• Developing knowledge and skills in a second language also provides insight into the foundations of different cultures.
• Learning a foreign language enables individuals to participate in multilingual communities.
• Being able to communicate in a second language other than English equips graduates to participate in and contribute to the growth of a global economy.
• Understanding different cultural perspectives, patterns of behavior, ways of life, worldviews, and contributions is essential in order to.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• Communication - How will learning a language enhance my life?

• Cultures - How can cultural awareness enhance my language learning and vice versa?

• Communities - How does where I live shape who I am?

• Comparisons - How do I determine the most effective language learning style for me?  

• Connections - How might learning a language open “doors of opportunity”?

Standards
District 11 Foreign Language courses are aligned to the Colorado Model Content Standards for Foreign Language and include Standards, Benchmarks, and Indicators.
STANDARD - The information or skills that must be learned and demonstrated for expertise in a given discipline or content domain.  Also, refers to standards of practice, performance standards, etc.
BENCHMARK - More specific definitions that teachers can follow to assess and measure a student’s performance at various stages in his or her school career. 
INDICATORS - The actual learning behaviors teachers will look for in the classroom. 

Colorado Model Content Standards for Foreign Language

STANDARD 1: Students communicate in a foreign language while demonstrating literacy in all four essential skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
LISTENING: Students listen to and derive meaning from a variety of foreign language sources.
RATIONALE: Students listen to comprehend information spoken in a foreign language. In order to meet this standard, a student will:
• recognize common expressions;
• obtain meaning from diverse listening sources;
• demonstrate comprehension through appropriate responses; and
• engage in a variety of listening situations.

Grades 9-12 of a Foreign Language Program - As students at the advanced level extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
• deriving meaning through context, intonation, and situations from listening sources including conversations, lectures, authentic videos, films, and recordings; and
• obtaining and processing information by selecting, categorizing, and analyzing from these sources. For students extending their foreign language education, what they know and are able to do may include
• processing information by organizing, synthesizing, and evaluating from all types of authentic listening sources;
• integrating listening skills by interacting and/or participating with members of the community in various professions who use the foreign language; and
• using listening skills to interact culturally with peers and/or others in the foreign language.

71.2 SPEAKING: Students speak in the foreign language for a variety of purposes and for diverse audiences.
RATIONALE The ability to speak other languages allows students to communicate with people from various cultures. In order to meet this standard, a student will:
• apply pronunciation rules and intonation patterns;
• use vocabulary, grammatical forms, and structures of the target language to convey meaning;
• apply knowledge of cultural practices to spoken language;
• express needs, tell stories, obtain and convey information, explain concepts and procedures, and persuade; and
• interact with speakers of the language in a variety of venues: personal, business, debate panels, dramatic presentations.

Grades 9-12 of a Foreign Language Program - As students at the advanced level extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
• applying pronunciation and intonation patterns at a normal rate of speech;
• making predictions, analyzing, drawing conclusions, and expressing facts and opinions;
• defining points of view; and
• summarizing and paraphrasing.

For students extending their foreign language education, what they know and are able to do may include:
• communicating and talking about topics of current, public, and personal interest; and
• handling complicated tasks such as describing, narrating, and hypothesizing with increasing accuracy.

81.3 READING: Students read and derive meaning from a variety of materials written in a foreign language.
RATIONALE Reading in a foreign language gives students access to information, and expands their knowledge. This ability provides students with the opportunity to learn about cultures and the human experience. In order to meet this standard, students will:
• recognize words, phrases, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical structures;
• demonstrate comprehension of reading materials written for a variety of purposes;
• use and apply the information gained from reading; and
• respond to the cultural elements contained in reading materials of the language.

Grades 9-12 of a Foreign Language Program
As students at the advanced level further extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
•analyzing and synthesizing reading materials;
•recognizing the author's point of view and purpose;
•expressing personal reactions to reading materials; and
•interpreting cultural elements found in reading materials.

For students extending their foreign language education, what they know and are able to do may include:
• using literary terminology accurately including setting, character, conflict, plot, resolution, and theme; and
• responding to and discussing a variety of authentic texts.
 

91.4 WRITING: Students write in a foreign language for a variety of purposes and for diverse audiences.
RATIONALE Writing allows students to express themselves, to communicate with others, and to document ideas in a foreign language. In order to meet this standard, students will:
• write for purposes such as relating personal experiences, obtaining and conveying information, explaining ideas and opinions, and persuading;
• write for audiences such as peers, teachers, community members, and people from other countries;
• plan, draft, revise, proofread, and edit written communications;•use correct grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to convey meaning; and
• use legible handwriting and/or word processing.

Grades 9-12 of a Foreign Language Program - As students at the advanced level further extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
• analyzing and drawing conclusions;
• incorporating information from foreign language resource materials in their writing;
• selecting and expressing ideas and opinions on topics from various content areas; and
• using specialized vocabulary and more advanced grammatical structures.

For students extending their foreign language education, what they know and are able to do may include:
• writing business letters and/or advertisements;
• using writing skills to analyze, persuade and hypothesize with increasing accuracy; and
• writing creative poetry and short stories.
 

STANDARD 2: Students acquire and use knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.
RATIONALE Language learners are culture learners as well. Students need to develop an understanding of the cultures in which the language is spoken and the ability to function in an appropriate manner. In order to meet this standard, students will:
• demonstrate knowledge of aspects of foreign cultures such as daily life, education, history, geography, government, economics, and the arts;
• apply knowledge of cultural practices when communicating in a foreign language; and
• use the foreign language to access cultural information available only in that language.

Grades 9-12 of a Foreign Language Program - As students at the advanced level further extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
• analyzing aspects of the cultures being studied, such as social and political institutions and laws;
• functioning in a culturally appropriate manner, through speaking and writing, in complex social and/or work situations; and
• researching a topic of interest using sources from the cultures being studied.