| (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 logographic languages such as Chinese
and Japanese and non-Romance and non-Germanic languages such as Arabic
and Russian will require more time to achieve proficiency, especially
in reading and writing. Initially, the skill focus should be placed
on speaking and listening without ignoring reading and writing in
the target language's writing system. As the students become more
proficient, a balanced emphasis of all four skills becomes more attainable.
(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) Communication is the overarching goal of world
language instruction. Students should be provided ample opportunities
to engage in conversations, to present information to an audience,
and to interpret culturally authentic materials in the language of
study. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
identifies three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive,
and presentational.
(A) In the interpersonal mode of communication, students
engage in direct oral or written communication with others. Examples
of this "two-way" communication include but are not limited to 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. Examples of this type of "one-way"
reading or listening include but are not limited to 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.
Examples of this "one-to-many" mode of communication include but are
not limited to 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 (LOTE). The
use of culturally authentic resources in world 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, register, appropriate discourse level, and text type.
(5) Students in Level I are expected to reach a proficiency
level of Novice Mid to Novice High, as defined in the ACTFL Proficiency
Guidelines 2012 and the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language
Learners.
(A) 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.
(B) 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.
(C) By the end of Level I, students of logographic
languages should perform on a Novice Mid proficiency level for reading
and writing. In listening and speaking, students of logographic languages
should perform on a Novice Mid to Novice High proficiency level.
(D) Students who have fully or partially acquired the
skills required at each proficiency level through home or other immersion
experiences are known as heritage speakers. Heritage speakers may
be allowed to accelerate based on their ability to demonstrate a proficiency
in the Texas essential knowledge and skills for LOTE across all modes
of communication at the prescribed proficiency level.
(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 rehearsed and unrehearsed situations in a variety
of contexts. The student uses a mixture of words and phrases and some
simple sentences with appropriate and applicable grammar structures
and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is
expected to:
(A) ask and respond to questions about everyday life
in spoken and written conversation;
(B) express and exchange personal opinions or preferences
in spoken and written conversation;
(C) ask and tell others what they need to, should,
or must do in spoken and written conversation;
(D) articulate requests, offer alternatives, or develop
simple plans in spoken and written conversation;
(E) participate in spoken conversation using culturally
appropriate expressions, register, and gestures; and
(F) participate in written conversation using culturally
appropriate expressions, register, and style.
(2) Interpretive communication: reading and listening.
The student comprehends sentence-length information from culturally
authentic 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 authentic
print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials in everyday contexts;
(B) identify key words and details from fiction and
nonfiction texts and audio and audiovisual materials;
(C) infer meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases in
highly contextualized texts, audio, and audiovisual materials; and
(D) identify cultural practices from authentic print,
digital, audio, and audiovisual materials.
(3) Presentational communication: speaking and writing.
The student presents information orally and in writing using a mixture
of words and phrases and some simple sentences with appropriate and
applicable grammar structures and processes at the specified proficiency
levels. The student is expected to:
(A) state and support an opinion or preference orally
and in writing; and
(B) describe people, objects, and simple situations
orally and in writing using a mixture of words, phrases, and simple
sentences.
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