. Communication in Languages Other Than English

The educated American of the 21^st century needs to be conversant in at least one language in addition to his/her native language. Colorado’s continued positional leadership is going to rely heavily on its capacity to communicate across borders. Communication is the heart and soul of any culture, but learning another language builds a bridge that helps Americans relate to people of other nations and cultures. Students acquire the communication strategies that will aid them in bridging communication gaps that result from differences of language and culture.

In the 21^st century students speak, read, and comprehend both spoken and written languages other than English to participate effectively in personal interactions with members of other cultures. Students interpret the concepts, ideas, and opinions expressed by members of these cultures through their media and literature. As students learn the languages and cultures that they may encounter in their personal lives and careers in the future, communication strategies that empower students include the ability to guess intelligently; to derive meaning from context; to understand, interpret, and produce gestures effectively; to ask for and provide clarification; to make and check hypotheses; to make inferences, predictions, and generalizations; to reflect on the nature of interaction; and to draw informed conclusions and maintain a healthy sense of humor, patience, and tenacity in the communication process. Strong, confident communicative command in a language other than English gives students excellent skill and knowledge for success in the workforce of the 21^st century.

Real-world communication occurs in a variety of ways. It may be interpersonal, in which culturally appropriate listening, reading, viewing, speaking, and writing occur as a shared activity among language users. It may be interpretive, in which language users listen, view, and read using knowledge of cultural products, practices, and perspectives. It may be presentational, in which speaking and writing occur in culturally appropriate ways.

Prepared Graduate Competencies

The prepared graduate competencies are the preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Communication in Languages Other Than English Standard are:

Ø Engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions (interpersonal mode)

Ø Understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics (interpretive mode)

Ø Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics (presentational mode)

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 1. Communication in Languages Other Than English

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions (interpersonal mode)

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

1. Communicate about very familiar topics (written or oral) using isolated words and high-frequency phrases (interpersonal mode)

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Copy and exchange simple messages (DOK 1)

b. Imitate modeled words and phrases using intonation and pronunciation (DOK 1)

c. Form simple sentences on very familiar topics using learned vocabulary and high-frequency phrases (DOK 1-2)

d. Use words and phrases without awareness of grammatical structures (DOK 1-2)

e. Answer simple questions about very familiar topics (DOK 1-2)

Inquiry Questions:

1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do to conduct effective interpersonal communication with those who speak another language?

2. How do people show that they do not understand?

3. How does one know they are understood?

Relevance and Application:

1. Simple surveys on websites appear in multiple languages.

2. Exchanging words, phrases, and short messages with people from different cultures creates positive personal connections around the world.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners start with words to make meaning.

2. Language learners acquire and retain.

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 1. Communication in Languages Other Than English

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics (interpretive mode)

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

2. Comprehend isolated learned words and high-frequency phrases (written or oral) on very familiar topics (interpretive mode)

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Understand short, simple conversations and narratives when using objects, visuals, and gestures (DOK 1-2)

b. Respond to questions seeking clarification (for example, do you understand? What is this?) (DOK 1-2)

c. Follow simple commands (DOK 1)

d. Recognize the symbols of the target language writing system (DOK 1)

Inquiry Questions:

1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do to correctly interpret what they hear and read in another language?

2. Why do cognates exist?

3. Why are there many languages in the world?

Relevance and Application:

1. Information on writing systems for languages around the world is available on web pages.

2. Understanding basic questions and commands in different languages helps people from different cultures create positive personal connections.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners start with words to make meaning.

2. Language learners acquire and preserve connections.

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 1. Communication in Languages Other Than English

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics (presentational mode)

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

3. Present on very familiar topics (written or oral) using isolated words and high-frequency phrases (presentational mode)

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Reproduce high-frequency words and phrases (DOK 1)

b. Use words derived from cognates, prefixes, and thematic vocabulary (DOK 1-2)

c. Recite single-word or high-frequency responses to visual cues (DOK 1)

Inquiry Questions:

1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do to effectively present oral and written information in another language?

