework.

In the area of growth, NNELLwelcomes Kay Hewitt as Chair of thePolitical Action and Advocacy Commit-tee, and Evelyne Armstrong as Chairof the Public Relations Committee.Kay has been hard at work with FirstVice President Mary Lynn Redmond togather information and strategies forpolitical action. Evelyne is formulatingan action plan to help us reach out to

community members, colleagues,administrators, and the businesscommunity. Please contact Kay orEvelyne to become involved in theirimportant work.

If you have been to a NNELLNetworking session in the last month,you have received your NNELL Buttonthat shares this message"LearningLanguages begins with NNELL."Many thanks to Mari Haas, PastPresident, who worked very hard tomake sure that these buttons ap-peared on our lapels so quickly.

Congratulations to the EducationOffice, Embassy of Spain on theinaugural meeting of Circulo deAmigos de la Lengua Espatiola(CALE). This is an exciting initiative tocontinue the growth in knowledge andunderstanding about the Spanishlanguage and cultures.

In this issue we are delighted toshare the success of Hudson (NewYork) Middle School's Italian andSpanish program. NNELL's member-ship is growing and our collectivewealth of professional knowledge andexperience is invaluable and should beshared with the profession.

As we enter into the last fewmonths of the school year, I hope thatthis is a successful and rewarding timefor you.

Eileen B. LorenzAcademic Programs

Montgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford DriveRockville, MD 20850

e-mail: [email protected]

2

57Learning Languages Spring 1996

NI\1-ELL Endorses National Standards

NNELL, along with 41 otherorganizations, has officially endorsedthe Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning: Preparing for the 21stCentury.

The standards represent anunprecedented consensus on the partof educators, leaders of government,business and industry, and the publicat large regarding the rationale androle of foreign language instruction inthe American educational system.

By endorsing the standards,NNELL sends a strong message topolicymakers from the statehouse tothe school board that foreign lan-guage education is an important partof every child's education, and thatstudents can meet these standards ifgiven the appropriate instructionaltime to achieve them.

NNELL provided input to themembers of the standards task forceearly in the process, urging that thestandards be developed for studentsin all gradeskindergarten throughtwelfth.

NNELL's statement, which wasalso published in FLES News, thenthe newsletter of NNELL, is reprintedbelow.

NNELL Statement to the StudentStandards K-12 Task Force

The National Network for EarlyLanguage Learning believes thatstudent standards for foreign lan-guages will significantly impact foreignlanguage education well into the 21stcentury. It is imperative that thesestandards speak not only to theforeign language programs in exist-ence today, but that they also define aframework for the future. To establishstandards only at eighth and twelfth

grades, but not at fourth grade, wouldbe to limit the future of the professionto current practices.

The foreign language professionhas declared that a high level ofproficiency is an important goal forforeign language education. It is clearthat to achieve more than a novice orintermediate level of proficiencyrequires many years of study in long,articulated sequences of intensivequality instruction. Forward-lookingschools across the nation have suc-cessfully articulated K-12 sequencesof instruction. To ignore the invaluablecontribution these schools have madeto the profession, and the enhancedlevel of proficiency attained by continu-ous quality foreign language educationK-12, would be to ignore the future.Standards must be developed forprograms that provide continuouseducation in foreign languages fromkindergarten through twelfth grade.

The National Network for EarlyLanguage Learning urges the StudentStandards K-12 Task Force to contern-plate the historic significance of thestandards they are defining. Theability of our nation's most valuableresource, our children, to participatefully and effectively as world citizens inthe 21st century is clearly at stake.

Reprinted from FLES News Volume 7,Number 2, Winter 1993-1994, p. 7

By endorsing thestandards, NNELLsends a strongmessage . . . thatforeign languageeducation is animportant part ofevery child's edu-cation.

Learning Languages + Spring 1996 3

Standards forForeignLanguageLearning

CommunicationCommunicate in Languages OtherThan English

Standard 1.1: Students engage inconversations, provide and obtaininformation, express feelings andemotions, and exchange opinions.

Standard 1.2: Students understandand interpret written and spokenlanguage on a variety of topics.

Standard 1.3: Students presentinformation, concepts, and ideas to anaudience of listeners or readers on avariety of topics.

CulturesGain Knowledge anu Understanding ofOther Cultures

Standard 2.1: Students demonstratean understanding of the relationshipbetween the practices and perspec-tives of the culture studied.

Standard 2.2: Students demonstratean understanding of the relationshipbetween the products and perspec-tives of the culture studied.

Reprinted with permission from the AmeLanguages (ACTFL). To receive a copy

ACTFL6 Executive PlazaYonkers, NY 10701-6801Phone: 914-963-8830

ConnectionsConnect with Other Disciplines andAcquire Information

Standard 3.1: Students reinforce andfurther their knowledge of other disci-plines through the foreign language.

Standard 3.2: Students acquireinformation and recognize the distinc-tive viewpoints that are only availablethrough the foreign language and itscultures.

ComparisonsDevelop Insight into the Nature ofLanguage and Culture

Standard 4.1: Students demonstrateunderstanding of the nature of lan-guage through comparisons of thelanguage studied and their own.

Standard 4.2: Students demonstrateunderstanding of the concept ofculture through comparisons of thecultures studied and their own.

CommunitiesParticipate in Multilingual Communitiesat Home and Around the World

Standard 5.1: Students use thelanguage both within and beyond theschool setting.

Standard 5.2: Students show evi-dence of becoming life-long learnersby using the language for personalenjoyment and enrichment.

rican Council on the Teaching of Foreignof the standards (cost $20), write to:

4 59 Learning Languages Spring 1996

Atlanta Superintendent Strongly SupportsNational StandardsDr. Benjamin 0. CanadaSuperintendentAtlanta Public Schools, Georgia

Note: To celebrate the unveiling of the Standards for Foreign Language Learn-ing, Dr. Benjamin 0. Canada, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, sharedhis support and enthusiasm for foreign language learning programs. His remarksare included here so that members of NNELL who were not present at theAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Conference in Ana-heim, California, November, 1995, might learn of his inspiring thoughts.

Iwould like to say that I amparticularly proud and pleasedto be in the midst of so manyoutstanding educators who

share the belief of a saying we usefrequently in Atlanta: "If it's good forchildren, then make it so." So, Iweicome you to a part of the Make-lt-So Team for all of America's children.

I would like to share a couple ofthoughts with you as we reflect on thestandards for foreign language learn-ing and assessments in the foreignlanguage area. What do standardsmean to us as superintendents? Moreimportantly, what do they mean to thechildren of America?

First, I need to ask, how many ofyou remember the little nursery rhymethat we sang in kindergarten about theeensy weensy spider? All right! I

would like you to stand, so we can jointogether to recite the Eensy WeensySpider poem and think about what thisspider did. Here we go (with accom-panying gestures):

The eensy weensy spiderwent up the water spout.

Down came the rainand washed the spider out.

Out came the sunand dried up all the rain,

And the eensy weensy spiderwent up the spout again.

If you think about the words of thepoem, they describe a very tiny, littlespider. The poem does not talk abouta daddy long legs or a tarantula; itdescribes a tiny, little spider. And whatdid this little spider do? It went up awater spout. I would like you to visual-ize with me a water spoutlong, dark,and narrow. Imagine that you arelooking up a water spout and at thevery top you will see light, but you donot know where it is coming from.

This little spider decided that itwas going to go up the water spout,not knowing what it would encounteron the way. There could have beenother spiders waiting to gobble it up.That spider had no idea of what toexpect, but he knew he wanted toclimb up to that light. Suddenly, itstarted to rain, and what did the waterspout do? It did what all good waterspouts are supposed to do. The waterspout collected the rain and washedthe spider back down and out. And Ican imagine that, as the water camerushing down the spout, it went bang,bang, bang, and the spider got beatup. But what does the song say thespider did? After the rain came, thespider warmed up and dried out, up itwent, back up the spout towards thelight one more time.

What do stan-dards mean tous as superin-tendents?More impor-tantly, what dothey mean tothe children ofAmerica?

Learning Languages Spring 1996 60 5

You as teach-ers, and we asadministrators

and superinten-dents, have a

big role in mak-ing sure that

they are wrong.We must be

willing to standfirm with our

beliefs.

When it comes to the standardsfor foreign language learning and theassessments, our ability to getAmerica to buy into them is going torequire each and every one of us tohave the tenacity and the spirit of thetiny, little spider. We may get beat up.Some will say that we do not have thepeople to carry out the standards andassessments; others will say that wedo not have the resources to followthrough. And probably there will besome that will say that not all childrencan appreciate and learn languages.

All children can learn, and theycan learn multiple languages, but weneed to start language learning earlyin the elementary grades rather thanwaiting until the middle or high schoolyears.

As we go through the strategicplanning process of empowering ourcommunities and engaging them inthe decision-making process, we mustalso remember that community mem-bers may need to be educated aboutthe fact that the ability to speak asecond language is not somethingextra. It is a part of a quality basiceducation.

Today in Atlanta, we have morethan 50 percent of our elementaryschools offering language studybeginning in kindergarten. Withinthree years, we intend to have lan-guage study in all of them.

How do we go about making surethat our communities know about theimportance of language learning? Weall need to set a plan, and keep think-ing about that tiny little spider. Wecannot give up, but must becomemore resolved to say, "I am going tothe top and I am going to take mystudents and all of the other studentswho could be forgotten with me." Andknow that there are some of us whowould stay with you, protect you, andpromote you. I am awfully proud andpleased to ask you to join with me incongratulating the American Councilon the Teaching of Foreign LanguagesTask Force for having the vision tocome up with truly world class stan-dards.

I leave you with a final thought.Always ask yourselves the question:"Is it good for children?" If the answeris yes, then go with the speed andtenacity of the spider to make it so.

