General Guidelines for Implementing the
World Languages Curriculum

The guidelines for instruction in World Languages give a minimal outline of target objectives ad presuppose that each school program will:

1. Recognize that progress will be attained by all children through a given level per one school year.

2. Adapt the progression realistically according to the school’s time allotment for World Languages instruction and consider ways to increase the time allotment especially in the upper grades, using the curriculum outline as a pacing guide and determinant for time allotment adjustments.

3. Focus attention on the benchmarks of the core topics and allow teacher choice of enrichment topics as classroom learning units and children’s interests dictate.

4. Incorporate the use of World Languages into the school day as much as possible thus achieving an interdisciplinary approach with immediate application.

5. Encourage opportunities both within and outside the school for conversational practice apart from the formal World Languages instruction time.

6. Take great care to assure and assess correct pronunciation of sounds and words.

7. Provide support for parental involvement and encourage at-home practice, while informing parents at the beginning of the year and throughout the year of the scope and purpose of the language instruction, reminding them that complete fluency is not the established goal.

8. Welcome the assistance of World Languages representatives from the school, parish and neighborhood community to share with the children an expanded perspective and experience of World Languages and culture.

9. Seek feedback from local high schools as to their expectations and, as this curriculum is utilized, its effect on their incoming students’ ability to handle their freshman World Languages curriculum.