According to the Education World Web site, the National Standards for Language Arts was created by the National Council of Teachers of English. The Language arts include reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. For the English language, the National Standards include building skills involving communication, critical thinking, and evaluation. The educational system is to provide students with a wider perspective not only of themselves, but also of the world in which they function.
Philosophically and socially this means an intercultural build-up of an educational basis that will help students not only cope with further educational demands, but also with life in general. Such standards are in keeping with the democratic principles of the country. In pragmatic terms, students are indeed given a much more equal basis of education than the case was in the past. On sociological terms, learning to handle language in both academic and non-academic contexts help learners to identify themselves and their place among others that are both similar and widely different from themselves.
This is very important in the historical context of inequality. Imposing a national standard that requires critical thinking and clear communication in the English language means citizens that will function better in the future.
In particular terms, the national standards for English language arts can be compared with the California state standards. The English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools have been adopted by the California State Board of Education during 1997. They closely resemble the National Standards in that they address the issue of language as a vehicle for equal education and the promotion of the democratic principles of the country. Students function under a certain set of...
These skills are taught concomitantly in order to read and analyze texts, as well as to think and talk about these texts in a critical manner. According to the standard,
literacy is an integral part of language development.
In this way, the California state and national standards correlate well in the acknowledgement that language provides a wide range of skills that are used in both the professional and
social context. It therefore cannot be separated from the philosophies and requirements of society at any given time, as these are always subject to language and critical thinking. It is therefore vital that students be able to use language, and particularly the English language, in order to reach their conversational and
educational goals.
While the National Standards have been widely accepted and praised by the public, it is also important to continually monitor the
success of schools adhering to these standards. Schools should continually be alert to the ways in which local, state, and national standards are implemented. The English language curriculum is particularly important for its wide impact upon education and society as a whole.
English education on all standard levels is therefore accepted to promote academic skills such as
analysis and critical thinking. It also has a wider application in the professional world, with interpersonal communication playing a vital part in successful businesses. In more general terms, the political principles of
democracy and interpersonal function in the country is promoted by effective and integrated education in the language arts.
Sources
California State Board of Education (1997, Dec). English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools. http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf
Chiba, Susan (1992, Jan 8). A National Curriculum: Seeking Fairness for All. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/08/us/a-national-curriculum-seeking-fairness-for-all.html
Education World. (2009). National Standards -- English Grades K-12. http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/lang_arts/english/k_12.shtml
Robertson, Caryn. (1998, March 24). Correcting the Curriculum. Online News Hour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/march98/education2.html