2. Why memorize?

3. What is the impact of culture on language?

Relevance and Application:

1. Record and play aural playback lists, chants, and songs using a tape recorder.

2. Bilingual or multilingual signs and labels on streets and buildings can provide information to people who speak a variety of languages.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners start with words to make meaning.

2. Language learners acquire and retain.

2. Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Today’s increasingly global society requires a better understanding of cultures. To communicate successfully in another language, students must not only develop facility with the language but they should also develop familiarity with the cultures that use the languages and an awareness of how language and culture interact in society. Only those who possess knowledge of both can then realize the unique and significant connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken. Students apply this knowledge as they express and interpret events and ideas in a second language and reflect upon observations from other cultures.

Culturally appropriate language use requires the understanding of the relationship between the products a culture produces, the practices that the culture manifests, and the perspectives that underlie these products and practices. Students must acquire the ability to interact appropriately with target culture members to communicate successfully. This category allows students to connect and compare languages and cultures.

Prepared Graduate Competencies

The prepared graduate competencies are the preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures Standard are:

Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied

Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 2. Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

1. Identify common practices within the target cultures studied

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Acknowledge and imitate basic greetings and gestures (DOK 1)

b. Identify some common social practices at home and school (DOK 1)

c. Identify a few major traditions and celebrations (DOK 1)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does an understanding of the relationship between the practices and the perspectives of a given culture allow people to communicate with those who speak the language of that culture?

2. What do greetings and gestures say about a culture?

3. What attitudes and values are reflected in traditions and celebrations?

Relevance and Application:

1. Websites and video clips provide information on communicative gestures, traditions, and celebrations in other cultures.

2. People from different cultures can interact with each other in multiple ways.

3. A variety of societal norms and behaviors exist in cultures throughout the world.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners begin to see that differences exist among cultures.

2. Language learners begin to learn about traditions and celebrations.

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 2. Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

2. Identify common products of the target cultures studied

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Use language resources, including authentic materials, to identify daily products that are unique to the target culture and common to other cultures (such as food, clothes, and transportation) (DOK 1-2)

b. Use language resources, including authentic materials, to identify common expressive products that are unique to the target culture and common to other cultures (songs, artwork, crafts, etc.) (DOK 1-2)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does an understanding of the relationship between the products and the perspectives of a given culture allow people to communicate with those who speak the language of that culture?

2. How does a student develop cultural understanding by examining the products of another culture?

3. How is the culture of a people reflected in its expressive products?

4. Why are certain foods popular or staples in some cultures, but never have that status in others (such as crumpets)?

Relevance and Application:

1. Dancers’ and mimes’ costumes and performances reflect elements of their culture.

2. Every culture produces a variety of tangible and expressive products.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners understand that products vary among cultures.

2. Language learners point out products that are different from their own cultural experiences.

3. Connections with Other Disciplines and Information Acquisition

Learning is interdisciplinary. Students bring a wealth of experience and knowledge of the world around them to the language classroom. Connecting the foreign language curriculum to what students already know from other parts of their academic lives opens doors to information and experiences that can enrich their entire school and life experience. The connections that flow from other areas to the foreign language classroom can add unique experiences and insights into the rest of the school’s curriculum. Students use their developing language skills to pursue topics of personal interest, unrelated to the limits of academic life, and as a result nurture and strengthen their lifelong learning skills and lifelong language-using skills.

Prepared Graduate Competencies

The prepared graduate competencies are the preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Connections with Other Disciplines and Information Acquisition Standard are:

Ø Reinforce and further knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language

Ø Acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 3. Connections with Other Disciplines and Information Acquisition

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

1. Identify information that can be gathered from target language resources connected to other content areas

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Identify resources connected to other content areas in the target language (i.e.: math systems, maps, weather patterns and forecasts) (DOK 1-2)

b. Identify concepts, information and vocabulary in target language resources which incorporate knowledge in other content areas (DOK 1-2)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does an understanding of another language and culture increase people’s ability to function in a variety of content areas in an interdisciplinary manner?

2. How does studying a language help?

3. How does one acquire a language?

Relevance and Application:

1. Learning a different language leads to greater understanding of an individual’s own language.

2. Websites provide information on geographical and weather maps for areas in all parts of the world.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners realize there are resources available in the target language about topics they study in other classes.

