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More Than a Decade of Standards: Integrating “Communication” in Your Instruction By Sandy Cutshall

EDITOR’S NOTE: In this issue, we begin a series of five articles focused on the National Standards for Foreign Language , or the “5 Cs.” In this first article, we look at Communication—a goal that is “at the heart of language , whether the communication takes place face-to-face, in , or across centuries through the of literature,” according to the Standards document. In other articles this year we’ll focus on each of the rest of the goal areas in turn—, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.

sk someone why they are study- communication has always been the intent sidebar on p. 37 for more about what the ing another language and you will of language education. There was never a Standards survey shows.] almost always hear that they want time in our field when we said we don’t want “Prior to the development of the National A to be able to converse with native to teach people to communicate . . . But,” Standards, I tended to do what textbooks speakers during travel or in their own she adds, “I think we have a much better stressed,” admits Terrill. “The Standards country. Additionally, they may wish to be match now between the intent and how we initially provided the framework to see how able to understand what they read and be go about doing it.” better units could be designed, what was able to write—particularly via communica- That better match comes out of the 5 good in textbooks, and what needed to be tive such as e-mail, texting, Cs—the goal areas of the National Stan- enhanced. The learning scenarios that were Twitter, and —using the language. dards—which for the past 15 or so years written as part of the National Standards What they probably won’t mention is have helped more and more educators provide good examples of what quality units conjugating verbs or memorizing discrete understand what it means to truly facilitate might look like.” points. and encourage authen- “Students come to language classes tic communication in their classrooms. Reframing Communication in because they want to be able to communi- Phillips, who was also recently co-chair Language Learning cate in the language,” says Laura Terrill, an of a federal grant to assess the impact of the independent consultant and expert in lan- National Standards, notes that the recent The National Standards present a very differ- guage education. “If we capture that energy survey of more than 2,100 individuals re- ent approach to communication, even com- in the first year of language instruction and veals that the Standards have had an impact, pared with the proficiency movement in the build on it by designing quality interper- helping to improve many language educa- 1980s and early 1990s which preceded their sonal activities, we will help them to meet tors’ teaching methods, particularly in the development. While teachers have tradi- their goal.” goal area of Communication. tionally of communicating through Communication as a goal area of lan- “We can see a fuller, deeper understand- the use of the four skills: reading, writing, guage education was an obvious inclusion in ing of how the three communicative modes speaking and listening, the Standards offer a the National Standards for Foreign Language play out in the communicative act itself,” new “Communicative Framework” consist- Learning when they were first developed she says about the survey, “and a greater ing of three modes which place primary and published in 1996. As June Phillips, of the best instructional ap- emphasis on the and purpose of the project director for the grant to develop proaches to facilitate those.” Of course, this communication. These are: the Standards and a member of the original does not mean that there is not still for Standards task force, puts it: “Of course, improvement in this area, Phillips notes. [See

