THE AMERICAN STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL CURRICULUM PARAMETERS: WHAT ARE

THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES? Aline Behling Duarte - UFPEL Ana Paula Rego da Rocha - UFPEL ABSTRACT Currently, it has been greatly discussed the advantages of learning foreign languages. However, this fact might not take into consideration a significant variety of idioms, since, over the past few years, English has became the global language. Nonetheless, official educational documents have proposed a diversification on the teaching field. Therefore, this study aims to analyze, by comparing and contrasting, the main American and Brazilian instructional supports documents: The Standards for Foreign Language Learning and The National Curriculum Parameters. Hence, there will be discussed the chief values described on both documents. Initially, the historical context, the reasons and the procedure of creation of the Standards and the Parameters, hereupon, the reason of why foreign languages should be learnt. Next, the key purposes presented by each organization of rules. It is also important to highlight the examination of what level students must achieve according to the countries. After that, it also will be considered the use of technology. Keywords: Standards for Foreign Language Learning; National Curriculum Parameters; Technology.

RESUMEN Actualmente, se discute mucho sobre las ventajas del aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras. Sin embargo, este hecho, quiz, no considere la gran variedad de idiomas, visto que, con el pasar de los aos, la lengua inglesa se convirti en la lengua global. An, los documentos oficiales de educacin tienen propuesto una diversidad en el campo de la enseanza. As que, este estudio pretende analizar, a travs de comparacin y distincin, el principal documento de instruccin americano y brasileo: Los Parmetros para el Aprendizaje de Lenguas Extranjeras y Los Parmetros Curriculares Nacionales. En seguida, la justificativa para el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras. Tras eso, ser considerado el papel de la tecnologa. Palabras Clave: Parmetros para el Aprendizaje de Lenguas Extranjeras: Parmetros Curriculares Nacionales; Tecnologa.

Introduction The Background of the Standards and the Parameters

To begin with, in order to compare and contrast the ideas presented on both documents, it is necessary to consider in which contexts they were created. The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century is an American document which specifies how languages should be taught and learnt. According to Phillips and Abbott (2011), the American Standards for Language Learning were first published in 1996 as a draft guideline for the north-American curricular areas. However, as the authors emphasize the publication quickly became known as generic. Thus, in 1999, an expanded version of the document was published. Therefore, during over three years, with the purpose of developing the project professional language associations as well as from a wide set of stakeholders including other educators, representatives of government, business, and industry (PHILLIPS and ABBOTT, 2011) were involved on the research. Furthermore, the Standards were not only distributed to the schools. Additionally, workshops, conferences and courses were taught by the Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) to state and district education agencies and individual teachers. Besides, it seems essential to mention that after being released for over a decade, their influence over the foreign language teaching field was assessed. As stated by Phillips and Abbott (2011), three Task Forces were charged with investigating the impact but also trying to determine where standards were not being used or where work needed to be done to promote better understandings. (p. 02) In what concerns the Brazilian document, the National Curriculum Parameters, it is necessary to say that this guideline does not only refer to foreign language teaching. But, on the contrary, it specifies the schooling of a great number of subjects. As stated by Teixeira (2003), just like the Standards, the Parameters were first published as draft in 1995. It was only two years later that the first document was official released. Nevertheless, the proposal did not include the foreign language teaching. Even so, in 1998, the second Parameter was available to the educational community. And it included the foreign language schooling, however it did only refer to

the primary years of school. Yet, in 2000, a third version of the Parameters was published and it referred to the secondary school. The National Curriculum Parameters were created on the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. And according to Zanlorense and Lima, the main reason which prompted the creation of the documents was the pressure that the underdeveloped countries suffer from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund:
the first step was to put pressure on countries dependent on the delay with respect to their educational performance, and in the case of this study, the Brazilian reality. Considering the commitment signed forward the proposal of "Education for All", Brazil appropriates slowly and obey the rules of the World Bank and IMF, incorporating the policy of finance capital and began to organize itself according to the proposals and seek funding bodies the development of their curricular proposals. (p. 03)

As regards to the distribution of the Parameters, the government provided the material to the schools of the country. But differently from the American reality, there were not supplementary activities like course, seminars or workshops related to it. In terms of researches about the use of the guidelines by the schools and teachers so far nothing has been done. Although it is general knowledge that the foreign language classes have been facing stagnation since the teaching is still based, most times, on grammatical rules.

