STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY

Authentic materials and technology have a prominent place in the high school program. Students have frequent access to a variety of media and other electronic means. They are involved in activities including the use of TV, videos, Internet, E-mails, novels, plays, authentic newspapers and magazines. These materials provide the necessary basis for the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and at the same time they offer some insights into another culture.

Validating and building on the students’ previous experiences at the elementary and/or the middle school level afford students the opportunity to reach higher levels of proficiency.

Pacing guides can be developed by teachers in local school systems to facilitate the planning and delivery of instruction over the course of a year.

Level I

This course is an introduction to the study of the target language and its culture. It allows students to perform the most basic functions of the language and to become familiar with some elements of its culture. The emphasis is placed on the development of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing within a given context extending outside of the classroom setting when possible. The context focuses on the students’ lives and experiences and includes an exposure to everyday customs and lifestyles. Grammar is integrated throughout the course and is selected according to the language needs (functions).

A general introduction to the culture, its products (e.g., literature, laws, foods, games,) perspectives (e.g., attitudes, values, beliefs,) and practices (patterns of social interaction) is integrated throughout the course. Students acquire some insight into how languages and cultures work by comparing the target language and culture(s) to their own.

Integration of other disciplines is on-going throughout the course.

1.02 Use basic words and short learned phrases during interactions orally and in writing.

1.03 Ask and answer questions about feelings using learned material orally and in writing.

1.04 Share likes and dislikes, feelings and emotions with each other orally and in writing.

1.05 Engage in oral and written conversation (e.g., face-to-face, e-mails, letters) to exchange essential and personal information about everyday topics.

1.06 Use culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and gestures.

2.02 Demonstrate understanding of oral and written questions about familiar topics.

2.03 Follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests.

2.04 Identify key words or main idea(s) from oral or written passages.

2.05 Make inferences from simple oral and/or written passages (e.g., conversations, dialogs, narratives, advertisements, songs, rhymes, chants, and literature) about familiar topics.

2.06 Interpret phrases presented with accompanying gestures, intonation, and other visual or auditory cues.

3.02 Dramatize songs, simple skits, or poetry dealing with familiar topics.

3.03 Tell or retell a story orally or in writing.

4.02 Learn and discuss patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.

4.03 Participate in activities and celebrations and discuss their impact on the culture.

4.04 Demonstrate an awareness of the different target countries and their capitals by locating them on a map or globe and identifying their major geographical features.

4.05 Identify important individuals from the past and present and their contributions to the target cultures.

4.06 Explore practices and perspectives of contemporary life in the target cultures through print, non-print, electronic materials, and cultural artifacts.

4.07 Identify cultural products, practices, and perspectives that lead to generalizations or stereotyping.

5.02 Identify similarities and differences in the structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).

5.03 Recognize similarities and differences in the ways languages are written (e.g., alphabet/characters, punctuation, capitalization) in the target language and his/her own language(s).

5.04 Recognize that there are words, phrases, idioms, and concepts that do not transfer directly from one language to another.

5.05 Identify connections among languages by recognizing cognates and loan words.

5.06 Develop an appreciation for cultural differences by comparing simple patterns of behavior or interaction in various cultural settings including his/her own.

5.07 Identify similarities and differences of tangible and intangible products (e.g., food, dwellings, music, sports, clothing) between the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).

5.08 Examine the cultural traditions and celebrations that exist in the target cultures and other cultures and recognize the viewpoints behind them.

5.09 Recognize viewpoints and attitudes of people in both his/her own culture(s) and the target cultures relating to family, home, school, work, and play.

5.10 Identify the mutual contributions of the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).

6.02 Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.

6.03 Recognize and apply learning strategies and processes from other disciplines.

6.04 Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other disciplines.

7.02 Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.

7.03 Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.

7.04 Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.

7.05 Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.

7.06 View, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.

Level II

Students enrolled in this course have either successfully completed the level I course at the high school or the middle school or have placed out of level I due to previous language study at the elementary and/or middle grades.

This course provides students with opportunities to continue the development of their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students participate in simple conversational situations by combining and recombining learned elements of the language orally and in writing. They are able to satisfy basic survival needs and interact on issues of everyday life in the present time and past time inside and outside of the classroom setting. They compose related sentences which narrate, describe, compare, summarize familiar topics from the target culture. Focus is placed on understanding main ideas.

They develop a better understanding of the similarities and differences between cultures and languages and they examine the influence of the beliefs and values on the target culture(s).

Integration of other disciplines is on-going throughout the course.

1.02 Exchange information by asking and answering original questions orally and in writing.

1.03 Share likes and dislikes, feelings and emotions giving supporting information orally and in writing.

1.04 Engage in oral or written conversation (face-to-face, e-mails, letters) about everyday topics using strings of simple sentences.

1.05 Use culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions or gestures.

2.02 Demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex oral and written questions relating to familiar topics.

2.03 Understand and follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests from a variety of sources including selected authentic materials.