34 The Language Educator I February 2012 Interpersonal ACTFL Associate Director of Professional U Characterized by active negotiation of Development Paul Sandrock offers this ex- among individuals Communication ample: “When a teacher focuses on teaching U Involving adjustments or clarifications for and practicing writing as a skill and then is #OMMUNICATE IN ,ANGUAGES /THER 4HAN trying to decide—‘Should I allow students U Most obvious in where one %NGLISH to do a spell-check or not?’—the question to person does not know what the responses ask is really, ‘What mode is being used?’ If of the other person will be (i.e., not Standard 1.1 the writing is Presentational, the expectation scripted dialogues) Students engage in , from the audience is that it is going to be provide and obtain , express Interpretive pretty polished and accurate since the writer feelings and emotions, and exchange will not be there to negotiate meaning and U Focused on the appropriate cultural OPINIONS ;).4%20%23/.!, -/$%= respond to questions. However, if the writer interpretation of meanings that occur in is texting a to a friend [Interperson- written and spoken form where there is Standard 1.2 al], the degree of accuracy can be signifi- no recourse to the active negotiation of Students understand and interpret cantly less because if you don’t understand meaning with the writer/speaker WRITTEN AND ON A something you are going to text back and U Including the cultural interpretation of VARIETY OF TOPICS ;).4%202%4)6% -/$%= ask, ‘What does this mean?’” texts, movies, and broad- Standard 1.3 Any rules for an assignment or activity casts, and Students present information, therefore, notes Sandrock, depend on the U Not to be confused with the concept of concepts, and ideas to an audience mode—or the purpose—of what you are do- “comprehension” of listeners or readers on a variety of ing. Those modes should set up how you de- TOPICS ;02%3%.4!4)/.!, -/$%= Presentational a task, how you evaluate that task, and U Referring to the creation of in what criteria you use. “Staying in a skill with- a manner that facilitates interpretation of students will need experience in the other out saying which mode it is in is not useful to members of the other where no goal areas (i.e., the other 4 Cs) in order to the learner or the instructional choices,” says direct opportunity for the active negotia- have something worth communicating. Phillips. “The instructional choices you make tion of meaning exists Robert Harrell, who has taught German at differ according to those modes.” U Examples include the writing of reports Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, CA, “I think it’s important for any teacher to and articles or the presentation of speeches for 17 years, puts it this way: “If I’m going answer the question, ‘What do I want my Each mode involves a particular link to communicate, I have to have content. If students to be able to do with the lan- between language and the underlying culture I’m going to communicate, I have to know guage?’” says Harrell. “That answer, coupled that is developed gradually over time. The use something about the culture. If I’m going with what we know about how the brain of these modes is not compatible with a focus to communicate, a community is being functions and how are acquired, solely on grammar or the study of a language established in the very act of communication should then direct and inform everything we separate from its use for communication. The itself. Part of the content I’m going to com- do.” He continues, “My answer to the ques- Standards document is clear that, “students municate will make connections to things tion is: To communicate, to know how to do not acquire communicative competence other than language and then it’s really very continue acquiring the language, and to be by learning the elements of the language easy to make comparisons between the way able to advocate for their own best interests. ” [i.e., grammar, isolated we communicate in the world language and I must reject methods that do not contribute words] first, and it points out that “an earlier the way we do in English. I think communi- to that goal, such as grammar .” emphasis on the learning of the language sys- cation really embraces all of the other things Harrell offers an from the world tem to the exclusion of meaningful interactive that happen in language learning.” of : “It’s the difference between dis- activities in the classroom has led to frustra- secting an animal and looking at it as a living tion and dissatisfaction for students.” What True Communication creature. I can learn a lot about it when I The Communication goal includes three Looks Like dissect it, but it’s dead. It’s never going to do standards based on the Framework of com- anything else. But, if I observe it in its habi- municative modes. The first focuses on the One major shift from thinking of skills to tat, maybe even interact with it, then I see it Interpersonal mode, the second on the Inter- thinking of communicative modes is that as a living organism. It becomes much more pretive mode, and the third on the Presenta- with a focus simply on skills, a teacher may fascinating, something you want to spend tional mode. (See box above.) not consider the behind a classroom time with. That’s how I want to present lan- The interconnected nature of the Stan- activity or approach. Yet it is in knowing the guage in my classroom—something that is dards’ goal areas means that even when reason behind it—the purpose for the com- very much alive and that we really use.” the focus is on the use of language and the munication—that many questions regarding With this in , language learning ac- development of communicative competence, implementation are answered. tivities in the classroom need to real-

