percent of students who reach benchmark 3. Although there is a certain amount of variation from
district to district, the main effect is that student performance improves with increased time in
class. Based on the chart, approximately 200 hours of instruction are needed for 25% of students
to reach benchmark 3, while approximately 700 hours are needed for 50% of students to reach
this goal. In
or od er t f it au high nmb er ofo tt a l hur s in o at sudent ’ s program, multiple years of
The
Importance
of Foreign Language and the Effect of Instruction
language
instruction
are necessary.
Chart 1. Students at Benchmark 3 by Total Hours of Instruction
Percent of Students at Benchmark 3 or Higher
60
50
40
Time on Proficiency
Benchmark 3 =
ACTFL Novice-High,
which is often taken to
be the proficiency goal
of an elementary school
program
30
Ten Burning Questions: What Factors are Important for an Effective K-8 Program?
Chart 20
3 show the results for students who have had up to 216 hours of instruction in programs
that met one or two times each week or those which met three to five times each week. Students
who received
a certain number of instructional hours in low frequency schedules are compared
10
with students who received the same number of total hours in high frequency schedules. As the
chart shows, more students reach benchmark 3 when classes meet three or more times per week.
0
The results
suggest that more frequent practice of language skills leads to higher levels of student
73 to 144
145 to 216
217 to 288
289 to 360
361 to 540
541 to 720
performance.72 or less
Total Hours of Instruction
Chart 3. Students at Benchmark 3 by Frequency of Classes
Percent of Students at Benchmark 3 or Higher
35
30
Page 225of 6
-Center for Applied
Second Language Studies,
University of Oregon.
(2010). “What factors are
important for an effective
K-8 program?”
December 2010
Report by: Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS), University of Oregon
20 by: U.S. Department of Education
Sponsored
15
10
5
0
1-2
72 or less
3-5
1-2
3-5
1-2
72 or less
73 to 144
73 to 144
145 to 216
Frequency of Classes Categorized by Total Hours of Instruction
3-5
145 to 216
Conclusions and Recommendations:
Thetogether,
research
cleardemonstrate
on the positive
academic,
cognitive,
and cultural benefits of learning a language. Even
Taken
theseisresults
the need for
sufficient intensity
of language
instruction.
They
highlight
the
need
for
consistent
and
frequent
instruction
throughout
entireis spent in a foreign language class, the
when class time is taken from the “academic subjects” and thethetime
school
year.
Even
when
the
total
number
of
hours
per
year
is
held
constant,
students
perform
students still do significantly better on standardized tests. The research also supports that students that
better when instructional time is evenly distributed across the school year and classes meet on a
reach the ACTFL Intermediate level are eleven times more motivated than those students at the Novice
nearly daily basis. In addition, programs need to devote a sufficient total number of hours to their
level. It has also been shown that for 50% of students to be able to reach a Novice-High proficiency rating
language programs so that the majority of students can become functionally proficient.
on the ACTFL scale by 8th grade, then the students need 700 or more hours of instruction. Research has
made
it clear that foreign language programs yield significantly higher performance rates when they start
Data
Analysis:
Webefore
conducted
proficiency
testingare
using
the Standards-based
of Proficiency
middle
school,
yearlong,
and areMeasurement
held 3-5 times
per week. In accordance with the ACTFL
(STAMP).
Teachers
submitted
more
detailed
information
about
the
number
of
hours
of language
Performance Guidelines for K–12 Learners, I recommend that
grades 3-4 receive a minimum of 3
Page 4 of 6
December 2010
classes/week of 30 minutes/class and that grades 5-8 have daily classes of 40 minutes each, netting a
student
604forhours
20Language
minutes
of (CASLS),
SpanishUniversity
class time
upon graduation from 8th grade.
Report
by: Center
Applied and
Second
Studies
of Oregon
Sponsored by: U.S. Department of Education
Terms:
Proficiency = ability to handle everyday communicative tasks
Fluency = the ability to express intelligibly in speech (without reading) what one wants or needs without
excessive hesitancy or difficulty.
