Appendix On Implementing District Standards
The ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) standards play a crucial role in designing and implementing units in world-language classrooms nationwide. They are known as the 5 C’s: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Each one of these goal areas is then divided into standards. These standards provide a framework for World Language teachers to guide their instruction, ensuring that students develop proficiency in the target language while also gaining cultural understanding. This unit is designed to be taught in both Spanish and English, addressing the students' diverse needs and varying proficiency levels.
Communication Goal: Communicate effectively in more than one language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes. This includes the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The communication goal is divided into three Communication Standards, which are the following:
1- Interpersonal communication
2- Interpretive communication
3- Presentational communication
This unit provides various communication activities such as discussing topics (speaking), reading, listening (to the teacher read aloud), and writing (mini activities like journal writing, graphic novel writing, vocabulary). With the implementation of the Communication standards, the students improve their English and Spanish language skills and develop a deeper understanding of the social issues Latinx communities face.
Culture Goal: Interact with cultural competence and understanding. The culture goal area is divided into two culture standards.
1- Relating cultural practices to perspectives
2- Relating cultural products to perspectives
Connections Goal: Connect with other disciplines to acquire information, and diverse perspectives in order to use the language to function in academic and career-related situations.
The Connections Goal is divided into two standards:
1- Making connections
2- Acquiring information and diverse perspectives
The Connections standard encourages students to make connections between the target language and other disciplines. In this unit, students can explore connections between current events in Spanish. By integrating these disciplines, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the social, historical, and cultural contexts that shape Latinx migrants.
Comparisons Goal: Develop insight into the nature of language and culture to interact with cultural competence. The Comparison standards include:
1- Language comparisons
2- Cultural comparisons
The Comparisons standard emphasizes the crucial skill of comparing languages and cultures. By developing this ability, students can significantly enhance their language acquisition process. This process also fosters a more profound understanding of their own language and culture. This is especially vital for bilingual and bicultural students, and in the context of the US, it's particularly relevant for navigating the diverse Latinx cultures present across the country.
Communities Goal: Communicate and interact with cultural competence in order to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.
1- School and global communities
2- Lifelong learning
The Communities standard emphasizes the understanding and participation in various communities, both locally and globally, through language learning. It includes engaging with diverse communities and using the target language beyond the classroom. This helps students develop a sense of empathy and cultural awareness.
These standards provide a comprehensive framework for effective language education and lifelong language learning. This unit integrates language learning with important social justice issues, making the lessons relevant and impactful for all.
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