Learning Standards & Skills

Checkpoint A

Checkpoint B

Checkpoint C

• comprehend language consisting of simple vocabulary and structures in face-to-face conversation with peers and familiar adults

• comprehend the main idea of more extended conversations with some unfamiliar vocabulary and structures as well as cognates of English words

• call upon repetition, rephrasing, and nonverbal cues to derive or convey meaning from a language other than English

• use appropriate strategies to initiate and engage in simple conversations with more fluent or native speakers of the same age group, familiar adults, and providers of common public services

• comprehend messages and short conversations when listening to peers, familiar adults, and providers of public services either in face-to-face interactions or on the telephone

• understand the main idea and some discrete information in television, radio, or live presentations

• initiate and sustain conversations, face to face or on the phone, with native-speaking or more fluent individuals

• select vocabulary appropriate to a range of topics, employ simple and complex sentences in present, past, and future time frames, and express details and nuances by using appropriate modifiers

• exhibit spontaneity in their interactions, particularly when the topic is familiar, but often rely on familiar utterances

• use repetition and circumlocution as well as gestures and other nonverbal cues to sustain conversation

• understand standard speech delivered in most authentic settings

• understand the main ideas and significant relevant details of extended discussions or presentations, and on recorded songs, feature programs on radio and television, movies, and other media designed for use by native speakers.

• draw on a wide range of language forms, vocabulary, idioms, and structures learned in class as well as those acquired through independent exposure to the language

• comprehend subtler, nuanced details of meaning with some repetition and rephrasing

• engage in extended discussions with native or fluent speakers on a broad range of topics that extend beyond their daily lives and are of general interest to the target cultures

Checkpoint A

Checkpoint B

Checkpoint C

• understand the main idea and some details of simple informative materials written for native speakers

• compose short, informal notes and messages to exchange information with members of the target culture

• read and comprehend materials written for native speakers when the topic and language are familiar.

• use cognates and contextual and visual cues to derive meaning from texts that contain unfamiliar words, expressions, and structures

• read simple materials independently, but may have to guess at meanings of longer or more complex material

• write short notes, uncomplicated personal and business letters, brief journals, and short reports

• write brief analyses of more complex content when given the opportunity for organization and advance preparation, though errors may occur more frequently

• produce written narratives and expressions of opinion about radio and television programs, newspaper and magazine articles, and selected stories, songs, and literature of the target language

• comprehend the content of most texts of interest to native speakers

• draw on a broad range of learned vocabulary, idioms, and structures, including the full range of time frames, as well as language acquired through independent reading

• write multiparagraphed essays, journals, personal and business letters, and creative texts in which their thoughts are unified and presented in an organized fashion; errors in form may occur, particularly when the students are writing about complex themes or issues requiring the expression of opinions, or when the topic is outside their realm of experiences

• use culturally appropriate learned vocabulary and structures associated with a broad range of topics, and structures such as simple and complex sentences to communicate through the full range of time frames

Checkpoint A

Checkpoint B

Checkpoint C

• use some key cultural traits of the societies in which the target language is spoken

• exhibit more comprehensive knowledge of cultural traits and patterns

• draw comparisons between societies

• recognize that there are important linguistic and cultural variations among groups that speak the same target language

• understand how words, body language, rituals, and social interactions influence communication

• demonstrate sophisticated knowledge of cultural nuances in a target language culture

• model how spoken language, body language, and social interaction influence communication

• use appropriate registers

• write in the target language in a manner that articulates similarities and differences in cultural behaviors