The Language Educator I February 2012 35 Integrating Communication world, authentic communication as much as seniors. The students begin by talking with He continues, “It’s really about having a possible. For example, when a person reads each other in response to the prompt: “Es conversation with people you enjoy being a newspaper article in real life, what they do importante que un amigo . . . [It’s important with; it makes the day much less stressful in response is not to translate it, answer a list that a friend . . .]” in the long run. You aren’t uptight, think- of detailed questions, or complete a fill-in- “This is Interpersonal,” notes Buchbaum, ing that, ‘I have to pound the indirect object the-blank exercise. Instead, a communicative “so they shouldn’t always know what they pronouns into their heads today.’ No, you activity that would more closely relate to real will be talking about. It’s spontaneous, are going to have a conversation with them life would be for the reader to tell someone discussing with a partner about what is and you’re going to use lots of indirect object about what he or she just read, to express his important to them about their friends, using pronouns and you may point out to them or her own opinion on the topic, or to think vocabulary they already know. They also use from time to time what is happening. But about how this is the same or different as a the subjunctive mood—which is something since they are acquiring the language and story he or she read on the same topic in Spanish that students always find difficult not trying to memorize the language, you yesterday. Teachers should begin by think- to grasp. That’s because of the old ways of relax and you know that it takes time.” ing about what they would do in reaction teaching it—I remember it was always ‘the Staying in the target language the major- to receiving an e-mail message, reading a dreaded subjunctive.’ But in these conversa- ity—if not all—of the time is critical to creat- wiki, needing to write a letter, or hearing tions, they have to go into the subjunctive ing an environment where communication a weather report—and that will give them because that type of main clause requires it. can take place, something Harrell says he insight into the kinds of tasks they should be So I will remind them of the grammar point, strives to do. ACTFL’s position statement on asking their students to do. but they are reviewing it without thinking target language use (May 2010)—which en- “This is what I most often hear that teach- about grammar. Instead, they are thinking courages the 90%-plus goal—suggests many ers are trying to process as they try to best about communicating their ideas.” strategies that instructors can use to facilitate move to the intent of the Communication Within the same unit, Buchbaum will comprehension and support meaning- standards,” notes Sandrock, who has led also incorporate activities in the Interpretive making, including providing comprehensible many , webinars, and seminars mode, such as reading an authentic letter input that is directed toward communicative on a Standards-based approach to language to an advice about relationship goals; making meaning clear through body learning. “They will say, ‘I used to do this problems and having the students share their language, , and visual support; nego- and now I want to try do it differently ideas and interpretations. For the Presen- tiating meaning with students and encourag- because it’s getting closer to the real thing, tational mode, she says, she might have ing negotiation among students; and more. what people really do in real life.’” students write a letter to the same columnist With the time limitations and other asking for relationship advice, or else have Assessing Communication with stresses, more and more language educators them work in pairs to script and act out for the Standards are realizing that a focus on actual commu- their peers a skit where there is a conflict nication gives them greater “bang for their between friends. “Assessment plays a critical role in language buck” than grammar drills, worksheets, and Buchbaum says that although it can be a education: to help students learn to use their memorizing vocabulary lists. challenge for students to do this much work new language, to help teachers focus their in- “I simply don’t have enough time with staying in the language and communicat- struction to maximize its effectiveness, and to students to waste it on activities and strate- ing—particularly if it involves presenting provide the public with the evidence it needs gies that don’t deliver the way genuine inter- before their classmates—it is imperative that to enthusiastically support language programs” personal communication through compre- teachers create a comfortable environment — Paul Sandrock in The Keys to Assessing hension-based teaching does,” says Harrell. by not embarrassing or overcorrecting stu- Language Performance (2011) “We have to get students talking because dents, but instead encouraging them. “The we only have them for the time they have students tend to get nervous, but we work at All educators know that they need to assess in class,” agrees Sara Buchbaum, a Spanish it every day and that helps keep them from their students in some way. But if that assess- teacher at Northern Highlands Regional High getting too bottled up,” she says. ment is not appropriately targeted to demon- School in Allendale, NJ. “If it is spent with Harrell says that the Interpersonal mode strate what students are actually achieving— their heads in a textbook or weighed down is really a core element of his teaching, as an end-of-the-term multiple choice exam to with verb conjugations, they’re not using the he considers his entire class to basically be assess interpersonal conversational skills, for language. But, the more they are using it, an ongoing conversation with his students example—then no matter what grade they the more effectively they are learning it. So, in German. “Once you’ve really made that get, what exactly is this telling us? teachers need to give students a topic that is change and your students understand what Rather than tacking on an assessment meaningful for them and get them talking.” is happening and they buy into it, class time as an afterthought at the end of a unit, if a Buchbaum offers the example of a unit become a lot more fun for everyone—in- teacher uses the National Standards as the she does on relationships with her Spanish V cluding the teacher.” beginning point, then clear learning targets

