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“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.
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Performance Indicators Students will: |
Content |
Structure/Skills |
Suggested Activities |
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1.
Greet each other and respond to greetings in social situations (pg 55
K #3)* |
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N/A |
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2.
Express
needs/likes/dislikes by asking and responding to questions in social
situations (pg 55 K #2, E #5)* |
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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 |
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Stage 1
Content Standard
A. (continued) Person-to-Person Communication: Students will develop
communication skills for direct communication and written correspondence.
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Performance Indicators Students will: |
Content |
Structure |
Suggested Activities |
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4.
Describe people and things using short sentences (pg 55 E #2) |
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5.
Express feelings (pg 55 E #3) |
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Stage 1
Content Standard
A. (continued)
Person-to-Person Communication: Students
will develop communication skills for direct communication and written
correspondence.
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Performance Indicators Students will: |
Content |
Structure |
Suggested Activities |
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6.
Ask for, give and respond to directions and simple instructions (pg 55
E #4, M #2 |
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7.
Ask and respond to questions in social situations (pg 55 E #5) |
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