Acquisition = the subconscious process to develop language ability by means of comprehensible input in
the language leading the student to develop a “feeling” of correctness, much like the process of learning a
first language. To develop language proficiency, acquisition is much more important than learning.
Learning = the conscious process of teaching about a language – direct instruction of grammar rules
Introduction:
I can make the best decisions and use the best methodologies and materials, but the limiting factor is the
amount of time and frequency of Spanish class. In my research review I came upon the following
statement: “Student proficiency is a direct result of instructional hours. If high results are desired, then
adequate time must be built into the program as the first step. Only after adequate time is allotted can other
issues be addressed. Methods and textbooks, for example, are refining issues to be decided after adequate
time is scheduled.” (Center for Applied Second Language Studies, University of Oregon. (2010). “How
many hours of instruction do students need to reach intermediate-high proficiency?”)
I have reviewed the research to answer the following questions:
 What are the academic, cognitive, and personal benefits of learning a foreign language?
 How much class time does it require to improve proficiency in the language?
My research is from reputable national organizations and research centers, including the American Council
on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS), the
National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, and the National Education Association.
The Benefits:
“. . . increasingly impressive bodies of research that document both American’s society’s need for a
citizenry with much more robust world language ability and the great number of cognitive, social,
academic, problem-solving and practical benefits that have been observed in children who learn one or
more languages in addition to their home language.”
-Wang, S.C., Jackson, F.H., Mana, M., Liau, R., & Evans, B. (2010). Resource Guide to Developing
Linguistic and Cultural Competency in the United States. College Park, MD: National Foreign Language
Center at the University of Maryland.
-NEA Research, (2007). “The Benefits of Second Language Study.”
This carefully constructed study demonstrated that third graders who were taught Spanish for thirty
minutes, three times per week showed statistically significant gains in their Metropolitan Achievement Test
scores in the areas of math and language after only one semester of study. This study verifies two earlier
studies that showed that foreign language instruction either had no detrimental effect on basic sills or a
positive effect on students’ achievement in basic skill areas. The results of this study are particularly
interesting since one class of students in the experimental group had actually received one-and-one-half
fewer hours of math instruction per week, yet still outperformed the students in the control classes in math.
-Armstrong, P. W. and J. D. Rogers. (1997). Basic Skills Revisited: The Effects of Foreign Language
Instruction on Reading, Math and Language Arts. Learning Languages, Spring, 20-31.
Curtain and Pesola’s text is regarded by many as the authoritative work on early language learning. In their
introduction, they provide a broad overview of the benefits of early language learning. Immediate benefits
include greater academic achievement in other areas of study, including reading, social studies, and
mathematics and earning higher SAT and ACT scores, especially in verbal areas. Long-range benefits
include enhanced career opportunities, developing more flexibility in thinking processes and exchanging
professional ideas and information in commerce, science, law and the arts. They also summarize studies
concerned with the relationship of language learning to English language and mathematics. “The evidence
was consistent: There was no sacrifice of basic skills when time was given to learning a new language.”
(7). In fact, some studies indicated that language instruction resulted in dramatic gains in test performance
in basic skill areas.
-Curtain, H. and C.A.B. Pesola. Languages and Children: Making the Match: Foreign Language Instruction
for An Early Start Grades K-8. Longman (New York) 1994.
-Wang, S.C., Jackson, F.H., Mana, M., Liau, R., & Evans, B. (2010). Resource Guide to Developing
Linguistic and Cultural Competency in the United States. College Park, MD: National Foreign Language
Center at the University of Maryland.
Additionally, it is well-supported that if a foreign language is acquired at a young enough age, then nativelike pronunciation can still be achieved. Lastly, foreign language study shows to our ELL students and
families that we value other languages and cultures.
The World Today:
It is imperative that we develop in our students the skills necessary for living and working in the globalized
economy of the 21st century. US Secretary of Education said in 2010: “It's absolutely essential for the
citizens of the United States to become fluent in other languages—and schools, colleges and universities
must include producing bilingual students as a central part of their mission.” When it comes to learning
another language, other countries are ahead of the United States. In all developed countries, except the
United States, New Zealand, and Australia, studying at least one other language is compulsory (Wang,
S.C., et al. (2010). Resource Guide to Developing Linguistic and Cultural Competency in the United States.