2.04 Identify main idea(s) and some details from simple oral and written passages about familiar topics.

2.05 Make inferences and draw conclusions from simple oral and/or written passages (e.g., conversations, dialogs, narratives, advertisements, songs, rhymes, chants, and literature) about familiar topics.

2.06 Interpret phrases presented with accompanying gestures, intonation, and other visual or auditory cues.

3.02 Dramatize songs, short plays and skits, or poetry on familiar topics.

3.03 Tell or retell a story orally and in writing.

3.04 Recombine known language to produce personalized statements.

3.05 Give detailed instructions orally and in writing.

3.06 Compose paragraphs related to personal experience.

3.07 Summarize orally and in writing main idea(s) from selected material.

4.02 Identify and explain patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.

4.03 Participate in activities and experience customs and traditions of the target cultures.

4.04 Identify major geographical features, cities, and regions of the target countries where the language is spoken and show their relationship to the culture.

4.05 Identify important people, events, and achievements of the target countries and show their contribution to their own and other cultures.

4.06 Investigate perspectives and practices of contemporary life in the target cultures through print, non-print, electronic materials, and cultural artifacts.

4.07 Identify differences in cultural products, practices, and perspectives which lead to generalizations or stereotyping among cultures with the same language.

5.02 Compare and contrast structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language.

5.03 Develop an awareness of the similarities and differences of familiar genres of written texts (e.g., simple poems, letter writing) in the target language and his/her own.

5.04 Recognize words, phrases, idioms that do not translate directly from one language to another and their impact on communication.

5.05 Recognize the changing nature of language.

5.06 Continue to develop an appreciation for cultural differences by comparing patterns of behavior or interaction in various cultural settings including his/her own.

5.07 Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own culture based on comparisons of sample daily activities in the target cultures and his/her own culture.

5.08 Demonstrate an understanding of the reasons why certain products originate and are important to the target cultures and to their own.

5.09 Investigate the cultural traditions and celebrations that exist in the target cultures and other cultures and recognize the viewpoints behind them.

5.10 Explore the viewpoints and attitudes of people in both his/her own culture and the target cultures relating to everyday life.

5.11 Demonstrate an understanding of the mutual impact of the target cultures and his/her own culture.

6.02 Communicate information in the foreign language class which is common to other disciplines.

6.03 Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.

6.04 Recognize and apply learning strategies, processes from other disciplines.

6.05 Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other disciplines.

7.02 Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.

7.03 Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.

7.04 Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.

7.05 Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.

7.06 View, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.

Level III

Students enrolled in this course have either successfully completed high school levels I and II courses or have placed out of levels I and II due to previous language study at the elementary and/or middle grades.

This course provides students with additional opportunities to expand their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as they create with the language and as they access short literary texts, authentic materials, and media on generally familiar topics. Students satisfy limited communication and social interaction demands, they initiate and maintain face-to-face communication. They identify main idea(s) and significant details in discussions, presentations, and written texts within a cultural context, read and interpret authentic materials, narrate and describe in sentences, groups of related sentences, and short cohesive passages in present, past, and future time and compose messages, announcements, personal notes, and advertisements.

They continue to refine their knowledge and understanding of the target language and culture(s) and their own by examining the interrelationship of other cultures to their own, by demonstrating behaviors appropriate in target cultures, and by applying their knowledge and skills inside and outside of the classroom setting.

Integration of other disciplines is on-going throughout the course.

1.02 Ask and answer open-ended questions that are beyond immediate needs orally and in writing.

1.03 Express preferences, feelings, emotions, and opinions giving supporting details orally and in writing.

1.04 Demonstrate evidence of self-correction in communication with others.

1.05 Increase use of culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and gestures.

2.02 Demonstrate understanding of oral and written questions relating to familiar and less familiar topics.

2.03 Understand and follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests originating from a variety of cultural settings.

2.04 Identify main ideas and significant details from longer authentic spoken passages from the target cultures (e.g., live and recorded discussions, presentations, lectures) or from materials being studied in another class.

2.05 Read and interpret authentic materials (e.g., selected short stories, poetry and other literary works, articles, personal correspondence, and simple technical material).

2.06 Predict outcomes, draw inferences, analyze, and make judgments from oral and written materials.

2.07 Recognize intonation patterns and their effect on meaning.

3.02 Compose and present stories, poems, and skits.

3.03 Compose messages, announcements, personal notes, advertisements, postcards, or simple letters.

3.04 Explain a simple process, incorporating instructions.

3.05 Summarize and interpret information from authentic material orally and in writing.

4.02 Compare and contrast patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.

4.03 Participate in activities and celebrations, and experience and analyze customs, traditions, and celebrations of the target cultures.

4.04 Examine historical and contemporary literature and the arts in order to understand the cultural practices and perspectives of the target cultures.

4.05 Compare and contrast geographical features of target countries to show their relationship to the culture.

4.06 Discuss the influence of important people, events, and achievements of the target countries on their own and other cultures.

4.07 Draw inferences about contemporary life in the target cultures through print and non-print media, cultural artifacts, and/or interaction with people from those cultures.

