World Language

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

Time Frame: World language should meet a minimum of three times a week for thirty minutes.

Two Main SectionsCommunication
a. Interpretive Mode
b. Interpersonal Mode
c. Presentational Mode

Students communicate in at least one world language in addition to English.

Interpretive Mode- the students are able to understand and interpret cultural context spoken and written, i.e. “one way” communication such as reading, listening to texts, movies, radio, television and speeches.

Interpersonal Mode-Students engage in direct oral and/or written communication i.e. “two way” interactive communication, conversing face-to-face, or exchanging personal letters or e-mail messages.

The Presentational Mode-Students present, through oral and/or written communications, information, concepts and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers with whom there is no immediate personal contact. Some examples would be “one-to-many” i.e. making a presentation to a group or writing an article for the school newspaper.

Culture
a. Cultural Products
b. Cultural Practices
c. Cultural PerspectivesUnderstanding of the perspectives of a culture through experiences with products and practices.

Cultural Products-The products of a culture may be tangible (e.g. a painting, wedding veils, boiled peanuts, a pair of chopsticks) or intangible (e.g., street maps, a system of education, graveside eulogies.) The culture standard focus on how these cultural products reflect the perspectives (attitudes, values and beliefs) of the culture studied.

Cultural Practices-The practices of a culture refer to patterns of acceptable behaviors for interacting with members of other cultures. Two example of the American culture are clapping a teammate of the rear as a sign of congratulations for making a touchdown, or shaking a presenters hand after a well spoken speech. The culture standard focuses on practices derived from the perspective (traditional ideas, attitudes, and values) of the culture studied.

Cultural Perspectives-Perspectives of a culture would include the popular beliefs, the commonly held values, the folk ideas, the shared values, and the assumptions widely held by members of a culture. The perspective of a culture sanctions the cultural practices and creates need for products. The perspectives provide the reason for “why they do it that way”?” and the explanation for “how can they possibly think that?” Since practices and products not only derive from perspectives, but sometimes interact to change perspectives, this fundamental component of culture must be incorporated to meet the culture standard.

Strengths
a. Reflect more clarity.
b. Standards are organized according to modes of communication that place emphasis on the context and purpose of communication.
c. Standards and indicators emphasize connections with other core content areas to facilitate contextualized and purposeful language learning, transfer, and true understanding in preparation for real life experiences.

Weaknesses
a. Time to satisfy recommended days and minutes per week.
b. Does not provide the big ideas within the progress indicators.
c. Does not provide possible misunderstandings to ensure specific understanding are met.
d. Fails to provide necessary essential questions or enduring understandings to guide lessons that satisfy progress indicators while ensuring understanding of big ideas.

Resources
1. Becoming Citizens of the World. By: Stewart, Vivien. Educational Leadership, April 2007, Vol. 64 Issue 7, p8-14, 7p

2. CHAT WRAP-UP: FOREIGN-LANGUAGES EDUCATION. Education Week, 4/19/2006, Vol. 25 Issue 32, p35-35, 1p

3. U.S. World Language Program Models. By: Heining-Boynton, Audrey L. Educational Leadership, Dec2004/Jan2005, Vol.62 Issue 4, p29-29, 1/2p

4. Words and Worlds: World Language Review. By: Deterding, David. Language & Education: An International Journal, 2008, Vol. 22 Issue 1, p79-82, 4p

5. Sustaining linguistic diversity within the global cultural economy: issues of language rights and linguistic possibilities. By Rassool, Naz. Comparative Education, May 2004, Vol. 40 Issue 2, p199-214, 16 P.