College Park, MD: National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland). 56% of Europeans
report that they can have a conversation in another language besides their first language.
It is important to learn Spanish because it is so prevalent in the world and in the United States. The 2nd
highest population of first-language speakers is Spanish (406 million). English is 3rd (335 million) (Lewis,
M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.), 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World,
Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International). According to the US Census Bureau, Hispanics were
16.7% of the population in the US as of July 1, 2011 and a predicted 30% would be Hispanic by July 1,
2050. US has the 2nd highest Hispanic population in the world, 2nd only to Mexico!
Types of Foreign Language Programs:
Myriam Met, researcher and former Director of the National Foreign Language Center at the University of
Maryland, defines a Foreign Language in the Elementary School Program (FLES) to be 90 minutes/week
of instruction. A class that meets for less time is called a Foreign Language Exploratory/Experience
Program (FLEX) and has the goal of introducing the language, motivating students to study a language, but
it does little towards the development of communicative ability. What is the goal of our school’s foreign
language program? I would hope that we have the goal of improving students’ capacity to handle
themselves in everyday tasks in Spanish.
“Met summarized both the advantages and the shortcomings of three different approaches to early language
learning: immersion, FLES and FLEX. In immersion, the content is taught through the foreign language.
Since the classroom teacher is also the language teacher, this is a cost-effective model that achieves
excellent results, but teachers with the language skills and certification to teach such classes are rare. FLES
programs are sequential programs beginning at any grade K-6 that meet for a minimum of 90 minutes two
to five times per week. If a FLES program is part of a well-articulated, long sequence of study, students
will typically gain useable levels of proficiency in the language and also improve their knowledge of and
attitude toward other cultures. FLEX programs are short-term classes that focus primarily on culture. These
programs can provide students with strong motivation to continue their language study later, but do not
result in any meaningful level of language development.”
-Met, M. (1991). Foreign Language: On Starting Early. Educational Leadership.
The Problem:
Most students in the US do not reach proficiency levels that give them the ability to effectively
communicate. The greatest problem is the number of hours of class time. Our school’s students are
currently receiving approximately 37 weeks of class. At the current intensity of Spanish class, students at
each grade receive the following annual instruction time.*
o 3rd grade:
o 4th grade:
o 5th grade:
o 6th grade:
o 7th grade:
o 8th grade:
o 3rd-8th grade:
*This is a more generous summary of the reality, since there are classes canceled due to school and
community events and holidays.
Time:
Pitfall: Scheduling foreign language classes too infrequently or in sessions that are too short.
There is a widespread misperception that children learn foreign languages easily even with very limited
exposure. As a result, some programs operate on the assumption that a little bit of language instruction is
better than no language instruction at all. This perception contradicts the recommendations of foreign
language professionals and the experience of successful programs (Gilzow & Branaman, 2000). A
sequence of instruction that includes sufficient instructional time is needed for students to achieve
proficiency in another language. Met and Rhodes (1990) suggest that “foreign language instruction should
be scheduled daily, and for no less than 30 minutes” (p. 438). A national group of experts, convened by
Goethe House New York, recommended a minimum of 75 minutes per week for any program designated as
FLES; they agreed that these classes should meet all year, during the school day, at least every other day
(Rosenbusch, 1992). More recently, the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K–12 Learners (Swender &
Duncan, 1998) proposed a higher standard: elementary programs that meet from 3 to 5 days per week for
no less than 30–40 minutes per class; middle school programs that meet daily for no less than 40–50
minutes; and high school programs that equal four units of credit.
Pitfall: Treating foreign languages differently from other academic subjects.
In most countries around the world, languages have the same status as other academic subjects and are a
regular part of the curriculum of every school. Instruction usually starts no later than Grade 5, and often
earlier. Given that most of these countries are much more successful than the United States at producing
adults who can speak more than one language, we would do well to follow their example. Foreign
languages should be recognized as valid academic subjects and be accorded the same status and priority for
instructional time as other school subjects.