36 The Language Educator I February 2012 Integrating Communication are identified from the outset—in fact they are stated quite explicitly. Because these goals are established and known, all instructional What the Survey Shows decisions can be derived from them. This method of “backward ” was first de- In 2008, ACTFL was awarded a three-year federal grant to assess the role that the scribed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in National Standards have had on the profession. This grant, A Decade of Foreign their , Understanding by Design (1998), Language Standards: Influence, Impact, and Future Directions, assembled data from and it is an important part of accurately a variety of evidence and has resulted in three reports that together show that the assessing students for their mastery of the Standards have indeed influenced and instigated change in how languages are taught communicative modes of the Communica- and learned. tion goal area of the National Standards. One of the findings of the survey based on the responses from state supervisors (20 “A backward-designed unit will establish of the 2,134 individuals surveyed) was that among the goal areas, Communication clear goals,” agrees Terrill. “Once those goals receives the most attention in terms of teaching emphasis and professional develop- are in place, it becomes possible to create an ment, with the other 4 Cs being less prominent. integrated performance assessment (IPA) for “There is a tendency to embrace Communication and Culture Standards and take that unit. While those assessments can take these on as a primary mission,” states the survey results document, available on the more time, they are truly designed to allow ACTFL website at www.actfl.org/standardsgrant. “That overlooks the purpose of the students to show what they know and can do Standards’ five-goal-area design, intended to promote greater interdisciplinary work in the language. They replace the assessments (Connections), more integrated cultural content and the vision of language as having that focused on right and wrong answers. real world communicative use (Communities). Evidence of Standards assessment Students demonstrate that they understand tends to be in term of Communication only.” and can communicate a message. Accuracy is June Phillips, co-chair of the Standards Impact Grant, has overseen the project part of the assessment, but understanding and which included the electronic survey and a review of the professional literature on the conveying the message is the primary focus.” Standards, says that it is not that surprising to discover that Communication is the A few myths that exist about doing this goal area most focused on by teachers. Another survey finding was that the majority kind of assessment include: (1) It is too hard; of professional development available at the district and state level was focused on (2) It is only for very experienced teachers Communication (and to a lesser degree, Culture) when compared with the other Cs. who have years in the classroom under their In fact, 90% of formal and informal professional development was on Communica- belts; (3) Teachers need to figure out how to tion, sometimes in combination with one or more of the other Cs. do it on their own or else forget about it. Despite the fact that survey respondents said that they saw Communication as the Daisy Laone, a Mandarin Chinese teacher “easiest to teach” of all the goal areas, Phillips notes that, “We still have a ways to go in at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School in New impressing people with the idea of communicative modes and how important they are.” Haven, CT, has exploded all those myths in She says the survey revealed some weaknesses in language educators’ knowl- her very first year teaching in an American edge. “People sometimes said that they were designing their instruction according to classroom. Laone uses the IPA to assess the Standards, but when looking at their specific responses, we could see they were still three communicative modes with her middle thinking in terms of skills. Others thought that teaching vocabulary or grammar were school students, following the format set out the end goal for teaching the communicative standards.” in The Keys to Assessing Language Perfor- The survey shows that many teachers have learned about the modes and know mance. “I set my goal first and then design what they are. “But the next level,” she says, “is to really get into understanding how the unit from there,” says Laone, “I design these modes operate in the real world, what their characteristics are, to find the ap- activities to help students achieve this goal. I propriate approaches for teaching them.” find the format very helpful so I can look into The literature search that was part of the grant project also revealed that more what I can actually use to negotiate meaning.” people are writing about those theoretical underpinnings and practices using the three Laone, who attended the STARTALK communicative modes. program for Chinese teachers in Glastonbury, “It’s a natural progression,” says Phillips. “You’ve got a new paradigm or model CT, for several years as well as other related (i.e., the National Standards) and then you have to keep exploring it.” workshops, has embraced a Standards-based approach at this starting point of her career teaching language in the United States. [Laone has previous experience teaching English in Taiwan.] She believes that profes- sional development is vital to language edu-