Spanish Embassy Organizes CALEThe first Circulo de Amigos de la

Lengua Espahola (CALE) in theUnited States was founded in Wash-ington, DC in March 1996. The event,hosted by the Education Office of theEmbassy of Spain, gathered over ahundred people of various nationalitiesand professional backgrounds.

The aim of this new association isto promote the use of Spanish as wellas to stimulate interest in all of thecultures sharing it as a commonlanguage.

An interim board of directors,which is in charge of organizing and

consolidating the association, waselected from among the 32 peoplewho volunteered. Another 28 peopleoffered to be part of various commit-tees. A series of CALE chapters willbe founded soon all across the coun-try.

If you would like further informa-tion or you would like to organize yourown CALE chapter in your area, youmay contact: CALE, Embassy ofSpain Education Office, 2375 Pennsyl-vania Avenue NW, Washington, DC20037; 202-728-2335; Fax: 202-728-2313; E-mail: [email protected].


Standards for Foreign Language Learn:Jig:One District's ExperienceElizabeth RiekenInstruction Coordinator, Foreign Language/ESOLGwinnett County Public SchoolsLawrenceville, Georgia

The summer of 1994 haslittle to distinguish it in mostpeople's memories here inour part of the country. . . .

just another long, hot one outside ofAtlanta. Yet for a group of foreignlanguage educators in GwinnettCounty, Georgia, that summer willalways be recalled as the beginning ofour involvement in the development ofthe Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning.

We are fortunate to work in aschool system where shared decision-making is the norm, and teachershave a leading role in shaping thedirection of our instructional programsin every subject area. A standingcommittee of 10 foreign languageteachers from grades K-12 serves asan advisory council, assisting me (theprogram coordinator) in constantlyassessing the program and planningimprovements.

In the summer of 1994, we werehard at work on a comprehensiveimprovement plan for the next fiveyears when the American Council onthe Teaching of Foreign Languagesannounced the need for school sys-tems to become pilot sites for the nextphase of standards development. Allof the council members agreed thatwe should apply. The council hadreviewed previous drafts of the stan-dards and had sent input to the 11-member task force charged withdeveloping the standards, so theopportunity to become a pilot siteseemed a natural next step. In addi-

tion, we knew we could gain an ex-traordinary amount of information thatwould help us in our efforts to improveour own program.

Summer was fading quickly, andpreparation for the new school yearoccupied everyone's minds. Shortlyafter students returned to classes, thenews camewe were chosen as oneof six pilot sites. The task force chosethe pilot sites to represent schooldistricts that varied in size, geographiclocation, and program type. Werepresented a large, changing, urban-suburban county district in the south-east.

Our 70 schools serve 84,000students, with more than 4,000 newstudents and 500 new teachers joiningus each year. A growing number ofstudents participate in language studyeach year (41,500 in 1995-96), in avariety of programs: both sequentialFLES and FLEX at the elementarylevel, both FLEX and sequential studyat the middle schools, and sequencesof two to five years (plus some ad-vanced placement [AP] classes) inFrench, German, Latin, Spanish, andJapanese at the high school level.

Although this sounds like animpressive number of students en-gaged in language study with anequally impressive variety of offerings,the numbers do not show the frag-mented nature of the offerings.Through the process of site-basedmanagement in our district, schoolshave wide latitude in making curriculardecisions, and local schools determine

Shortly afterstudents re-turned toclasses, thenews camewe were cho-sen as one ofsix pilot sites.

Learning Languages Spring 1996 .t. 62 7

One of ourgreatest hopes

for the pilotstudy process

was that itwould help us

discover someways to bring

unity to themany foreignlanguage ef-

forts going onin the district.

which languages to offer at whichgrade levels as well as which programmodel to use. One of our greatesthopes for the pilot study process wasthat it would help us discover someways to bring unity to the many foreignlanguage efforts going on in thedistrict.

Through conversations with thetwo task force members assigned toour pilot site (Genelle Morain of theUniversity of Georgia, Athens, andDenise Mesa of Sabal Palm Elemen-tary School in North Miami Beach,Florida), we planned the specificactivities the group would undertake togather the information needed by thetask force. We would respond to suchquestions as:

Is there anything missing from thestandards document that we thinkshould be included in a compre-hensive, exemplary languageprogram?

How do the goals of the standardsinterface with our state and localframeworks?

What are we doing now thatsupports the standards?

What would we need to change tomore fully implement the stan-dards? What resources would weneed?

How do the standards look in theclassroom?

The improvement council was notlarge enough to represent a truecross-section of the foreign languageteachers in the district, so we invitedother teachers to participate. Twenty-eight teachers served on the pilotstudy group, representing all schoollevels, all languages, and all programmodels in the district.

All 28 teachers probably hadsimilar thoughts as they made theirway one early morning in November tothe first meeting in a remote and

relatively unpopulated area of thecounty; perhaps something like, "Iknow it's hard to find meeting space,but this is really ridiculous!" "What arethe standards, anyway, and why did Iagree to do this?" "They'll probablytell us we have to throw out everythingwe're doing and start over. . .again!""Standards . . . I know just where I'llput themon the top shelf of mystorage closet, next to the other dustycurriculum guides."

Doubts intensified as the teachersarrived at the site only to find that theworst had happenedthe coffee wasnot ready! But any doubts and fearswere soon alleviated as we listened toGenelle Morain's fascinating accountof the task force's process that hadbrought the standards to this point.We soon came to understand that thestandards are not a required curricu-lum nor a particular method. Rather,the standards represent the thinking ofthousands of foreign language profes-sionals across the country, definingwhat students should know and beable to do at various levels of study.

Over the next several months, thepilot study group, guided by our taskforce facilitators, addressed the firstfour questions through careful readingof the standards document and muchdiscussion among the group mem-bers. Teachers have little time to talkwith others at their school level; it iseven more unusual for elementary,middle, and high school teachers tohave time to discuss issues of com-mon concern across all levels. Thetime set aside for the pilot studyallowed this all-too-rare communica-tion to occur.

We examined the application ofthe standards to the classroomthrough the keeping of "teaching logs."(Figure 1 shows the format we usedfor this task, which was a revision of aformat developed by the Springfield,Massachusetts, pilot site.) The logsencouraged us to reflect on our prac-


tice and to analyze our units andlessons in light of the standards.Some of the activities described in theteaching logs became learning sce-narios in the final standards docu-ment. One of the elementary sce-narios appears at the end of thisarticle.

By the end of the pilot studyprocess, the group had come to theseconclusions:

The standards are a very thoroughpicture of what is desirable inforeign language education.

Each school level (elementary,middle, and high) has a uniqueand important contribution to maketowards implementation of thestandards. In the typical two-yearsequence of high school languagestudy, students are not likely to

Teaching Log

The standards arefor the present,but they are alsoa guide for thefuture, suggestingprograms ofgreater breadthand depth thanexist in mostschools today

Teacher

Language

Grade

School

Level

Date

Program Type (FLEX, Sequential FLES, Sequential FL in MS or HS)

Number of Students in Class

Goal Addressedby the Activity:

Standard Addressedby the Activity:

Description of Activity

Procedure Materials

How Students Were Assessed

Reaction - How I Thought It Went

Reaction - What Students Thought

What I Learned (What might be changed next time.)

This activity did/did not support the standard identified.

Why?

Figure 1. Gwinnett County Public Schools, National Standards in Foreign Language EducationPilot Study Teaching Log.


We learnedmore aboutthe "state of

the art" inforeign lan-

guage learn-ing, discover-

ing that thestandards

both validatedour work and

challenged usto do more.

attain all of the standards. How-ever, students can achieve moreof the standards in all five goalareas if instruction begins in theearly grades and continuesthrough the high school years.

Our state and local curriculacurrently include some of thestandards but not all. Goals 1 and2 (Communication and Culture)are clearly addressed in ourframeworks. Although manyteachers address goals 3 (Con-nections), 4 (Comparisons), and 5(Communities) in their class-rooms, our official curricula do notaddress these explicitly.

Many classroom practices, asdescribed in the "teaching logs°the pilot teachers kept, do supportthe standards. In many cases,teachers can build on what theyare currently doing. Teaching logstended to describe activities thatfit under goals 1 and 2, with sorr eevidence of goal 3. Goals 4 and 5appear to be the most challengingto address in our present pro-grams given the time teachershave for instruction.

Implementing the standards willrequire a different view of the roleof the text book as it exists today;"the text as script" will not work!Elementary teachers have longknown this, but middle and highschool programs have sometimesbeen tied to texts to a greaterdegree than is beneficial. As thestandards are implemented, wewill need multiple resources;technology is one way we acquiresome of those resources.

In order to move toward imple-mentation of the standards,communication is imperative:among teachers, among schoollevels, and among university andpublic school personnel. Articula-

tion is a major challenge we mustaddress, and articulation can onlyhappen when all levels under-stand and appreciate the roleeach level has to play. Thestandards provide a basis uponwhich the various stakeholders(teachers, students, parents,administrators, and universitypersonnel) can begin the commu-nication that is critical to buildingan articulated program.

By participating in the Standardsfor Foreign Language Learning PilotStudy, we experienced a process thatwe can use in the future as we ap-proach our foreign language programreview in the district. The pilot studyexperience was especially valuable tous because it gave teachers fromkindergarten through grade 12 achance to talk. The communicationwas so positive that we plan to createother opportunities for this interactionto occur.

We found that the standards canhelp us establish a common vocabu-lary with various audiences, as well asa "common yardstick" with which wecan measure the quality of a program.This is especially important in a site-based management system such asours.

In all, we feel that the Standardsfor Foreign Language Learning:Preparing for the 21st Century (1996)can be a practical tool for schooldistricts that want to make their lan-guage program the best it can possi-bly be. We think our participation inthe pilot study will help us move in thatdirection.

