Lori recently asked in a comment to the post “Dinner With People I Don’t Know” (https://benslavic.com/blog/2011/07/07/dinner-with-people-i-dont-know/):
…where in the ACTFL guidelines is the part about “90% of instruction must be in the target language”…?
Well, Skip and Robert found it. I think everybody on this blog is going to want to have access to this text at some point in the coming year, so I will make a category for this post alone with the title:
“ACTFL – 90% Use of the Target Language in the Classroom”
Lori it will be interesting to see how your colleagues respond to this in your particular setting next year. Those unaware of Lori’s unique situation in her new school next fall can read about it by clicking on the link below. You have to read down into the comments to get the full impact of what Lori is facing – how to blend technology and a student centered classroom with CI:
https://benslavic.com/blog/2011/05/13/lori-fiechter/
[The mixing of technology with CI has been discussed on this blog before and below are a few links to posts on that subject for those interested. Again, you will have to read down into the comments to get a representative view; the post itself is merely my opinion – many people, like Leslie Davison here in Colorado, are truly expert at blending CI with the use of technology :
https://benslavic.com/blog/2010/11/22/technology-in-the-service-of-ci/]
Anyway, here is the ACTFL text and link to the 90% quote from ACTFL (the second one in the list of links) from Skip and thank you Skip and Robert both so much for tracking this down!
Hi Ben,
Here is the link for Lori: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4368
These are the statements:
ACTFL Position Statements
Updated 2011
ACTFL is a national professional membership organization representing more than 12,500 language educators from all levels of instruction and all languages. As part of its mission and vision, the organization provides guidance to the profession and to the general public regarding issues, policies, and best practices related to the teaching and learning of languages and cultures. ACTFL is a leading national voice among language educators and administrators and is guided by a responsibility to set standards and expectations that will result in high quality language programs. With those goals in mind, ACTFL has adopted the following general principles that provide the foundation for implementation and expansion of language programs at all levels of instruction:
Maximum Class Size (May 2010)
Use of the Target Language in the Classroom (May 2010)
Language Learning for Heritage and Native Speakers (May 2010)
Co-authorship (May 2008)
Federal Legislative Priorities (November 2007)
Diversity and Inclusion in Language Programs (May 2007)
Teacher Recruitment and Retention (May 2007)
Study Abroad and International and Community Experience (May 2007)
General Principles of Language Learning (May 2006)
Early Language Learning (May 2006)
Which Languages Schools Should Offer (May 2006)
This is the one about 90%:
Use of the Target Language in the Classroom (May 2010)
Research indicates that effective language instruction must provide significant levels of meaningful communication* and interactive feedback in the target language in order for students to develop language and cultural proficiency. The pivotal role of target-language interaction in language learning is emphasized in the K-16 Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. ACTFL therefore recommends that language educators and their students use the target language as exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instruction during instructional time and, when feasible, beyond the classroom. In classrooms that feature maximum target-language use, instructors use a variety of strategies to facilitate comprehension and support meaning making. For example, they:
- provide comprehensible input that is directed toward communicative goals;
- make meaning clear through body language, gestures, and visual support;
- conduct comprehension checks to ensure understanding;
- negotiate meaning with students and encourage negotiation among students;
- elicit talk that increases in fluency, accuracy, and complexity over time;
- encourage self-expression and spontaneous use of language;
- teach students strategies for requesting clarification and assistance when faced with comprehension difficulties; and
- offer feedback to assist and improve students’ ability to interact orally in the target language.
*Communication for a classical language refers to an emphasis on reading ability and for American Sign Language (ASL) to signed communicative ability.
Robert also sent this link on how to access the ACTFL statement on the Target Language:
http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4368#targetlang