Standards: World and Native Languages

The World and Native Languages Standards describe what students should know and be able to do as they study and learn to communicate in languages other  than English. By engaging in learning a world language, students build 21st century literacy skills. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing are integral to the language learning process. This approach to language learning focuses on performance and aims to build learners’ capacity to use the language(s) in functional and meaningful ways. These standards state what students need to know about languages and cultures, including their own; what students need to be able to do to demonstrate language proficiency; and how this knowledge and these abilities relate to the subject matter of other core areas.

Term to know: ACTFL - American Council for Teachers of Foreign Language

• Proficiency vs. Performance
• ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
• ACTFL Performance Level Descriptors
  • Interpersonal Mode - ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learning
  • Interpretive Mode - ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learning
  • Presentational Mode - ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learning

• ACTFL Can-Do Statements (2026)
  • ACTFL Can Do Statement Overview
  • ACTFL Interculteral Communication and the Intercultural Reflection Tool
  • Can-Do Benchmark Indicators 11x17
  • Proficiency Benchmarks + Performance Indicators + Examples (Novice)
  • Proficiency Benchmarks + Performance Indicators + Examples (Intermediate)
  • Proficiency Benchmarks +Performance Indicators + Examples (Advanced)

• The Benefits of Learning Languages (ACTFL)
• Guiding Principles for Language Learning (ACTFL)
• Administrator Guide for Classical Languages
• Administrator Guide for Dual & Heritage Languages
• Administrator Guide for Modern Languages

HQIM (High-Quality Instructional Materials) are curricula and learning resources that are:

Aligned to rigorous academic standards
Built on evidence-based instructional practices

These materials go beyond textbooks—they include lesson plans and instructional strategies crafted to help students meet high academic expectations. (ANet)

• Implementation Guide of High-Quality Instructional Materials (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education)
• Principles of Effective World Language Programs (HQIM)
• 2023 World Language HQIM Review Rubric
• High Quality Instructional Materials Review Rubric for World Languages
• Instrucctional Materials Review Rubric - Short

• Edutopia Articles on World Languages
• Foreign Language Teaching Methods: Professional Development Modules for Foreign Language Instruction at High School and College Level
• What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instructiom in the Classroom

• American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)
• American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
• American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI)
• American Association of Teachers of Korean (AATK)
• American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuese (AATSP)
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTL)
• Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS)
• Chinese Language Teacehrs Association (CLTA)
• Goethe Institute
• Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco 
• National Council of Organzations of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL)
• National Network for Early language Learning (NNELL)
• The Japan Foundation

Creating a Proficiency-Driven Classroom

Implementing the World and Native Languages

Using Backward Design in the World Language Classroom