ReferencesNational Standards in Foreign

Language Education Project. (1996).Standards for Foreign LanguageLearning: Preparing for the 21stCentury. Lawrence, KS: Allen Press.


Note: This classroom scenario was developed by Gwinnett County elementaryschool foreign language teachers as an example of lessons that address thethemes of the standards. lt is included here with permission from ACTFL.

Classroom Scenario

Targeted Standards1.2 Interpretive Communication1.3 Presentational Communication2.2 Products of Culture3.1 Making Connections5.1 School and Community

DinosaursKindergartners at Rockbridge Elementary

School are learning about dinosaurs with thetypical fascination that this subject holds for youngstudents. To complement their study of this topic,their teacher, Señora Matos, develops an activityfor their FLES Spanish class with the cooperationof the art teacher. The students use constructionpaper to create a "Jurassic Mountain" in theclassroom. In Spanish, they learn the words fortree, mountain, and other elements of their newlycreated environment.

However, the teacher and students realize that something is missing: thedinosaurs. Students are asked to bring dinosaurs to school, and on the next daytheir "Jurassic Mountain" and two other tables are covered with dinosaurs. Afterlearning the vocabulary in Spanish, the students identify and describe the dino-saurs and classify them by size, color, and other characteristics (gentle, fierce,etc.). Students then make brightly colored papier-mâché dinosaurs as well asdioramas reflecting the appropriate habitat for their dinosaurs. At the end of theweek, Sehora Matos has 21 diverse dinosaur dioramas to be shared with theschool community.

Reflection1.2 Students understand the presentations of their classmates.1.3 Students present information about their dinosaurs to fellow students.2.2 Students use art media and colors that reflect Hispanic culture.3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of prehistoric life.5.1 Students use the language within the school setting.

This scenario could occur in any language with beginners at any grade level.The content would depend on the setting. The scenario might be played outusing such topics as mythical figures, medieval artisan shops, or signs of theChinese calendar in cooperation with teachers from various disciplines. Thecurricular weave is highlighted in the classification aspect of the activity in whichstudents use criticai thinking skills to organize and classify the dinosaurs. Byencouraging students to ask and answer questions of each other, a focus onStandard 1.1, Interpersonal Communication, could be added to this activity(National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1996, p. 75).

Learning Languages 4 Spring 1996 6 6 1 /

The resultsof the surveywill provide a

picture ofhow K-12

foreign lan-guage edu-cation has

changedsince the

1987 survey.

CAL Conducts National Foreign Language SurveyAre you in need of up-to-date

information on what is going on na-tionally with foreign language instruc-tion? The Center for Applied Linguis-tics (CAL) can help. It is conducting anational foreign language survey thatwill provide current, much neededinformation about foreign languageprograms and instruction in elemen-tary, middle/junior high, and highschools in the United States. Thestudy, funded by the U.S. Departmentof Education, will replicate the land-mark survey of foreign languagesconducted by CAL in 1987.

The two major goals of the studyare to provide a comprehensive,scientifically-accurate national portraitof foreign language education at theelementary and secondary levels andto produce information on foreignlanguage education on a state-by-state basis.

The survey will address currentpatterns and shifts in enrollment,teacher training and qualifications,language and program offerings atvarious levels, foreign languagecurricula and instructional materials,assessment, sequencing, funding,successful program characteristics,foreign language educational reform,and major issues facing the field.

In October 1996, the survey willbe sent to a randomly-selected sampleof principals at approximately fivepercent of all public and private el-ementary, middle/junior high, and highschools in the U.S. The results of thesurvey will provide a picture of how K-12 foreign language education haschanged since the 1987 survey. Withforeign languages now a part of thecore curriculum in the Goals 2000:Educate America Act legislation, it willbe especially interesting to look atcurrent levels of foreign languageenrollment.

The survey results will also informstates as they implement versions ofthe new national stanth,ds in foreignlanguage education in their schools,and provide information about howschools are addressing this kind ofeducational reform. Detailed casestudies of six elementary and middleschool program models and a direc-tory of K-8 sample language programsby state will also be compiled as partof the project. To be included in thedirectory, watch for the mini-question-naire in the fall 1996 issue of LearningLanguages.

The survey results will be avail-able from CAL in 1997. For moreinformation on the project, or to signup to receive the survey results whenavailable, please contact NancyRhodes ([email protected]) or LucindaBranaman ([email protected]) at CAL,1118 22nd St. NW, Washington DC20037 (202-429-9292).

Job Openings

The Little Earth School in Santa Fe islooking for a full-time Spanish teacherfor its program which incorporatesSn nieh into the regular curriculum forfoul through eight-year-olds. Toapply, contact: Ellen Souberman, 321W. Zia Road, Santa. Fe, NM 87505;505-988-1968.

Because it has received support toincrease the length of the Spanishclass period at each grade level,Pilgrim School is seeking applicantsfor a full-time elementary schoolSpanish teacher position. To apply,send a resume to: Kathy Lee, PilgrimSchool, 540 South CommonwealthAve., Los Angeles, CA 90020; E-mail:[email protected].


Activities for Your Classroom

Puppet MeteorologistsLinda KenoyerLighthouse Point, Florida

Ob ective:Students will demonstrate their knowl-edge of weather expressions bydressing a puppet in clothing appropri-ate to the weather and by stating theweather orally.

Materials:puppetshatscarfsunglassesumbrella

Procedure:At the start of each class, three"meteorolugists" (weather predictors)are selected to do the weather check.They choose puppets and articles ofclothing and go outside to check theweather conditions. They then dressthe puppets accordingly.

Upon their return, students take turnsasking each puppet: 4Qué tiempohace? (What is the weather?) Themeteorologist students respond fortheir puppet according to the dailyweather conditions. Possible re-sponses are:

Hace sol.Hace frio.Hace calor.Estd lloviendo.

(It is sunny.)(It is cold.)(It is hot.)(It is raining.)

Learning Languages Spriog 1996 68 13

...grammaticalaccuracy is of

no value if itcannot be used

to cany outreal-life tasks

as an inherentand natural

activity.

Proficiency-Oriented Testing:Reality TherapyPeggy BoylesPutnam City SchoolsOklahoma City Oklahoma

In a recent cartoon in the Sundaynewspaper, a couple staresincredulously as the waiterserves them a roller skate and a

cuckoo clock as their main entree.The attractive woman remarks to hermortified dinner date, "Well... so muchfor your two semesters of French!"The.- young man obviously came froma foreign language experience inwhich real-life experiences were notthe focus of instruction.

Eecause instruction has beentraditionally broken up into small units,there hae been a tendency to focus ononly one aspect of language produc-tion at a time, such as isolated vo-cabulary lists or grammar. In thissituation it was very easy to forget thatthe vocabulary words and points ofstructure were not ends in themselves,but rather parts of a larger picture oflanguage use.

In designing new proficiency-oriented testing formats, teachers arereminded that grammatical accuracy isof no value if it cannot be used tocarry out real-life tasks as an inherentand natural activity.

More and more, both instructionand assessment are based on encour-aging students to go beyond thestructure and context of classroominstruction. Students are now as-sessed on how well they can performin the language in real-life situations.In creating proficiency-oriented testsfor classroom use, certain characteris-tics should predominate.

When designing test items, theteacher should try to design items

are not isolated, but in a context

encourage personalized answers

reflect synthesized, compositeknowledge

focus on what the student knows,rather than on what the studentdoes not know

recycle language from previousunits or chapters

allow divergent responses

are interaction based

reflect real life tasks.

One example of this type of testmight be in the format of a studentleaving a message for a friend on ananswering machine. This context isauthentic in many cultures and can,therefore, be perceived as a naturaltask a student might encounter in thetarget culture. For the "Leave AMessage Test," each student receivesa set of message cards. To begin, thestudent hears the recorded messageon the "answering machine."

For example. a message inFrench might be "Vous entendez de /amusique de Coolio et aussi le sonde ma voix. Veuillez laisser votremessape aprés le bip sonore. Merci!"

In Spanish, the students mighthear, "En este momento no puedocontester el tekifono. Por favor dejatu recado a le setial." In German,students will respond to "Hor mall Ichbin fur zwei Wochen im Urlaub. khrufe wieder an, nachdem ichzuruckkomme." At the end of the


message, there is the familiar beepsound, which signals the student tobegin talking.

Students respond on tape anddesign their message according to thewritten instructions on one of themessage cards in their set. So thatstudents will receive no vocabularyclues, instructions afe written inEnglish. For example, one choice fora response might be:

1. Greet the person.

2. Give your name.

3. Describe yourself physically.

4. Tell the person who your teacheris at school.

5. Ask the person a question aboutschool.

In designing test items, it isimportant that students have optionsin choosing their response. In thisexample, there is a wide range ofacceptable answers, and the student'schoice of vocabulary and grammarare tied directly to a language func-tion.

The administration of oral tests ina large group setting is often thediscouraging factor that causesteachers to forgo consistent andregular speaking assessments in theircl.4ssrooms. Individually testing eachstudent in the class, even though itmight be a very small speakingsamble, is often time consuming.However, even with the inherentdifficulties of oral testing, teacherswant there to be a match betweenlearning activities and testing activi-ties.

Random grading is one option.With a set of 3 x 5 cards, the teachercan arbitrarily select students toevaluate while the answering machinetape is playing. All students couldparticipate in the test, but only someof the students would actually begraded that day.

Additionally, if students are

accustomed to working in cooperativelearning groups, one student in thegroup could tape record the responsesof other students in the group for theteacher to evaluate later.

Modern language labs can allow ateacher to divide the class into groupsand record one group of studentspeaking samples, while anothergroup completes a listening compre-hension assessment.

