LOTE Resource Guide

Languages Other Than English

Resource Guide

Contents

Areas of Study

Characteristics of Foreign Language Instruction

The 5 C's of Foreign Language Study

Linking the LOTE Standards to the Curriculum

Overview of Curriculum Development

Components of Communication

Outline For Planning a Unit of Instruction

Sample Curriculums

Sequential Study in Foreign Language

Longitudinal Foreign Language Development Scale

Foreign Language Proficiency Rubrics

Guide to Selecting Instructional Materials

Languages Other Than English:

Areas of Study (back to contents)

Within the discipline of Languages Other Than English, New York State recognizes four areas of study:

Modern Languages

Latin

American Sign Language

Native American Languages.

Sequences in any of these areas will satisfy the requirements for a Regents diploma. Therefore, all of these areas of study, including the less commonly taught modern languages, have a place in the classroom.

Instruction, however, may vary according to the area of study. Communication, through both spoken and written language, is the primary goal for modern languages. But in Latin, reading is the most important skill that students acquire, for reading is the vehicle through which communication with the ancient world is possible. It is also the tool, along with writing, through which students become more aware of their own and other languages.

American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language, devoid of voice, and it does not have a written form. It is governed by sign production, registers, and nonmanual grammar using facial and body signals. The emphasis on communication is applied in situations characterized as receptive, expressive, and interactive.

The primary purpose of instruction in Native Languages is to teach Native American children how to speak their own languages and to ensure that these languages do not become extinct. These languages have been historically in the oral tradition, and there is no intent to move away from that tradition. It is only in the past 20 years, with the introduction of Native American Language programs in the schools, that a writing system has been developed. Each Nation will have to decide to what extent a writing system will be used in instruction. Because of the differences in these areas of study, teachers of Latin, American Sign Languages, and Native Languages will need to make instructional and assessment modifications to reflect the competencies appropriate for each.

Characteristics of Effective Foreign Language Instruction (back to contents)

The National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Language has identified Characteristics of Effective Foreign Language Instruction which can serve as a good summary to a proficiency-oriented philosophy of second language instruction. These guidelines are shared in the belief that they provide a basis for common understanding and communication among evaluators, observers, and practitioners in foreign language classrooms.

A Top 10 x 2 List = 20 Effective Characteristics of Foreign Language Instruction

The teacher uses the target language extensively, encouraging the students to do so.
The teacher provides opportunities to communicate in the target language in meaningful, purposeful activities that simulate real-life situations.
Skill-getting activities enable students to participate successfully in skill-using activities. Skill-using activities predominate.
Time devoted to listening, speaking, reading, and writing is appropriate to course objectives and to the language skills of the students.
Culture is systematically incorporated into instruction.
The teacher uses a variety of student groupings.
Most activities are student-centered.
The teacher uses explicit error correction in activities which focus on accuracy, and implicit or no error correction in activities which focus on communication.
Assessment, both formal and informal, reflects the way students are taught.
Student tasks and teacher questions reflect a range of thinking skills.
Instruction addresses student learning styles.
Students are explicitly taught foreign language learning strategies and are encouraged to assess their own progress.
The teacher enables all students to be successful.
The teacher establishes an affective climate in which students feel comfortable taking risks.
Students are enabled to develop positive attitudes toward cultural diversity.
The physical environment reflects the target language and culture.
The teacher uses the textbook as a tool, not as curriculum.
The teacher uses a variety of print and nonprint materials including authentic materials.
Technology, as available, is used to facilitate teaching and learning.
The teacher engages in continued professional development in the areas of language skills, cultural knowledge, and current methodology.

The Five C’s of Foreign Language Study (back to contents)

The Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century offers a vision of foreign language instruction that links five goal areas: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. All of these areas are woven into the two New York State Standards for Languages Other Than English.

Communication is the heart of second language study, whether the communication takes place face-to-face, in writing, or across centuries through the reading of literature.

Through the study of other languages, students gain a knowledge and understanding of the cultures that use that language and, in fact, cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs.

Learning language provides connections to additional bodies of knowledge that may be unavailable to the monolingual English speaker.

Through comparisons and contrasts with the language being studied, students develop insight into the nature of language and the concept of culture and realize that there are multiple ways of viewing the world.

Together, these elements enable the student of languages to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world in a variety of contexts and in culturally appropriate ways.

The 2nd C: Culture

What is Culture? A Discussion from the National Standards

The term "culture" is generally understood to include the philosophical perspectives, the behavioral practices, and the products–both tangible and intangible–of a society. The diagram below illustrates how the products and practices are derived from the philosophical perspectives that form the world view of a cultural group. It also shows how these three components of culture are closely interrelated.

