State+of+the+Art

=** National Standards for Foreign Language Education **= In terms of language learning, it can be difficult to know which tools are appropriate for teaching language. The American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has issued National Standards that touch on areas of:
 * Communication: the reason we want to learn the language
 * Cultures: the background of the language and its uses by native speakers
 * Connections: making links between the language and other subjects and content
 * Comparisons: students compare cultures, languages, and content
 * Communities: virtual or physical places in which the target language can be used

The video "Foreign Language Teachers: The ACTFL 5 C's" by foreignlanguagehouse gives an overview and suggestions of how to used the 5Cs in their lessons.

The article “Foreign Language Standards” written by Diane Farrug gives fantastic metaphors as to how the 5 Cs coined by the ACTFL relate to a well balanced meal.

As proposed by Andrea Henderson in the article “Resources: keeping them real and keeping them together” as part of the Technology in Modern Foreign Languages, edited by Jose Picardo, the National Standards for Foreign Language Education provide educators with a good foundation and criteria to use when selecting various technological tools and mediums to use in their Personal Learning Networks as well as with students. Educators can use these standards to create a vision and mission statement of what they will do to help their students learn language.

Resources:

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (1996). National Standards for Foreign Language Education. Retrieved November 24, 2013 from []

Henderson, A. (2010). Resources: keeping them real and keeping them together. In J. Picardo's (Ed.), //Technology in Modern Foreign Languages: A Practitioner's Perspective.// pp. 20-22.

(Submitted by Robyn Feeney)