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ECS Policy Brief |
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International Education |
International
Education
September 2002
How are schools preparing American students to understand
the international events unfolding around them? Do students understand and
appreciate persons from diverse cultures around the world? In the wake of the
terrible events of September 11, 2001, these questions have taken on increased
significance, and in the interest of sound education policy, state leaders are
responding by taking another look at the strength of international education
components in schools.
The term “international education” as used in this paper
refers to curricula, standards and other policies that provide K-12 students
with instruction on the history, geography, cultures and languages of foreign
nations, as well as the skills to analyze and evaluate American interaction
with foreign peoples and nations.
What is the Difference Between “Social Studies” and World History and Geography Instruction?
The term “social studies” was coined with the 1916 release
of the National Education Association’s (NEA) Committee on Social Studies
report: The Social Studies in American Education. As opposed to history,
which delineates past events, the aim of social studies, as set forth in the
NEA report, is to address “the organization and development of human society
[and] man as a member of social groups.” Within a decade of the report’s
release, “social studies” had come to virtually replace “history” in the
secondary school curriculum. Such studies were perceived to fill a need to help
students analyze current events and institutions and guide youth towards
becoming “good citizens.”
During the 1980s, however, numerous education reformers
called for changes in the social studies curriculum, which was condemned as
prosaic and lacking substance. These reformers nearly unanimously underscored
the importance of including an international perspective in secondary school
social studies education. For example:
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In 1989, the
Curriculum Task Force of the National Commission on Social Studies in the
Schools proposed that geography and history should lay the foundation for the
high school social studies curriculum.
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In 1988, the
Bradley Commission on History in Schools supported instruction for all students
in world history and the history of Western civilization, and inclusion of
geography into world history courses.
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In 1984, the
Joint Committee on Geographic Education advocated for geography education in
every grade level.
(Patrick and White)
Strength/Frequency of Current
Geography/World History Instruction
A 1989 report published by the Bradley Commission on History in Schools found that, while the number of American high school students completing at least one class in world history rose 11% from 1982 to 1987, a majority of high school students did not complete any coursework in world or European history, and only 15% took a geography course. (Patrick and White, 1992) Although current levels of coursetaking in world history have not been documented, the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ (NAEP) 2001 geography assessment polled 8th- and 12th-grade students on their work in the subject. This poll revealed that approximately 59% of 8th graders had taken two or three years of geography during middle school, while about 53% of 12th graders took one year or less of geography in high school.
Although there is no NAEP assessment for social studies or
world history, the results of the NAEP test in geography indicated improvements
in elementary and middle school student scores, while high school student
showings remained about the same. Interestingly, 8th-grade students’
NAEP geography results were positively associated with more coursework in the
subject, while 12th graders who had taken one year or less of geography in high
school posted higher scores than those who had completed three or four years of
geography courses (Weiss et al., 2002).
The need for improvement in instruction in geography and world history is clear. While the NAEP history exam tests only American history, other indicators suggest that many students lack the knowledge they need to understand world events. For instance, a 2000 Gallup poll of youth ages 13-17 exposed that less than half of those surveyed could identify Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill and Indira Gandhi with their countries of origin and only two-thirds could identify Adolph Hitler with Germany. Results released from a March 2002 Gallup poll of teens’ knowledge of world history were equally grim.
Foreign Language Instruction
Foreign language instruction, while holding an equally important and, in many aspects, complementary role in a sound program of international education, has until recently been considered a subject area largely relegated to secondary school instruction. A survey conducted by the Center for Applied Linguistics found that in 1997 31% of elementary schools reported teaching a foreign language, with four million elementary school children (out of 27.1 million) participating in a foreign language class (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2002).
Even at the secondary level, foreign language coursework has
often been deemed the domain of those students who intend to pursue
postsecondary studies. Policymakers in some states, however, are beginning to
call for a revisitation of the dismissive attitude that “people from other
countries learn English, so why bother learning their language?” This change is
most likely due to several factors, including:
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A growing
population of speakers of languages other than English – particularly Spanish –
within the United States;
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Increasing job
opportunities for bilingual and multilingual individuals
■ A desire, perhaps intensified by recent world events, to understand the culture of persons from other nations through study of their native language.