Because language is the primary vehicle for expressing cultural perspectives and participating in social practices, the study of a language provides opportunities for students to develop insights in a culture that are available in no other way. In reality, then, the true content of the foreign language course is not the grammar and the vocabulary of the language, but the cultures expressed through that language. It is important that students become skilled observers and analysts of other cultures.

In the last few decades, members of the foreign language profession have tended to divide culture into two bins: "Big C" (formal) and "little c" (daily life) cultures. Most teachers were comfortable with the concept of "Big C"(formal) culture, which required some knowledge of the formal institutions (social, political, and economic), the great figures of history, and those products of literature, fine arts, and the sciences that were traditionally assigned to the category of elite culture. The "little c" (daily life) culture bin included those aspects of daily living studied by the sociologist and the anthropologist: housing, clothing, food, tools, transportation, and all the patterns of behavior that members of the culture regard as necessary and appropriate. This "Big C" (formal), "little c" (daily life) division was valuable initially because it drew attention to the sociological components of culture that in the past had been virtually ignored in textbooks and classrooms. However, because both aspects of culture are inextricably woven into the language of those who live in the culture, and because understanding and involvement with both is vitally important for students at all levels of language learning, they are viewed as inseparable in this document.

BOTH ASPECTS OF CULTURE (FORMAL AND DAILY LIFE) ARE INEXTRICABLY WOVEN INTO THE LANGUAGE OF THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE CULTURE.
The Specific Role of Second Language Study

The enduring dimension of cultural study is the actual participation in the exchange of information and ideas among members of various cultures using the foreign language. While a great deal of information about other cultures can be gained through the study of other disciplines, such as the social sciences and the arts, only second language study empowers learners to engage successfully in meaningful, direct interaction, both orally and in writing, with members of other cultures. The perspectives, practices, and products of culture–be they historical or contemporary–can be shared in a special way with members of the culture in which they originated. This new, "insider’s" perspective is the true catalyst for cross-cultural understanding.

Standard2 Cultural Understanding
A discussion from the New York State Learning Standards
Students will develop cross-cultural skills and understandings.

In the context of language acquisition, culture is understood to mean the history, customs, social rituals, and behaviors that are shared by members of a particular group. Using a language other than English requires learners to adapt their communicative strategies to the cultural contexts of that language, and in addition, it provides an opportunity for them to share information, experiences, and perspectives across cultures. . . . Successful cross-cultural communication depends on people’s ability to adapt to the cultural contexts within which they communicate. Knowledge of cultural differences and similarities is an essential element of second language learning.

Teachers of second language across the State are beginning to review and revise their approaches to the teaching of cultural understandings based on discussions and dialogue similar to these.

Linking the LOTE Standards to the Curriculum (back to contents)

The Learning Standards for Languages Other Than English offer teachers the opportunity to examine the teaching and learning process in order to establish links between the standards, local curriculum, and classroom practice. The chart below suggests some specific strategies which teachers can use to establish these critical links.

SKILL	HOW TO LINK
Listening	provide students with opportunities to listen to authentic speech provide students with opportunities to listen to teacher and peers provide students with instruction that will enable them to detect emotional overtones and nuances use technology to provide opportunities for students to listen to their own speech.
Speaking	provide opportunities to engage in discussion with native speakers on a broad range of topics provide opportunities for students to initiate conversation provide opportunities for informal conversation with teacher and peers provide students with culturally appropriate vocabulary and nonverbal cues provide opportunities to discuss songs, stories, and excerpts from literature in the target language.
Reading	provide information from short notes or brief messages derived from authentic material such as advertisements, newspapers, magazines, posters, etc. provide selected short stories, feature articles, editorials, pamphlets, etc. provide a broad range of literature, including prose and poetry, from the target language provide the tools, such as dictionaries and other reference material, that will enable students to pursue independent reading.
Writing	provide opportunity to compose short, informal notes and messages for members of the target culture provide a simple structure with a range of tenses provide opportunity to compose personal and business letters, journals, and short reports expressing personal opinions provide opportunity to write creative text, prose, and/or poetry.
Cross-Cultural	familiarize students with the cultural features (body language, gestures, perception of time, and folklore) in the target society or societies provide opportunities, either directly or through the use of technology, for interaction with members of the target culture provide opportunities for students to draw comparisons with their own society and other societies emphasize the aspects of culture most closely related to the comprehension and production of language.

