“Learning to speak another’s language means taking one’s place in the human community. It means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is far more than a system to be explained. It is our most important link to the world around us”

Sandra J. Savignon, (Communicative Competence: Theory and Classroom Practice: Texts and Contexts in Second Language learning, 1983)

Augusta Public Schools

Modern and Classical Languages

Philosophy

Proficiency in a second language is an integral part of the education of the citizens of our modern world.

The study of a second language is essential and relevant. The international world of interdependent human relations, communication, transportation and economy dictates mutual cooperation in human ventures.

Students benefit in a number of ways from the study of a second language. First, by comparing and contrasting the target language and English, they deepen their understanding of their own language. Second, through the study of the culture of a second language, they learn to respect diversity and to honor the differences among people.

A school system in a city as large as Augusta, a Franco-American community, should offer at least one classical language and a variety of modern languages. A second language course of study should be available to all students. In order to attain a certain level of proficiency, students should continue their study of a second language for more than the traditional two years. We highly approve of the concurrent study of Latin and a modern language or of two modern languages.

We believe that our philosophy reflects the Guiding Principles of the Maine Learning Results. The curriculum that follows is based on the Content Standards of that document.

Augusta Public Schools

Modern and Classical Languages Curriculum

Classical Languages

The Modern and Classical Language Department of the Augusta School System has identified the stages through which students progress as they become proficient in a second modern language.

Stage One:

Begins when students start to learn a second language. Contact time, intensity of instruction, and the age at which students begin second language learning will all determine the time needed to complete this Stage One. Students will begin to recognize and understand basic structures, vocabulary and cultural practices, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. Stage One is approximately equivalent to a two-year traditional high school program.

Stage Two:

Solidifies the skills learned in Stage One. The students will begin to independently use these skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This stage represents a progression towards greater fluency, and aural and written comprehension; by the end of Stage Two students will consistently use simple sentences. This stage is approximately equivalent to the traditional third year of language study at the high school.

Stage Three:

Moves students from the comfort of learned material to experimentation with more complex structure. Students will have developed a level of fluency that allows them to discuss, read, and write about a wide variety of topics. Stage Three is approximately equivalent to the traditional fourth year of language study at the high school.

Stage Four:

Includes students who demonstrate increased mastery of tasks. Stage Four students explore topics that are less familiar or more abstract in order to pursue their own interests; they have become independent users of the language. In order to reach Stage Four, students need to begin second language instruction at an early age, preferably in kindergarten. As stated in Stage One, contact time and intensity of instruction will determine whether students reach Stage Four prior to graduation from high school.

Maine Learning Results

Contents Standards

A. Person-To-Person Communications

Students will develop communication skills for direct conversation and written correspondence. In conversation or brief written exchanges with family members, friends, or classmates, students will have the skill and confidence to converse and write about familiar topics and events, to ask and answer questions, and to compare and contrast people, things, or events using strings of short sentences.

B. Reading, Listening, and Viewing for Understanding

Students will develop reading, listening, and viewing skills so they may obtain and interpret. Students will be able to use a second language to obtain information from “authentic” resources such as newspapers, letters, literature, newscasts, videos, or musical recordings and to acquire new knowledge about people, events, and culture.

C. Oral and Written Presentations

Students will develop skills in oral and written presentation for one-way communication with an individual or a group. Students will use writing and oral presentation skills to address a broader range of topics in a wider variety of situations than found in person-to-person communication. Writing and peaking for presentation allows more time for careful planning and editing, so students can pay closer attention to such aspects of the structure and appropriate use of the language as pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and style in their finished work.

D. Workings of Language

Students will gain a deeper understanding of both their native language and the way language works by discovering patterns among language systems. They will be able to compare and contrast elements of the structure and use of English and the second language, and to increase their awareness of the nature of language, the influence of other languages on English, and the strategies used to communicate meaning.

Maine Learning Results

Contents Standards

(continued)

E. Cultural Practices, Products, and Perspectives

Students will gain insight into another culture through an understanding of its social practices, products, and perspectives. Social practices describe the way people behave toward one another. Products include tangible things like food, tools, or a piece of art, and intangible things like laws, music, or rituals. Perspectives include ideas, attitudes, and values. Students will develop an awareness of other people’s world views, their unique way of life, and the patterns of behavior which order their world. Students will be able to communicate more effectively through speech and behavior.

