La Habra High School
Foreign Language Department

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Foreign Language Standards
FOREIGN LANGUAGE 1, 2 and 3

COMMUNICATION

• communicate by speaking, reading, and writing.
• convey meaningful messages in person or via letters, e-mail, or audio and video tapes.
• understand others in situations that are planned and predictable as well as spontaneous and unpredictable.
• participate in a wide range of situations, both formal and informal, such as to chat, to ask and answer questions, exchange information, make requests, describe feelings, and understand those of his/her companions.
• interpret what he/she observes, hears, reads, or views.
• present information, concepts, and ideas orally, visually, and in writing.
• determine the appropriate use of words in different contexts.
• learn that a given language may have many dialectical/social variations.
• discover cultural or linguistic appropriateness.
• apply appropriate grammar in academic and real-life situations.
• comprehend the main idea.
• interpret a wide range of texts, including but not limited to written, audio, and video materials produced by and for native speakers.
• demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences.
• be exposed to a variety of authentic texts.
• complete projects based on personal experiences and interests.
• move beyond the memorized use of language and focus on presentational competencies, begin to pursue the target language in a creative way, just as he/she uses his/her native language.
• write papers, deliver oral presentations, and/or participate in plays.
• describe orally or in writing his/her personal experiences.
• produce results that resemble English constructions expressed in another language.
• learn to write and speak in more linguistically and culturally authentic ways.
• complete oral and written work that recognizes the culture of the audience and tailors the presentation to his/her experience and understanding.

COMPARISONS

• become aware of the similarities and differences between the target language and the language(s) already known.
• compare and contrast the linguistic and cultural differences.
• gain a deeper knowledge of his/her own language(s) and of the nature of language generally.
• discover not all languages are alike.
• understand that although all languages share some characteristics, each is unique in how it is used to carry out specific tasks and functions.
• deal with such matters as idiomatic expressions, gender, differences in sound and writing systems, formal and informal expressions.
• compare and contrast the differences in languages and cultures.
• understand that language reflects culture.
• understand that the impact of culture on language is immense.
• focus on the relationship between the language and culture being learned and the language and culture he/she brings to the learning experience.

CULTURES

• understand the diversities of the culture where the target language is spoken.
• practice the target language in everyday life and in social situations.
• present the knowledge of “what to do when and where.”
• be exposed to a culture’s art, music, and dance, its manners and forms of address.
• become aware of the role that cultural perspectives play in language and life.
• identify differences, products, practices, and concepts to build a better understanding of other cultures.
• apply this knowledge in speech or writing.

CONNECTIONS

• shift focus from learning the target language to broadening the educational experience.
• link the target language to other subject areas to support the concept that languages are a core subject in the learning experience.
• see connections between the target language and other classes.
• apply the concepts and content studied in the target language to other classes.
• associate how the target language words relate to English words.
• be exposed to cultural nuances that can only be understood by knowing the target language.
• use the target language for acquiring information.
• apply the target language to the “real-world” situations.

COMMUNITIES

• seek opportunities to use what was learned in real-world settings.
• begin with the immediate community and go on to explore worldwide resources such as the Internet and other technologies, or read and travel.
• realize that learning another language has potential for life-long enhancement of career options as well as for the enrichment and enjoyment of everyday life.
• share ideas and questions in the target language via instantaneous communication.
• explore culture, languages and interpersonal relationships by using text-based, audio, Internet or video conferencing communication systems
• understand the concept of being global citizens.
• be sensitive to different cultures and recognize the dignity and individuality of all persons with whom he/she is communicating.
• strive to become a life-long learner.
• demonstrate progressively higher fluency levels.
• analyze the differences between his/her culture and that of the target language.