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 Distance Learning in Foreign Languages

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DISTRICT SUPERVISORS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES (NADSFL)
Position Paper
The Role of the Foreign/Second Language Supervisor

The citizen of the twenty-first century will find language proficiency a vital life skill. In recognition of this, foreign language is included as a core subject in the Goals 2000 Educate America Act, and the foreign language profession has developed national standards for foreign/ second language education. To provide a high-quality program that implements the national standards and serves the needs of students and the nation, local school districts must have specialists with subject-specific expertise to effect needed change.

The district foreign/second language supervisor provides the following services:

  1. Provides leadership in the ongoing and implementation of the foreign/second language program that meets the needs of all students as well as the critical language needs of the United States.
  2. Provides professional development for instructional improvement based on current research, trends in language teaching, and district needs.
  3. Stays knowledgeable about the development of learning materials by publishers and others, as well as supervising the selection and acquisition of appropriate textbooks, ancillary materials, and technology.
  4. Provides leadership in developing and carrying out district-wide co-curricular and extracurricular foreign/second language activities for students.
  5. Serves as a resource on effective language instruction, national issues, and related legislation for all district staff and the community.
  6. Stays abreast of trends and issues in language education and brings innovation and renewal to instruction.
  7. Collaborates with teachers to promote instructional consistency and a shared direction and with colleagues in other content areas on interdisciplinary curriculum and staff development.
  8. Develops appropriate budget, seeks additional funding, and manages grants to bring innovative programs, courses, and techniques to the district.
  9. Serves as a liaison with appropriate district, state, and national agencies and universities.
  10. Stays actively involved in foreign/second language organizations and provides up-to-date knowledge to the district.
  11. Serves as a source of specialized information on language teachers and learning for district staff, board members, and the community.

(In collaboration with and based on work done by the Texas Association for Language Supervision and the Southwest Partners for Leadership in Language Education. 1995)

The Foreign/Second Language Supervisor
Advantages of the Position

The position of a foreign/second language supervisor offers advantages above and beyond that of a generalist. The second language supervisor possesses specialized knowledge of language acquisition, materials, content, methodology, second language learning styles, and best practice knowledge. Content specific knowledge can help to articulate a program knowledgeably, provide specific information, ideas, methodology, and techniques to maintain and improve language programs.

Generalist
(overall requirements)		 Specialist
(overall requirements)
1. Provides opportunities for language teachers to meet together to work on program, curriculum, and articulation. 1. Provides leadership in the ongoing design and implementation of the foreign/second language program dealing with program, curriculum, and articulation.
2. Works with teachers on improving methods, techniques, and skills. 2. Works with teachers on improving methods, techniques, and skills through professional development for instructional improvement based on current research, trends in language teaching, and district needs.
3. Provides materials as requested by staff. 3. Stays knowledgeable about the development of foreign/second language learning materials by publishers and others, as well as supervising the selection and acquisition of appropriate textbooks, ancillary materials, and technology.
4. Provides for general activities. 4. Provides leadership in developing and carrying out district-wide co-curricular and extracurricular foreign/second language activities for students.
5. Provides limited information. 5. Serves as a resource on effective foreign/second language instruction, national issues, and related legislation for all district staff and the community.
6. Provides limited information. 6. Stays abreast of trends and issues in foreign/second language education and brings innovation and renewal to instruction.
7. Offers opportunities for teachers to meet. 7. Collaborates with teachers to promote instructional consistency and shared direction and with colleagues in other content areas on interdisciplinary curriculum an staff development.
8. Works with budget and its requirements. 8. Develops appropriate budget, seeks additional funding, and manages grants to bring innovative foreign/second language programs, courses, and techniques to the district.
9. Works with general education agencies. 9. Serves as a liaison with appropriate district, state, and national agencies and universities.
10. Stays actively involved in general education organizations. 10. Stays actively involved in foreign/second language organizations and provides up-to-date knowledge to the district.
11. Explains district programs to parents and community leaders. 11. Explains the district's foreign/second language program to parents and community leaders.
12. Serves as a general information source. 12. Serves as a source of specialized information on foreign/second language teaching and learning for district staff, board members, and the community.

(In collaboration with and based on work done by the Texas Association for Language Supervision and the Southwest Partners for Leadership in Language Education. November 14, 1999)

The Language Supervisor:
An Indispensable Part of a Quality Language Program

The citizen of the twenty-first century will find language proficiency in a vital life skill, not an ancillary one. In recognition of this, international education and the study of foreign languages are included in the National Education Goals adopted in 1990 by the nation's governors and endorsed by the President. More recently, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act includes languages as a core subject and national foreign language standards have been developed. To implement these national standards, it will be necessary to provide sound instructional programs supervised by personnel and subject-specific expertise. The role of the local supervisor is crucial in effecting needed change.

Some functions that the language supervisor performs are generic to all school personnel, such as promoting high expectations for students and staff; supporting a positive caring climate for learning in an orderly, purposeful environment; communicating with parents and the community; working as a member of the district team to carry out the district's mission; and setting and carrying out goals for personal professional development.