-Curtain, H. & Pesola, C.A. (2000). “Planning for Success: Common Pitfalls in the Planning of Early
Foreign Language Programs.” Eric Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, Center for Applied
Linguistics.
After 630-720 hours of instruction: 14% of
students can read at the Intermediate-Mid
level or better, approximately 16% can write,
and 6% can speak at this level. 28% read at
Intermediate-Low, 50% write at this level,
39% speak at this level.
-Center for Applied Second Language
Studies, University of Oregon. (2010). “How
many hours of instruction do students need to
reach intermediate-high proficiency?”
“Overall, for a program to lead to significant
student proficiency outcomes, there needs to
be a minimum of 5,000 minutes of instruction
time spread across the school year.”
-Center for Applied Second Language
Studies, University of Oregon. (2007).
“Analysis of 2007 STAMP Results: New
Jersey Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment in
World Languages”
Approximately 200 hours of instruction are needed for
25% of students to reach Novice-High, while
approximately 700 hours are needed for 50% of students
to reach this goal.
-Center for Applied Second Language Studies, University
of Oregon. (2010). “What factors are important for an
effective K-8 program?”
All Peace Corps Volunteers had to obtain an IntermediateMid rating on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview in
order to gain acceptance. Volunteers receive a minimum
of 170 hours of formal language instruction over 11-13
weeks and the beginning-language learners receive
additional one-on-one tutoring. The Peace Corps
Volunteers are motivated, college-educated adults, in
classes of 3-5 students, and live with host families in the
country of service for the 13 weeks. Compare that to the
limits of a foreign language elementary program- the
larger class size, the developmental stage of an elementary
school child, the motivational level, the duration of each
class period, and the fact that elementary students in the
US are not immersed in the language outside of class- and
it quickly becomes evident that elementary school
programs will demand many more than the 170 hours that
Peace Corps Volunteers require to obtain a functional
proficiency.
How Long Does it Take to Become Proficient?
The following ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Ratings represent levels of expected performance for
language learners who complete full-time intensive and/or immersion, proficiency-based language training
under the supervision of an instructor and with 1-4 students per class.
Group I Languages: Including Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Norwegian,
Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish…
Length of Training
Minimal Aptitude
Average Aptitude
Superior Aptitude
8 weeks (240 hours)
Intermediate Low
Intermediate Mid
Advanced Mid
16 weeks (480 hours)
Intermediate High
Advanced Low
Advanced High
24 weeks (720 hours)
Advanced Mid
Advanced Mid
Superior
Source: Judith E. Liskin-Gasparro. ETS Oral Proficiency Testing Manual. Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing
Service, 1982. ILR ratings have been converted to reflect the equivalent ACTFL ratings.
How Many Hours of Instruction Do Students Need to Reach Intermediate-High Proficiency?
Table 1. Percent of Students at Each Benchmark Level for Each Year of Study
Years / Hours of Study
Level 1 = Novice Low
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Level 2 = Novice Mid
90-180
Level 3 = Novice High
Skill
Level*
hrs
270-360 hrs 450-540 hrs 630-720 hrs
Level 4 = Intermediate Low
NE
3.2
2.0
1.4
2.2
Reading
Level 5 = Intermediate Mid
1
52.8
31.0
11.7
3.1
Level 6 = Intermediate High
2
28.4
39.3
30.8
21.2
3
12.6
21.7
37.4
32.1
4
2.5
5.0
14.7
27.5
5
0.5
1.0
4.0
13.9
NE
2.2
0.9
0.5
0.0
Writing
1
9.7
3.1
0.6
0.1
2
24.9
12.9
3.9
1.0
3
58.2
69.0
57.5
32.6
4
4.8
13.2
34.1
50.2
5/6
0.1
1.0
3.4
16.1
NE
12.4
5.3
3.2
0.8
Speaking
1
15.7
5.2
0.8
0.1
2
31.8
23.9
9.8
3.3
3
38.4
59.9
68.4
51.5
4
1.7
5.7
17.0
38.9
5/6
0.0
0.1
0.8
5.5
*NE means a benchmark level was not established. The student failed to answer enough reading
items correctly or to submit ratable speaking or writing samples. Level 5 includes students who
were rated level 6 for writing and speaking.
