The document discusses factors that have impacted foreign language education programs and considerations for starting an elementary school Chinese language program. It covers the history of Chinese language schools and immersion programs. National standards and initiatives that promoted language learning are outlined. Research on benefits of early language learning is presented. The document examines program models and discusses elements critical for success, including adequate time and intensity of instruction, continuity, and teacher effectiveness. It also provides perspectives from an example Chinese immersion program.

1. Asking the Right Questions: Crafting a Plan for an Elementary School Chinese Program Marcia Rosenbusch • Carol Ann Dahlberg Betsy Lueth • Luyi Lien • Janna Chiang NCLC Chicago, 2009

9. Our profession in the past…. Sputnik October 4, 1957 Wake-up call for Math Sciences Languages (especially Russian!)

10. Our profession in the past…. Program Success...

14. National Standards: Teachers FL Teacher Candidates ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers, 2002 ACTFL/NCATE Beginning FL Teachers Standards for Licensing Beginning FL Teachers, 2002 INTASC Accomplished FL Teachers World Languages Other than English Standards, 2001 NBPTS

44. Time + Intensity of Instruction => (Potential) Rate of Language Acquisition and Learning Time = number of minutes hours years spent learning and acquiring language

46. PLUS

47. Uninterrupted study of the same language across grade levels and institutions Continuity:

48. Teachers who are: Teacher Effectiveness: • well-prepared • enthusiastic and dedicated • knowledgeable about students • knowledgeable about language and culture • knowledgeable about best practices in world language education.

49. What are the goals of our programs? Proficiency!

50. Superior Proficiency Inverted Pyramid LOW LOW LOW MID MID MID HIGH HIGH HIGH Novice Advanced Intermediate Can support opinion, hypothesize, discuss topics concretely and abstractly, and handle a linguistically unfamiliar situation Novice Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterances, lists and phrases Intermediate Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction Advanced Can narrate and describe in all major time frames and handle a situation with a complication Survive and cope in the country Limited work ability Satisfy most work requirements

51. ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners

52. Adapted from Languages and Children: Making the Match, 4th Edition, 2010 Language, Culture, and Curriculum Content are essential elements of every curriculum model. The focus changes as time and intensity increase across the continuum. Minimum 90-120 min. Weekly Maximum Full Day Full Immersion Intensity and Time Continuum of Intensity and Focus for Early Language Programs Leading to Proficiency Immersion: 50-100%/day Content in TL Content Focus Content Language Culture Language Focus Language Content Culture

53. Adapted from Languages and Children: Making the Match, 4th Edition, 2010 Minimum 90-120 min. Weekly Maximum Full Day Full Immersion Intensity and Time Less than Minimum Programs with less intensity: • less than 30-40 minutes daily, and/or • less than three times per week • may not be able to meet the performance goals of the Standards for Chinese Language Learning and K-12 Performance Guidelines. Continuum of Intensity and Focus for Early Language Programs Leading to Proficiency Immersion: 50-100%/day Content in TL Exploratory will Content Focus Content Language Culture Language Focus Language Content Culture

54. Program Types Offered by Elementary Schools With Language Programs (Private, Public) (2008) Private From the Center for Applied Linguistics, National K-12 Foreign Language Survey (2009). Draft data. I m m e r s i o n 2 % 4 2 % I m m e r s i o n 1 3 % 4 8 % Public LANGUAGE FOCUS LANGUAGE FOCUS (FLES) (FLES) LESS than minimum LESS than minimum 5 6 % E XPLORATORY 3 9 % E XPLORATORY

55. What Matters Most? Time allotted for the program/classes Intensity of program and instruction Continuity of the program Teacher effectiveness

56. Perspectives from a Chinese Immersion Program: Yinghua Academy By Betsy Lueth, Director Dr. Luyi Lien, Academic Director April 30, 2009 National Chinese Conference, Chicago, IL

57. History of Yinghua Academy - Opened in 2006 with 76 students in K to 3 rd grade - in 2007-2008 school year, we doubled our student sizes - in 2008-2009 school year, we have 239 students - in 2009-2010 school year, we have waiting list with every grade and will move to a bigger building

58. Y inghua Academy: Early Total Immersion Program - 100% of Chinese instructional time in K & Grade 1 - 90% of Chinese instructional time in Grade 2 - 80% of Chinese instructional time in Grade 3 - 70 % of Chinese instructional time in Grade 4 - 60% of Chinese instructional time in Grade 5 - Provide special classes (PE class, art class, and music class) also in Chinese

63. Perspectives from a Chinese Immersion Programs: An example of content teaching and the integration of culture An example of “The Mouse Bride ”

64. Perspectives from a Chinese Immersion Programs: An example of content teaching and the integration of culture Content Area with Cultures: Chinese Language Arts: Poems/Rhythm/folk stories/drama and play From writing characters to learn cultures, e.g., marriage ideas in Chinese thoughts Science: mice and other live animals’ habitats and common behaviors Social Studies: Comparisons of the traditional wedding and modern weddings in China The custom of Chinese new year

65. Perspectives from a Chinese Immersion Programs: An example of content teaching and the integration of culture

66. Perspectives from a Chinese Immersion Program: Yinghua Academy Questions: Betsy Lueth, Director [email_address] Dr. Luyi Lien, Academic Director [email_address] Phone: 651-379-4112

68. FOREIGN LANGAUGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (FLES) Janna Chiang 蔣芸芳 : NCLC : April / May 2009

71. Connecting Cultures

72. Real Life Connections

74. Classroom activities

75. Assessment strategies

76. : Grade 1

80. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Scheduling the foreign language too infrequently and/or in class sessions that are too short .

81. “… accomplishment of such content standards required students to be enrolled in elementary programs that meet from 3-5 days per week for no less than 30-40 minutes per class. 3-5 days per week 30-40 minutes per class

82. “ Remember, these are samples--not supper!”

83. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Planning schedules and workloads that lead to teacher burnout.

84. Many Additional Responsibilities of a FLES Teacher: • interacting with numerous classroom teachers • developing curriculum and materials • communicating with parents and community • building public relations

85. Many Additional Responsibilities of an Immersion Teacher: • responsibility for content areas and language development • developing curriculum and materials • communicating with parents and community • building public relations

86. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Launching an early language program without sufficient planning --not enough time --not enough involvement of the rest of the school community

87. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Treating foreign languages differently from other academic subjects.

88. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Implementing an entire new program in every grade level at the same time. 1 K 2 3 4 5 6

89. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Leaving critical articulation issues to be dealt with later.

90. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Planning and scheduling the foreign language curriculum in isolation from the general curriculum.

91. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Relying on English for communication in the foreign language classroom. What is this in Chinese?

92. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Making a language choice based on popularity, without attention to other important factors.

93. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Ignoring the needs of students who enter the program in later grades.

94. “ Planning for Success: Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs” • Hiring teachers for the program who do not have both language and teaching skills.

95. Building an Action Plan

96. Defining a Planning Committee and a Timeline

97. Identifying the Chinese Teacher

98. Defining/Developing the Curriculum

99. Defining Instructional Strategies

100. Selecting Teaching Materials

101. Assessing Students

102. Integrating the Program into the Wider School Context

103. Evaluating the Program

104. Sustaining the Quality and Longevity of the Program

105. What are the first steps in YOUR Action Plan?

106. Asking the Right Questions: Crafting a Plan for an Elementary School Chinese Program Marcia Rosenbusch • Carol Ann Dahlberg Betsy Lueth • Luyi Lien • Janna Chiang NCLC Chicago, 2009