Language Learning is Messy.
I was saying good-bye to my first graders after French class today, and one of them asked me about the ACTFL Proficiency Levels posted on the wall.
“What comes after Advanced Low?” he said.
I answered, “Advanced Mid?”
“What’s that?” they asked.
“I think that’s what I am?” I responded without complete certainty.
“And what are we? Novice low? Novice Mid?”
“Um…yes, somewhere in there,” I replied. And then I said, “Hey everyone, I need to tell you something important. Language learning is a messy process, and it takes a long time!”
That is a sentence I find myself uttering fairly often. At parent-teacher conferences. To administrators. To groups of students like this morning’s first graders. Over and over and over again to Denise, my teaching partner.
There are efforts to benchmark the process of language-learning. While I believe the ACTFL proficiency levels have their place and serve a function, I realize that as a language teacher with 23 years of experience, I just don’t think about the categories that much.
In our K-8 program, some students go on to place in French 4 in high school. Their comprehension is excellent, they can get their point across on a variety of topics, and they integrate new vocabulary and grammatical concepts with ease. Others don’t do these things quite as effectively, but they still have comfort with the language after practicing it for ten years.
As I have watched many students emerge from our long-sequence program, I am always struck by how personal the journey of language-learning is.
Different students have different strengths and weaknesses.
Some learn quickly, some more slowly.
Some have no fear blurting out whatever semblance of French comes to mind, while others approach speaking with a bit of hesitation and a concern for getting it right.
Some seem to understand right away; others look a little confused.
Some seem a bit lost for years, and then something clicks. Suddenly their learning speeds up and their confidence builds.
Some cannot conjugate effectively, but there is still a lot they can do.
All emerge with something they can use and a sense of ownership. The French they have is theirs, and they can use it.
I attribute this to regular practice over a long period of time and a safe environment to take risks. Our RLRA lessons provide that for the students. They have what they need to communicate. Some will take the conversation, run with it, and make it their own; others will stick to the script. They are all practicing, and that is what propels them forward.
And far more important than “reaching” a certain proficiency level is that forward movement. The language-learning path looks different for each student, and it is important to encourage them along the way and celebrate their progress however it might look.