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 3. Connections with Other Disciplines and Information Acquisition

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

2. Use authentic resources to locate basic information

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Extract main ideas and key words from authentic resources (DOK 1-2)

b. Use knowledge obtained from authentic resources to apply to new topics (DOK 1-3)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does an understanding of another language and culture broaden people’s ability to access information and to appreciate a variety of distinctive viewpoints?

2. Where can people find a target language outside of the classroom?

3. Why is using background knowledge important?

Relevance and Application:

1. International examples of search engines both enlarge one’s perspectives but also permit one to better access a target language. Studying another language will promote increased cultural awareness.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners realize that there are other languages and cultures different from their own.

4. Comparisons to Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

The study of a language other than English (a second language) fosters the development of a greater understanding of not only the language and culture being studied, but of an individual’s own language and culture. The resulting linguistic and intercultural explorations expand a learner’s view of the world. Students gain insights into the nature of language in society in culturally appropriate ways. The study fosters an awareness of alternative views of other cultures by comparing the student’s own culture with another culture, including the relationship between accepted practices, products and perspectives.

Prepared Graduate Competencies

The prepared graduate competencies are the preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Comparisons to Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture Standard are:

Ø Demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own

Ø Demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 4. Comparisons to Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

1. Identify similarities and differences of the most basic vocabulary through comparisons of the student’s own language and the language studied

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Recognize basic vocabulary in both the native language and their own language to make comparisons (DOK 1-2)

b. Recognize some simple structures in the target language that differ from their own language (DOK 1-2)

c. Recognize different pronunciation and intonation of individual words and basic phrases (DOK 1)

d. Recognize features of their native and target language such as prefixes, suffixes, word roots, idioms, and sentence structure (DOK 1)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does knowledge of another language enhance people’s understanding of the essentials of language in general?

2. How does a student identify most basic vocabulary and language patterns within his/her own language and the language studied?

3. How does the study of another language develop an individual’s ability to identify and understand critical thinking skills?

Relevance and Application:

1. Linguists use databases, dictionaries, and interviews to analyze the meanings of words and phrases in a variety of languages.

2. Language researchers study word games (such as tongue twisters) in a variety of languages to learn about sounds and word structures.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners experiment with a new language.

2. Language learners are eager to learn a language.

Content Area: World Languages

Standard: 4. Comparisons to Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

Prepared Graduates:

Ø Demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own

Range Level Expectation: Novice-Low

The articulation at range level of the concepts and skills of a standard that indicates a student is making progress toward being ready for novice-mid expectations.

Concepts and skills students master:

2. Identify and recognize the nature of culture through comparisons of the target culture(s) and the student’s own culture

Evidence Outcomes

21^st Century Skills and Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Students can:

a. Identify the relationship between cultural perspectives and expressive products (music, visual arts, age level forms of literature) of the target culture(s) and their own

b. Recognize an understanding of the form, meaning, and importance of certain practices in the target culture(s) and their own

c. Identify and compare tangible products (toys, sports equipment, food) and intangible products (concept of time, daily routine, peer relationships, holidays, traditions) of the target culture(s) to those of their own (DOK 1-2)

d. Recognize the contributions of the target cultures to the student’s culture and vice versa (DOK 1-2)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does knowledge of another language enhance people’s understanding of culture and society in general?

2. How can the recognition of diverse cultures cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the multilingual world?

3. How does language study increase a student's understanding and appreciation of his/her own culture?

Relevance and Application:

1. Understanding games and songs around the world can help people working or traveling in other cultures to make friends.

2. People who buy or sell things in other cultures need to understand differences and similarities in products and perspectives between cultures.

Nature of World Languages:

1. Language learners identify cultural similarities.

2. Language learners recognize and list significant cultural differences.

Colorado Department of Education

Office of Standards and Instructional Support

201 East Colfax Ave. • Denver, CO 80203

Standards Specialist: Anna Huffman (huffman_a@cde.state.co.us)

http://www.cde.state.co.us/CoWorldLanguages/StateStandards.asp