ERIC Number: ED378809
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1992-Sep
Pages: 6
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-127X
EISSN: N/A
Less Commonly Taught Languages in High School.
Watzke, John
Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, v58 n1 p69-72 1992
For a less commonly taught (LCT) language to thrive in a high school curriculum, issues of support and accessibility must be addressed. Counselors, administrators, and teachers must work together to show students that these are not difficult languages. Designing the programs for "gifted and talented" students unfairly excludes many capable ones, so a philosophy of equal access is important. Establishing and maintaining an LCT language must not fall totally on the teacher, but should be supported by district and building administration. Designating a classroom helps these languages find their identity within the school. The LCT language teacher's efforts to publicize it may be perceived as recruitment by other teachers; the teacher should meet with junior- and senior-high counselors to answer questions and address preconceived ideas about the languages' difficulty. A flier sent to entering freshmen can be useful. A language club helps reinforce the language and culture and promote its study. Enrolling freshmen helps ensure continued high enrollment. Creating a four-year sequence and preparing students for continued study in college also helps achieve success. Finally, a good relationship between the LCT and other language teachers is vital; enrollment issues and concerns about sharing classrooms should be discussed. (MSE)
Descriptors: Academic Advising, Access to Education, Administrator Role, Communicative Competence (Languages), Counselor Role, Curriculum Design, Educational Objectives, Enrollment Influences, Extracurricular Activities, High Schools, Language Enrollment, Second Language Instruction, Second Languages, Secondary School Curriculum, Space Utilization, Student Recruitment, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Role, Uncommonly Taught Languages
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Journal Articles; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Revised version of a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Washington, DC, November 1991).