4.08 Compare and contrast cultural products, practices, and perspectives among cultures with the same language in order to dispel stereotyping.

5.02 Compare and contrast structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).

5.03 Investigate the similarities and differences of various literary genres in the target language and his/her own.

5.04 Recognize words, phrases, idioms that do not translate directly from one language to another and their impact on communication.

5.05 Explain the changing nature of language.

5.06 Understand selected economic, political, and social events that have shaped the target culture and their relationship to the United States across time.

5.07 Research how native speakers of the target cultures (e.g., writers, journalists, artists, media persons) portray life in the United States and how native speakers of English portray life in the target cultures.

5.08 Describe cultural perspectives as reflected in a variety of literary genres and compare and contrast to his/her own culture.

5.09 Explore the relationship of attitudes, behaviors, and products in the target culture and compare to his/her own culture.

6.02 Discuss, exchange, and analyze information acquired from other disciplines in the target language.

6.03 Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.

6.04 Recognize and apply learning strategies, processes, and skills from other disciplines.

6.05 Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other disciplines.

7.02 Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.

7.03 Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.

7.04 Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.

7.05 Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.

7.06 View, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.

Students enrolled in this course have successfully completed Level III.

A major focus of this course is to enable students to communicate in writing and in extended conversations on a variety of topics. Students begin to narrate, discuss, and support fairly complex ideas and concepts using concrete facts and topics in past, present and future time. They satisfy routine social demands and meet most social requirements.

Another emphasis of this course is on culture and literature. Short stories, poetry, excerpts from various periods of literature, current events, and authentic materials are included. Emphasis is placed on independent reading. Finer points of grammar are studied to aid oral and written communication.

There is more in depth study of the target culture(s) and their influence throughout the world. Students are able to connect the target language to other disciplines and can compare it to their own. Finally, they are able to use the language inside and outside of the classroom setting.

1.02 Ask and answer open-ended questions to seek and provide information and clarify meaning.

1.03 Exchange points of view, express preferences and defend opinions.

1.04 Demonstrate self correction in communication with others.

1.05 Sustain conversation using circumlocution and other strategies.

1.06 Use culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and gestures consistently.

2.02 Demonstrate understanding of more complex oral and written questions relating to familiar and unfamiliar topics.

2.03 Understand and follow more complex oral and written directions, commands, and requests originating from a variety of cultural settings.

2.04 Interpret and analyze main ideas and supporting details from longer oral passages from the target culture(s) (e.g., live and recorded discussions, presentations, lectures on current and past events) or from materials being studied in another class.

2.05 Demonstrate the ability to move beyond literal comprehension toward more critical reading where style and mood (e.g., sarcasm, humor, irony) may be considered.

2.06 Analyze, evaluate, organize, and determine point of view and purpose from oral and written materials.

2.07 Determine meaning by interpreting tone and phrasing of native speakers.

3.02 Create and present poetry, short plays, and stories.

3.03 Develop in writing an organized summary, composition, report, or article.

3.04 Prepare oral and written reports on topics studied in the foreign language classroom and/or in other disciplines.

3.05 Explain a complex process incorporating detailed instructions.

3.06 Complete authentic forms and documents.

3.07 Summarize, interpret, and analyze information from authentic materials or literary samples orally and in writing.

4.02 Analyze and discuss variations of patterns of behavior or interaction within target cultures.

4.03 Make inferences about the target cultures and their people by participating in and experiencing customs, traditions and celebrations.

4.04 Analyze and discuss historical and contemporary literature and the arts in order to understand the cultural practices and perspectives of the people of the target cultures.

4.05 Examine the geographical features of the target countries and explain their impact on the peoples and their cultures.

4.06 Evaluate the impact of influential people and events, and their contributions to the global community.

4.07 Form and support opinions about contemporary life in the target cultures through examination of media and cultural artifacts and interaction with people from those cultures.

4.08 Discuss and dispel stereotypical images associated with the target culture(s).

5.02 Compare and contrast structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).

5.03 Explore the similarities and differences of various literary genres in the target language and his/her own.

5.04 Recognize words, phrases, idioms that do not translate directly from one language to another and their impact on communication.

5.05 Describe how languages influence each other.

5.06 Compare the native and target cultures in terms of various institutions (e.g., educational, legal, economic, and governmental).

5.07 Analyze how native speakers of the target cultures (e.g., writers, journalists, artists, media persons) portray life in the United States and how native speakers of English portray life in the target cultures.

5.08 Analyze cultural perspective as reflected in a variety of literary genres and compare and contrast to his/her own culture.

5.09 Analyze the relationship of attitudes, behaviors, and products in the target culture and compare to his/her own culture.

6.02 Synthesize information from authentic sources relating to other disciplines.

6.03 Present formally information from authentic sources relating to other disciplines.

6.04 Transfer information acquired in the foreign class for use in other disciplines.

6.05 Recognize and apply learning strategies, processes, and skills from other disciplines.

6.06 Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other disciplines.

7.02 Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.

7.03 Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.

7.04 Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.

7.05 Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.

7.06 View, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.