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Tennessee WorldLanguage StandardsJuly

Tennessee World Language StandardsIntroduction . 1The Process . 1Goal and Vision . 1How to Read the Standards. 2How to Interpret Examples . 3Acknowledgments . 4Frequently Asked Questions . 5Glossary of Terms . 17Modern Language Standards. 21Communication (C1). 22Culture (C2) . 32Connections (C3). 35Comparisons (C4) . 38Communities (C5). 41Classical Language Standards . 43Communication (C1). 44Culture (C2) . 51Connections (C3). 54Comparisons (C4) . 57Communities (C5). 61

Tennessee World Language StandardsIntroductionThe ProcessIn, the Tennessee World Language Standards were reviewed and developed byTennessee teachers for Tennessee students. The rigorous process to create the standards in thisdocument began with a survey for teachers and collecting feedback on the then-currentstandards. After receiving approximately 280 responses from world language teachers across thestate, a committee comprised of Tennessee world language educators spanning elementarygrades through higher education and representing classical and modern (alphabetic andlogographic) languages reviewed each standard. The committee utilized the survey responses aswell as the collective expertise of the group to rewrite the standards for all world languages.The standards will go before the Tennessee Board of Education for first reading in July and for final adoption in October. Once approved, the new World Language Standardswill be implemented in the -20 school year.Goal and VisionThe educator committee aimed to create user-friendly, measurable standards thatdescribe the skills students should acquire as they move along the path to proficiency. Further,the educator committee’s vision is for students to show what they can do with language, ratherthan just what they know about language.The Tennessee World Language Standards lay out a vision based on performance level anddescribe what all students should know and be able to do at the end of each level. The diversecommittee of educators involved in the review and development of the standards came togetherfrom across the state of Tennessee and focused on ensuring that the standards: are clear and appropriate with user-friendly examples.keep both teachers and students in mind.are outcome-based.set performance targets by level.are sequenced according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.allow for multiple entry points.include clear coding.are designed to meet the unique needs of Tennessee's students.1

How to Read the StandardsThe Tennessee World Language Standards are broken into two main groupings, Modern (ML)and Classical (CL). Each set of standards are composed of five cornerstones (Communication,Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities), which comprise the aspects and focusof language learning that are further clarified within the content standards. The standards can beread using the following graphic (Figure 1):Figure 1The revised World Language Standards are organized with the following traits:Cornerstone: Also known as the “5 Cs,” these are the five goal areas of the standards thatestablish a link between communication and culture, which is applied in making connectionsand comparisons and in using this competence to be part of local and global communities.o Communication: effectively communicate in more than one language in order tofunction in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes. This is done through 3modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.o Culture: interact with cultural competence and understanding through relating culturalproducts and practices to perspectives.o Connections: using other disciplines to acquire information and diverse perspectivesin order to use the language to function in academic and career-related situations.o Comparisons: develop insight into the nature of language and culture in order tointeract with cultural competence.o Communities: communicate and interact with cultural competence in order toparticipate in multilingual communities at home and around the world to promotelifelong learning.Performance Level: The level at which students are able touse language that has been learned and practiced in aninstructional setting.Content Standard: The over-arching standard of what astudent should know about each cornerstone.Components of the Standard: Sub-sections of the overarching standard that show the depths to which the studentshould meet the standard.Standard Number: ML.C1.1.NL.aFigure 22

How to Interpret ExamplesWithin the standards, there are examples to aid in implementation. These examples include termsthat are written in a variety of ways and should be interpreted based on the following explanationsin Table 1 (below):TermDefinitionExample“that is” or “in other words”;specific examples thatshould be usedML.C4.1.AR.aCompare linguistic elements that allowexpression of time frames (i.e., past, present,and future).“for example”; examples thatcould be used, but teachersare not limited toCL.C1.2.IM.aDemonstrate understanding of grammaticalrelationships (e.g., verbals, subjunctives, indirectstatements) in sentences with straightforwardsyntax or occasionally in sentences with complexsyntax.Introduces an example orexamples of somethingmentionedML.C3.1.NR.aIdentify items on charts or visuals used asinstructional materials in other content areas,such as math (e.g., measurements), science(e.g., animals), the arts (e.g., musicalinstruments), and social studies (e.g.,geographical formations).“including”Used to say that a listed itemis part of a particular groupCL.C1.2.AR.fIdentify metrical components and accurately scansome metrical patterns, including lines wherethere is consonantal i or elision with m or h.“examples”Context may be to “provide,”“describe,” etc.; allowsteachers and students toselect their own examples toapply to the standardML.C3.1.IR.eContrast examples of contemporary culture (e.g.,sports, music, art, architecture) from the targetcountries to one’s own.i.e.e.g.“such as”Table 13