The issue of scoring speakingtests can cause concern for bothteachers and students. In an aca-demic world where students havealways been assessed on their mas-tery of course materials, it is perceivedas "unfair" to use questions or situa-tions not specifically taught since thelast test.

Certainly there is an element ofsubjectivity in evaluating a student'sspeaking ability, but that should notcause teachers to turn away from thistype of testing. Several different areasmight be evaluated within a speakingsample.

For example, coverage of anassigned topic and comprehensibilityfrom the evaluator's standpoint mightbe scored on a basis of 0-5. Evenenthusiasm and effort can be evalu-ated if the teacher models this behav-ior for the students. The range andappropriateness of vocabulary couldbe assessed, as well as pronunciation.Some areas of scoring might even bedouble weighted, such as studenteffort. It is completely up to theteacher to decide what and how tovalue the components in any givenassessment.

Encouraging children to uselanguage in purposeful, meaningfulways in both classroom activities andassessments will produce students 10years from now who can eat exactlywhat they order in a restaurant!

In designingtest items, it isimportant thatstudents haveoptions inchoosing theirresponse.

Learning Languages Spnng 1996 70 15

The Teddy Bear Test:An Example of a Proficiency-Oriented Test

The universal appeal ofteddy bears engagesstudents of all ages incommunicative activities

designed to practice language skills inan imaginative way. Whether inelementary or middle school, studentseasily relate to the thematic concept ofteddy bears. The issues of ethnicity,gender bias, and age appropriatenessdisappear as students work togetherto explore their creative side.

Remembering that good activitiesmake good assessments, and goodassessments make good activities, theTeddy Bear Test has evolved from arepertoire of successful classroomactivities to its present assessmentformat. By participating in a world of"bear talk" throughout the school year,students can easily imagine them-selves in similar, real-life situations.After all, howdifferent is it tothink abouthumans or bearson rainy after-noons withnothing to do, orabout theirconversationsaround a camp-fire?

Whilemoving awayfrom simplememorization ofisolated wordsand high-fre-quency phrases,students start tounderstand and

are able to answer direct questions inwhich cognates are included and aresupported by visuals. As studentsbegin to recycle what they havelearned, albeit with virtually no varia-tion from the way it was initiallylearned, they can start to respond todirect questions in a more creativeand personalized way.

Sample Speaking FormatOral descriptions of visuals

comprise probably the most appropri-ate conversation stimulus at thenovice level, not only because theyprovide a psychological prop, butbecause they facilitate conversationaltasks for students. In the speakingsection of the Teddy Bear Test, stu-dents see several different pictures ofbears engaged in various "real-life"activities. Accompanying the illustra-

Figure 1. "Cher Bear".

4.v

_14'7

)1


tions, such as those shown inFigures 1 and 2, are threequestions for each picture. Thefirst two questions are specific,objective questions about thepicture. The third questionattempts to personalize thesituptien for the student. Stu-dents attempt to answer eachquestion in an oral interview inthe time provided by the teacher.

For example, in Figure 1,students might b.e asked aforced-choice question such as:"Are the bears singing in a bandor listening to a concert?" Whenthe questions are laced withcognates in the target language,students can readily select thecorrect answer from the choicesgiven. On a more personal level,students could be asked to discusstheir favorite kind of music and musicgroup.

Clearly, there are no right orwrong answers to the more open-ended type of questions. If encour-aged to do so in classroom activities,students can use circumlocution forlegitimate responses to questionsconcerning the location or actions ofthe bear. For example, in Figure 2,students might be asked to describewhat the bear does for his profession.If the student wants to say that he is asenator, but is unable to produce theword, he or she might talk about thebear working in an office in Washing-ton, DC.

.4'w7'4VP-

_

Figure 2. "Senate Bill Bear".

Sample Listening FormatIn the listening section of the test,

students employ the strategieslearned in classroom activities toselectively listen for clues to helpthem discern the central focus of aconversation. Students are given acomposite of nine bear pictures, andmust listen to a tape recording ofseveral short "bear" conversations.Students match each conversation to

its corresponding picture. For ex-ample, which bear would be saying, "Idon't like to read all day. I prefer towalk outside" (Figure 1 or Figure 2?).

The purpose of the Teddy BearTest is to provide a thematic contextfor synthesizing novice-level vocabu-lary in a proficiency-oriented test andto provide an opportunity for studentsto personalize answers in a testingformat. If the teacher frequently usesteddy bear visuals in his or her class tohave students talking about generictopics such as clothing, weather,emotions, likes and dislikes, etc., thenstudents will be prepared to respond tosimilar pictures on the assessments.

A direct, positive benefit to bothteachers and students in a proficiency-oriented testing environment is thatstudents are rewarded for what theydo know, and are not penalized forwhat they do not know.

Note: The original Teddy Bear Testwas written and piloted by PeggyBoyles, Foreign Language Coordinatorfor the Putnam City Schools in Okla-homa City, Oklahoma. In a revisedformat, it is currently used as part ofthe fifth grade exit assessment.



gaThi+to

Laura Trettel (Nicole)Grade 5Clear Springs Elementary FichoolMinnetonka, MNKay Tdden, French Teacher

Voici ColorcaoCe* CIA):01r(941n0i ie. 10

II fo.i+ wiroititIt neiy.

Coi+ -106cen4ieerossie.

7318 Learning Languages Spring 1996

NNELL Initiates Plans forPolitical Action and Advocacy Committee

The National Network for EarlyLanguage Learning has initiated plansfor the Political Action and AdvocacyCommittee under the leadership ofMary Lynn Redmond, First Vice-President, and Kay Hewitt, CommitteeChair. At the 1995 NNELL annualbusiness meeting held November 15at the ACTFL Conference in Anaheim,California, the executive board formal-ized the goals of the committee.

The committee's tasks will be tounify efforts on the national level topromote foreign language study inkindergarten through grade twelveand to serve as a liaison with NNELLstate foreign language political actioncommittees. The committee will alsooffer assistance in the promotion oflanguage study at the state and locallevels and support for programs thatmay be in jeopardy of elimination orreduction.

The goals of the NNELL PoliticalAction and Advocacy Committee arethree-fold: 1) to keep abreast ofpolicies and changes brought aboutthrough federal government actionthat may impact foreign languagestudy and to keep state foreign lan-guage political action committeeleaders informed of these decisions;2) to promote the study of foreignlanguages K-12 through ongoingadvocacy projects, e.g., contact withlocal, state, and national policy- anddecision-makers to inform them of theimportance of foreign language study,participation as speakers at ParentTeacher Association functions, schoolboard meetings, and other communityactivities; and 3) to assist the statepolitical action and advocacy commit-tee chairs in their efforts to promoteforeign language study and to encour-age support at the local and statelevels, e.g., letter-writing campaigns to

urge support for programs facingpotential crisis and coordination ofadvocacy sessions at state confer-ences and at local meetings.

NNELL is working with state levelpolitical action committees and is inthe process of implementing commit-tees in states where there is currentlyno political action group in place. Aninformation packet that includesadvocacy tips and sample letters forpresenting concerns to state andnational legislators may be obtainedfrom Kay Hewitt (address below).

NNELL invites members who wishto participate in political action andadvocacy at the state or national level,as a member of the NNELL PoliticalAction and Advocacy Committee, tocontact Kay Hewitt, Committee Chair,or May Lynn Redmond, NNELL FirstVice-President.

NNELL Political Action and Advocacy Committee

Kay Hewitt, ChairLexington Elementary School116 Azalea DriveLexington, SC [email protected]

Mary Lynn RedmondFirst Vice-PresidentWake Forest UniversityDepartment of EducationBox 7266, Reynolda StationWinston-Salem, NC [email protected]

Jane G. Graveen60 Applewood LaneGlastonbury, CT 06033860-633-6233

Lauren SchafferAshland High School201 South Mountain AvenueAshland, OR 97520541-482-8771

Gilda OranBloomsburg University



NNELL Welcomes Two New ChairsEvelyne ArmstrongPublic RelationsKay HewittPolitical Action/Advocacy Committee

NNELL is pleased to announcethat Evelyne Armstong, Frenchteacher at Charles Wright Academy inTacoma, Washington, has beenappointed Chair of Public Relations;and Kay Hewitt, French teacher atLexington Elementary School inLexington, South Carolina, has beenappointed Chair of the Political Actionand Advocacy Committee.

Ms. Hewitt received a B.A. inFrench from the University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro and a Master'sin Education from the University ofSouth Carolina. She has taughtFrench at the elementary and second-ary levels for 13 years and was apioneer in the implementation of theforeign language program in theelementary grades in the Burlington(NC) Public Schools.

Ms. Hewitt brings her expertise tothe well-established elementary for-eign language program at LexingtonSchool District One in Lexington,South Carolina. Her enthusiasm forteaching was honored by her electionas the school's "1995-96 Teacher ofthe Year." She is also one of two"honor roll" teachers in the district forher outstanding achievements andcontributions to the field of teaching.

Dr. Armstrong received her doc-torate in education/second languagecurriculum and instruction from UnionInstitute. She has taught French at theelementary and middle school levelsfor eleven years and language meth-odology for two.

Dr. Armstrong is an administratorand visionary as well as an educator.At Charles Wright Academy shedeveloped the Odyssey of the Mindprogram and trained coaches for it, in

addition to establishing and coordinat-ing exchange programs. For thesummer program at the school, Dr.Armstrong developed, directs, andcoordinates the French Immersion DayCamp as well as directs and coordi-nates its counterpart in FrancetheAmerican Immersion Day Camp. Inaddition, she has published teachingmaterials and workbooks for theinteractive teaching of language incontext. In honor of her work with theFrench and American Day Camps, Dr.Armstrong has received a grant fromthe French Ministère de la Jeunesse etdes Sports.

NNELL warmly welcomes Dr.Armstrong and Ms. Hewitt, two highlyqualified and influential women in theirfield, to their new committee appoint-ments.

