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2008/AEMM/014
EDNET Strategic Action Plan – Learning Languages
Purpose: Information
Submitted by:China, Peru, United States
/ 4th APEC Education Ministerial MeetingLima, Peru10-12 June 2008
EDUCATION NETWORK (EDNET) STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
2008 Theme and Priority Areas by Project[1]
Learning Each Others’ Languages
ECONOMY LEAD (Project Sponsor) / NAME OF THE PROJECT / PROJECT STATUS[2] / DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT / PROJECT METHODOLOGY / PROJECT TIMELINETEACHER QUALITY AND INSTRUCTION
Chinese Taipei / Encouraging the use of the lesson-study approach/method through on-line demonstrations and videos. Lessons should illustrate well-researched teacher practices and provide insight into how the lesson study process can further improve teacher practice. / Proposed / Investigating the applications of the Lesson Study approach in the learning and teaching of languages. This project aims to: 1) Share the concept and examples of Lesson Study, through a DVD Workshop, as a realistic and effective approach for in-service teachers’ professional development in the area of language teaching in and 2) Collaboratively apply and evaluate the Lesson Study approach for the pragmatic teaching of languages /
- Conference
- Research
2010/07/31
STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS
Conducting a suitability study of how existing standards and assessments can best be used as an APEC language model, particularly expanding the lower levels to meet the needs of the learners in this region. / Recommended
Chile
Chinese Taipei / APEC Learning Standards for English and Other Languages / Completed / This project aims at analyzing and comparing the language learning standards being used in APEC economies towards reaching an agreement of common standards and the best practices to promote them. This will facilitate increased mutual support and sharing of resources. Avoiding duplication of efforts and expenses will be beneficial to all economies involved in wide-scale teaching of English and other languages as foreign languages. /
- Conference
- Research
2006/08/01
POLICIES AND RESEARCH
Conducting a survey of Member Economies’ policies regarding multilingualism and multiculturalism. / Recommended
RESOURCES AND TOOLS
Contributing to and helping publicize a consumer checklist for APEC language learners to use to evaluate language learning programs
Contributing to and publicizing an inventory of existing teacher and student exchange programs by APEC members
Publicizing APEC e-learning programs including Chengo, OLLI, and the APEC Business English program
CROSS-CUTTING
USA / Strategic Plan for English and Other Languages, which includes[3]:
- Contributing to and helping publicize a consumer checklist for APEC language learners to use to evaluate language learning programs
- Contributing to and publicizing an inventory of existing teacher and student exchange programs by APEC members
- Publicizing APEC e-learning programs including Chengo, OLLI, and the APEC Business English program
- Conference
- Research
- Outreach
- Inventory of standards, assessments, programs, vocabulary lists, etc.
- Material development
- Creation of a consumer checklist for language teaching products
Annex A
ACTIVITIES FOR APEC-WIDE STRATIEGIC PLAN FORENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES
Standards / Assessments / Curriculum and Instruction / Teacher/Student Exchange Programs / Policy
1. Collect and analyze Economy foreign language standards initially emphasizing instruction in English and Chinese
Asses whether standards differ for girls and boys / 2. Complete 2007 work and in 2009, update inventory student foreign language assessments to evaluate student language proficiency in different languages for secondary and post-secondary education and business language sectors
Ascertain whether any assessments are or were conducted using sex-disaggregated data. / 3. Promote and extend APEC E-Language Project currently for online learning of English and Chinese
Conduct targeted promotions for girls, reaching out to schools, community centers, and NGOs that work specifically to educate girls. / 4. Online inventory of existing teacher and student exchange programs by APEC members
Assess whether girls have sufficient access to mentoring and exchange programs. / 5. Survey, monitor and document policies concerning language learning
Document those policies preventing and those facilitating girls receiving language education.
6. Using 2009 survey results (Activity 2), monitor developments in assessment of language proficiency / 7. Business foreign language development:
(a) Disseminate current Digital English Media for Workforce Retraining
(b) Develop Trade and Business vocabulary list from APEC Working Groups and private sector representatives
(c) Develop special language materials and training for trade and business; have reviewed by private sector representatives
Ensure women have equal access to these opportunities and address obstacles.
8. Share K-12 foreign language test items (item bank) / 9. Create online consumer checklist to evaluate language programs
10. Inventory foreign language activities of other APEC Working Groups (e.g., Tourism; IT) and other international organizations (e.g., UNESCO, World Bank)
11. (a) Inventory foreign language activities of private sector and trade associations $9.6K (self-financed);(b) Develop paper on the role of the private sector in language learning and IT
12. Update research syntheses paper: Foreign Language Policies, Research. And Educational Possibilities including research on how policies can affect girls’ access to language education
13. Develop Wiki as part of HRDWG Web-based Knowledge Bank No cost
14. Hold APEC Conference on ”Foreign Language Instruction in APEC Region” with APEC Economies’ Language Directors and private sector representatives
[1] Projects listed are either recommended projects or EDNET projects proposed during or after the APEC 2004 funding cycle
[2] Projects marked as “Recommended” are recommendations resulting from discussions and/or presentations from the Xi’an pre-Ministerial Symposium held in January of 2008. Projects marked as “Proposed” were proposed during the 30th HRDWG Meeting in Bohol, Philippines for the 2009 APEC Funding Cycle
[3] For a complete list of activities under the Strategic Plan for English and Other Languages see Annex A.