World Language Learning in the 21st Century
Over the past twenty-five years, the world language field has changed dramatically from
the grammar-based classrooms of the past. A national standards document first written
in 1999 helped to rally the field around common definitions of high-quality language
curricula from PreK-16. The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, first published in 1986, have
gone through numerous revisions to become the bar with which colleges, businesses,
and public schools define “how well” someone knows a language. The field has
committed to prepare students for 21st Century global communication by putting an
emphasis on real-world language skills, engaging lessons, and instruction primarily in
the target language. Assessment has shifted to a focus on authentic tasks, such as
interpreting texts from the target culture, participating in spontaneous conversations,
and producing written and spoken presentations meant for an audience.
What should students learn in a World Languages program?
The National Standards for Foreign Language Learning (1999) and the Connecticut
World Languages Frameworks (2005) redefined the goals of world language programs
beyond the mere reading, writing, and translation courses of the past. There are five
major goal areas – the 5 C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections to other Subject
Areas, Comparisons of Languages and Cultures, and Communities (the use of the
language beyond the classroom). These are the areas in which students must be able
to function in order to be truly proficient in a language. The recently updated ”World
Readiness Standards for Language Learning (2014)” revised the standards to include
references to Common Core-related skills, critical thinking, and a more active role for
the learner.
Within the standards, Communication is further broken down into three “modes of
communication.” Interpretive communication is the ability to comprehend when listening,
reading, or viewing. Interpersonal communication is used when speaking in personperson spontaneous situations (or even writing/texting in real-time situations).
Presentational communication requires the skills used when preparing and presenting
orally or in writing for an audience. A proficient speaker of a language must be proficient
in all three modes.
How do we measure “proficiency” in a language?
There are clear definitions of world language proficiency that can be used to assess
student progress in the target language. These are established by the American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and are used nationwide to discuss
learner proficiency. The “ACTFL Proficiency Scale” defines language learning on a
continuum from Novice to Distinguished, with each level divided further into low, mid,
and high (ex. Novice-Mid).
North Haven Public Schools Proficiency Targets in World Language
The first column in the table is the minimum level we expect all students - who have not
studied the language before - to achieve by the end of the level; however, the
curriculum for each level is designed to help students reach the second column target –
and some students may progress even further. Note that the progression through the
Intermediate Level requires mastery of a number of skills, as well as the ability to
“create” with language; therefore, it can take a few years to get through.
Level I (3 years of MS)
Level II
Level III
Level IV
Level V (or AP, UCONN)
All students reach
Novice Mid
Novice High
Intermediate Low
Intermediate Mid
Intermediate Mid
Some students reach
Novice High
Intermediate Low
Intermediate Mid
Intermediate Mid
Intermediate High
Student Goal-Setting and Proficiency
It is important for students to see how we organize and assess world language learning
so that they can set their own goals for language study. Students should be aware of
the 5 C’s of the standards and the concept of the 3 “modes of communication.” To
discuss proficiency, the ACTFL-NCSSFL Can-Do Statements define proficiency levels
in student-friendly language that allows them to by check off what they know and set
goals for future learning. The North Haven World Languages Department intends to
create lessons to help students recognize the characteristics of each proficiency level
and consider what they need to do to improve from one level to the next (such as this
rubric, from the ACTFL AAPPL test, does.)