Members!

14E114E1 MEI racboxing Langw.,

bouts will*Z_z

PilimotlItssokirkolparrtrafass

tOJEIL MEL 1111111JEL MEL

This colorful button is availableat NNELL networking sessions

at no cost to you. Wear your buttonand let others know that

you are a member of NNELL.

20 75 Learning Languages 4 Spring 1996

Elementary SchoolForeign LanguageTeacher PreparationNeeded

Foreign language teacher prepa-ration for the elementary school levelmust be addressed if the languageprofession is to play a role in ongoingeducational reform, according to areport on the results of a 1995 na-tional survey conducted by the JointNational Committee for Languages(JNCL) and the National Council ofState Supervisors of Foreign Lan-guages (NCSSFL). Three questionson the survey were designed to gatherdata on teacher shortages, teachereducation, and specifically, on el-ementary level teacher educationprograms.

Most of the 30 state foreignlanguage supervisors who respondednoted that in their state there was aneed for more teacher training, espe-cially for the elementary school level.

Only four states reported specificplans for training elementary schoolforeign language teachers: Delaware,Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Indiana, Massachusetts, andMaine reported that they are in theprocess of planning how to addressthis need. Louisiana and Virginiaclarified that individual institutions ofhigher education develop their ownteacher preparation courses.

For more information about thissurvey, contact:

JNCL-NCLIS1118 22 St. NWWashington, DC 20037Phone: 202-466-2666Fax: 202466-2892E-mail: [email protected]

A NNELL brochure is now availablewhich includes a brief overview of thebenefits members receive as well as amembership form.

National Networkfor

Early LanguageLearning

NNELL isa nafional organization

dedicated to the advocacyof foreign language instruction

for all students,kindergarten through 8th grade,

and to the support of the educatorswho teach those students.

If you would like to receive copiesof the NNELL brochure ti.) distribute topotential members in your schooldistrict, community, or state, write to:

National Network for Early LanguageLearning

Nancy Rhodes, Executive SecretaryCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC 200:17


Classroom Resources

GermanHill, E. (1983). Flecki und die Uhr.Esslinger im OBV, Esslingen:Schreiberverlag. $4.50.

Spirin, G. (Must.), Ester!, A. (Trans.), &Martin, C. (1992). Jon & der glasemeBerg. Esslinger im OBV, Esslingen:Schreiberverlag. $23.50

Both books are available through KlettEdition Deutsch, ChristianeFredrickson, 7327 Woodrow Drive,Oakland, CA 94611; Tel and Fax:510-339-2721.

In the first book, Flecki und dieUhr, the main character is Spot, a verypopular little dog, whose Germanname is "Flecki." Books about thislittle dog's adventures have beenfavorites of children for years. EricHill, the author, was born in London in1927 and first published this book in1983. It was translated to German in1984.

In this book Flecki learns how totell time. The book follows Fleckithrough the day, from the time hewakes up until he goes to bed, as hedoes different things every hour. Thewords are simple and easy to readand the illustrations match the printedword. Flecki und die Uhr is a readingand coloring book. Other Fleckireading and coloring books are avail-able about counting, the alphabet, andthe year. In addition to reading andcoloring books, regular Flecki readingand picture books are available inGerman about a variety of topics. TheFlecki books are a terrific resource forstudents in first or second grade

immersion classes as well as forstudents in other types of elementaryschool foreign language programs.

The second book, Jon & derglaseme Berg, is based on the Ameri-can fairy tale, Boots and the GlassMountain, by Claire Martin. It is retoldby Amica Esterl and illustrated byGennadij Spirin. Spirin's illustrationsare a work of wonder. He paintspictures with a very fine brush, makingthem full of details and precision.Looking at the pictures one can seeand feel the magic of this fairy tale.

Jon & der glaserne Berg is abouta poor, but smart and courageousyoung man who wins the hand andheart of the lovely princess. This is agreat story with superb illustrations. Itappeals to all ages of students, fromelementary to high school.

SpanishSimons, M., & Maley, P. (1993).Motivando la lecture, actividadesrazonamiento en tomb a la literature:Grados 1-3 y Grados 4-6. Eugene,OR: Spring Street Press.

Distributed by Edumate, 2231 MorenaBlvd., San Diego, CA 92110; 619-275-7117; Fax: 619-275-7120.

For any teacher who has wantedto incorporate children's literature intothe foreign language classroom, buthas worried about what activities touse after reading a story, this set ofbooks offers an exciting answer.

22 77 Learning Languages 4. Spring 1996

Motivando la lectura is a collection ofblack-line masters of graphic organiz-ers that can be copied and used withany story or book. Because thegraphic organizers help to arrange theinformation from a story into a visualformat, these activities will appeal tothe variety of learning styles that areencountered in the classroom. Basedon the whole language and literature-based reading programs, thesemotivational activities help the teachermonitor the student's understanding ofthe reading in a fun and non-threaten-ing way.

The books are separated into twolevels, grades 1-3 and 4-6, but thisdivision may not be appropriate forevery foreign language situation. Itseems advisable to equate the label"grade" with level of language study,e.g., grade one is equal to beginninglevel Spanish. The graphics mayseem too immature for students injunior high and high school, but theyquickly begin to enjoy the activity andwork to organize what they are read-ing.

These books provide a soundstructure on which to build goodreading skills in any language. Be-cause students enjoy stories that offerlanguage and culture in context, thegraphic organizers are an excellentway to extend your language teachingand take advantage of the wealth ofchildren's literature that is becomingavailable in many languages.

FrenchDunn 0. Aggs, P. (Illus.) (W95). Un,Deux, Trois, My First French Phymes.Hauppauge, NY: Barrons EducationalSeries.

Available from Barrons EducationalSeries, 250 Wireless Blvd.,Hauppauge, NY 11788; 800-645-

3476, Fax: 516-434-3217. Cost is$18.95 for hard cover and $12.95 forpaperback.

Enfin, an important resource forelementary French teachers, is a bookand a tape of traditional rhymes,games, and counting songs for chil-dren. The rhymes are organizedaround various themes and are sungby an adult and French children.There are songs for going to themarket and for the farmyard, animalrhymes, and rhymes for inside thehouse, in the fields, and at the cafe.

The songs and rhymes are illus-trated with delightful drawings ofchildren and animals and all the keyelements are labelea so that childrencan identify them. Each song orrhyme is repeated and a gracefulversion of Nous n'irons plus au bois isused as a theme to carry the listenerfrom one page to the other.

As usual in traditional material,teachers may find that the version of asong they have varies slightly fron: `.heone in the book. The fact that thereare many variations of the rhymes thathave evolved through time only con-firms their authenticity.

A guide at the end of the bookexplains how to play the games andwhat the rhymes mean. This book andtape should be in the collection ofevery elementary teacher who wantsto transmit the special culture ofFrench children in the classroom.

78

Learning Languages Spring 1996 t'. 23

...bilingualismcan enhancecognitive de-

velopment andgive children

access tosocial experi-ences closed

to monolingualchildren.

Bilingualism in Early Childhood EducationWhat Do We Know? What Do We Do?Refereed Article

Laurie MakinInstitute of Early ChildhoodMacquarie UniversitySydney, Australia

IntroductionOver the last 50 years, changes in

patterns of immigration to English-speaking countries such as Australia,the United States, Canada, andEngland have resulted in huge demo-graphic changes. Lo Bianco (1994, p.19) states:

In 1975 there were 4.2 milliondisplaced people in the worldthat is people in the phase oftransition from one physicallocation of citizenship to an-other. In 1984 the figure hadincreased to 24 million peopleand the rate of increase wasitself increasing dramatically.

In Australia, census figures statedthat 25 percent of school childrenspeak a language other than Englishat home. In the U.S., 2.3 millionchildren are categorized as limitedEnglish proficient (LEP) (Fitzgerald1995).

These changes in the school-agepopulation necessitate a re-examina-tion of education in these countries,starting with early childhood educa-tion, i.e., programs designed forchildren from birth to eight years ofage.

This article is based on the lan-guage education situation in Australia.However, the issues are similar tothose in other parts of the world andmuch of the research impacting uponeducational programs has interna-tional recognition. It is hoped that this

article will stimulate increased dia-logue between early childhood educa-tors in the U.S. and Australia.

What Do We Know?Since the 1920s and 30s, when

bilingualism was thought to be anaspect of children's developmentwhich negatively affected their aca-demic prowess and their social com-petence (Makin, Campbell, & JonesDiaz, 1995), evidence has grown that,on the contrary, bilingualism canenhance cognitive development andgive children access to social experi-ences closed to monolingual children.

Many children have the potentialto become bilingual during theireducation. However, this potential isoften not realized. As far back as1953, a UNESCO report stated:

It is axiomatic that the bestmedium for teaching a child ishis mother tongue. Psychologi-cally, it is the system of mean-ingful signs that in his mindworks automatically for expres-sion and understanding. Socio-logically, it is a means of identifi-cation among the members ofthe community to which hebelongs. Educationally, helearns more quickly through itthan through an unfamiliarlinguistic medium (cited in Djite,1994, p. 16).

For native English speakers in


these countries, mother tongue orhome language education in the earlyyears is a commonplace pattern. If anew language is met in the context ofeducation, it is most commonly intro-duced at a later stage (for example, inthe upper primary or secondary schoolyears) and is not the primary mediumof teaching. But what of the earlyeducation undertaken by childrenwhose home language is a languageother than English? There are manyareas in which what research sug-gests, and what practices exist, are atodds.

Research never proves anythingdefinitively. However, as evidencefrom carefully designed and replicatedstudies builds gradually, we begin toget indications of what is the bestknowledge available at the currenttime. This best knowledge is what wehave available to us to guide ourthought so that research is translatedinto action. So, what is our "bestknowledge" at the moment?

