(a) General requirements.
(1) Level I can be offered in elementary, middle, or
high school. At the high school level, students shall be awarded one
credit for successful completion of this course. There is no prerequisite
for this course.
(2) Students of classical languages such as Latin and
Greek read and comprehend proficiency-level appropriate texts. The
communicative skills of listening, speaking, and writing are used
to enhance the interpretive communication mode of reading.
(3) Districts may offer a level of a language in a
variety of scheduling arrangements that may extend or reduce the traditional
schedule when careful consideration is given to the instructional
time available on a campus and the language ability, access to programs,
and motivation of students.
(b) Introduction.
(1) The study of world languages is an essential part
of education. In the 21st century language classroom, students gain
an understanding of two basic aspects of human existence: the nature
of communication and the complexity of culture. Students become aware
of multiple perspectives and means of expression, which lead to an
appreciation of difference and diversity. Further benefits of foreign
language study include stronger cognitive development, increased creativity,
and divergent thinking. Students who effectively communicate in more
than one language, with an appropriate understanding of cultural context,
are globally literate and possess the attributes of successful participants
in the world community.
(2) The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) identifies three modes of communication: interpersonal,
interpretive, and presentational. Interpretative communication is
the overarching goal of classical language instruction. Students of
classical languages should be provided ample opportunities to interpret
culturally appropriate materials in the language of study, supported
by opportunities for interpersonal and presentational communication.
(A) In the interpersonal mode of communication, students
engage in direct oral or written communication with others such as
conversing face to face, participating in digital discussions and
messaging, and exchanging personal letters.
(B) In the interpretive mode of communication, students
demonstrate understanding of spoken and written communication within
appropriate cultural contexts such as comprehension of digital texts
as well as print, audio, and audiovisual materials.
(C) In the presentational mode of communication, students
present orally or in writing information, concepts, and ideas to an
audience of listeners or readers with whom there is no immediate interaction
such as presenting to a group; creating and posting digital content;
or writing reports, compositions, or articles for a magazine or newspaper.
(3) The use of age-level appropriate and culturally
authentic resources is imperative to support the teaching of the essential
knowledge and skills for languages other than English. The use of
culturally authentic resources in classical language study enables
students to make connections with other content areas, to compare
the language and culture studied with their own, and to participate
in local and global communities.
(4) Students recognize the importance of acquiring
accuracy of expression by knowing the components of language, including
grammar, syntax, and genre.
(5) At the end of Level I, students of classical languages
should reach a Novice High to Intermediate Low proficiency level in
reading, a Novice Low to Novice Mid proficiency level in listening,
a Novice Low to Novice Mid proficiency level in speaking, and a Novice
Mid proficiency level in writing. Proficiency levels are aligned with
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 and the ACTFL Performance Descriptors
for Language Learners.
(A) Students at the Novice Low proficiency level express
meaning on some very familiar topics, using single words and phrases
that have been practiced and memorized. They are best able to understand
a few memorized words and phrases when heard. Novice Low students
may be difficult to understand by the most sympathetic listeners and
are likely to make frequent errors in pronunciation and syntax.
(B) Students at the Novice Mid proficiency level express
meaning in highly predictable contexts through the use of memorized
and recalled words and phrases. They are best able to understand aural
cognates, borrowed words, and high-frequency, highly contextualized
words and phrases with repetition. Novice Mid students may be difficult
to understand by the most sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed
to dealing with language learners. Novice Mid students are inconsistently
successful when performing Novice-level tasks.
(C) Students at the Novice High proficiency level express
meaning in simple, predictable contexts through the use of learned
and recombined phrases and short sentences. They are best able to
understand sentence-length information within highly contextualized
situations and sources. Novice High students may generally be understood
by sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing with language
learners. Novice High students are consistently successful when performing
Novice-level tasks. Novice High students show evidence of Intermediate
Low proficiency but lack consistency.
(D) Students at the Intermediate Low proficiency level
express meaning in straightforward and personal contexts by combining
and recombining what they know, what they read, and what they hear
in short statements and sentences. Intermediate Low students are able
to understand some information from simple connected statements in
oral or written sources. Intermediate Low students are generally understood
by sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing with language
learners. Intermediate Low students are inconsistently successful
when performing Intermediate-level tasks.
(6) Statements containing the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Interpersonal communication: speaking and writing.
The student negotiates meaning through the spoken and written exchange
of information in a variety of contexts. The student uses a mixture
of words and phrases with appropriate and applicable grammar structures
and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is
expected to:
(A) ask and respond to questions, such as yes/no questions,
either/or questions, or who/what/where/when questions, in spoken or
written conversation in classroom contexts; and
(B) articulate memorized requests, greetings, and introductions
in spoken or written conversation.
(2) Interpretive communication: reading and listening.
The student comprehends sentence-length information from culturally
relevant print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials as appropriate
within highly contextualized situations and sources. The student uses
the interpretive mode in communication with appropriate and applicable
grammatical structures and processes at the specified proficiency
levels. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate an understanding of culturally relevant
print, digital, audio, or audiovisual materials in classroom contexts;
(B) identify key words and details from fiction or
nonfiction texts or audio or audiovisual materials;
(C) infer meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases in
highly contextualized texts, audio, or audiovisual materials; and
(D) identify cultural practices from authentic print,
digital, audio, or audiovisual materials.
(3) Presentational communication: speaking and writing.
The student presents information orally or in writing using a mixture
of words and phrases with appropriate and applicable grammar structures
and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is
expected to:
(A) express an opinion or preference orally or in writing;
and
(B) describe people, objects, or simple situations
orally or in writing using a mixture of words, phrases, or simple
sentences.
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