Minn. R. agency 188, ch. 8710, TEACHER STANDARDS, pt. 8710.4950

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 20, November 12, 2024

Part 8710.4950 - TEACHERS OF WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Subpart 1.Scope of practice.

A teacher of world languages and cultures is authorized to provide to students instruction that is designed to develop language fluency and cultural understanding in a language other than spoken English. If teaching in an immersion setting where the entire academic curriculum is taught in a language other than English, the teacher shall hold licensure with the scope of practice appropriate to the subjects to be taught. The specific language or languages which the teacher is qualified to teach must be clearly indicated on the license.

Subp. 2.Licensure requirements for teachers of world languages and cultures.

A. A candidate for licensure to teach world languages and cultures to students in kindergarten through grade 8 shall:

(1) hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university that is regionally accredited by the association for the accreditation of colleges and secondary schools;

(2) hold or apply and qualify for a Minnesota elementary education classroom teaching license; and

(3) show verification of completing a Board of Teaching approved preparation program leading to the licensure of teachers of world languages and cultures in subpart 3, 4, or 5.

B. A candidate for licensure to teach world languages and cultures to students in kindergarten through grade 12 shall:

(1) hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university that is regionally accredited by the association for the accreditation of colleges and secondary schools;

(2) demonstrate the standards for effective practice for licensing of beginning teachers in part 8700.2000; and

(3) show verification of completing a Board of Teaching preparation program approved under part 8700.7600 leading to the licensure of teachers of world languages and cultures in subparts 3 and 6, 4 and 6, or 5 and 6.

Subp. 3.Subject matter standard for teachers of modern languages and cultures.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of modern languages and cultures must complete a preparation program under subpart 2, item A or B, subitem (3), that must include the candidate's demonstration of the knowledge and skills in items A to C.

A. All teachers of modern languages and cultures must:

(1) understand language as a system;

(2) understand first and second language acquisition theory and how this informs practice;

(3) demonstrate intermediate-high level speaking proficiency as defined in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages;

(4) comprehend, interpret, and evaluate information received in the target language through reading and listening at the level that results from demonstrating the speaking proficiency; and

(5) use familiar topics to write narratives and descriptions of a factual nature or routine correspondence consisting of several paragraphs at a level understandable to a native speaker of the target language.

B. A teacher who is a native speaker of the modern language to be taught must:

(1) demonstrate advanced level speaking proficiency in English and the target language as defined in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines;

(2) comprehend, interpret, and evaluate information received in the target language and in English through reading and listening at the level that results from demonstrating the speaking proficiency; and

(3) use familiar topics to write in English and the native language narratives and descriptions of a factual nature or routine correspondence consisting of several paragraphs to a level understandable to a native.

C. A teacher of modern languages and cultures must:

(1) be aware of areas of the world where the target language is spoken and know that life in all these areas may vary widely;

(2) understand the target culture from a variety of perspectives, including historical, geographical, political, and artistic and contemporary viewpoints;

(3) be familiar with culture and literature of children and adolescents in both the United States and target cultures;

(4) understand the history of institutions within the cultures sufficiently for comprehending why current conditions exist;

(5) have a sociolinguistic understanding sufficient for accurately communicating the interrelationships of the language and culture;

(6) understand that both content and process are important and that cultural knowledge and understanding are interdisciplinary;

(7) understand that culture is neither monolithic nor static and that developing insights into the variability of cultural phenomena is a lifelong process;

(8) know that every cultural phenomenon is unique and is affected by age, geographic region, sex, class, and other factors and that multiple perspectives, value systems, and modes of decision-making and behaviors exist;

(9) know about cultural stereotyping and how to address it as a result of developing skills in processing information which include observing, comparing, and inquiring about cultural phenomena; analyzing and hypothesizing about the phenomena; and synthesizing and determining their generalizability;

(10) compare and contrast cultures of people who speak another language with the teacher's own culture; and

(11) have opportunities for first-hand experiences with the target cultures, whether in the United States or abroad, and relate those experiences to the classroom setting.