First, we recognize the centralimportance to language learning ofsocial interaction (Halliday 1975,Bruner 1983, Vygotsky 1987, Rogoff1990). No one chooses to learn anew language in order to be able touse the subjunctive mood or the pastperfect tense. People choose to learnlanguages for reasons such as inter-acting with others, furthering theircareer prospects, or widening theirexperiences. To emphasize theimportance of the sociocultural contextin the process of language learning isnot to deny the constructivist view ofdevelopment, but to complement it.Snow (1992) argues that a sociocul-tural orientation is particularly criticalin bilingual education.

Second, we recognize theinterconnectedness of listening,speaking, reading, and writing. Suchknowledge is reflected in approachesto literacy development as different asthe Language Experience Approach

(Ashton-Warner 1980), Whole Lan-guage (Brown & Mathie 1990), and theGenre Approach (Derewianka 1990).Children are most ready to learn toread in the language which they speakmost fluently. Australia's languagepolicy for the 1990s, Australia's Lan-guage, states clearly (Dawkins, 1991,p. 79): "International and Australianevidence suggests that, where pos-sible, literacy should be establishedfirst in the child's first language."

Third. we know that languagelearning is inextricably interwoven withother factors auch as language status,group membership, socioeconomicadvantage, and political power. Thus,young children from low status minor-ity language backgrounds who arealso socio-economically disadvan-taged are at risk (Cummins 1989,Bialystok & Cummins 1991, Moll1992).

Fourth, we know that operating intwo language systems can helpchildren's metacognitive andmetalinguistic development, cognitiveflexibility, and divergent thinking(Hakuta 1986). However, this is not aninevitable function of bilingual develop-ment (Bowey 1988). Much researchsuggests that benefits accruing frombilingualism are greater when childrenare fluent in both languages (Janssen& Pauwels 1993).

Fifth, we know that it takes a bngtimebetween 4 and 7 yearstobecome fluent in a new language, andthat the time needed increases inrelation to the difference between thetwo languages, e.g., Asian and Euro-pean languages.

Sixth, we know the importance ofhome-school partnerships if childrenare to be given optimal chances foracademic and social success. Parentsare generally experts when it comes totheir own children. Teachers areexpert educators. A "we" orientationon both sides is critical if children areto be given their best chance.

No onechooses tolearn a newlanguage inorder to beable to usethe subjunc-tive mood orthe past per-fect tense.

Learning Languages 4. Spring 1996 80 2 5

What Are Our Current Practices?What are we currently doing in

early childhood education programsfor children between the ages of birthand eight years? With some notableexceptions, we do the following.

We run English-only programs,ignoring the languages and experi-ences which children bring to school.There may be ESL (English as aSecond Language) support, but it isusually minimal, leaving childrenstruggling as learning becomes lesscontextualized. There may be foreignlanguage programs, but they too areoften minimal and may not differenti-ate between the needs of nativespeakers and of new learners. Chil-dren may therefore be left with limitedfluency in any language at levelsbeyond the survival stage.

We teach children whose homelanguages are languages other thanEnglish to read and write first of all inEnglish, even though both the lan-guage and the experiences reflectedin texts may be unfamiliar to thechildren.

We assess in English. "Withoutbilingual skills, teachers are trying tofind the best high-jumper by seeingwho's best at running" (Mills in Mills &Mills 1993, p. 10).

We often act as if speaking alanguage other than English at homeis a problem to be remedied ratherthan a resource to be developed.Children may be categorized as "non-English speaking background" or LEP,terms which, as Diaz Soto (1991)reminds us, identify limitations, notstrengths.

In our teacher training programswe largely ignore the languages whichpre-service teachers bring to tertiaryteacher education programs (Makin1992). Thus we lose the opportunity toassist these students in using theirlanguages and experiences in theearly childhood field for the benefit ofchildren and their families.

We, often unwittingly rather thanuncaringly, replace children's homelanguages with English so that theirpotential bilingualism is lost or at bestunder-developed. At the same time,we introduce language learning pro-grams that are only designed formonolingual English speakers andthat do not capitalize on the bilingualskills some children already have.

We treat our young native Englishspeakers differentially and preferen-tially by building upon their existingbases of knowledge and experience ina way which we do not do for childrenwhose home languages are lan-guages other than English.

SummaryAll of our children need the best

that we can do for them, particularly inthe first years of their education whenthe foundations for future success areeither estlblished or not established.The cential importance of these earlyyears is paid lip service in manygovernment policy documents, e.g.,Australia's Language (Dawkins 1991,p. 39) reminds us that:

Students who have not madeadequate literacy developmentby the end of the third year ofprimary school are generallyunable to make up the gap laterin school.

A number of innovative practiceswhich are supportive of linguistic andcultural diversity have been introducedin recent years, both in the U.S. and inAustraliaimmersion programs,intergenerational literacy programs,bilingual programs, foreign languageprograms, and so on. However, wehave also seen the rise of backlashmovements such as "English Only" inthe U.S. and calls for restricted immi-gration quotas in Australia. Evenwhere innovative practices do exist,the number of children who accessthem is in the minority. Until therhetoric is better matched with the

26 81 Learning Languages 4. Spring 1996

reality, our bilingual children are atrisk.

ReferencesAshton-Warner, S. (1980).

Teacher. London: Virago.Bialystok, E. & Cummins, J.

(1991). In Bialystok, E. (Ed.) Lan-guage processing in bilingual children.New York: Cambridge UniversityPress.

Bowey, J. (1988). Meta linguisticfunctioning in children. Burwood,Victoria: Deakin University Press.

Brown, H. & Mathie, V. (1990).Inside whole language: A classroomview. Rozelle, New South Wales:Primary English Teaching Association.

Bruner, J. (1983). Child's Talk.New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Cummins, J. (1989). Empoweringminority students. Sacramento, CA:California Association of BilingualEducation.

Dawkins, J. (1991). Australia'slanguage: The Australian languageand literacy policy. Canberra: AGPS.

Derewianka, B. (1990). Exploringhow texts work. Sydney: PETA.

Diaz Soto, L. (1991). Understand-ing bilingual/bicultural young children.Young Children, Jan. 1991:30-36.

Djite, P. (1994). From languagepolicy to language planning: Anoverview of languages other thanEnglish in Australian education.Deakin. NLLIA.

Fitzgerald, J. (1995). English as asecond language learners' cognitivereading processes: A review of re-search in the U.S. Review of Educa-tional Research, Summer 1995:145-190.

Hakuta, K. (1986). Mirror oflanguage: The debate of bilingualism.New York: Basic.

Halliday, M. (1975). Learning howto mean: Explorations in the develop-ment of language. London: EdwardArnold.

Janssen, C. & Pauwels, A. (1993).Raising children bilingually in Australia.Clayton, Victoria: Language & SocietyCenter.

Lo Bianco, J. (1994). HaveTESOL and multicultural educationhad their day? TESOL in Context, 4,2: 19-21.

Makin, L. (1992). Languageteachers by necessity, not choice:Early childhood teachers in a multilin-gual society. Australian Review ofApplied Linguistics Special Issue 9:Language teaching and learning inAustralia, S9:33-48.

Makin, L., Campbell, J. & JonesDiaz, C (1995). One childhood, manylanguages. Sydney: Harper Educa-tional.

Mills, J. (1993). Mills, R. & Mills J.(Eds.). Bilingualism in the primaryschool, London: Routledge.

Moll, L. (1992). Bilingual studiesand community analysis: Some recenttrends. Educational Researcher, March1992: 20-24.

Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeshipin thinking: Cognitive development insocial context. New York: OxfordUniversity Press.

Snow, C. (1992). Perspectives onsecond-language development: Impli-cations for bilingual education. Educa-tional Researcher, March 1992: 16-19.

Vygotsky, L. (1987). Thinking andspeech. In R. Rieber & A. Carton(Eds.). The àollected works of L. S.Vygotsky (N. Minick, Trans.). NewYork: Plenum Pfess.

Note: This article has been reprinted(with modifications) with permissionfrom the National Languages andLiteracy Institute of Australia, wherethe article was published in AustralianLanguage Matters, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1995.

Learning Languages Spring 1996 8 2 27

Individualswho are profi-cient in morethan one lan-

guage are richhuman re-

sources thatbenefit U.S.

social andeconomic

development.

NNELL Position Statementon English-Only Movement

The Executive Board of the NationalNetwork for Early Language Learningdeveloped and voted to endorse thisstatement in March of 1996.

WHEREAS the National Networkfor Early Language Learning consid-ers that all childiWI should haveopportunities to develop a high level ofcompetence in at least one languagein addition to their own as a criticalcomponent of United States educa-tion;

WHEREAS the National Networkfor Early Language Learning consid-ers movements to promote the exclu-sive use of English in the UnitedStates as counterproductive to thediversity and richness of the manycultures that make up the mosaic ofthe U.S. society;

WHEREAS the National Networkfor Early Language Learning recog-nizes the importance of multilingual/multicultural participants in U.S.society, especially in business andsocial interactions, and as citizens ofthe world;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVEDthat the National Network for EadyLanguage Learning hereby reaffirmsits advocacy for the teaching andlearning of more than one languagefor all children in the United Statesand its belief that the English lan-guage is not threatened by the pres-ence of multilingual members of U.S.society. Individuals who are proficientin more than one language are richhuman resources that benefit U.S.social and economic development.

3

Apply for a 1997NEH Summer Fellowship

The National Endowment for theHumanities (NEH) Fellowship Programfor Foreign Language Teachers K-12invites applications for the 1997summer fellowship program. F. 'low-ships of $3,750 will be awarded toteachers for the pursuit of professionaldevelopment abroad.