Continued on p. 39

The Language Educator I February 2012 37 How Well Do YOU Know the “Communication” POP QUIZ: Goal Area of the National Standards?

1. One of the five goals areas of the C. Students should only listen and B. Participating in an impromptu National Standards for Foreign speak in the beginning levels, add debate Language Learning is Communication. writing in the intermediate levels, C. Engaging in a conversation via Skype In the document’s introduction, and read literature in upper levels D. Writing a new ending for a story Communication is described as the D. Teachers spend more time correcting organizing principle for language students’ spoken and written errors 8. Students have communicated well if: learning in the following way: A. Their errors do not interfere with A. Listening, speaking, reading, and 4. Examples of Interpersonal comprehension of the listener, writing communication would include: reader, or viewer B. Memorizing vocabulary and A. Texting messages back and forth B. They paraphrase when they can’t grammatical structures with a friend think of the exact word C. Negotiating, creating, and B. Participating in an open-ended C. They ask their partners to rephrase understanding meaning discussion when they don’t understand D. Knowing how, when, and why to say C. Making a reservation on the phone D. All of the above what to whom D. All of the above 9. Teaching communicative language 2. What are the modes of communication 5. Examples of the Interpretive mode of functions will develop students’ as defined in the National Standards? communication are: proficiency. An example of a A. Language Functions, Grammatical A. Listening, reading, viewing communicative language function is: Structures, and Vocabulary B. Speaking, writing, visually A. Use of the past tense B. Identifying, Describing, Narrating, representing B. Compare and contrast Persuading, and Hypothesizing C. Both listening and speaking C. Use of an electronic/online translator C. Interpersonal, Interpretive, and D. Using a bilingual dictionary D. Translating full sentences Presentational D. Asking, Telling, Arguing, and 6. Interpretive communication is all of the 10. An effective model for assessing the Complaining following except: modes of communication is: A. Predicting what will happen next in A. Having students memorize dialogues 3. To help students acquire proficiency a story B. Using fill-in-the-blank worksheets in communication, an ACTFL position B. Using the gist to figure out the C. Integrated Performance Assessment statement recommends: meaning of new words D. Spelling quizzes A. Students should learn all the C. Translation Quiz created by ACTFL Associate Director of grammar rules first and then speak D. Making inferences based on evidence Professional Development Paul Sandrock only in complete sentences from an article B. Teachers and students use the target language as exclusively as possible 7. An example of Presentational (90%-plus) at all levels of instruction communication is:

during instructional time A. Reading a report written by a peer

communication org/targetlanguage , which also highlights the the highlights also which , . .