F. Cross-Cultural Connections and Comparisons

Students will recognize the connections that link people, countries, and historical periods such as cultural and religious traditions, historical events, political thought, or geography. Students will become aware of the contributions of another culture to their own and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the second language.

Stage 1

Content Standard

A. Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure/Skills	Suggested Activities
1. Greet each other and respond to greetings in social situations (pg 55 K #3)*	Vocabulary Greetings	N/A	Role Play/Situation cards Partner work Pictures
2. Express needs/likes/dislikes by asking and responding to questions in social situations (pg 55 K #2, E #5)*	Vocabulary Hobbies Sports Foods Animals School Weather Adverbs of quantity	Negation Conjugation of common verbs Questions-yes/no or specific information, e.g., Do you Like/Dislike? What do you like?	Interviews/surveys Situational activities Written/oral reports Poster
3. Ask and answer questions about self and family (pg 55 K #1, E #1, M #1)* *Refers to Performance Indicators in the State of Maine Learning Results document. “K” includes those indicators listed under Elementary Grades Pre-K – 2. “E” includes indicators listed under Elementary Grades 3 –4, and “M” refers to Middle Grades 5 – 8	Vocabulary Family Numbers Feelings Daily activity Health Home Friends Schedule Classroom Sequential verbs	Possessive adjectives Common idiomatic expressions Regular verbs Common irregular verbs Reflexive verbs	Family tree (oral/written) Picture album Puppets Situation activities with props Interviews, notes, letters Guided compositions

Stage 1

Content Standard

A. (continued) Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
4. Describe people and things using short sentences (pg 55 E #2)	Vocabulary Classroom objects Family Clothing Animals	Verb “to be” Gender Number Case	Describe an item for a partner who must then draw it Class presentation Write a paragraph describing an object Charades Guessing game
5. Express feelings (pg 55 E #3)	Vocabulary Descriptive adjectives Health Feelings Idiomatic expressions	Agreement of adjectives Verbs “to have” and “to be” Negation	Role play (visit to doctor/nurse) Charades Vocabulary bingo Simon says Write a note excusing an absence from school

Stage 1

Content Standard

A. (continued) Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
6. Ask for, give and respond to directions and simple instructions (pg 55 E #4, M #2	Vocabulary Action verbs dealing with giving directions Prepositions Names of places (destinations) Classroom objects Adverbs of direction Interrogative adverbs Means of transportation	Imperative Prepositions Contractions Negation (French and German only)	Simon says Situational interactive activities Maps Read Respond to oral directions
7. Ask and respond to questions in social situations (pg 55 E #5)	Vocabulary Questions words Who Where How When What Why School Travel Leisure activities Weather	Formation of questions	Party Ice breaker (search for someone who…) 20 questions Engagement calendar Current events Write a newspaper article based on an interview

Stage 1

Content Standard

A. (continued) Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
8. Compare and contrast people, objects, and events by using short sentences (pg 55 M #3)	Vocabulary from selected Stage One themes* Comparative and superlative expressions As…as More…than Less…than The most…	Placement of objectives and adverbs Comparative and superlative of adjectives and adverbs	Line activity Compare objects Classroom items Products Countries Climate

*See appendix

Stage 1

Content Standard

B. Reading, Listening, Viewing for Understanding: Students will develop reading, listening, and viewing skills so they can obtain and interpret information.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Follow simple classroom commands and directions, written and oral (pg. 56 K #1 and #2, E #1 and #4, M #5)	Vocabulary Classroom commands Action verbs Preposition Places to go Transportation	Imperatives Articles, definite and indefinite Gender and number of nouns Prepositions	Simon says TPR (a kinesthetic technique for teaching vocabulary and structures) Activities Follow and give directions using maps
2. Demonstrate understanding of written or oral narratives and short conversations on familiar topics (pg. 56 K #4, E #5, M #1, #4, and #7)	Vocabulary selected form Stage One Themes	Word order Sequence of ideas Tense recognition	Read classified ads to find an apartment Use of props to show understanding of story Take a telephone message Listen to a weather report and dress accordingly
3. Identify familiar people and objects through clues and illustrations (pg. 56 K #5)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One themes	Recognize cognates Identify key words in a sentence, written or oral	Flash cards Bingo TPR Pictionary Charades