Fellowship winners will spend sixsummer weeks in a foreign countryimproving their linguistic skills anddeveloping humanities-related projectsthat will enhance their classroomteaching. The applications for thesummer of 1997 are due October 31,1996; fellowships will be awardedsubject to approval of funding.

For information or an applicationform, contact: Naima Gherbi, Associ-ate Program Director, NEH FellowshipProgram for Foreign LanguageTeacher K-12, Connecticut College,270 Mohegan Ave., New London, CT06320-4196; 860-439-2282; Fax: 860-439-5341.

Reminder: Reminder!This is the last issue in your

subscription of Learning Languages(all subscriptions run from Septemberthrough May). Send in your checktoday using the form on the backcover of this issue for a 1996-1997membership to NNELL.

Membership includes a subscrip-tion to Learning Languages. You maymake copies of the order form for yourcolleagues.

Renew now so you don't forget!You will not receive the fall issueunless you renew!

28 Learning Languages Spring 1996

ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICSCENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS

Di est April 1995

Integrating Foreign Language and Content Instruction in Grades K-8 (EDO-FL-95-07)Helena Curtain, Milwaukee Public Schools & Mari Haas, Teachers College, Columbia University

Content-based instruction is a method of teaching foreign lan-guages that integrates language instruction with instruction in thecontent areas. In this approach, the foreign language is used as themedium for teaching subject content, such as mathematics or socialstudies, from the regular classroom curriculum. The method is receiv-ing increasing attention because it allows schools to combine the goalsof the second language curriculum and the regular curriculum, makinglanguage learning the vehicle for strengthening general skills andknowledge. "Language is not just a medium of communication but amedium of learning across the curriculum. The goal of integration isboth language learning and content learning. Content-based class-rooms are not merely places where a student learns a second language;they are places where a student gains an education" (Mohan, 1986, p. 8).

Not only does the content-based language class complement theregular classroom curriculum, it becomes an integral part of the entireschool program. The success of language immersion programs (wheresubjects are taught entirely in the foreign language) has stimulatedinterest in using content-based learning in other types of elementaryand middle school foreign language programs that have traditionallybeen organized thematically around vocabulary topics. Incorporatingsubject content in early language programs puts language into a larger,more meaningful context and provides situations that require reallanguage use. Genesee (1994) suggests that traditional methods oftendisassociate language learning from the rest of the student's day aswell as from cognitive, academic, and social development. Content-based instruction is part of an integrated approach that brings thesedomains together. The benefits of studying language through subjectcontent are evident in students' language and content acquisition.

In content-based instrucon, students become proficient in thelanguage because the foal! is on the exchange of important messages,and language use is purpos ful. The langt:%;-: that students use comesfrom nanual situations, suc as a science unit on the solar system ora social studies lesson on th geography of a country.

Planning for Content-Based, Thematic TeachingIn thematic teaching, the curriculum is organized around a the-

matic center that can originate in the class DOM, the school, theenvironment, or the tzrget culture. Activities that teach languageconcepts along with the .'ontent are interrelaied and are planned to fitwithin the framework of a lesson or thematic unit. Such an integrated,holistic approach is based on thc premise that when students areengaged in meaningful activities they acquire language, includingwriting, as naturally as they learned to walk and talk

The thematic center may be a curriculum area, such as the MiddleAges; a word like "inside"; a theme such as houses; or a story in thetarget language. Webs or semantic maps are an ideal way to brain-storm curriculum activities based on these themes. A web graphicallyshows how the activities and the target language are interrelated.Caine and Caine (1991) indicae that facts and skills presented inisolation need more practice and rehearsal to be stored in the brain than

CAL Center for Applied Linguistics,

does information presented in a meaningful context. The web maps"out the context in which second language learning is combined withsuoject content and cultural learning in an integrated language pro-cess. Webs can be organized in different ways (e.g., free form, bycontent discipline, by multiple intelligences). The following web andchart are examples of thematic or content-based planning.

A.JErstaormEgla

names dates

history

spaceshuttle

ice mountains/craters/plainsclouds

wafer

/ hot/coldair "wWmbut

lants/animalsthe moon. the earth. the sun.

star,planet,satelite

exploration

farlasy I

triP astronauts/food

I space suits

freeze dried( Ice cream, etc.)

authen lc

dista I

Poetce

stones from sun '"e\ large,information medium,ordinal numbersbooks cardinal numbers

colors

Mercurv.Venus.Earth. Mats.Jupiter. Saturn.Uranus. Neotune.

circumference

Planning a Unit on Puerto Rico UsingMultiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1993)

Bo lily-Kinesthetic. To introduce vocabulary about Puerto Rico, askthe students to take a picture or item representing something aboutPuerto Rico out of a magic box. Ask students to point to the item, passthe item, put the item en the table, put it on a part of the body, etc.Spatial. Cive students a graphic organizer with a circle in the centerthat says "Puerto Rico" and spokes coming out from the center. Havethe students fill in each spoke with one aspect about Puerto Rico.Linguistic. As students take each item out of the magic box, describethe item to them. "This is a coquf.Itis a small frog that only lives inPuerto Rico. It sings, `coqut, coqut, coqut." Write a LanguageExperience Story about Puerto Rico using the language used todescribe the items from the magic box.Musical. Teach the song El Coqut to the students.Logical-Mathematical. Have students use a small picture of a coqutto measure the distance between places on the map (1 coqu(=l0miles)and calculate how long and wide Puerto Rico is, how far it is fromPonce to San Juan, etc. *Interpersonal. Divide the class into pairs with one partner as A andthe oth, as B. Give each pair an A and B pair sheet. Have them "read"their sheets to each other to practice the vocabulary illustrated on thesheet and to decide if their sheets are the same or different.Intrapersonal. After tasting typical foods from Puerto Rico, make agraph of the food students like and dislike.

\,..* activity by Eileen Lorenz, Montgomery Co. Public Schools (MD9

1 1 1 8 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

Peso la (in progress) has developed a cuniculum planning frame-work for the integration of language and content based on thethematic unit. In her model, the dynamic relationships among lan-guage, academic content, and cult= interact so that r three ele-ments form the core of the language lessons. She describes a compre-hensive framework to follow in the planning process, including (1) athematic center; (2) outcomes for language in use, content, andculture; and (3) activities, assessment strategies, materials, andclasnoom setting. Making choices in all three areas of language,content, and culture, and maintaining a balance among them is thefundamental basis of this model. Part of Pesola's framework is theUnit Plan Inventory, which is outlined below. It shows the manyaspects of planning that must take place for successful language andcontent integration in a unit on architecture.

Planning for a Content-Based Unit on ArchitectureUsing the Unit Plan InvenWry

Language in Use. Describing, giving information, asking forinformation.Subject Content. Architecture, geography, seasons, weather.Culture. Doors and windows of a target country and students'home town.Vocabuary. Colors, shapes, sizes. materials (wood, stone),architectural details (ironwork, balcony, ornate), geographicalterms (snow, rain, sun, clouds).Grammatical Structures"Verbs in command formopen, close, touch, point to.'Verbs in present tenseto be, to see, to think, to paint.Essential Materials'Photographs horn both target and home cultures of doors andwindows, geographical landmarks, and seasons.'Paper, ruler, tape measures, paints, markers.-Map of target country.Activities"Introduce vocabulary through Total Physical Response (113R)sequence with photos of classroom doors and windows.Sort photos by doors/windows, target country/home town, size,shape, material, color.-In pairs, estimate then measure doors and windows in classroom.Use TPR sequence of map geography, seasons, and weather oftarget country and home town.In small groups, paint the original window with a view in thetarget country or home town.'Describe a window in writing or orally.'Display windows in the classroom, have students choose thewindow they like the best and write why they like it.Assessment'Observe students' participation, assess for understanding.-Observe students' participation, assess for accuracy and pronun-ciation.'Assess for participation, use of target language, and accuracy."Assess for inclusion of all elements, presentation, and participa-tion in group project."Evaluate written paragraph for accuracy and meaning.'Evaluate student writing for coherence, interest, and accuracy.

Based on and adapted from a unit preparea .1-y Pam Morgan,

Renbrook School, West HaryOrd, CT .

Suggestions for Planning Lessons that IntegrateLanguage and Content Instruction

When planning for the integration of language and content in-struction, the distinctive characteristics and needs of young studentsfound at each level of cognitive and educational development mustbe considered. Who are the students? What is the range of their socialand cognitive development? What are they interested in? Secondlanguage acquisition research informs us about the value of teachingstrategies such as providing comprehensible input, planning manylistening activities, and giving the students numerous opportunitiesto use their language and to negotiate meaning.

The following are suggestions for planning lessons that integratelanguage and content in early language programs:

1) Become familiar with the regular classroom cuniculum byobserving your students' regular classrooms, reading the school'scurriculum guide, talking with the teachers about their curriculumand to the students about what they are studying.

2) Plan to integ- Ate content that you are interested in and will taketime to research. Start on a small scale and select only one or twotopics from the regular curriculum. Think in advance about the unitsyou would like to plan so that when you are traveling or attendingconferences you can begin to collect resources to enrich your units.

3) Use a web or a curriculum planning format that promotesthe integration of language, content, and culture.

4) Design interesting activities for the students that do thefollowing:

use the students' prior knowledge and personal experience;ask students to work in a variety of groupings (whole class,

individually, in pairs, and small groups);use holistic strategies that integrate listening, speaking,

reading, and writing and naturally connect language and content;challenge the students to think critically; andaddress the students' multiple ways of learning.

ConclusionIncorporating content-based insnuction into elementary and

middle school foreign language classrooms is a way of providing ameaningful context for language instruction while at the same timeproviding a vehicle for reinforcing academic skills. Teaching throughcontent is fun and worthwhile for both the students and the teacher.Although it takes more time to plan and create materials for content-based instruction, the results are well worth the effort.