The call for greater student enrollment in foreign language instruction is not new. In 1977, President Carter convened the President’s Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies. The commission’s 1979 report found that “Americans’ incompetence in foreign languages is nothing short of scandalous, and it is becoming worse” (Maxwell and Garrett, 2002).
More than 20 years later, the level of commitment to learning foreign languages remains questionable. A report released in May 2002 by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages found that, although increasing numbers of students are enrolling in foreign language courses, the length of time students study such languages is not increasing. In other words, most students are not continuing their foreign language studies past the introductory level. The study, which was based on fall 2000 data, also found that, in the 19 states that provided enrollment information, the number of students taking a foreign language in grades K-6 dropped from 6.4% in 1994 to 5% in 2000.
Better tools and data sources are needed to get a clear
picture of the average nationwide level of student foreign language competence.
For example, present modes of data collection may not accurately account for
the fact that some students can be concurrently enrolled in more than one
language course, can change languages or can continue past introductory levels
once they begin postsecondary studies. While a NAEP assessment in foreign
language has not yet been administered, a test of 12th graders in this subject
is scheduled for 2004 (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2002).
What Might a
Sound System of International Education Include?
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Standards for
geography and social studies in all grade levels that: (1) help students to
understand world history and cultures, (2) recognize the reciprocity of
influences between foreign and American cultures, and (3) appreciate the
diversity of international cultures.
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Standards for
foreign language instruction that encourage effective language learning, and
encourage schools to introduce foreign language instruction before grade 9.
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Programs that
encourage student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests on
European history, foreign languages, comparative government and politics, human
geography and world history.
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High school
graduation requirements that include coursework in world history/geography and
foreign language for all students, and which require students to attain a high
level of knowledge and understanding of international cultures.
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Extended-day
programs, such as after-school clubs, and extended-year programs, such as
Virginia’s full-immersion summer foreign language academies, that deepen
students’ knowledge of geography, world history, and foreign languages and
cultures.
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Preservice
teacher education requirements that include coursework for all teachers, regardless
of grade level or subject area specialization, in foreign languages, geography
and world history.
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Geography
subject-area endorsements for teachers at the elementary, middle and secondary
levels.
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Elementary-level
foreign language endorsements for teachers at the elementary and middle levels.
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Well-publicized
and well-organized opportunities for students and educators to participate in
exchange programs, both sending individuals abroad as well as bringing
individuals to the United States.
Sources
Center for Applied Linguistics. “Executive Summary,” Foreign
Language Instruction in the United States: A National Survey of Elementary and
Secondary Schools. Retrieved August 26, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://www.cal.org/pubs/results.html.
Draper, Jamie B. and Hicks, June H. (2002, May). Foreign Language
Enrollments in Public Secondary Schools, Fall 2000. American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages. Retrieved August 23,
2002, from the World Wide Web: http://www.actfl.org/public/articles/Enroll2000.pdf.
Maxwell, David and Garrett, Nina (2002, May/June). ”Meeting National Needs,” Change,
pp 23-28.
National Assessment of Educational Progress. “Schedule for the State and National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) from 1969-2012.” Retrieved August 26, 2002, from
the World Wide Web: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/assessmentsched.asp#ftnote6.
Patrick, John J. and White, Charles S. (1992). “Social Studies Education,
Secondary Schools.” In Marvin
C. Alkin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Research,
Sixth Edition, pp. 1238-1245. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Weiss, Andrew R.; Lutkus, Anthony D.; Hildebrant, Barbara S.; and Johnson,
Matthew S. (2002, June).
The Nation's Report Card: Geography 2001. Washington,
DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
This ECS Policy Brief was prepared by Jennifer
Dounay, ECS policy analyst.
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© Copyright 2002 by the Education Commission of the States (ECS). All rights reserved. ECS is a nonprofit, nationwide organization that helps state leaders shape education policy To request permission to excerpt part of this ECS
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