WORLD LANGUAGES STANDARDS

National Standards for Language Learning and 21st

Century Skills for World Languages – How does the Sony
Virtuoso™ Language Lab Technology Measure Up?
by Marisol Greenwald, Language Teacher

Let me take this opportunity to address the National Standards Students who are able to research a variety of topics such
for Foreign Language Education and the 21st Century Skills as finances, geography, history, politics, religions, etc. and
Map for World Languages and how the Sony language lab discuss these with native speakers in their language have
technology that I teach with provides a platform to easily developed a better sense of global awareness. The key
provide students with lessons and activities to help develop factor in all is the ability to use the target language in a
these skills. variety of settings.

4. C
 omparisons — the study of similarities and differences
National Standards – The 5Cs between languages and cultures. As students engage in
First and most obvious: The authentic language activities, they are forced to reflect on
language lab is the ideal the differences and similarities and, in so doing, gain a
COMMUNICATION
arena to integrate the three better understanding of their own language and culture.
modes of communication 5. C
 ommunities — the extension from classroom to
COMMUNITIES CULTURES
(Interpretive, Interpersonal and community offers experience with real-life situations.
Presentational) and develop This could be as basic as writing emails to students in
language skills. Let’s look at other schools, cities or countries. The technology is now
COMPARISONS CONNECTIONS
the 5 C’s - the five goals for available for students to interact with native speakers,
language learning as identified making their language study applicable outside the school
by the National Standards for environment.
Foreign Language Education1: Communication, Culture,
Connections, Comparisons and Communities. The very Having reviewed each of these standards and how they
nature of a language lab supports these goals. can be applied to language lab activities demonstrates how
1. Communication — the ability to understand and convey supportive the language lab is of language learning goals set
ideas orally and in writing. These include listening to by the national standards.
authentic audio, presenting information, exchanging
ideas, etc. 21st Century Learning Skills
2. C
 ulture — the study of the language and of the people who
speak the language. The two are impossible to separate. A lot of research is being done
Authentic audio, video clips, Internet resources, music, etc. to map the skills needed to be
offer insight into the lives of those who speak the language a 21st Century Skilled Learner.
and provide a way for students to learn about the culture These maps tell us that this
by studying the products, practices and perspectives of the learner is one who understands
target area cultures and comparing them with their own. and can communicate with
native speakers about a variety
3. C
 onnections — the transfer of knowledge and its of world topics. These 21st
application to different situations in the target language. century learners understand our differences and similarities,
how others think, live and view the world. None of this can be
1 ACTFL National Standards – www.actfl.org With the help of a three-year grant from the U.S.
achieved without direct communication. In the past, emphasis
Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities, an eleven-member was placed on making students read and learn about other
task force, representing a variety of languages, levels of instruction, program models, and
geographic regions, undertook the task of defining content standards — what students should cultures, research their ideals and customs, and observe
know and be able to do — in foreign language education. The final document, Standards for
Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century
other lifestyles. Today, the focus has changed to an interactive study, one that requires the use of the target language and the
application of the standards. We speak the language, we don’t speak about it. This is exactly what the language lab emphasizes.

A task force under the direction of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), working in conjunction
with the the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21)2, developed the P21 Skills Map for World Languages which identifies specific
ways of integrating necessary skills into the curriculum. In the study, a “Then and Now” look at language teaching gives us a clear
perspective on how things have changed. I’d like to focus on some of the points made in the P21 map, add some of my own, and,
once again, underline how language lab technology facilitates the current trend.

In the Past Current Focus Language Lab as Facilitator

All students are engaged in active oral and
Students learn about the language. Students learn to use the language.
written communication.
Monitoring capabilities allow teachers to
Teacher-centered class. Teacher is facilitator. assist as needed and to individualize that
assistance.

Focus on three modes– interpersonal, Lessons easily integrate all language

Focus on isolated skills. interpretive and presentational and the skills. Most lab activities are designed to
integration of all language skills. include more than one component.

While using authentic language, students

Teaching language within many
Only teaching language. learn more than language, they also learn
contexts as an academic content area.
culture, history, geography, etc.

The lab allows students to self-pace and

teachers to assign different outcomes
Same instruction for all. Differentiated instruction.
simultaneously by grouping students with
different tasks as needed.

Individual students or groups Model student and model group facilitate

Emphasis on teacher as presenter.
become the presenters. the role of the student as the presenter.
Pairing, conferencing and screen-sharing
Students collaborate on tasks and
Students work in isolation. encourage collaborative work in a focused
become creators.
environment.

No need to call on students one at a time.

All students are actively engaged
Students take turns participating. Most activities are conducted with all
100% of the time.
students participating simultaneously.

Lab features allow students to

Assessment of what students Assessment of what students are able
demonstrate knowledge in an easy to
do not know. to do in the target language.
administer, collect and evaluate format.

About the Author:

Marisol Greenwald is a Spanish language
educator at the high school and community
college levels. Marisol has authored
several instructional books on integrating
 21 – www.p21.org The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) has forged alliances with key national
2P
organizations that represent the core academic subjects. These collaborations have resulted in the technology into world language classes and
development of 21st Century Skills Maps that illustrate the intersection between core subjects and 21st
Century Skills. Developed through a year-long collaborative process, spearheaded by the American Council
is an educational consultant to SANS Inc.
on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and P21, this map reflects the collective effort of hundreds of
World Language teachers and illustrates the integration of World Languages and 21st Century Skills.

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North Branford, CT 06471
SANS Inc. is the worldwide developer and distributor for the Sony Virtuoso™ and Soloist® Language Lab Software Suite and the SANSSpace™
Virtual Language Learning Environment (VLLE). Virtuoso and Soloist are trademarks of Sony Electronics Inc. Sony Virtuoso and Soloist software
incorporate SANS and Sony technology. SANSSpace is a trademark of SANS Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2013 Marisol Greenwald. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by SANS Inc. with permission. StandardsWP-0213