Proficiency Levels

Proficiencies are the descriptions of competence in all the skill areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and understanding of culture. They describe the How Well students are learning. Because learning a language other than English may begin at any time, proficiencies are keyed to checkpoints which are neither age nor grade specific. Checkpoints are measured at three distinct intervals–A, B, and C–which can occur at any point in the K-12 continuum, instead of elementary, intermediate, or commencement levels which traditionally implied specific grade levels. Achievement of learning standards at any checkpoint varies according to:

age when students begin study
frequency and length of lessons
student’s previous experience with second language learning
motivation.

CHECKPOINT A	CHECKPOINT B	CHECKPOINT C
*usually achieved after two units of study considered way station enroute to proficiency measured by a proficiency examination (State or local)	usually achieved after three years of study performance level expected to attain Regents diploma measured by Regents Comprehensive Examination	usually achieved after one year of study beyond Regents advanced level attained on an elective basis measured by advance placement examination (or other)

The performance indicators which support the standards at each level of proficiency are listed in Part IV of this Resource Guide.

Special Note About Bilingual Students: Programs in a language other than English provide an excellent opportunity for students who are native speakers of another language taught in the school to:

maintain and enhance proficiency in their native language
extend the range and control of written and spoken forms of their own language
reach advanced levels of proficiency in their own languages.

Overview of Curriculum Development (back to contents)

Curriculum development takes place at three distinct levels: State, local or district, and the classroom. The task is to design a foreign language program directed toward the systematic attainment of the learning standards set by the State for all students. The process involves planned, sequential activities requiring the commitment of time, and human financial resources from the district.

The total program–articulated at the local level–should demonstrate how the curriculum becomes the link between State learning standards, the classroom teacher, and student language learners. Activities for each level are shown below:

Scope and Sequence

The scope and sequence for Languages Other Than English is based on three components which together form the What of communication. The What refers to the purpose and content of communication–the functions, situations, and topics of the language learners communicative tasks. These components apply in the study of all languages and together with a fourth component–proficiency, which is the How Well–are essential in constructing learning experiences. Teachers may use the following charts as an infrastructure to develop scope and sequence materials for local curriculum planning. Because of the cumulative and spiraling nature of language acquisition, and because students progress from simple to complex and from known to unknown with increasing ease, suggested functions, situations, and topics are listed in the charts at one or more Checkpoints.

FUNCTIONS (purpose)	SITUATIONS (context)	TOPICS (subject)
Socializing Providing and Obtaining Information Expressing Feelings Getting Others to Adopt a Course of Action	Listening Listening/Speaking Reading Writing	Personal Information House and Home Services Family Life Community/Neighborhood Physical Environment Meal Taking/Food/Drink Health and Welfare Education Earning a Living Leisure Public and Private Services Shopping Travel Current Events

FUNCTIONS

Socializing:

            - greeting

            - leave-taking

            - introducing

            - thanking

            - apologizing

Providing and obtaining information about:

            - facts

            - events

            - needs

            - opinions

            - attitudes

            - feelings

Expressing personal feelings about:

            - facts

            - events

            - opinions

            - attitudes

Getting others to adopt a course of action by:

            - suggesting

            - requesting

            - directing

            - advising

            - warning

            - convincing

            - praising

SITUATIONS

LISTENING	A	B	C
Information and announcements from providers of common public services in face-to-face communications	•	•	•
Information (bulletins/announcements) provided over loudspeakers, radio, and television	•	•	•
Short presentations of interest to the general public given in person, on radio, or on television		•	•
Songs, live and recorded			•
Feature programs on television, in the movies, and on the radio			•

LISTENING/SPEAKING	A	B	C
Interaction with providers of common public services* in face-to-face communications	•	•	•
Informal everyday conversations with individual peers and adults	•	•	•
Informal conversations with peers and familiar adults	•	•	•
Interaction with providers of common public services* by telephone		•	•
Group conversations among peers and familiar adults		•	•
Group discussions with peers		•	•
Informal presentations to groups of peers and familiar adults		•	•

READING	A	B	C
Information provided to the general public on forms, signs, billboards and posters, labels, programs, timetables, maps, plans, menus, etc.	•	•	•
Announcements, ads, and short reports of general interest in newspapers, magazines, and other publications; short, informal notes	•	•	•
Simple business correspondence and pamphlets		•	•
Facts, opinions, feelings, and attitudes in correspondence from acquaintances and friends(peers and adults)		•	•
Letters to the editor and feature articles from general-interest publications		•	•
Excerpts from poetry and prose for cultural appreciation		•	•

