Cañon City High School

Foreign Language

Standards and Benchmarks

(Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced)

STANDARD 1:  Communication

The student communicates in a foreign language while demonstrating literacy in all four essential skills:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

 1a:  Listening

The student listens in the foreign language for a variety of purposes.

1BENCHMARKS

Beginner

1a.1     Demonstrates comprehension of some memorized words, cognates,

           and utterances having to do with simple elementary needs.

1a.2     Demonstrates comprehension of simple memorized material  relating to everyday objects and situations.

                        1a.3     Identifies the main ideas from simple instructions or conversations.

            1a.4     Draws meaning from utterances used in high frequency social

situations.

Intermediate

1a.1     Constructs meaning from simple conversations at a normal rate of

speech.

1a.2     Deduces the main idea and some detail from a one-way listening situation when      contextual clues are present.

Advanced

1a.1     Constructs meaning through context, intonation/expression and situations from  selected listening sources.

                        1a.2     Analyzes information by any of these sources.

1b:  Speaking

The student speaks in the foreign language for a variety of purposes and for diverse audiences.

1BENCHMARKS

Beginning

                        1b.1     Speaks in predictable, familiar situations using appropriate learned                                                  vocabulary, phrases and grammatical structures to express personal                                               opinions and desires.

1b.2     Describes everyday topics using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures.

                        1b.3     Asks and answers simple questions using memorized responses.

1b.4     Uses learned pronunciation and intonation patterns for spoken languages.

Intermediate

1b.1     Applies the learned material in an original manner to express ideas and interests.

                        1b.2     Asks and answers more complex questions.

Advanced

1b.1     Uses diverse grammatical structures and vocabulary in sustainedspeech to describe, paraphrase, express feelings and personal opinion and give information.

1b.2     Asks and answers questions using diverse grammatical structures.

                        1b.3     Makes predictions, analyzes and draws conclusions.

                        1b.4     Summarizes and paraphrases.

1b.5     Speaks at a rate which is appropriate for the given situation and topic.

1c:  Reading

The student demonstrates the ability to read and derive meaning from a variety of materials written in a foreign language.

1BENCHMARKS

Beginning

                        1c.1     Recognizes cognates, common expressions and symbols.

                        1c.2     Identifies main ideas and key words and phrases in short texts.

                        1c.3     Identifies cultural elements found in printed materials.

Intermediate

                        1c.1     Infers meaning of unfamiliar words from context.

1c.2     Identifies the main ideas and some supporting detail from a variety of prepared texts.

Advanced

                        1c.1     Makes the transition from prepared or adapted texts to unabridged or original

.                                   texts.

                        1c.2     Recognizes the author’s point of view and purpose.

                        1c.3     Demonstrated comprehension of the printed selection through critical analysis                         personal reaction.

1d:  Writing

The student writes in a foreign language for a variety of purposes and for diverse  audiences.

1BENCHMARKS

Beginning

1d.1     Writes descriptions and narrations about everyday topics using

learned vocabulary and grammatical structures.

1d.2     Obtains and reports information and expresses personal opinions

and desires with learned phrases.

Intermediate

                        1d.1     Develops and organizes ideas on familiar topics.

1d.2     Plans, drafts, revises, proofreads and edits own work and that of

other students.

                        1d.3     Continues to expand vocabulary and use more complex

grammatical structures.

Advanced

                        1d.1     Uses specialized vocabulary and advanced grammatical structures.

                        1d.2     Analyzes and draws conclusions.

1d.3      Selects and expresses ideas and opinions on topics from various

content areas.

                        1d.4Incorporates information from foreign language magazines,

Internet, videos, and resource books in the target language.

STANDARD 2:  Culture

The student acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while enhancing foreign language skills.

1BENCHMARKS

Beginning

2.1      Observes and identifies traditions and everyday

            cultural practices

2.2      Recognizes major contributors to the arts, history, science, etc, in the culture being studied

2.3      Locates geographic areas where the language is used

Intermediate

2.1      Demonstrates knowledge of cultural behaviors by responding appropriately

           in selected situations.

2.2      Recognizes a culture’s major contributions to the global society

2.3      Identifies significant landmarks or cities in the countries where the foreign

           language is used

Advanced

2.1     Recognizes and explains a culture’s contributions to the human experience

          through artistic or philosophic movements, or historical periods.

2.2     Demonstrates knowledge of regions or countries where the foreign language

                      is spoken