The document summarizes recommendations from the State World Language Advisory Council of Colorado (SWLAC) to the Colorado Senate and House Education Committee regarding improving world language education from preschool through university (P-20) in Colorado. The SWLAC recommends adopting revised world language content standards, considering a high school world language requirement of two years or testing at a minimum proficiency level, recognizing long-term world language study with a special Colorado diploma, granting credit based on demonstrated proficiency, and supporting scholarships and grants for world language teachers and programs.

1. P-20 World /Foreign Language Education in Colorado: WORLD LANGUAGES INTEGRAL TO P-20 EDUCATION Presented to the Senate and House Education Committee April 2, 2008 State World Language Advisory Council of Colorado Janine Erickson Co-Chair, Dagmar Haney, Past Chair, Toni Theisen, Colorado & South West Regional Teacher of the Year

2. Dedicated to the late Representative Sam Williams, House Minority Leader, sponsor of House Bill 94-1207, that included Foreign Languages into the Standards Based Education Act.

3. The SWLAC Mission is to provide leadership in facilitating and promoting policies and practices that support P-20 language education in Colorado.

4. “ It is critical that we not view the needs of our students through a lens of our own experience. The world in which they will live and work will be fundamentally different than the one in which we were raised. It is imperative that we focus on developing in our youth the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will serve them well as they learn to function in the global society of the 21st Century.” Marty Abbott, Director of Education, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

5. What is SWLAC and what have we accomplished?

6. ACTFL

7. ACTFL Performance Guidelines

8. Proficiency Levels by Years (Spanish - High School - 7500 students) 1 year of study 2 years of study 3 years of study 4 years of study Avant Asessment

9. Number of Instructional Hours Necessary to Reach Intermediate-Low - Intermediate-Mid FSI/DLI Adult Learners • Highly Motivated Category I: 240 Instructional Hours Spanish, French, Italian Category II: 300 Instructional Hours German Category III: 360 Instructional Hours Russian, Vietnamese Category IV: 520 Instructional Hours Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean * 1 school year = 120-140 instructional hours

10. Vision: Use multiple means to deliver language instruction .

11. Vision: Use proven programs that develop long sequences of P-20 language learning to acquire advanced levels of proficiency.

12. Vision: Provide access to P-20 language learning that encourages students to build on previous language proficiency.

13. Vision Ensure that ALL languages are supported in our educational system to guarantee Colorado’s future success in the world.

14. Vision: Increase the number of qualified world language instructors in the state of Colorado .

17. Through learning languages we learn about cultures. Through learning about cultures we learn respect for others . Through learning respect for others we can hope for peace.