Modern Languages---Year Four/Five (Expanding)
I. Standard Number 1 (Goal One): Communicate in a Language Other Than English
Standard Rationale: This standard focuses on interpersonal communication. A primary goal of modern foreign language instruction is to enable students to interact verbally with each other. Students of non-European (Romance) languages may face greater challenges in this area than do students of languages more closely related to English.
Learning Expectations:
1.1 In the target language, engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- exchange information about current or past events and aspirations in one’s personal life and in those of family, friends, and community;
- use appropriate vocabulary to acquire goods and services in the target language for personal needs and leisure (e.g., locating items in a pharmacy, finding a hotel or train station, repairing a tape recorder, asking for information);
- use culturally appropriate nonverbal cues and body language (e.g., eye contact, personal space, gestures) to communicate a message in the target language and maintain listening comprehension.
1.2 Understand and interpret both written and spoken forms of the target language on a variety of topics.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- use appropriate vocabulary to exchange information about national and international topics (e.g., information from newspaper or magazine articles, programs on television, radio, or video):
- use appropriate verbal strategies and cues (e.g., rephrasing, circumlocution, summarization) to communicate a message in the target language.
1.3 Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., literary terms such as setting, character, plot, conflict, resolution, theme) to express personal reactions and feelings about authentic literary texts (e.g., poems, plays, short stories, novels);
- use appropriate cultural responses in diverse exchanges (e.g., expressing gratefulness, extending and receiving invitations, apologizing, communicating preferences, making an appointment, closing a conversation, negotiating solutions to problems).
II. Standard Number 2 (Goal Two): Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures
Standard Rationale: The study of another language enables students to understand a different culture on its own terms. The exquisite connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken can only be realized by those who possess a knowledge of both. American students need to develop an awareness of other people’s world views, of their unique way of life, and of the patterns of behavior which order their world, as well learn about contributions of other cultures to the world at large and the solutions they offer to the common problems of mankind.
Learning Expectations:
2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- begin to develop tools for experiencing and responding to expressive cultural products (e.g., books, periodicals, films and music) in versions that make minimal concessions to the learners’ emerging language skills;
- analyze and think critically about relationships between geographical features and cultural practices and products;
- analyze and think critically about historical moments and figures and their relationships to contemporary cultural matters.
2.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- use the language being studied to comprehend and express ideas about social, economic, and political institutions and their relationships to the cultures being studied;
- appreciate differences across communities within the cultures being studied.
III. Standard Number 3 (Goal Three): Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information
Standard Rationale: Foreign language learning expands the educational experience of all students by connecting with other disciplines in the school curriculum either formally or informally. The conscious effort to connect the foreign language curriculum with other parts of students’ academic lives opens doors to information and experiences which enrich the students’ entire school and life experience. Those connections flow from other areas to the foreign language classroom and also originate in the foreign language classroom to add unique experiences and insights to the rest of the curriculum.
Learning Expectations:
3.1 Reinforce and acquire further knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- use target language topics in other school subjects and activities including sports, music, fashion, history, math, and art to produce interdisciplinary topics;
- assimilate background information, materials, and technology from other disciplines to use in target language classroom interaction;
- evaluate the accomplishments and contributions of famous speakers of the target language.
3.2 Acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures.
The student is able to
- analyze the nuances of meaning of words and expressions for different contexts;
- apply all moods including the subjunctive;
- use new information and perspectives to analyze and appreciate the differences between other cultures and their own.
IV. Standard Number 4 (Goal Four): Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture
Standard Rationale: Students benefit from language learning by discovering different patterns among language systems and cultures. Through the study of a new language system and the way such a system expresses meanings in culturally appropriate ways, students gain insights into the nature of language, linguistic, and grammatical concepts, and the communicative functions of language in society, as well as the complexity of the interactions between language and culture.
Learning Expectations:
4.1 Demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and one’s own.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- generate derivatives/word families;
- utilize intonation and speech patterns for maximum communication;
- expand on written communication through writing letters, poetry, and persuasive passages;
- demonstrate knowledge of complex grammatical concepts;
- refine communication for different levels of familiarity and respect;
- analyze the nuances of meaning of words and expressions for different contexts;
- apply all moods including the subjunctive.
4.2 Recognize that cultures use different patterns of interaction and apply this knowledge to one’s own culture.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- use verbal and nonverbal language appropriately to enhance communication as the circumstance dictates;
- interact with others showing knowledge of conventions of polite society;
- incorporate the belief systems into a deeper understanding of cultures;
- analyze the embedded systems (family, sports, education, etc.) that occur frequently in different cultures;
- analyze relationships among varied tangible products, such as literary genres and art movements;
- analyze relationships among varied intangible products, such as anecdotes and oral traditions;
- develop an appreciation for traditions and customs of the target countries.
V. Standard Number 5 (Goal Five): Participate in Multicultural Communities at Home and Around the World
Standard Rationale: Students are highly motivated to excel in their study of a second language when they see immediate applications for the skills they learn. They find that their ability to communicate in other languages better prepares them for school and community projects, enables them to expand their employment opportunities both at home and abroad, and allows them to pursue their own interests for personal benefit. Ultimately, as a result of their ability to communicate in other languages, students realize the interdependence of people throughout the world. This goal combines elements from each of the other goal areas.
Learning Expectations:
5.1 Use the target language both within and beyond the school setting.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- interact with community members whose jobs require knowledge of the target culture and proficiency in the target language;
- interact directly with native speakers in oral and/or written form;
- create, present, and discuss posters, ads, etc. in the target language for various situations;
- analyze the contributions of the target culture to American society.
5.2 Show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the target language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Performance Indicators:
The student is able to
- discuss the main ideas and significant details of extended conversations, lectures, magazine and newspaper articles, and other media forms;
- establish and/or maintain and interpersonal relationship with speakers of the target language;
- discuss in the target language current events in countries where that language is spoken.