A special thanks to the members of the educator committee who devoted their time andexpertise to revising these standards:Chair: Christi Gilliland, Williamson County SchoolsDaniel Bateman, Metro Nashville Public SchoolsScott Cochran, Rutherford County SchoolsJana Engle, Kingsport City SchoolsSharon Grele, Collierville SchoolsJessica Pryor, Henry County SchoolsJennifer Raulston, Hamilton County SchoolsJessica Sexton, Metro Nashville Public SchoolsAbigail Simone, Germantown Municipal School DistrictThe educator committee would like to recognize the following for their guidance,resources, and/or inspiration:American Classical League (ACL)The College BoardAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA)Delaware World Language StandardsKentucky World Language StandardsLouisiana World Language StandardsNew Jersey World Language StandardsNorth Carolina World Language StandardsSouth Carolina World Language StandardsDr. Craig Christopher, University of Tennessee at KnoxvilleDr. Becky Peterson, Vanderbilt UniversityAlyssa Villarreal, Shelby County Schools4

World Language Standards FAQ What is the purpose of the Tennessee World Language Standards?Standards are “what” students learn—they address the skills and content students should know,understand, and be able to do by the end of a level or course. The standards do not dictate howthe content is taught. Rather, how a teacher chooses to instruct their students is the curriculum,and the curriculum is determined on a local level.The purpose of this document is to clarify the process of language learning. This standardsdocument helps facilitate learning by equipping students to be able to set achievable goals, selfassess, and chart their progress. Learners thus take ownership of their individual languagedevelopment. This standards document guides the facilitation of language learning toward morefunctional, communicative, and intercultural goals, rather than those of language structure andcultural fact. This document provides a clearer understanding of what learners need to knowand be able to do to move from one level to the next.The Tennessee World Language Standards provide learners with:1. The opportunity to clarify language learning by simplifying the process.2. Clear descriptions of what can be done with language at various levels, while makingexpectations more realistic.3. Clear examples of small, achievable goals that they can use to become proficient in alanguage while monitoring their own progress.The Tennessee World Language Standards provide teachers with:1. The ability to guide the facilitation of language learning towards the application of thelanguage instead of grammar, translation, and cultural fact.2. Standards that can be used across ages, levels, or content studied.3. A cross-check for ensuring that each mode of communication and skill is addressed ateach learning level.4. Clarity on what learners need to be able to do in order to move from one level to the next.The Tennessee World Language Standards provide parents, administrators, and otherstakeholders with:1. Improved world language learning that has moved from a focus on grammar andtranslation toward effective communication, literacy, and cultural interaction.2. Explanations on the shift in classical languages from decoding and translation tointerpretive reading proficiency.3. Expectations of a learner’s performance at different levels.4. Examples of real-world application of language use.The Tennessee World Language Standards provide districts, schools, programs, andindependent learners with:1. Long-range program performance goals that reflect a shared vision.2. Performance benchmarks for assessment at designated intervals.3. A backwards-design plan to support learners in meeting identified performancebenchmarks.5

Why were Tennessee’s World Language standards changed, and how are thesestandards different?Our understanding of how students learn world languages has evolved over time. In recentyears, the focus has shifted to place an emphasis on communicating in the target languageinstead of grammar and facts. The Tennessee World Language Standards have embraced thischange and have been updated in order to reflect this new focus, with the aim of equippingstudents with the skills needed for real-world language acquisition. The focus is no longer onwhat students know, but what they can do with what they know.In particular, the committee sought to improve certain aspects of the standards document. Inthe previous standards, the document’s formatting was less organized and based onperformance indicators. The new standards are arranged in charts based on cornerstones andcolor coded for readability. Additionally, the new standards allow for a more rigorous explanationof the five cornerstones. The new standards are not intended to be taught individually, but rathercombined from across the cornerstones to create rich language learning experiences. What are performance targets, and how do they vary based on language?The Tennessee World Language Standards are a description of the competencies a Tennesseelanguage learner should demonstrate at three performance levels (novice, intermediate, andadvanced), as defined by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines and the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for LanguageLearners. These guidelines are a description of what students are able to do with language atthe three levels (i.e. Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced) in the areas of speaking, writing,listening, and reading. For the purposes of this model, this means students are able to performusing language that has been practiced and is within familiar contexts and content areas. Forthe most part, the performance levels used for this document are further subdivided into low,mid and high sublevels, with the exception of advanced in some situations. The threeperformance levels are further broken down into sublevels, as displayed in Figure 2 (below).Figure 26

While the Tennessee World Language Standards are meant to prepare students for real-worldcommunication in unfamiliar language situations (proficiency), it is expected th