The 5 C's are the new standards for
Foreign Language Learning

  1. Communication: ¡Piensa en Español!
    presents -in current context—world news, current events, spoken idioms, movie reviews, travel, grammar, and more! The student's prior knowledge allows them to utilize the information in ¡Piensa en Español! to engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
     
  2. Cultures: The students gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures through authentic articles written in ¡Piensa en Español! by Spanish Heritage speakers.
     
  3. Connections: Articles in ¡Piensa en Español! reinforce and further the student's knowledge of other disciplines (history, geography, science, health, etc.), presenting articles through distinctive viewpoints available only through the Spanish language and the Spanish Culture.
     
  4. Comparisons: As students read ¡Piensa en Español!, they develop an insight into the nature of the Spanish language as it relates to the Spanish culture through linguistic comparisons between Spanish idioms and English idioms.
     
  5. Communities: ¡Piensa en Español! is a magazine that will appeal to the life-long Spanish student, as it can be used for personal enjoyment and enrichment, as it prepares students to LIVE the language both within the school environment and beyond.

ACTFL continues to play a leadership role in the collaborative project that was responsible for the development of national content standards for foreign language education. The project continues to operate, focusing now on professional standards, and the development of programs and publications to assist in the implementation of standards nationwide.

Statement of Philosophy:
Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. The United States must educate students who are linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical. Children who come to school from non-English backgrounds should also have opportunities to develop further proficiencies in their first language.

COMMUNICATION
Communicate in Languages Other Than English

  • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
     
  • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
     
  • Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

COMPARISONS
Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

  • Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
     
  • Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

CULTURES
Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

  • Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
     
  • Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.

COMMUNITIES
Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World

  • Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.
     
  • Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

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