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Communication
Models
Four-Skills Model
Language
teachers are generally familiar with a four-skills model of communication,
in which reading, writing, listening, and speaking proficiencies
are assessed individually. A four-skills approach will continue
to be a useful model for assessment, as it is often necessary to
avoid confounding performance on one dimension, such as listening,
with skill in another area, such as reading. Assessing skills individually
is desirable in situations where learners have acquired language
in a variety of ways, and thus may not share common pathways to
proficiency— often the case with adults. Evaluation criteria,
such as those of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, are not aligned
with a particular program or method of instruction.
Three Standards for Communication
The three
standards in the Communication goal of the National Standards focus
on the purposes and contexts for communication. Teachers will recognize
the incorporation of the four-skills view of language proficiency
in the Standards, but the Interpersonal, Interpretive,
and Presentational modes present a more complete and authentic
model of communication.
 The
Five ‘C’s
The five
goals of the National Standards—Communication, Cultures, Connections,
Comparisons, and Communities—are goals for instruction. Although
the five 'C's appear equally significant in the Standards' symbol
of interlocking rings, it is clear that the Communication goal is
the heart of the Standards. Learning scenarios, such as those included
in Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century or
Proficiency-Oriented Language Instruction and Assessment: A Curriculum
Handbook for Teachers, provide examples, lessons, and units that
interweave the five C's in instructional contexts.
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