Subp. 4.Subject matter standard for teachers of classical languages and cultures/Greek and Latin.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of classical languages and cultures must complete a preparation program under subpart 2, item A or B, subitem (3), that must include the candidate's demonstration of the knowledge and skills in items A and B.

A. A teacher of classical languages and cultures must:

(1) understand language as a system;

(2) understand first and second language acquisition theory and how this informs practice;

(3) demonstrate competencies in four modalities of reading, speaking, listening, and writing:

(a) the teacher must:

i. read with understanding passages of prose or poetry of the most important Latin and Greek authors, for example, Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Livy, Plato, Homer, and dramatists;

ii. explain grammatical structures of the sentences and analyze word forms, including case use, mood, and tense; and

iii. infer meanings of unfamiliar words from cognates, derivatives, and context;

(b) the teacher must:

i. pronounce Latin and Greek correctly;

ii. orate prose with expression and correct inflection;

iii. orate poetry according to metrical principles;

iv. greet students, give simple commands, and lead oral exercises; and

v. orally formulate Latin and Greek questions based on a reading passage;

(c) the teacher must understand main ideas of a connected oral reading; and

(d) the teacher must:

i. accurately construct grammatical Latin and Greek from a moderately complex English original; and

ii. transform sentences from one grammatical structure to another;

(4) understand Latin's relation to English and other modern languages; identify Latin- and Greek-based English words, understand their etymology, and provide cognates; and identify Latin and Greek terminology commonly used in science, law, medicine, and Latin abbreviations, terms, phrases, and mottos commonly used in English; and

(5) understand the value of extra activities promoting cultural interest.

B. A teacher of classical languages and cultures must:

(1) be aware of areas of the world where the language was spoken and know that life in these areas varied widely;

(2) have a sociolinguistic understanding sufficient for accurately communicating the interrelationships of the language and culture;

(3) understand that both content and process are important and that cultural knowledge and understanding are interdisciplinary;

(4) understand that culture is neither monolithic nor static and that developing insights into the variability of cultural phenomena is a lifelong process;

(5) know that every cultural phenomenon is unique and is affected by age, geographic region, sex, class, and other factors and that multiple perspectives, value systems, and modes of decision-making and behaviors exist;

(6) know about cultural stereotyping and how to address it as a result of developing skills in processing information, including observing, comparing, and inquiring about cultural phenomena; analyzing and hypothesizing about the phenomena; and synthesizing and determining generalizability of the phenomena;

(7) compare and contrast cultures of people who speak another language with the teacher's own culture; and

(8) have opportunities for on-site experiences with chronologically distant cultures and relate those experiences.

Subp. 5.Subject matter standard for teachers of American sign language and deaf culture.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of American sign language and deaf culture must complete a preparation program under subpart 2, item A or B, subitem (3), that must include the candidate's demonstration of the knowledge and skills in items A to C.

A. A teacher of American sign language and deaf culture must:

(1) understand language as a system;

(2) understand first and second language acquisition theory and how this informs practice;

(3) demonstrate intermediate-plus level of expressive language proficiency on the Signed Communication Proficiency Interview established by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf;

(4) demonstrate receptive language proficiency in American sign language through comprehending, explaining, and evaluating information received from an individual who signs at the intermediate high level as defined by the Signed Communication Proficiency Interview Guidelines established by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; and

(5) use familiar topics to narrate and describe factual information or routine communication at a level understandable to a native American sign language user.

B. A teacher whose first language is American sign language must:

(1) comprehend and evaluate information received in English; and

(2) use familiar topics to write in English narratives and descriptions of a factual nature or routine correspondence consisting of several paragraphs to a level understandable to a person whose first language is American sign language.