WRITING	A	B	C
Forms to be filled out for the use of common public services	•	•	•
Informal notes for communications in everyday life situations	•	•	•
Brief reports describing simple situations and sequences of events		•	•
Personal letters to acquaintances and friends (peers and adults)		•	•
Formal letters to agencies, institutions, and businesses on topics of personal needs		•	•
Short samples of expository or creative writing			•

TOPICS

1. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION	A	B	C
Biographical Information
age	•	•	•
nationality	•	•	•
address and telephone number	•	•	•
family	•	•	•
occupation	•	•	•
place and date of birth	•	•	•
Physical Characteristics
height	•	•	•
weight	•	•	•
complexion	•	•	•
facial features	•	•	•
body shape	•	•	•
color of hair/eyes	•	•	•
disabilities	•	•	•
Psychological Characteristics
character	•	•	•
personality	•	•	•
likes and dislikes	•	•	•
tastes and interests	•	•	•

2. HOUSE AND HOME	A	B	C
Types of Lodging
house	•	•	•
apartment	•	•	•
rental/ownership		•	•
Rooms and Other Lodging Components
identification	•	•	•
size/function	•	•	•
furnishings	•	•	•
garden/terrace/balcony	•	•	•
appliances		•	•

3. SERVICES	A	B	C
repairs		•	•
public utilities			•
deliveries			•

4. FAMILY LIFE	A	B	C
family members	•	•	•
activities	•	•	•
roles and responsibilities		•	•
rapport among family members			•

5. COMMUNITY/NEIGHBORHOOD	A	B	C
common activities	•	•	•
local stores/facilities	•	•	•
recreational opportunities	•	•	•
responsibilities/expectations			•
rapport among members of the community			•

6. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT	A	B	C
Physical Features
big city	•	•	•
small town	•	•	•
village	•	•	•
suburb	•	•	•
country	•	•	•
geography of area	•	•	•
Climate and Weather
seasons	•	•	•
temperature/precipitation/wind	•	•	•
natural catastrophes		•	•
flora and fauna		•	•
impact on human life			•
Quality of Environment
opportunities for recreation and entertainment	•	•	•
ecology			•
economy			•
aesthetics			•

7. MEAL TAKING/FOOD/DRINK	A	B	C
Types of Food and Drink
everyday family fare	•	•	•
regional and national specialties	•	•	•
fast food	•	•	•
food and drink preparation	•	•	•
special occasion menus		•	•
Mealtime Interaction
regular family meals	•	•	•
eating with friends/relatives	•	•	•
eating out	•	•	•
socializing in public establishments			•

8. HEALTH AND WELFARE	A	B	C
Parts of the Body
identification	•	•	•
care		•	•
Illness and Accidents
symptoms of illness	•	•	•
medical services/treatment		•	•
insurance/social services			•

9. EDUCATION	A	B	C
Secondary School Organization
types of schools	•	•	•
subjects	•	•	•
schedule/school year	•	•	•
programs		•	•
content		•	•
examinations/grading		•	•
diploma			•
students’ organizations			•
School Life
extracurricular activities	•	•	•
relationships among students		•	•
relationships between staff and students		•	•
discipline		•	•
roles/responsibilities/ expectations			•
Educational System
structure			•
personnel			•
society’s needs/expectations			•

10. EARNING A LIVING	A	B	C
Types of Employment
commonly known occupations	•	•	•
summer/part-time employment		•	•
volunteer work			•
Work Conditions
preparation/training		•	•
work roles/responsibilities		•	•
remunerations/benefits		•	•
relations with colleagues and employer			•
Major Issues in Employment
job market situation			•
new trends in employment			•
labor/management relations			•

11. LEISURE	A	B	C
Available Leisure Time
after school	•	•	•
weekends	•	•	•
holidays	•	•	•
vacations	•	•	•
Activities
hobbies/sports/other interests	•	•	•
use of media	•	•	•
organizations and facilities		•	•
cultural resources		•	•
Special Occasions
religious events	•	•	•
traditions and customs	•	•	•
family occasions	•	•	•

12. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SERVICES	A	B	C
Communications
telephone	•	•	•
mail	•	•	•
telegram		•	•
Government Agencies
post office	•	•	•
customs		•	•
police		•	•
embassies and consulates			•
Finances
banks		•	•
currency exchange offices		•	•