Analyzing the Official Documents When one thinks about learning foreign languages, one of the most important issues which it must be directly presented is the following question: Why languages should be learnt? In other words, what are the aims? Both the Standard and the Parameter discuss this point on their first section. According to the Brazilian Parameters (1998), the students are required to understand the meaning of citizenship by socially and politically practicing their rights and duties and also by performing solidarity attitudes and by respecting the others and by demanding respect for themselves. The second key value refers to critical position of the students on matters of a great variety of events. Besides, it is stressed the necessity

of being aware of its own national identity and national culture. In addition, the students are expected to comprehend the range of race, religiosity and sexual distinctions. Equally important it is to recognize itself as part of the society and by thinking this way, students are seeing as capable of modifier agents. Equally, the document emphasizes that it crucial to know itself in order to be confident when interacting on a vast number of relations. Together with these ideas, the Parameter also presents health as an essential point. To have good habits, to be conscious of their own body and to be able to take care of it are seen as responsible behavior. Moreover, the employment of different language sources like music, drawings, theater and mathematics are examples of singular communication approaches in which interaction will be prompted. The technology is also a fundamental subject since students are expected to know (or learn) how to deal with it. And, finally, the idea of being an active individual. At this point, the document suggests that all students are supposed to be capable to modify the reality that surrounds them. On the Brazilian document, the role of language itself it is not much highlighted. The main idea seems to be the citizenship. Consequently, the general student education and the reality of work are the chief values of it. Notwithstanding, the American Standards bring a totally different idea of what should be taught and learnt. To the north-American document language and communication are the heart of human experience (p.07). Since the very beginning of the text, the position of why languages should be learnt is clearly expressed
the United States must educate students who are equipped linguistically and culturally to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical. (p. 07)

In conformity to those statements, according to the Standards to provide communication among people considering the variety of cultures is the main aim of the foreign language teaching. In a different way, the Brazilian Parameters focus their main principles on citizenship and on the work preparation. However, some similarities are easily identified since as the Parameters, the Standards also judge that the development of an insight of its own cultural identity and language are indispensable when one learns a foreign language.

Notably, it is also interesting to mention the proposal of open your mind. Both the documents support the idea of understanding and considering more than what surround the common boarders. Further, in a different manner, the Standards also refer to the marketplace, not in the same extend that the Brazilian one which emphasizes it as being the greatest point of the document. Another essential point highlighted by the Standards relays on how the teaching of languages should be done. As reported on the document, the variety of settings and of ways used to develop the learning must approach different methodologies. Finally, apart from that, the critical thinking is as well stressed by the two official documents. The development and the improvement of the basic communicative abilities and the thinking skills must be a strong point of reference to teachers and schools. As regards to the organization of the Standards and the Parameters, the Standards are separated into five parts classified as the Cs: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons and communities. Differently, the Parameters do not follow a strict order, but it is also organized into sections, in which one topic is developed. Examining the theme communication it is possible to identify this topic on both the Standards and the Parameters. According to the Parameters, this issue deserves great importance. In order to be an active participant one must be able to communicate. And being able to communicate not only in language but also in one or more foreign languages. The development of communicative skills in more than one language, it is essential to the access of information society. In the view of the of Standards, the teaching of communication must be achieved athwart the individual combination of the knowledge of the language system with knowledge of cultural conventions, norms of politeness, discourse conventions, and the like, in order to transmit and receive meaningful messages successfully. In addition, students must learn how interpersonal relations are conducted in the cultures in which the target language is spoken, how individuals use language effectively to achieve different purposes, how discourse conventions work, how oral and written texts are structured, and how the language system operates. When discussing culture, it is easily recognized the importance given to the area on both documents. If on the one hand the Parameters, culture is mainly discussed

when thinking about the Spanish language, on the other hand when the Standards mention the culture, it refers to great range of languages since the documents addresses languages as Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Russian and even Portuguese. Hence, to the Brazilian Parameter, teaching a foreign language in school plays an important role as that allows students to get in touch with other cultures, with different manners of see and understand reality. Besides that, the document stresses that teaching culture should not organize the content so oversimplified, around the minor dialogues for students or small texts, often decontextualized, followed by exploration of words and structures grammar, worked in the form of translation exercises, copying, processing and repetition. Yet, culture on the Standards is seen as enabling students to understand a different culture on its own terms. The exquisite connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken can only be realized by those who possess knowledge of both. American students need to develop awareness of other peoples world views, of their unique way of life, and of the patterns of behavior which order their world, as well as learn about contributions of other cultures to the world at large and the solutions they offer to the common problems of humankind. Such awareness will help combat the ethnocentrism that often dominates the thinking of our youth. As to the theme connections, there considerable similarities between both documents. Although it is important to emphasize that on the Parameters the term used is Interdisciplinarity. On the Brazilian document this topic is one of the key points of discussion, being nowadays a source of reflection as it is greatly argued that this is the future of the educational system. Therefore, to the north-American document to learn foreign language should expands the educational experience of all students by connecting with other disciplines in the school curriculum either formally or informally. Knowledge is power, and extending student access to information through the use of a foreign language increases student ability to know and do. The same concept is pointed on the Parameters, so the interdisciplinary function of learning a foreign language can be part in curriculum. The benefit is mutual. The study of other disciplines, notably History, Geography, Natural Sciences, Arts, is replaced by another meaning in certain time activities are offered in conjunction with the teaching of Language Foreign, taking into consideration, of course, the school's educational project.

