World Languages

News and Updates

Heritage Languages Guidance and Best Practices Manual

The Office of Language Acquisition is pleased to present two resources for Heritage Language Programs. The Massachusetts State Heritage Languages Program Guidance details all the legal requirements for implementing a Heritage Languages Program. DESE's Best Practices Manual for Implementing Heritage Languages programs provides robust ideas, examples, and vignettes of important practices in Heritage Language programs and courses.

• Massachusetts State Heritage Languages Program Guidance

• Heritage Languages Best Practices Manual

World Languages at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

We believe that all Massachusetts students should acquire linguistic and cultural proficiency in at least one language in addition to English. Proficiency in one or more world languages will empower all students to use languages other than English to tell their own stories, understand the stories of others, and engage with their communities.

Guiding Principles

The following principles are philosophical statements that underlie the standards and resources in the 2021 World Languages Curriculum Framework. They should guide the design and implementation of world language programs in schools. Programs guided by these principles will prepare students for success in college, career, and their lives as productive, global citizen

1. Effective world language programs invite, include, support, and benefit all students.
2. Effective world language programs lift up all students and empower them to act with cultural competence and critical consciousness.
3. Effective world language programs produce high levels of linguistic and cultural proficiency in one or more world languages in their students.
4. Effective world language programs are communicative and support meaningful, authentic, and affirming interactions in the target language.
5. Effective world language programs measure linguistic proficiency.
6. Effective world language programs foster risk-taking and mistake-making toward growth in linguistic and cultural proficiency.
7. Effective world language programs deliver meaningful, relevant, and cross-disciplinary content to motivate students to acquire the language and build proficiency.
8. Effective world language programs differentiate instruction and content, so that they are accessible, rigorous, and appropriate for all students.
9. Effective world language programs connect students to their peers in the classroom, their community, and speakers/signers of the target language throughout the world.
10. Effective world language programs promote social and emotional growth.

Last Updated: October 3, 2025