Dear class,
Here is an issue worth blogging about (separate from the questions on readings that Jonathan is posting for us).
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/pdf/sb497.pdf
Several GA Senators are proposing that all high school FL teachers be moved to elementary schools and then all high school FL classes be taught online. That would land many students in my CALL class 
But, apart from my egoistic thoughts, I find this piece of legislature ahead of its time- April 1st is not here yet… What do you think?
I know there are teachers’ unions and everything, but is there any association to advocate for the specific concerns of foreign language teachers in Georgia? This idea seems about twenty years old — despite its supposedly cutting-edge incorporation of virtual classes. To relegate FL teachers to instructing 6 year olds more or less reduces language to a bare bones communicative function in which the highly disputable potential for proficiency acheived through early education is key. Meanwhile, it neglects the almost unique capacity of the high school FL classroom as a site for critical inquiry, good citizenship, and inter/intra-cultural competence… Or is it precisely this function that lawmakers are seeking to sever from the study of foreign language?
This is just the latest in a string of bad ideas in state education policy that seek to de-emphasize and dumb down the FL curriculum.
wow! What a bold move. The one good thing is increase in Elementary School foreign instruction. America has been in the need of that for some time.
I guess it says something about HS FL curriculum: an elementary student can have taco day and sing some songs in Spanish and learn a few vocab words and maybe even have a penpal just like the HS students do (I know jonathan’s going to get me for that one, but lets face it, Jonathan represents a minority when it comes to K-12 FL teachers in terms of preparation, student engagement, cultural learning, etc.). I was blown away when I realized that 5 on an AP Spanish test, the highest level taught at our high school, was worth only 202 credit at the university! 12 years of Spanish that could be made up in two honors semesters at the University!
Although I think it’s a good idea to incorporate foreign language into elementary school, I don’t think it’s a good idea to REMOVE it from HS. It would be better to ADD FL to elementary to be built on in HS. Also, it’s not fair to move high school teachers to elementary schools as a matter of course. Many teachers teach the grade level that most appeals to them. I taught high school French one year and didn’t care for it. I’ve found my niche with adults. I would not be happy teaching elementary age children or HS for that matter.
By the way, I’m in a MA-TESL program at the University of Texas at San Antonio. My professor is in communication with your professor and published this blog. Thanks!