Stage 1

Content Standard

B. (continued) Reading, Listening, Viewing for Understanding: Students will develop reading, listening, and viewing skills so they can obtain and interpret information.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
4. Demonstrate comprehension of the main ideas of a video, song or story on a familiar topic (pg 56 K #6 E #3)	Vocabulary selected form Stage One themes	Word order Sequence of ideas	Video worksheets Act out a video or a song Illustrate
5. Recognize, use, and react to gestures, visual cues, sounds, intonation and speech patterns (pg 56 E #6and #7)	Alphabet Pronunciation of vowel, consonant clusters Body language	Interrogative sentences Declarative sentences Imperative sentences Punctuation Word order	Make a gesture in response to a situation proposed by the teacher Respond appropriately to traffic signs Thumbs up/thumbs down to demonstrate understanding of an oral cue
6. Read and interpret simple printed information (pg 56 M #6)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One themes Relevant cultural practices Time Money Food	Word order Identify key words Recognize tenses and the imperative	Plan a trip using a train schedule Order from a menu Make a shopping list using a newspaper advertisement for a catalog
7. Recognize common oral phrases and structures (pg 56 M #8)	Idiomatic expressions Common oral phrases appropriate to thematic content	Word order	Make a cartoon Write a dialog Vocabulary bingo

Stage 1

Content Standard

C. Oral and Written Presentation: Students will develop skills in oral and written presentations for one-way communication with an individual or a group.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Distinguish between the writing and sound systems of the first and second language and recognize and produce appropriate sounds and speech patterns (pg 58 K #1 and E #4, pg. 59 K #1 and M #3)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One themes Alphabet Numbers	Language specific sounds and sound patterns, for example, German dipthongs, French and Spanish “r” Intonation Letter/sound relationships	Sing the alphabet song Number games Bingo Hangman Pronunciation exercises (This is part of every modern language activity). Spelling bee
2. Describe daily life and personal likes and dislikes by using short phrases and short narratives (pg 58 E #1 and #2, M #1 and #5)	Vocabulary Preferences Daily routine Leisure activities Time	Word order Subject/verb agreement Negation Modal verbs (German) Prepositions Possessive adjectives Reflexive verbs	Journal entries about weekend activities Describe photos of family members Write a letter to a pen pal Make an oral presentation about daily activities
3. Present information on a specific topic in short written or spoken sentences (pg 58 E #3)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One themes	Selected structures from Stage One*	Write and present a weather report Describe a famous person or an object Write and present a sports broadcast

*See appendix

Stage 1

Content Standard

D. Workings of Language: Students will gain a deeper understanding of both their native language and of the way language works by discovering patterns among language systems.

Performance Indicators Students will:		Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Recognize that languages are interrelated and belong to language families (pg 59 K #2, E #1).		Selected structures and themes from Stage One	Recognize cognates Analyze structures	Create a map showing language families Make a mobile using related words form different languages Identify words and symbols (e.g., alphabet) derived from other languages
2. Demonstrate awareness that there are phrases, idioms, and words that do not translate directly from our language to another (pg 59 E #2, pg. 60 S #1)*	Common idiomatic expressions		Selected structures and themes from Stage One		Identify phrases that cannot be literally translated into English Translate Illustrate Idioms

*Refers to performance indicators in the State of Maine Learning Results document. “S” includes those indicators listed under Secondary Grades.
Stage 1

Content Standard

D. (continued) Workings of Language: Students will gain a deeper understanding of both their native language and of the way language works by discovering patterns among language systems.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
3. Recognize and use formal and informal forms of language in the second language and their own language (pg 59 E #3, M #2)	Formal and informal pronouns Titles and expressions of respect	Imperatives Possessive adjectives Subject/verb agreement Pronouns	Skits Role play a conversation in a store or a restaurant Students pick an article of clothing from a box. They must take on a role appropriate to the article of clothing they have picked.
4. Recognize and demonstrate that nouns have gender (pg 59 M #1)	Selected themes from Stage One	Definite and indefinite articles Subject pronouns Possessive adjectives Cases (German) Adjective agreement Relationship between the noun suffix and its gender	Guessing game Thumbs up/thumbs down activity demonstrating that students recognize the sound distinction between masculine and feminine forms Scavenger hunt using the dictionary to discover the gender of nouns.
5. Recognize noun and verb forms and how they function in the second language in relationship to comparable elements in English (pg 60 S #2)	Selected Structures from Stage One	Analyze structures	Translate Compare and contrast the use of word and word endings in English and in a second language.