ReferencesCaine, R. N., & Caiiie, G. (1991). Making c.onnections: Teaching and

the hurnan brain. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New

York: Basic Books.Genesee, F. (1994). Iruegrafing language and content: Lessons from

immersion (Educational Practice Report No. 11). Santa Cruz, CA andWashington, DC: National Center fbr Research on Cultural Diversityand Second Language Learning.

Mohan, B. (1986). Langu-Ie and content. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley.

Pesola, C. A. (in progress). Background, design, and evaluation of aconceptual framework for FLES curriculum. Ph.D. Dissertation,University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

This report was prepared with funding from the Office of Educa-tional Research and Improvement, U.S. Dept. of Education,under contract no. RR93002010. The opinions expressed do notnecessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or ED.

85

5ummer 1996 Courses and Workshops

June 16-July 12, 1996Methods for Teaching Foreign Languages in Elementary and Middle School,Concordia College, Moornead, MN. Carol Ann Peso la, Concordia College,Moorhead, MN 56562; 218-299-4511; or AATG, 112 R..ddontowne Court #104,Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-3688; 609-795-5553; Fax: 609-795-9398; E-mail:[email protected].

June 24-28, 1996Temas Actuales: Libros en Espahol pare Lectores Jóvenesel DesarrolloEmocional (in Spanish), Californ'a State University, San Marcos, CA. IsabelSchon, Center for the Study of Books in Spanish fur Children and Adolescents,California State University, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001; 619-750-4070; Fax:619-750-4073; Email: [email protected].

July 1-13, 1996Teaching Foreign Languages tc Young Students, Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversAy, New York, NY. Mari Haas, Teachers College, Box 201, 525 West120th St., Nevy York, NY 10027; 212-678-3817; Fax: 212-678-3085; E-mail:[email protected].

July 8-12, 1996Current Issues. Books in Spanish for Young Readers (in English), CaliforniaState University, San Marcos, CA. Isabel Schon, Center for the Study of Booksin Spanish for Children and Adolescents, California State University, San Marcos,CA 92096-0001; 619-750-4070; Fax 619-750-4073; E-mail:[email protected].

July 8-13, 1996Teaching Foreign Languages to Young Students 2 (For veturning teachers),Teachers College, Columbia Uni%tersity, Neu\ York, NY. Mari Haas, TeachersCollege, Box 201, 525 West 120th St., New York, MY 10027; 212-678-3817; Fax:212-678-3085; E-mail: mbhl4columbia.edu.

July 23-28, 1996The National FLES* Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD.Gladys Lipton, Modern Languages and Linguistics, University of Maryland,Baltimore County, MD 21228; 301-231-0824; 410-455-2109; Fax: 301-230-2652;E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].

July 23-August 2, 1996Culture and Children's Literature: France and Mexico, Iowa State University,Ames, IA. Marcia H. Rosenbusch, National K-12 Foreign Language ResourceCenter, N157 Lagomarcino Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011; 515-294-6699; Fax: 515-294-2776 or 6206; E-mail: [email protected].

July 31-August 10, 1996Seminar on Teaching German at the Elementary and Middle School Level,Plymouth State College, NH. Gisela Estes, Department of Foreign Languages,Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH 03264; 603-535-2303; or AATG, 112Haddontowne Court #104, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-3668; 609-795-5553; Fax: 609-795-9398; E-mail: [email protected].

August 6-9, 1996La Literatura en Español Dirigida a los Lectcres Infantiles y Juveniles (in Span-ish), California State University, San Marcos, CA. Isabel Schon, Center for the

Calendar


Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, California State Univer-sity, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001; 619-750-4070; Fax: 619-750-4073; E-mail:[email protected].

August 12-16, 1996Temas Actuales: Libros en Espariol para Lectores JOvenes TraducciOn ointerpretaciOn? (in Spanish). California State University, San Marcos, CA. IsabelSchon, Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents,California State University, San Mucos, CA 92096-0001; 619-750-4070; Fax:619-750-4073; E-mail: [email protected].

August 12-23, 1996Immersion in the Global Context: Theory and Practice, Simon Fraser University,British Columbia, Canada. Norma Evans, Faculty of Education, Simon FraserUniversity, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6; 604-291-3389; Fax:604-291-3203; E-mail: [email protected].

Fall 1996 ConferencesSeptember 25-28, 1996Third European Conference on Immersion Programs, Universitat de Barcelona,Barcelona, Spain. Deadline for submitting papers is April 15, 1996. InstitutEuropeu de programes d'immersis, Provenca, 324, 1r., E-08037 Barcelona,Catalonia, Spain; Phone 011-34-3-4588700; Fax 011-34-3-4588708.

October 31 - November 2, 1996Canadian Association of Immersion T.lachers: At the Crossroads of Tomorrow,Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada. Donald Teel, 960Wolseley Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3G 1E7, Canada; 204-786-4796; Fax: 204-783-7607; E-mail: [email protected].

November 22-24, 1996American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Philadelphia, PA.ACTFL, 6 Executive Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701-6801; 914-963-8830; Fax: 914-963-1275.

Submissions Sought for Te ching with Technology

Readers are encouraged to sendsubmissions fot the new Teachingwith Technology feature i.)f the journal.This section will publish articleswritten by language teachers whohave successfully incorporated tech-nologies into their instruction at the K-8 level, as well as information oncommunications technologies, reviewsof computer programs, and applica-tions used to enhance foreign lan-guage education. Learning Lan-guages invites te i. chers to submitinformative articles about practicalapplications of communicationstechnologies in the classroom, as well

as their experiences with, and theirperspective on, various technologiesas they relate to foreign languagelearning.

For further information or tosubmit an article, !.:ontact: Jean W.LeLoup, Visiting Professor, HQUSAFA/DFF 2354 Fairch:ld Drive,Suite 6H51, USAF Academy, CO80840-6244; E-mail: LeloupJW%DFF%[email protected]

After June 1, 1996, use the follow-ing address: Jean W. LeLoup, /CCDepartment, SUNY/Cortland, PO Box2000, Cortland, NY, 13045; E-mail:[email protected].

32 0 7 Learning Languages:. Spring 1996

NNELL is an organization for educators involved in teaching foreign langulges to children. The mission of the organi-zation is to promote opportunities for all children to develop a high level of competence in at least one language in additionto their own; to provide leadership, support, and service to those committed to early language learning; and to coordinateefforts to make language learning in programs of excellence a reality for all children.

NNELL works to accomplish this mission through activities that improve public awareness and support of earlylanguage learning; facilitate cooperation among organizations directly concerned with early language learning; facititatecommunication among teachers, teacher educators, parents, program administrators, and policymakers; and disseminateinformation and guidelines to assist in developing programs of excellence.

NNELL holds its annual meeting at the fall conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign LanguagesIts officers are elected by members through a mail ballot election held annually in the spring.

NNELL Executive BoardPresidentEileen LorenzMontgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford Dr.Rockville, MD [email protected]

SecretaryMercia FosterImmaculate Conception School4 Riden CircleCharles City, IA [email protected]

Executive SecretaryNancy RhodesCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC [email protected]

First Vice-PresidentMary Lynn RedmondWake Forest UniversityDepartment of EducationBox 7266, Reynolda StationWinston-Salem, NC [email protected]

TreasurerMartyAbbottFairfax County Public Schools7423 Camp Alger Ave.Falls Church, VA [email protected]

Membership SecretaryGuadalupe Hernandez-SilvaCenter for Applied Linguistics1118 22nd St. NWWashington, DC [email protected]

NNELL Appointments

Second Vice-PresidentSusan WalkerParkway Northeast Middle School4560 Ohio Ave.St. Louis, MO 63111

Past-PresidentMari HaasTeachers CollegeColumbia University525 W. 120th St., Box 201New York, NY 10027mbh14@columbia. edu

Learning Languages EditorMarcia Harmon RosenbuschN157 LagomarcinoIowa State UniversityAmes, IA [email protected]

MembershipVirginia GramerMonroe SchoolForeign Language Office210 N. MadisonHinsdale, IL 60512

Publisher LiaisonPatty Rierson HansThe Wellington School3650 Reed Rd.Columbus, OH [email protected]

Public Relations ChairEvelyne ArmstrongCharles Wright Academy7723 Chambers Creek Rd. WestTacoma, WA [email protected]


Political Action and AdvocacyKay HewittLexington Elementary School116 Azalea Dr.Lexington, SC [email protected]

Pacific Northwest Rep.Jo Ann 011iphant11004 11th St. SWTacoma, WA [email protected]

Northeast Rep.Harriet Barnett225 Clinton Ave.Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

88

Soutt arn Rep.Carne FeytenUniversity of South FloridaCollege of EducationEDU 205B, Tampa, FL [email protected] edu

Southwest Rep.Elena SteeleClark County School DistrictDepartment of Foreign Language

Curriculum and Instruction601 N. 9th St., Office 31Las Vegas, NV 89101

Central States Rep.Debbie Wilburn-RobinsonOhio State University219 Arps Hall1945 N. High StColumbus, OH [email protected]

Membership FormPiease enroll me as a member of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)and send me a one-year subscription to Learning Languages. I am enclosing a check for$15.00. (Overseas rate is $20.00.) Make checks payable to NNELL.NO PURCHASE ORDERS PLEASE.

Name


School or Affiliation

Mailing Address

City, State Zip

Check whether this address is Home School

Cheth if this is a renewal Check if this is an address change from last year




Mdrcia H. Rosenbusch, EditorLearning Lan.guagesDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionN157 Lagomarcino HallIowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa 50011

89

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 397 674 FL 023 999 · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 397 674 FL 023 999. TITLE Learning...

Documents

Transcript of DOCUMENT RESUME ED 397 674 FL 023 999 · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 397 674 FL 023 999. TITLE Learning...