Colorado Academic Standards
World Languages
Standards are the topical organization of an academic content area. The four standards of world languages are:
1. Communication in Languages Other Than English:
The educated American of the 21st century needs to be conversant in at least one language in addition to his/her native language. Colorado’s continued leadership is going to rely heavily on its capacity to communicate across borders. Communication is the heart and soul of any culture, but learning another language builds a bridge that helps Americans relate to people of other nations and cultures.Students acquire the communication strategies that will aid them in participating in the global community.
In the 21st century students speak, read, view, and comprehend both spoken and written languages other than English to participate effectively in personal interactions with members of other cultures. Students interpret the concepts, ideas, and opinions expressed by members of these cultures through their media and literature. As students learn the languages and cultures that they may encounter in their personal lives and careers in the future, communication strategies that empower students include the ability to guess intelligently; to derive meaning from context; to understand, interpret, and produce gestureseffectively; to ask for and provide clarification; to make and check hypotheses; to make inferences, predictions, and generalizations; to reflect on the nature of interaction; and to draw informed conclusions and maintain a healthy sense of humor, patience, and tenacity in the communication process. Language study helps students analyze important questions to extend learning beyond the classroom. Strong, confident communicative command in a languageother than English gives students excellent skill and knowledge for success in the workforce of the 21st century.
Real-world communication occurs in a variety of ways. It may be interpersonal, in which culturally appropriate listening, reading, viewing, speaking, and writing occurs as a shared activity among language users. It may beinterpretive, in which language users listen, view, and read using knowledge of cultural products, practices, andperspectives. It may be presentational, in which speaking and writing occur in culturally appropriate ways.
2. Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures:
Today’s increasingly global society requires a better understanding of cultures. To communicate successfully in another language, students must not only develop facility with the language but they should also develop familiarity with the cultures that use the languages and an awareness of how language and culture interact in society. Only those who possess knowledge of both can then realize the unique and significant connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken. Students apply this knowledge as they express and interpretevents and ideas in a second language and reflect upon observations from other cultures. Through their analysis of various resources in the target language, students are able to obtain information on topics of personal and global interest. Second language study helps students formulate self-identity and develops their world view.
Culturally appropriate language use requires the understanding of the relationship between the products a culture produces, the practices that the culture manifests, and the perspectives that underlie these products and practices. Students must acquire the ability to interact appropriately with target culture members to communicate successfully. This category allows students to connect and compare languages and cultures. As students grow in their language development, they develop strategies for building relationships within the world community.
World Languages
Standards are the topical organization of an academic content area. The four standards of world languages are:
1. Communication in Languages Other Than English:
The educated American of the 21st century needs to be conversant in at least one language in addition to his/her native language. Colorado’s continued leadership is going to rely heavily on its capacity to communicate across borders. Communication is the heart and soul of any culture, but learning another language builds a bridge that helps Americans relate to people of other nations and cultures.Students acquire the communication strategies that will aid them in participating in the global community.
In the 21st century students speak, read, view, and comprehend both spoken and written languages other than English to participate effectively in personal interactions with members of other cultures. Students interpret the concepts, ideas, and opinions expressed by members of these cultures through their media and literature. As students learn the languages and cultures that they may encounter in their personal lives and careers in the future, communication strategies that empower students include the ability to guess intelligently; to derive meaning from context; to understand, interpret, and produce gestureseffectively; to ask for and provide clarification; to make and check hypotheses; to make inferences, predictions, and generalizations; to reflect on the nature of interaction; and to draw informed conclusions and maintain a healthy sense of humor, patience, and tenacity in the communication process. Language study helps students analyze important questions to extend learning beyond the classroom. Strong, confident communicative command in a languageother than English gives students excellent skill and knowledge for success in the workforce of the 21st century.
Real-world communication occurs in a variety of ways. It may be interpersonal, in which culturally appropriate listening, reading, viewing, speaking, and writing occurs as a shared activity among language users. It may beinterpretive, in which language users listen, view, and read using knowledge of cultural products, practices, andperspectives. It may be presentational, in which speaking and writing occur in culturally appropriate ways.
2. Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures:
Today’s increasingly global society requires a better understanding of cultures. To communicate successfully in another language, students must not only develop facility with the language but they should also develop familiarity with the cultures that use the languages and an awareness of how language and culture interact in society. Only those who possess knowledge of both can then realize the unique and significant connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken. Students apply this knowledge as they express and interpretevents and ideas in a second language and reflect upon observations from other cultures. Through their analysis of various resources in the target language, students are able to obtain information on topics of personal and global interest. Second language study helps students formulate self-identity and develops their world view.
Culturally appropriate language use requires the understanding of the relationship between the products a culture produces, the practices that the culture manifests, and the perspectives that underlie these products and practices. Students must acquire the ability to interact appropriately with target culture members to communicate successfully. This category allows students to connect and compare languages and cultures. As students grow in their language development, they develop strategies for building relationships within the world community.