Stage 1

Content Standard

E. Cultural Practices, Products, and Perspectives: Students will gain insight into another culture through an understanding of its social practices, products, and perspectives.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Identify unique products and practices in a culture (pg 61 K #1 and #2, E #2, M #2 and #3)	Songs Dance Celebrations Games Tangible products, e.g., food, currency, etc. Vocabulary from selected Stage One themes	N/A	Show and tell Draw Sing Slide show Cook Identify realia Identify the products of the target culture found in the student’s own environment
2. Demonstrate understanding of their peer group within the culture studied by identifying and discussing the group’s products and practices (pg 61 E #3, M #1)	Fashion Pop culture Education Music Family Mode of travel Food Vocabulary form Selected Stage One themes	N/A	Listen to music Watch films Write to pen pals Research pop figures (music, sports, movie stars ….)
3. Engage in everyday activities of the target culture (pg 61 S #2)	Mealtime Shopping Entertainment Telephone Vocabulary form selected Stage One themes	N/A	Role play

Stage 1

Content Standard

F. Cross-Cultural connections and Comparisons: Students will recognize the connections that link people, countries and historical periods such as cultural and religious traditions, historical events, political thought or geography.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Identify similarities and differences between daily life in one’s own culture and that of target culture (pg 62 K #1)	Themes related to daily life Songs Celebrations Games Tangible products such as food and currency Dance Gestures and other forms of non-verbal behavior	Selected Stage One structures	View a video to identify cultural differences Invite a guest speaker Interview a guest speaker Make a collage
2. Identify cultural practices and values relating to family, school, work and play of people both in their own and another culture (pg 62 M #2)	Family Work School Environment Food Leisure Activities Religion	Selected Stage One structures	Make a brochure Make a collage Internet research

Stage 2

Content Standard

A. Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Engage in longer, more complex conversations than in Stage 1, using the structures outlined in Standards C & D, Stage One. (pg 55 K #2 and 3, E #1 through #5, M #1 through #3, S #1)	Selected Stage One and Two themes	Compound sentences Multiple verb tenses Strings of sentences	Prompted conversation Role Play Discuss a topic with a partner, taking a positive or negative viewpoint Poker chip activity (guided conversation where everyone in group is assigned a role in the group) Compare and contrast people, things, and events

Stage 2

Content Standard

B. Reading, Listening, and Viewing for Understanding: Students will develop reading, listening, and viewing skills so they can obtain and interpret information.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Demonstrate understanding of written passages and personal notes on a familiar topic (pg 56 E #2)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One Stage and Two themes	Selected Stage One and Two structures	Paraphrase a written passage in English or in the target language depending on the topic Answer questions (in target language) Sequence the events of a passage Illustrate a passage Write a response to a passage
2. Select the main ideas and identify principal characters in stories (pg 56 E #3)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One and Two themes	Punctuation (quotation marks) Selected Stage One and Two structure	Illustrate the main idea Make a visual representation of main ideas or characters (collage, puppets, sculpture) Answer questions Students role play a character in a story Tell story form another point of view
3. Follow a set of directions to develop a product (pg 56 M #2)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One and Two themes	Imperative sentences Prepositions Negations	Create a greeting card Follow a recipe

Stage 2

Content Standard

B. (continued) Reading, Listening, and Viewing for Understanding: Students will develop reading, listening, and viewing skills so they can obtain and interpret information.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
4. Demonstrate comprehension of selected short samples of spoken language (pg 57 S #1)	Vocabulary selected from Stage One and Two themes	Selected Stage One and Two structures Listening skills Verbal/non-verbal cues (tone of voice, inflection)	Identify key words Restate in own words a news story Reenact a story Fill in missing words Respond to text (e.g., Why would you buy something you heard advertised?) Answer multiple choice questions about text

