Position Statement on Use of the Target Language in the Classroom
 
 
Research indicates that effective language instruction must provide significant levels of meaningful communication* and interactive feedback in the target language in order for students to develop language and cultural proficiency. The pivotal role of target-language interaction in language learning is emphasized in the K-16 Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. ACTFL therefore recommends that language educators and their students use the target language as exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instruction during instructional time and, when feasible, beyond the classroom. In classrooms that feature maximum target-language use, instructors use a variety of strategies to facilitate comprehension and support meaning making. For example, they:
 
  1. provide comprehensible input that is directed toward communicative goals;
  2. make meaning clear through body language, gestures, and visual support;
  3. conduct comprehension checks to ensure understanding;
  4. negotiate meaning with students and encourage negotiation among students;
  5. elicit talk that increases in fluency, accuracy, and complexity over time;
  6. encourage self-expression and spontaneous use of language;
  7. teach students strategies for requesting clarification and assistance when faced with comprehension difficulties; and
  8. offer feedback to assist and improve students’ ability to interact orally in the target language.
 
 
*Communication for a classical language refers to an emphasis on reading ability and for American Sign Language (ASL) to signed communicative ability.
 
 
Approved by the ACTFL Board of Directors 5-22-10