Standards-Based Language Teaching

Summary

This video lesson explores the standards-based language teaching (SBLT) approach, developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in the 1990s. The lesson delves into its origins, emphasizing a shift from traditional methods to focus on outcomes and language use. The SBLT framework outlines 11 content standards, grouped into five key goal areas: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. It also highlights how these standards are implemented in Morocco, fostering global competence and providing flexibility in teaching strategies. The SBLT approach promotes learner autonomy, cultural awareness, and interdisciplinary connections to enhance foreign language education.

Takeaways

• 😀 SBLT (Standards-Based Language Teaching) originated in the 1990s by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
• 😀 The approach represents a paradigm shift from input-focused methods to an output-based focus, emphasizing language learners' ability to demonstrate learning outcomes.
• 😀 In SBLT, there are three types of standards: content standards, performance standards, and proficiency standards.
• 😀 Content standards specify what learners should know and be able to do with the language, focusing on practical language use.
• 😀 Performance standards measure how learners demonstrate their achievements through activities like speaking, writing, listening, or reading.
• 😀 Proficiency standards provide criteria to evaluate how well learners have achieved content standards.
• 😀 The Five C’s of SBLT—Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities—are the core goal areas around which the content standards are structured.
• 😀 The goal area of 'Communication' includes three standards: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication modes.
• 😀 'Cultures' in SBLT integrates understanding of cultural perspectives, practices, and products as key to effective language learning.
• 😀 The goal area 'Connections' encourages interdisciplinary learning, linking language study to other subjects like science, history, and geography.
• 😀 SBLT was adopted in Morocco in 2007, allowing flexibility for teachers, learners, and textbook designers while maintaining focus on the desired outcomes of language learning.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of standards-based language teaching (SBLT)?

The primary focus of SBLT is to describe the expected outcomes for language learners, emphasizing skills, knowledge, and behaviors that learners should demonstrate to show they have successfully learned the language.

How does standards-based language teaching differ from previous teaching methods?

Unlike traditional methods that prescribe what to teach and how to teach, SBLT focuses on setting clear outcomes or standards that define what learners should be able to do with the language. It prioritizes measuring learners' progress towards these goals rather than dictating the specific content or methods.

What are the three types of standards in SBLT?

The three types of standards in SBLT are content standards, performance standards, and proficiency standards. Content standards specify what learners should know and be able to do with the language, performance standards describe how learners will demonstrate their abilities, and proficiency standards provide criteria for evaluating learners' achievements.

What is the role of the 'Five Cs' in the standards-based language teaching framework?

The 'Five Cs' (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities) represent the five key goal areas of SBLT. These goal areas help organize the 11 content standards and guide language learners towards achieving global competence in both language skills and cultural understanding.

How does SBLT promote intercultural competence?

SBLT promotes intercultural competence through the goal area of 'Cultures,' where learners explore cultural perspectives, practices, and products. This allows students to compare their own culture with that of the target language's culture, fostering tolerance and understanding of cultural differences.

What are the key features of the 'Communication' goal area in SBLT?

The 'Communication' goal area includes three standards: interpersonal communication, interpretive communication, and presentational communication. These standards focus on developing learners' ability to engage in conversations, understand messages, and present information effectively in both spoken and written forms.

What are 'Cultural Products' in the context of SBLT?

Cultural products refer to the material objects that are part of a culture, such as tools, books, clothes, meals, folklore, dance, music, drinks, laws, games, and crafts. Understanding these products helps learners contextualize the language and gain insight into the culture that speaks it.

How does SBLT enhance global competence?

SBLT enhances global competence by encouraging learners to apply language skills in real-world contexts, promoting intercultural communication, and fostering the development of critical thinking, reflective skills, and the ability to adapt in both local and global communities.

How does the standards-based approach allow flexibility for teachers and learners?

The standards-based approach gives teachers, learners, and textbook designers the freedom to select and organize materials, techniques, and strategies that best suit their context, as long as the desired learning outcomes or standards are met. This contrasts with more traditional methods that specify exact content and teaching procedures.

What role does the Moroccan context play in the implementation of SBLT?

In Morocco, SBLT has been adopted since 2007, becoming the reference framework for teaching English. The approach has given more freedom to teachers and textbook designers to choose the materials and strategies they use to achieve the desired outcomes, reflecting the flexibility and adaptability of the method.