Stage 2

Content Standard

C. Oral and Written Presentations: Students will develop skills in oral and written presentations for one-way communication with an individual or a group.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Using strings of short sentences to make informative oral and written presentations on topics of interest (pg 58 M #2)	Sports Music Friends Food	Verbs in the present, past and future	Show and tell Present a collage Journal entries Write a commercial Create a brochure about a favorite activity
2. Prepare stories or brief written and oral reports on daily life (pg 58 M #3)	School Family activities Daily schedule Leisure activities	Reflexive verbs Compound sentences Multiple verb tenses Sequence sentences	Write and illustrate a story (big book) Write a letter or an e-mail Create a Power Point Presentation, for example about summer vacation Explain schedule to a new student
3. Prepare a brief oral or written report on a topic studied in another subject area (pg 58 M #3)	Vocabulary related to the specific content area	Multiple tenses (especially the distinction between the past tenses) Sequence of events Compound/Complex sentences	Report on a biography of a historical character or a celebrity Write an article about a news event either current or past) Describe a painting Role play a character from a novel

Stage 2

Content Standard

C. (continued) Oral and Written Presentations: Students will develop skills in oral and written presentations for one-way communication with an individual or a group.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
4. Give directions for carrying out a multi-step task (pg 58 S #5)	Vocabulary appropriate to the task	Sequencing (dividing task into discrete steps) Various ways of explaining a task (imperative, “you…” “we…”)	Teach a class how to: Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich Use the telephone Drive a car Bake a cake

Stage 2

Content Standard

D. Workings of Language: Students will gain a deeper understanding of both their native language and of the way language works by discovering patterns among language systems.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Continue to develop their understanding of the nature of language by further developing and applying the concepts begun in Stage One (pg 60 K, E, M, S #1, #2 and #4)	Stage One themes and Stage Two Content Standards A, B, and C	All Stage One structures plus selected Stage Two structures	Translate Demonstrate the understanding of a reading passage Identify parts of speech and verb tenses

Stage 2

Content Standard

E. Cultural Practices, Products and Perspectives: Students will gain insight into another culture through understanding of its social practices, products, and perspectives.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Show how products and practices reflect life in the target culture (pg 61 E #1)	Thematic vocabulary relating to music, games, dance, celebrations, etc., and tangible products, e.g., food, currency, etc.	When possible, students will accomplish these activities in the target language, practicing structures covered in Stages One and Two	Research the history of a product. “Why is it important?” Analyze actual physical products of two cultures (web sites, magazines, publicity, travel guides, newspapers) Show and tell, e.g., plan and prepare a traditional meal, taking into account sequence of courses, number of courses, size of portions and table settings Build a model of a house and explain why it is set up the way it is

Stage 2

Content Standard

E. (continued) Cultural Practices, Products and Perspectives: Students will gain insight into another culture through understanding of its social practices, products, and perspectives.

Performance Indicators Students will:	Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
2. Identify and discuss connections between cultural values and socially approved behaviors of another culture (pg 61 S #1)	Concepts that reflect themes covered in Stages One and Two: Family Education Politics Food Leisure time Transportation World of work Religion	When possible, students will accomplish these activities in the target language, practicing structures covered in Stages One and Two	Role play Wedding Family situation Shopping Write a short skit illustrating an aspect of target culture Demonstrate knowledge of typical behavior in target culture, e.g., “What is wrong with this picture?” Culture capsules Trivial Pursuit

Stage 2

Content Standard

F. Cross-Cultural Connections and Comparisons: Students will recognize the connections that link people, countries and historical periods such as cultural and religious traditions, historical events, political thought or geography.

Performance Indicators Students will:		Content	Structure	Suggested Activities
1. Compare and contrast the products and practices of the target culture and the students’ own culture (pg 62 E #2, M #1)		Songs Celebrations Games Tangible products such as food and currency Dance Gestures and other forms of non-verbal communication	When possible students will accomplish these activities in the target language	Create a travel brochure Make a collage Research a theme on the Internet Compare and contrast a song written in the target language with a song written about the same topic in English
2. Compare and contrast values of people in the students’ culture and the target language culture (pg 62 M #2, S #4)	Family School Work Environment Food Leisure activities Religion		When possible students will accomplish these activities in the target language	Four corners activity Make a chart showing how a teenager in the target culture is likely to schedule his/her time Make a poster depicting typical meals of the target culture