A PEEK INSIDE AN
ELEMENTARY WORLD
LANGUAGE PROGRAM
MaFLA 2014
Dawn Carney, Wan Wang, Lan Wu
Desired Outcomes
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EWL Program goals
Oral proficiency targets
Curriculum development
Assessment
Success & challenges
Chinese EWL – Driscoll School
Program Goals
What are the standards for our world language
program?
What should our students be able to do in each
grade level/grade level span?
Program: Standards

Standards: 5C’s of ACTFL
 Communication
 Interpretive
 Interpersonal
 Presentational
Culture
 Connections
 Comparisons
 Community

http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/national-standards-foreign-language-education
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
K-5 World Language

Content-enriched FLES* (2008 Override)
 Proficiency
in the 3 modes of communication
 Understanding of and appreciation for other cultures
 Reinforcement of skills from other curriculum areas
 Development of students as language learners

Program Model
 Grades
K-2: 3 x 20 minute lessons, 60 minutes/week
 Grades 3-5: 3 x 30 minute lessons, 90 minutes/week
*Foreign Language in Elementary School
Program: Proficiency-Based

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines in the four skills of
speaking, writing, listening, reading
 Novice
 Intermediate
 Advanced
 Distinguished
 Superior

3 subcategories: low, intermediate, high
Our Proficiency Targets
Novice
•
•
•
•
•
respond to simple questions
use:
• isolated words
• lists of words
• memorized phrases
• some personalized re-combinations of words or
phrases
ask memorized, formulaic questions
satisfy immediate needs
WORD level
Intermediate
•
•
•
•
•
•
“conversation” partner in simple, direct conversations
describe and narrate
ask and answer simple questions
handle survival language
“create” with language
SENTENCE level
Curriculum development
How to design an elementary world language
program?
How to determine articulation with an existing upper
grades program?
Our curriculum design, K-5
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Understanding by Design integrated with 5C’s of the
National Standards
Thematic approach, grounded in Enduring
Understandings and Essential Questions of culture
Learning activities in the 3 modes of communication:
interpersonal, interpretive and presentational
Knowledge and skills by grade level
Spiraling curriculum K-5
Curriculum development process

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Designated curriculum developer/leader
Elementary and language expertise
Time: research, site visits, development
Plan: process and content
Learning Expectations

Grades K-2
 Themes
of School and Community, Family, and
Climate

Grades 3-5
 Themes
of Community, Leisure time, Climate, Food
Internal Assessment: Our FY15 Pilot

Challenge: assess for oral proficiency
 Project

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that serves as interpersonal tool
Evidence of growth
Planned addition of listening
Internal Assessment: Formative Activities
Sample learning activities, novice mid-novice
high
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Classroom interviews/surveys; exchanging personal
information
Descriptions of people and places
Descriptions of daily life: school and home
Asking for information to get around in a
Spanish/Chinese speaking country
Asking for information to solve a problem
Explaining by describing why or how
External Assessment

STAMP
 Standards-based
Measurement of Proficiency
 PSB pilot 2012 in grade 8

AAPPL
 ACTFL
Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in
Languages
 PSB pilot 2014 in grades 7*

STAMP 4Se
 Anticipated
spring 2015, grade 5
Success & challenges
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Continuously developing & revising curriculum
Continuously transitioning existing middle grades
and high school program
Hiring and retaining qualified teachers
Scheduling
Educating all stakeholders
Routines

Opening routine K-4

G5
Space

Immersion classroom environment.
Instructional strategies
Pair oral work
Culture

Chinese New Year

Moon Festival

Dragon Boat Festival

Authentic documents in instruction
Culture: Chinese New Year
Parent involvement
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Chinese open house and morning coffee
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PTO support
Parent involvement


Chinese open house and morning coffee
PTO
Language and communication are at
the heart of the human experience. The
United States must educate students
who are equipped linguistically and
culturally to communicate successfully
in a pluralistic American society and
abroad.
-Standards for Foreign Language Learning
Contact us

Dawn Carney
 dawn_carney@brookline.k12.ma.us

Wan Wang
 wan_wang@brookline.k12.ma.us

Lan Wu
 lan_wu@brookline.k12.ma.us
Resources
Books
 Languages and Children, Making the Match: New
Languages for Young Learners, Grades K-8 (4th ed),
Curtain, Dahlberg


Practical Handbook to Elementary Foreign Language
Programs (FLES*), Lipton
Elementary Foreign Language Programs (FLES*), An
Administrator’s Handbook, Lipton