This is a way to enable the practice of the classroom the relationship between foreign language and social world, how to use language to act in the social world. Moreover, another important aspect to be considered is the idea of comparisons. At this point, there is a considerable difference between both documents. Referring to the Standards the proposal is very clear: students are supposed to discovering different patterns among language systems and cultures by studying the new language system and the way such a system expresses meanings in culturally appropriate ways, students gain insights into the nature of language, linguistic and grammatical concepts, and the communicative functions of language in society. A little differently, the Brazilian Parameters judge the way to lead the teaching of foreign languages should by using the socio interactive approach. By believing in it, the construction of meanings comes from the context interaction, so the students stimulate their cognition, for the linguistic knowledge to be constructed through involvement in the negotiation of significance, as well as in the case of pre-knowledge (and other language) that the student brings from its mother language. The last important aspect to be analyzed on the Standards and the Parameters is the issue related to the communities. The Brazilian official document admits that the opportunities of usage of the foreign languages in Brazil are very limited what unfortunately. However, according to the American Standards, using the language in a different context that the one presented on the school is a main goal. Besides, that the students must show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. Changing the subject, other very relevant topic is the level of language students must achieve. In accordance with what has been mentioned previously, the Brazilian Parameters do not expect learners to control the language, since they will not probably be able to use it on a real interaction. Thus, during the school years students are prepared to be capable of reading on a foreign language, English or Spanish. Regards to the American Standards, the idea of an adequate language learning experience is the one in which learners became proficient on speaking, writing, listening and reading in the target language. Besides, students are influenced to study as many languages as possible.

Finally, the final aspect to be analyzed on this brief study is the role of technology on language teaching. At this point both the documents state the same proposal. It is fundamental to bond the foreign language learning and the new technologies. Furthermore, both agree that the use of technology such as the internet, CD, DVD is the key to provide extra assistance to the students.

Conclusion It is important to highlight that this study was concerned on analyzing the main ideas of both official documents. Furthermore, after studying the Standards and the Parameters, it is possible to assert that there are great differences but there are also important similarities. One of the biggest divergences is related to the number of languages which may be learnt by the students. Whilst in Brazil students may learn only Spanish or English, in United States the learners may have contact with many languages, and even more they are stimulated to learn them. It also should be noted that the American government has a very interesting method to assess whether the Standard are being followed or not. Whereas, in Brazil, nothing similar has been done yet. Additionally, the Brazilian Parameters acknowledge that the foreign language teaching is not being taught as it should be, however, the answer to this important matter relays on the lack of knowledge or training of the teachers. Another important aspect is the one related to culture. Basically, the Parameters emphasize the national cultural, as knowing you while learning a foreign language. On the American Standards this is totally different. According to the document, one is only able to effectively learn other language by understanding cultural facts related to it. Finally, it is important underline that studies like the one presented on this paper are very relevant to provide a new direction the future. It is essential to adequate the educational system to the new theories, methodologies and approaches since the it is always possible to improve certain aspect or even though to completely modify something that might be considered exceeded. Changing conceptions, especially on

schools, it is a difficult task, although it is a need to transform the society we live in by modifying the educational system.

References BRASIL, Secretaria de Educao Fundamental. Parmetros curriculares nacionais: terceiro e quarto ciclos do ensino fundamental: lngua estrangeira / Secretaria de Educao Fundamental. Braslia: MEC/SEF, 1998. LAWRENCE, KS. Standards for foreign language learning in the 21 st century. National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project. Allen Press, 2006. PHILLIP, June K. and ABBOTT, Marty. A Decade of Foreign Language Standards. Available at: http://www.actfl.org/files/public/national-standards-2011.pdf. Accessed on: August 5th, 2012. TEIXEIRA, Beatriz de Basto. Parmetros curriculares nacionais, plano nacional de
educao e a autonomia da escola. Available at: www.anped.org.br/reunioes/23/textos/0503t.PDF. Accessed on: August 5th, 2012.

ZANLORENSE, Maria Joslia. and LIMA, Michelle Fernandes. Uma anlise histrica sobre a elaborao e divulgao dos PCN no Brasil. Available at: www.histedbr.fae.unicamp.br/acer_histedbr/.../Ey4N6DD7.doc. Accessed on: August 5th, 2012.