However, most tasks are subject specific. Although they vary from district to district, the tasks generally include the following:

Job Description

The supervisor's job has five components: what is taught, how it is taught, what it is taught with, how it is enriched, and how it is explained to others.

Curriculum design and implementation

  • Provides leadership in the ongoing design and implementation of a variety of foreign/second language programs and courses that meet the needs of all students as well as the critical language needs of the community, state, and nation.
  • Provides leadership in selecting course goals, objectives, and teaching and assessment activities that foster success for students with differing learning styles, abilities and interests.
  • Provides leadership in the continuous development, distribution and implementation of curriculum guides for each language course.
  • Promotes instructional strategies that lead to real language proficiency in culturally authentic situations.
  • Systematically and continuously monitors instructional processes to ensure that language class activities are related to desired program outcomes.
  • Works with staff to ensure that curriculum accountability and revision are continuous and responsive to student needs.
  • Gathers and compiles assessment and other data for use in program improvement.
  • Makes suggestions for updating language programs to include the latest technology, such as multimedia and telecommunications.
  • Promotes collaboration with other departments to integrate language study with other curricula.
  • Confers with parents, teachers, students, and/or administrators to interpret assessment data, instructional procedures, and student progress.
  • Facilitates articulation between levels.

Staff recruitment and development

  • Provides professional development instruction improvement activities based on current research, trends in foreign/second language teaching, and district needs.
  • Assists in improving the foreign/second language instructional program through classroom visitation and teacher conferences.
  • Works with school personnel to assist individual teachers who need help in methodology, classroom management, and in locating and obtaining instructional materials.
  • Provides and communicates opportunities for professional growth.
  • Conducts performance assessment of teachers as requested.
  • Participates, as appropriate, in teacher recruitment, hiring, placement, and intervention.

Teaching materials and equipment

  • Supervises the district-wide selection of foreign/second textbooks and ancillary materials for each course.
  • Researches and recommends appropriate materials, supplies, and technology pertinent to each language program.
  • Budgets for and purchases materials and equipment.
  • Disseminates instructional resources to support teaching staff in accomplishing instructional goals.
  • Analyzes facility and equipment needs such as audio, video and computer equipment for optimum teaching and learning and makes appropriate recommendations for implementation and integration into language courses.
  • Develops, with instructional staff, criteria for choosing teaching materials and equipment, analyzes bids, and recommends selections for purchase.

District-wide activities

  • Provides leadership in developing and carrying out district-wide foreign/second language curricular and extracurricular activities for students.

Information and advocacy

  • Communicates regularly with district personnel about local and state requirements concerning foreign/second language education as well as providing updates on national issues and legislation affecting language programs.
  • Serves as a liaison among language teachers, campus administrators, the central office, and the community.
  • Articulates the language program goals and objectives to parents and community leaders and solicits their support in realizing program goals and objectives.
  • Serves as a resource on effective language instruction to all district staff and the community.

Responsibility for Leadership

If the various parts of a foreign/second language supervisor's job form the woof of the job's fabric, then the responsibility for leadership forms the warp. These characteristics are found throughout the effective supervisor's work.

Innovator

  • Stays abreast of trends and issues in foreign/second language education.
  • Brings innovation and renewal to instruction.
  • Designs and implements new programs, courses, and activities to meet student and societal needs.
  • Seeks innovations in delivery of instruction and brings to the local district knowledge of effective materials, methods, and strategies that encourage successful learning for all students.
  • Stays knowledgeable about the development of learning materials by publishers and colleagues in other schools.

Collaborator with other curriculum areas and departments

  • Works with colleagues in other departments on interdisciplinary projects, curriculum and staff development.
  • Assists with programs, such as at risk and health programs, that provide services to language minority students.
  • Collaborates with teachers to promote instructional consistency and a shared direction.
Project manager of grants and other extramural programs
  • Seeks outside funding for foreign/second language program improvement.
  • Manages procured grants to bring innovative courses and instructional techniques to the district.

Liaison person with appropriate state and national agencies and with universities

  • Represents the district in its relations with state and federal agencies concerning foreign/second language education.
  • Brings to the district needed information such as regulations, standards, accountability, and available help.
  • Cooperates with college and university staff to optimize articulation.

Active member of educational associations

  • Serves as a member of national, regional, state, and local professional associations.
  • Stays actively involved in foreign/second language organizations and provides up-to-date knowledge to the district.

Spokesperson for the district

  • Explains the district's foreign/second language program to parents and community leaders.

Spokesperson for the language discipline

  • Serves as a source of specialized information on foreign/second language teaching and learning for district staff, board members, and the community.
  • Speaks at conferences and meetings and serves on local, regional, and national committees and task forces.

School districts that depend on generalists to supervise their language programs miss out on the knowledge and ability that foreign/second language specialists offer. It is impossible to have the depth of knowledge in every subject area that is necessary for an effective instructional program. Likewise, teachers cannot attend all the meetings and conferences they would have to attend to keep up to date on effective strategies and technology. Each district needs a foreign/second language specialist who is knowledgeable about current research and practice in the field and who disseminates that knowledge to others.

(Developed in collaboration with and based upon work by the Texas Association for Language Supervision and the Southwest Partners for Leadership in Language Education, 1994)