World Languages Learning Standards Toolkit

Here are key resources for districts, schools, and teachers interested in implementing a standards-based curriculum. Because Washington’s World Languages Learning Standards are aligned to the national standards, we have access to a wealth of resources for our World Languages Learning Standards Toolkit. Many of them may be downloaded for free.

Getting Started | Preparing Teachers | Evaluating Implementation | Exploring Other States

Getting Started

• Executive Summary (PDF) of Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Web site
  The Executive Summary (free for download) outlines the key concepts of the national standards and provides example progress indicators and learning scenarios.

• Standards Order Form on the ACTFL Web site
  Every school should consider ordering a copy of the complete Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century book for the world languages department. The book provides background on the standards and language study in the United States, along with specific sections for these languages: Arabic, Chinese, Classical Languages, French (K-16), German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

• State Standards: Connecting a National Vision to Local Implementation (PDF)
  This article (free for download) by Paul Sandrock, past president of ACTFL, explains in plain English the difference between content, performance, proficiency, and program standards, and how standards can be a central part of curriculum planning. 

Preparing Teachers

• Bringing the Standards into the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide
  This very helpful guide (free for download) from the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center provides concrete examples for using the standards to plan thematic units at the K-8 level and align curriculum to standards at the secondary level. Prospective World Language teachers preparing for the WEST-E test will find Appendix A: Familiarization Guide to the National Standards particularly helpful.

• STARTALK Online Curriculum Guide for Standards-Aligned Curriculum Templates
  STARTALK is a federal grants program that funds summer language programs in critical languages. The grant is coordinated by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. STARTALK teachers and researchers have developed a rich array of standards-based training materials that can bring the standards to life.

Evaluating Implementation of Standards

• World Language Standards Reflection – Chinese - Elementary (PDF)
  This simple reflection form developed for the Chinese FLAP grant-funded program in Seattle does not take long to complete, but it reminds teachers to develop awareness of when and how they are incorporating the Standards (all 5 “C’s” – Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities) in their programs.

• World Language Standards Reflection Template (Word)
  Tailor this template for your school setting. To start, world language teachers might be asked to complete it twice a year or for a specific unit.

Exploring Other States’ Standards and Resources

• Nebraska K-12 Foreign Language Frameworks (PDF)
  Nebraska’s Frameworks include Progress Indicators for students at three benchmarks: Beginning, Developing, and Expanding. These may be a helpful reference for teachers teaching at different levels of language courses (Level I vs. Level III or AP). The extensive Learning Scenarios provide an even more concrete example with step-by-step instructions of how the standards can inform instructional practice on specific topics, such as art or international trade.

• New Jersey World Languages Curriculum Framework
  New Jersey’s Curriculum Framework also provides a wealth of Learning Scenarios and useful chapters on the Rationale for the Study of World Languages, for example. An appendix on Assessment contains an array of ideas for implementing performance-based assessments aligned to the standards, as well as model rubrics designed for assessing world languages.

• Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Foreign Language (PDF) (from 1997, revised 2001)
  Wisconsin’s Model Standards include a number of samples of student work aligned to the content and performance standards.