Chart 3. Speaking - Percent of Students at Each Benchmark Level for Each Year of Study
Year 1 = 90-180 hours
Year 2 = 270-360 hours
Year 3 =450-540 hours
Year 4 = 630-720 hours
st provide sufficient hours of instruction in order for students to meet
n Grade 8, such as math, language arts and science, students in all districts
e 6. This is not the case with world languages programs despite a state
d languages in Grades K-8. Currently, districts choose from a variety of
ng at different grade levels. Consequently, the total hours of language
de 8 students varies significantly from district to district.
udents found that Grade 8 scores improved significantly when language
Grade 6. In-Center
2007, teachers
submitted
detailed
information
about of
theOregon. (2010). “How many hours
for Applied
Secondmore
Language
Studies,
University
Page 5which
of 6 their students had received that continues to support the
September 2010
ge instruction
of
instruction do students need to reach intermediate-high proficiency?”
Report by: Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS), University of Oregon
Sponsored by: U.S. Department of Education
s
only
most of

anguage

ource of
ge. The
nough to
lifetime
ion. This
etermine
nal units’
ction. An
hours of
mber of
program
k for 36
ring total
different
ompared
asing
nificantly
udents
.
at least
urs)
ss are
-Center
forreading
Applied
Second is
Language
University
of
etween speaking
and
proficiency
discussedStudies,
in Key Point
#3.)
IU = 108 instructional hours
NJ State Standard is that 8th
grade reach ACTFL level
Novice-High
Oregon. (2007). “Analysis of 2007 STAMP
Results: New Jersey Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment in World Languages.”
e the need for sufficient instructional time for language study during
are to succeed in meeting Grade 8 state standards. They highlight the
g language instruction as early as possible, ideally, prior to Grade 6.
uction at Grade 6 or later will need to devote a significant portion of their
age study in order to meet the standard. If this is not possible for practical
ion should begin prior to Grade 6, as with other subjects.
hours in two semesters of two different school years are compared with students who received
the same number of total hours in a single school year. As the chart shows, more students reach
benchmark 3 when instruction is spaced evenly throughout the whole school year.
Chart 2. Students at Benchmark 3 by Program Type
Percent of Students at Benchmark 3 or Higher
35
Conclusion:
A yearlong
program is better
than a semesterlong program.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ten Burning
Questions: What Motivates Students to Study Foreign Languages?
Semester
Full year
Semester
Full year
Semester
Full year
72 or less
72 or less
73 to 144
73 to 144
145 to 216
145 to 216
language than those at levels 1 or 2 (similar to ACTFL Novice-Low or -Mid). Similarly, those at level
Program Types Categorized by Total Hours of Instruction
4 were over three times more likely, and those at level 3, nearly twice as likely. These results
for Applied
Second
Language
Studies,
University
ofultimately
Oregon. to
(2010).
clearly-Center
demonstrate
that success
is related
to a desire
for further
study, and
even “What factors are important
an effective K-8 program?”
greaterfor
success.
Chart 1. Non-heritage Students Wanting to
Continue Language Study by Speaking Proficiency
Percent of Students
Conclusion: Students with
speaking proficiency
100
levels of ACTFL
90
Intermediate-Mid or –
High are eleven times
80
more likely to want to
continue studying the
70
Page 3 of 6
December 2010
language than those at
60
levels of ACTFL NoviceReport by: Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS), University of Oregon
Low or –Mid.
50
Sponsored
by: U.S. Department of Education
40
30
20
10
0
Level 1 or 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5 or 6
Proficiency Level
-Center for Applied Second Language Studies, University of Oregon. (2011). “What Motivates Students to
As a comparison,
we looked
at heritage language learners whose family members speak the
Study Foreign
Languages?”
target language and who therefore have many opportunities for integration. For this group as
well, successful students were more likely to want to continue, b ut the effect was much smaller.
Over 80% of these students wanted to continue, even when their proficiency level was very low.
This group contrasts sharply with the non-heritage group, where less than half of low-scoring,