No, there are no common core standards for Modern Languages. Yes, Modern Language teachers are looking at the English Language Arts Common Core. No, those teachers should not panic.
I have been in education for over 40 years. I have seen many many movements and new approaches. I have been in education long enough to see the same movement resurface with a new name. With each new building principal came a new way of doing things, with each new superintendent came the newest approach, and with each new leader of state education or professional organization came a new vision. Usually the new approach, especially the common core in Modern Language, does not require multiple days of professional development even a half day; most times modern language teachers can make the change within about an hour.
I have used a simple technique to change to any new approach. I analyze the new approach thoroughly and then determine
1. What am I presently doing that directly fits in that approach?
2. What am I doing that I can modify slightly to fit the approach? Sometimes it is as simple as a name change or where something goes in a lesson. For example, what is the new name for an anticipatory set? I believe that Common Core English just uses different labels than we do in Modern Languages when we use the labels from ACTFL or state guidelines.
3. What do I have to change completely or add to what I already do?
I am waiting for someone to develop the magic cheat sheet that converts the English Language Arts Common Core to Modern Language learning. We already do them, we just have to give our activities a new name or number.
I have attended two workshops on Common Core and Modern Languages and neither kept it simple. In fact, I walked out more confused than when I went in. A Modern Language department could do a CC to ML conversion chart in about a fifty minute meeting.
If you know of anyone who has developed the magic conversion chart, please let me know so I can share it with other Modern Language teachers.
I have developed many Spanish activities that allow students to begin to express themselves and to begin to move toward spontaneous speaking as in a natural conversation. My Spanish spontaneous speaking activities (20+) includes Modified Speed Dating (Students ask a question from a card-whole class), Structured Speaking (Students substitute in or select words to communicate in pairs), Role Playing (Students talk as people in pictures or drawing from 2-4 people) and Speaking Mats (Can talk using a wide variety of nouns, verbs and adjectives to express their ideas- pairs or small group), Spontaneous Speaking (based on visuals or topics in pairs), and Grammar speaking games (pairs or small group). Available for a nominal fee at Teacherspayteachers: http://bit.ly/tpthtuttle
My three formative assessment books: http://is.gd/tbook
