THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION: MODERN LANGUAGES AND

GLOBAL LITERACY

To be addressed:

Are we creating global citizens?

How can foreign language programs help?

The direction of U.S. Education

Are we creating global citizens? Globalization: “In a 21st-century world where jobs can

be shipped wherever there's an Internet connection, where a child born in Dallas is now competing with a child in New Delhi, where your best job qualification is not what you do, but what you know -- education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it's a prerequisite for success.” (Obama).

According to the Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey from National Geographic, a poll of 3,000 18 to 24 year olds in multiple countries including the U.S.:

“Fewer than three in ten think it's absolutely necessary to know where countries in the news are located.”

“Only 14 percent believe speaking another language fluently is a necessary skill.”

“Seventy-four percent said English is the most commonly spoken native language in the world (it's Mandarin Chinese).”

“…63 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to correctly locate [Iraq] on a map of the Middle East.

“Seventy percent could not find Iran or Israel.”

“Only 20 percent of Americans have passports and only 2 percent go abroad during college exchange programs.” ~Living Languages

“Between 1990 and 2000 there was a 57 percent increase in foreign born citizens.” ~Living Languages

America facing Globalization Breaking down of trade barriers

Internet and the exporting of services

National Security in a multicultural world

Remaining competitive in a changing world

How can Foreign Languages help?

Benefits

Affective Cognitive Academic

Affective Benefits

Global

Awareness

Opportunity Travel

Global Awareness

New perspectives: changing lenses

Empathy towards the peoples of the world

National Security: resolving conflict and shedding the isolationist perception

Travel

Travel with ease and peace of mind

Knowledge of region brings significance

Become more than a tourist

Opportunity

Chance to study abroad

Unlocks access to more scholarships

Marketability

Cognitive benefits

Mental Flexibility

Metalinguistic

Awareness

Attention

Control

Mental Flexibility

Utilizing multiple codes

Enlarging the toolbox

The ability to shift and harness differing frameworks

Metalinguistic Awareness The ability to think about language itself

Understanding of linguistic concepts

Deepening of first language comprehension

"What is involved is a process in which the study of a different language gives a person an understanding of the nature of language itself, a sense of structure that is difficult to acquire from studying one's own familiar language. Any new language forces us to think why...we need to do what we do to express ourselves clearly.“

Vermont Royster

Attention Control

Prioritizing, shifting, and focusing attention where needed

Constant need to choose the right language in the right context can serve to develop the prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex is home to Executive functioning in the brain

Academic Benefits

Higher

Test Scores

Science

Math

English

Reading

Academic Benefits

Studies show correlation with higher scores and foreign language learning in:Math computations and math problem

SolvingEnglishReadingThe ability to generate high quality scientific

hypotheses

Steps towards Global education in the U.S National legislation and Initiatives

Wyoming Initiatives

National and State legislation and program initiatives

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

National Foreign Language Coordination Act of 2009 (S.1010)

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues

Learning from and working with those who are culturally diverse

Understanding  other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English languages

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills14 Participating States :

Arizona Illionios Iowa Kansas

Louisiana Maine Mass. Nevada

New Jersey

North Carolina Ohio South

Dakota

West

VirginiaWisconsin

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills North Carolina in the World

Global Literacy for Wisconsin

National Foreign Language Coordination Act of 2009 (S.1010)

Found a National Foreign Language Coordination Council

Implement national security initiatives

Implement language education initiatives.

Wyoming

The state legislation appropriates 5 million dollars in funds to support a 5 year pilot program in foreign languages for grades K-8

Hathaway Scholarships require 2 years of foreign language study

Citations: ACTFL. (n.d.). Studies supporting increased academic

achievement. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4525

Center for International Understanding. (n.d.). North Carolina's Global Education Movement. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from North Carolina in the World: http://www.ncintheworld.org/

COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. (2006, July 2). Education for Global Leadership: Th e Importance of International Studies and Foreign Language Education for U.S. Economic and National Security. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from Committee for Economic Development: www.ced.org

International Education Council. (2005, February 09). International Education: Recommendations for Global Literacy. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from Wisconsin State Department of Edcuation:

http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/pdf/ie-recom.pdf

Joint National Committee for Languages and National Council for Languages and International Studies. (n.d.). Welcome. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from JNCL-NCLIS: http://www.languagepolicy.org/

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project. (2006). Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. Lawrence, KS: Allen Press, Inc.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). Overview. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from The Partnership for 21st Century skills: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php

Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2008). Living Languages. London: Praeger.

Trivedi, B. P. (2002, November 20). Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from National Geographic News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1120_021120_GeoRoperSurvey_2.html

Weatherford, J. H. (1986, October 01). Personal Benefits of Foreign Language Study. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from ERIC Digest: http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-924/study.htm