| (a) General requirements.
(1) Discovering Languages and Cultures is a non-sequential
elective course that can be offered in elementary, middle, or high
school. At the high school level, students shall be awarded one-half
to one elective credit for successful completion of this course.
(2) Using age-appropriate activities, students explore
a variety of aspects of one or more languages and cultures and/or
develop basic language learning and communicative skills.
(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) Discovery courses in LOTE allow the student to
explore other languages and cultures. The student demonstrates an
understanding of the elements of language(s), demonstrates an understanding
of cultures, and develops effective language study skills. ACTFL has
established guidelines for proficiency levels that are used as a basis
for the Texas essential knowledge and skills for LOTE. ACTFL has identified
national standards in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning
in the 21st Century (the five C's of foreign language education).
These standards describe the "what" (content) of world languages learning
and form the core standards-based instruction in the world languages
classroom.
(5) 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) The student demonstrates an understanding of the
elements of language(s). The student is expected to:
(A) engage in different types of language learning
activities;
(B) compare and contrast aspects of other languages
to English and the student's native language; and
(C) apply basic communication skills in the target
language(s), including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
(2) The student demonstrates an understanding of cultures.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe cultural practices in selected
regions or countries;
(B) recognize the cultural products such as art, music,
food, clothing, or other culturally related examples in selected regions
or countries; and
(C) compare and contrast aspects of other cultures
to the student's own culture.
(3) The student develops effective language study skills.
The student is expected to:
(A) engage in a variety of language learning strategies
such as identifying cognates and recognizing word origins; and
(B) demonstrate an awareness of language patterns such
as word/character order, grammatical structures, and symbols.
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