Languages other than English (LOTE) Department

New York State and National Learning Standards for Languages Other Than English

 

The New York State Education Department mandates two learning standards for LOTE:

Standard 1: COMMUNICATION - Students will be able to use a language other than English to communicate.

Standard 2: CULTURES - Students will develop cross-cultural skills and understandings.

 
Additionally, LOTE teachers in the district strive to align their curriculum with the U.S. National Learning Standards for LOTE, as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).  The National Learning Standards include (and define in finer detail) those outlined by the NYSED, but also add three additional standards.  They are as follows:
 

COMMUNICATION: Communicate in Languages Other Than English

Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics

Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.


CULTURES: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied

Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied


CONNECTIONS: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language

Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures


COMPARISONS: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own

Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.



COMMUNITIES: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World

Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting

Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

 

The South Country Central School District offers a program in the study of Languages Other Than English that affords students an opportunity to achieve proficiency in a second language at all three of the levels, or "Checkpoints", mandated by the New York State Education Department's Learning Standards.  The following definitions of the three checkpoints are furnished by the New York State Education Department:

 
Checkpoint A - the Beginner's Level - is considered to be a way station en route to proficiency.

Checkpoint B - the Intermediate Level - corresponds to the level of performance that all students should demonstrate in order to obtain a high school diploma.

Checkpoint C - the Advanced Level - is a level of performance that can be attained on an elective basis.