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P QUIZ P O P : : Answers Integrating Communication

Continued from p. 37 interpret the and must be able to ask and characters and interpersonal communication. answer unscripted questions about it.” “They’ll see that if you can only write pinyin, cators—both new and experienced—to stay Laone admits that she find the Interpre- people cannot read what you say and the up on the latest methods and to truly explore tive mode to be the most challenging in her communication is lost. We don’t write pinyin; and understand the standards. “I have other classes due to the complicated nature of we learn to write characters. I hope that will Chinese teachers ask me, “Why do you do Chinese characters. “I find it is most difficult also inspire my students, because they want that?’ And I say, ‘I learned it about this at for the students to understand and interpret to communicate with these other students.” STARTALK, ACTFL, or somewhere else.’ A what they have read. Also, if I have them Daisy Laone’s middle schoolers learning lot of times people focus on their own teach- write a paragraph, the words don’t come out Chinese, much like Robert Harrell’s German ing too much and they’re not getting new quite right. Sometimes, I will allow them to students or Sara Buchbaum’s Spanish learners information or hearing what other people are write in pinyin, not characters, as long as and virtually every other language student out saying. I think all teachers should be bring- they are able to express what they want to there—no matter the age, level, or language— ing new information into their classrooms.” say.” She says that it is a challenge to balance are expressing the same desire to be able to How this works in her classroom, for a focus on Communication and to also help learn and use language for real communication. example, would be for a unit on Community, students learn to write in characters. “I have “The more learners use the target language she might start out setting the goals for her to know where to push them and yet not kill in meaningful situations, the more rapidly students to create their own map, to be able to their interest in speaking Chinese.” they achieve competency,” states the Standards describe their communities and to be able to Because she knows her students over- document. As language educators, we owe it to ask for and give directions. “When I ask them whelmingly want to learn the language in our students to provide these opportunities. to make their own map of their mini-commu- order to communicate, her next step is to nity, they can negotiate the meaning to put coordinate a pen pal program with a school Sandy Cutshall is Editor of 4HE ,ANGUAGE %DUCATOR. the places on the map,” she says. “They also She is based in Mountain View, California, where she in Taiwan to build a relationship between her have to perform. The students create the map ALSO TEACHES %NGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND 53 students and native speakers, and also to help in groups and use interpersonal skills, asking citizenship preparation to adults. them make the connection between writing each other questions in the process. They also

ACTFL Webinar Series – Still Available On-Demand Available from the ACTFL Online Store: www.actfl.org/webinars s 4HE )NTEGRATED 0ERFORMANCE !SSESSMENT )0! -ANUAL 2011 Series Two: Assessments to Measure and Build s 4HE +EYS TO !SSESSING ,ANGUAGE 0ERFORMANCE Paul Sandrock Language Performance Paul Sandrock s 4HE +EYS TO THE #LASSROOM Paula Patrick s #REATING )NTERPRETIVE 4ASKS 4ARGETING 0ROlCIENCY ,EVELS s $ESIGNING 0RESENTATIONAL 0ERFORMANCE 4ASKS AND 4HEIR 2UBRICS Understanding by Design Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe s $EVELOPING #OMMUNICATION 3KILLS 4HROUGH )NTERPERSONAL Authentic Education Performance Tasks Additional resources supporting UbD Fall 2011 Series One: Engaging All Learners—Designing www.authenticeducation.org Effective Learning and Communicating Results Paula Patrick Teaching Foreign Languages K–12: A Library of Classroom s $ESIGNING ,ESSONS TO %NGAGE ,EARNERS Practices, Annenberg s $IFFERENTIATING TO 3UPPORT %ACH ,EARNER A video library illustrating effective instruction and assessment s #OMMUNICATING 3TUDENTS ,EARNING strategies for teaching languages. Fall 2011 Series Two: Enhancing Literacy—Improving www.learner.org/resources/series185.html Learners’ Proficiency Laura Terrill s 5NDERSTANDING #ONTENT 4EACHING 3TRATEGIES FOR THE Comprehensible Input Methods Interpretive Mode www.comprehensibleinput.com s #REATING #ONTENT 4EACHING 3TRATEGIES FOR THE Presentational Mode A Bibliography of Publications on the National Standards s $ISCUSSING #ONTENT 4EACHING 3TRATEGIES FOR THE (compiled as part of the Standards Impact Grant) Interpersonal Mode www.actfl.org/standardslibrary

The Language Educator I February 2012 39