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Office of Academic Achievement through Language Acquisition

 

 Office of Academic Achievement through Language Acquisition 

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Foreign Language

Technical Assistance: These services, including foreign language inservice programs on a variety of topics, on-site consultations, public information and collaboration with professional organizations for foreign language education, are provided by the Office of Academic Achievement through Language Acquisition.

Required Instruction: Section 1007.261(1)(a), Florida Statutes, requires two credits of sequential foreign language instruction at the secondary level as a prerequisite for admission to all Florida state colleges and universities. A student whose native language is not English is exempt of this requirement, provided that the student demonstrates proficiency in his/her native language. Two credits of American Sign Language can satisfy the foreign language requirement.

Sunshine State Standards and Florida Curriculum Frameworks: The Florida State Board of Education adopted Florida State Rule 6A-1.09401 and with it, the Sunshine State Standards, Pre-K to 12 Foreign Languages. The Standards document describes what students should know and be able to do in foreign languages, while the more comprehensive companion document to the Sunshine State Standards, the Florida Curriculum Framework: Pre-K to 12 Foreign Languages, presents a unified vision for all foreign language programs in the state. It includes best foreign language instructional practices, a Pre-K to 12 grade performance-based curriculum (the Sunshine State Standards) and suggestions that address the implementation of effective foreign language programs. Copies of both the Florida Curriculum Framework: Pre-K to 12 Foreign Languages and the Sunshine State Standards, Pre-K to 12 Foreign Languages are available from the Office of Curriculum Services, (850) 245-0423.

Regular and Advanced Courses: The Florida Course Code Directory and Instructional Personnel Assignments - 2003-2004 includes 6-12 grade Regular, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) foreign language course codes. Copies of the Florida Course Code Directory and Instructional Personnel Assignments - 1994-95 and all of its addendums are available from the Office of Curriculum Services.

Academic Competitions: A number of local, regional, state and national foreign language competitions and contests are regularly advertised, and all are open to the general student population.

Foreign Languages in Elementary Schools (FLES): Many local school districts have established developmentally appropriate foreign language and home language instructional programs in elementary schools.

Foreign Language Experience (FLEX): Local school districts have established elementary or middle school exploratory foreign language instructional programs in their schools. The aim of FLEX programs is not communicative proficiency, but to motivate the student to future participation in a foreign language program by exposing the student to foreign languages and cultures.

Foreign Language Resource Center: AALA has established this resource center to provide samples of culturally authentic instructional materials for the use of both teachers and students of foreign languages: textbooks, reference books, magazines, films, and audio recordings from the native cultures. The Foreign Language Resource Center has instructional and reference materials published in Chinese, English, French, German, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Vietnamese, as well cultural materials for Classical Greek and Latin.

Other sites of interest: