Westbrook / Glen Grove PTA
Global Language Program
The PTA sponsors this optional self-funded program to Westbrook and Glen Grove students.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to inspire our students to love the learning of a Global language and culture in our playful immersion program, and develop in children an appreciation for diversity and community. Further, it is our goal to expand their understanding of the customs, songs, and day-to-day experiences, in order to empower them with confidence in their ability to communicate in their chosen language.
Global Language Program Goals and Guidelines
The program subscribes to the belief that all students should learn a Global Language and that this instruction should begin as early as possible, therefore, the Global Language Program provides through the support of the PTA for District 34 an invaluable enhancement to the already existing curriculum.
We are striving to ensure our students’ compatibility when entering Global language studies later in their academic careers.
We will provide students with skills needed to interact in a Global language in a classroom setting as well as achieve the confidence, which will enable them to use their knowledge outside the classroom.
The program will teach understanding and appreciation of Global languages and their cultures.
In order to expand and enhance communication in our multicultural, multilingual society, we will help create for student’s connections with other people and communities in the world and at home, which will offer opportunities for lifelong relationships and learning.
The program will help enable students to begin to develop a sense of globality that is crucial in today’s world, which is increasingly becoming “smaller”.
As universities and colleges all over the United States develop global programs in order to meet today’s academic needs, we also value the effort of creating a more international environment in our schools, and, therefore, recruit only native speaking teachers.
Standards
To consistently expand and enhance communication and understanding in our multicultural and multilingual society, these standards are derived directly from Illinois Learning Standards for Global Languages and applied to our Global Language curriculum to facilitate the above criteria.
Applications of Learning
In The Global Language Program’s classes the students will enhance their basic comprehension of knowledge and skills through the understanding, appreciation, and use of social and cultural meanings reflected in songs, sounds and words.
Solving Problems
Learning a Global language develops the tools for dealing with various types of problem solving. With this knowledge, the student will be able to transfer to their learning capabilities in other areas of their academic career.
Listening and Speaking
Communicative competence by expressing and interpreting information and ideas given by teachers, guest speakers and other students in the program, and pursuing the ability to interact in conversation.
Reading and Writing
Comprehension and interpretive skills will begin to be developed through very basic worksheets, menus, calendars and workbooks, as will the ability to produce letters, words and later sentences.
Working on Teams
Learn to contribute constructively as an individual as well as in a group, will benefit the students as they learn to communicate across academic and language borders.
Cultural Awareness
We will teach contributions of different people, languages and countries around the world, and the influences of the given cultures on the United States in order for students to draw global connections as well as connections within our diverse community.
"High school Global language students perform significantly better on the SAT verbal exam than non-Global-language students, and SAT verbal scores increase successively with each half year of Global language study" (National Standards)
The program is managed by our PTA Global Language chairs.
Click here for the Global Language Registration Form for Westbrook 2011-2012
Click here for the Glen Grove Global Language registration form for 2011-2012
PTA Coordinator: Kira Maar 847-729-0940
PTA Chair: Romona Agrawal (rajeev.agrawal63@aol.com)
PTA Co-chair: Jackie Snyder (ksnydersc@aol.com)
Our Important Partners:
GEF / Character Counts / Take Baby Steps / District Website / Westbrook School / Glen Grove School