This workshop introduces language educators at all levels to Standards for Foreign Language Learning and their vital implications for what happens in the classroom. Participants will gain a basic understanding of this new framework. Tools for applying the National Standards in the classroom will be explored and demonstrated.

This workshop provides an introduction to the three Communicative Modes (Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational).  Participants will reflect on how this definition differs from current practice. Classroom activities on the management of interpersonal communication (negotiation of meaning), interpretive communication (strategies for the teaching of listening and reading), and presentational communication (speaking and writing) will be demonstrated. Participants will identify a personal plan of action for integrating the Communication Standards into their instructional program.

The role of the Connections Standards will be discussed. Ideas and strategies for making connections with other disciplines and acquiring new information will be generated. Participants will develop short- and long-range plans for the implementation of the Connections Standards for classroom instruction and formulate strategies for their inclusion in the foreign language curriculum.

The framework on which the culture standards is based and analysis of the three elements of culture—perspectives, practices and products are discussed. There is an in-depth examination of how perspectives, practices and products of culture relate to each other and how they can be incorporated into the foreign language classroom. Hands-on practice in planning for the inclusion of Cultures and Comparisons in classroom practice is provided. The role of the Cultures and Comparisons standards within the “Five C’s” of Foreign Language Education is reviewed.

Focusing on higher student performance, this workshop will look at long-range and short-range planning strategies, lesson design, classroom practices, and assessment tools within the framework of the communication modes (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational) of National Standards. The implications of the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners will be discussed, and participants will develop practical  applications for use in teaching and assessing foreign language learners in the 21st Century.