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intelligence and progress of our children and, more importantly, how we
educateand guide them. There has developed very widespread interest the
teaching profession in exploring the significance of this view both for the current
methods of classroom teaching and for the structure of the entire educational
process.
The work of Ted Sizer does not flow as neatly from a single precept, but
his Coalition of Essential Schools shares the trait that the structure of entire
schools is held up to examination4. A prominent feature of this framework is the
notion that learning is best promoted in large-scale, multidisciplinary, student-
managed projects. Assessmentis often made on the basis of demonstrations
of work, not by more usual uniform tests, quizzes and papers. He also argues
for the organization of schools in smaller, more easily managed and
comprehended schools within schools. Of particular relevance for all foreign
languages is that his divisions of academic fields of inquiry into broader
domains for the secondary level leaves foreign languages straddling domains,
and at the core of nothing. While there is nothing necessarily incorrect about
this formulation, it requires of foreign language teachers that they be both clear
and vocal about their complicated position.
Cooperative learning is hardly a "new" concept, but it seems to have
achieved a heightened profile in recent years5. Cooperative learning stands in
contrast to individualized and/or competitive learning, and has particularly
interesting ramifications for foreign language learning. Perhaps most important
is that at the core of cooperative learning is communication among group
members. This approach to learning addresses two of the clearest drawbacks
to the traditional teacher-centered classrooms: inadequate opportunity for
students to speak, and inadequate motivation for students to want to
communicate. Whether or not one chooses to organize entire courses around
this concept, it bears thoughtful consideration by any foreign language teacher.
Outcome-based education has generated a great deal of controversy. It
is based on the straightforward notion that the quality of education ought to be
assessed on the basis of outcomes, that is on what it produces, not on the
process by which it got there6. This is a relatively obvious proposal, and
parallels, intentionally, the way in which other organizations, especially
businesses, run. In many ways, it might be viewed as a logical consequence of
the proficiency movement within the foreign language community. This focus on
outcomes might be termed one of the more extreme outgrowths of the trend
toward reform, and its implementation might have unwanted consequences.
However, the general idea--that outcomes matter--should not be lost!
The so-called cognitive revolution that has been underway for some time
now ties together a variety of disciplines, including psychology, linguistics,
4See his Horace's Compromise and Horace's School .
5Cite Johnson, Johnson & Holubec (ACSD pub), Nunan, and find other relevant ones in
ACTRL or NE Conf.
6Cite articles in ACSD journal
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