C. A teacher of American sign language and deaf culture must:

(1) know where American sign language is used;

(2) understand the deaf culture from a variety of perspectives, including historical, geographical, political, and contemporary viewpoints;

(3) be familiar with similarities and differences between deaf and hearing culture in the United States;

(4) understand the history, customs, and practices of deaf culture sufficiently to comprehend why current conditions exist;

(5) have a sociolinguistic understanding sufficient for accurately communicating the interrelationships of the language and culture;

(6) understand that both content and process are important and that cultural knowledge and understanding are interdisciplinary;

(7) understand that culture constantly grows and that developing insights into culture is a lifelong process;

(9) know about cultural stereotyping and how to address it as a result of developing skills in processing information that include observing, comparing, and inquiring about cultural phenomena; analyzing and hypothesizing about the phenomena; and synthesizing and determining generalizability of the phenomena;

(10) compare and contrast cultures of people who use languages other than spoken English with the teacher's own culture; and

(11) have opportunities for first-hand experiences in deaf culture and relate to those experiences.

Subp. 6.Teaching and learning.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of world languages and cultures must complete a preparation program under subpart 2, item B, subitem (3), that must include the candidate's demonstration of an understanding of the teaching of world languages and cultures that integrates understanding of the world language and culture with an understanding of pedagogy, students, learning, classroom management, and professional development. A teacher of world languages and cultures to children, preadolescents, and adolescents in kindergarten through grade 12 shall:

A. understand and apply educational principles relevant to the physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive development of children, preadolescents, and adolescents;

B. understand and apply the research base for and the best practices of kindergarten and primary, intermediate, and middle and high school education;

C. develop curriculum goals and purposes based on the central concepts of language and culture and know how to apply instructional strategies and materials for achieving student understanding of the language and culture;

D. understand the role and alignment of district, school, and department mission and goals in program planning;

E. understand the need for and how to connect students' schooling experiences with everyday life, the workplace, and further educational opportunities;

F. know how to involve representatives of business, industry, and community organizations as active partners in creating educational opportunities;

G. understand the role and purpose of cocurricular and extracurricular activities in the teaching and learning process; and

H. understand the impact of reading ability on student achievement in second language studies, recognize the varying reading comprehension and fluency levels represented by students, and possess the strategies to assist students to read world language content more effectively.

Subp. 6a.Student teaching and field experiences.

A candidate for licensure to teach world languages and cultures must have a broad range of targeted field-based experiences, of a minimum of 100 hours prior to student teaching, that provide opportunities to apply and demonstrate competency of professional dispositions and the required skills and knowledge under this part and part 8710.2000.

Across the combination of student teaching and other field-based placements, candidates must have experiences teaching the content at three levels: kindergarten through grade 6, grades 5 through 8, and grades 9 through 12.

For initial teacher licensure, the student teaching period must be a minimum of 12 continuous weeks, full time, face-to-face, in which the candidate is supervised by a cooperating teacher, and evaluated at least twice by qualified faculty supervisors in collaboration with the cooperating teachers.

Subp. 7.Continuing license.

A continuing license shall be issued and renewed according to the rules of the Board of Teaching governing continuing licensure.

Subp. 8.Incorporations by reference.

A. For the purposes of this part, the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines published in 1986 by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 6 Executive Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701-6801, and subsequent editions are incorporated by reference. The guidelines are not subject to frequent change and are available from the State Law Library.

B. For the purposes of this part, the Signed Communication Proficiency Interview Guidelines published in August 1994 by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, 52 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5604, and subsequent editions are incorporated by reference. The guidelines are not subject to frequent change and are available from the State Law Library.

Subp. 9.Effective date.

Requirements in this part for licensure as a teacher of world languages and cultures are effective on September 1, 2015, and thereafter.

Minn. R. agency 188, ch. 8710, TEACHER STANDARDS, pt. 8710.4950

23 SR 1928; 39 SR 822

Statutory Authority: MS s 122A.09; 122A.18