13. SHOPPING	A	B	C
Shopping Facilities and Products
shopping centers	•	•	•
specialty shops	•	•	•
neighborhood merchants	•	•	•
department stores	•	•	•
markets	•	•	•
mail-order companies		•	•
Shopping Patterns
time (opening hours. . .)	•	•	•
currency	•	•	•
interaction with sales staff	•	•	•
staples and everyday purchases	•	•	•
modes of payment		•	•
weights/measurements/sizes		•	•
Shoppers’ Information
prices	•	•	•
advertisements		•	•
consumer publications			•
labels/information brochures/directions			•

14. TRAVEL	A	B	C
Transportation
means of transportation	•	•	•
maps	•	•	•
timetables and fares	•	•	•
signs and instructions	•	•	•
interaction at ticket counters	•	•	•
advertisements/promotional information	•	•	•
itinerary		•	•
interaction at travel agencies		•	•
travel information agencies			•
Lodging
youth hostels		•	•
camping/caravanning		•	•
hotels and pensions		•	•
private guest arrangements		•	•
Holiday Travel Patterns
destinations		•	•
activities		•	•

15. CURRENT EVENTS	A	B	C
Political, Social, and Economic Aspects
miscellaneous news	•	•	•
political parties		•	•
present governments		•	•
current political issues		•	•
current economic issues		•	•
general description of society		•	•
executive, legislative, and judicial			•
status of the economy			•
trends in the economy			•
social classes and their relations			•
social programs			•
current social issues			•
Cultural Aspects
arts (theater/cinema/music)	•	•	•
people in the arts	•	•	•
special events	•	•	•
institutions/facilities		•	•
historical and artistic sites		•	•
folklore		•	•
trends			•
Relations between United States and Target Language Countries
opportunities for exchange		•	•
influence of one country on another			•
cultural links			•
economic relations			•
governmental relations			•
individual perceptions			•

COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION (back to contents)

Topics

The following listing of expected learning results by components of communication provides an overview of topics, situations, functions, and proficiencies. These lists should be the basis for the coordination and articulation of a total program. They are the basis for the selection of materials consistent with Latin for communication. They illustrate a spiraling progression of knowledge and skill built on previous knowledge and practice. The lists of the components of communication provide an outline description of student learning results, the basis of curriculum structure, and program development. Teachers will develop instructional strategies and materials using these components and the standards of communication and cross-cultural understandings.

One of the components of any act of communication is the topic on which the communication occurs. A short letter of Cicero might contain twelve topics, such as names, health, character, family members, geography, topography, weather, calendar, roads, modes of travel, political issues, and sites. Each of these topics is worthy of consideration and discussion in the study of Latin. Topics such as these may be introduced in the Latin classroom in a variety of communicative situations, at various times and levels in the Latin program, and with greater or lesser attention devoted to them at any given time or level. A progressive spiraling or accumulation of knowledge about each of the given topics occurs over the whole course of study.

The purpose of the following list is to offer common topics of reading in Latin and to suggest a point at which some accumulated knowledge about each can be expected to be demonstrated. Most of the topics will be introduced at the earliest stage of language development (prior to Checkpoint A) and will continue to be presented and expanded at subsequent levels (prior to Checkpoints B and C respectively).

While the list of topics is meant primarily as an analysis of communication in the reading situation, it also serves as a list of topics of communication in the situations of listening, speaking, and writing, and of situations in which English as well as Latin is the medium of communication.

The topics have been arranged partly to correspond with the student’s world but, more fundamentally, to correspond to categories of experience in the world of ancient Rome. The topics begin with personal identity and expand into widening spheres of space, time, society, and culture.

The assignment of topics to specific checkpoints is an indication of when a minimum body of knowledge is to be accumulated; it is not an indication of the entry level for a topic.

Personal identification	A	B	C
names	•	•	•
sex	•	•	•
age	•	•	•
nationality	•	•	•
occupation	•	•	•
physical characteristics and parts of the body	•	•	•
health	•	•	•
clothing	•	•	•
character	•	•	•
House and family	A	B	C
house	•	•	•
apartment	•	•	•
country home	•	•	•
rooms	•	•	•
furnishings	•	•	•
garden	•	•	•
family members	•	•	•
birth	•	•	•
childhood	•	•	•
coming of age	•	•	•
marriage		•	•
family life		•	•
death and funerals			•
Physical environment	A	B	C
geography	•	•	•
topography		•	•
city and town	•	•	•
province and country		•	•
weather	•	•	•
natural catastrophes		•	•
plants and animals	•	•	•
calendar		•	•
time		•	•
Meal taking, food, and drink	A	B	C
everyday family fare	•	•	•
banquets	•	•	•
Educational system	A	B	C
number system	•	•	•
school life	•	•	•
structure and curriculum		•	•
literature		•	•
oratory and rhetoric		•	•