Content Standard:
express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in a language other than their own.
Rationale: Students must know how to use the language effectively in order to exchange
ideas and information with other people in a culturally appropriate manner. This standard
focuses on the goal of learning to engage in conversations.
Developing (Imitative - Reflective):
A.1. Conversations: Students will sustain a conversation including descriptions on
selected topics about themselves and their state or country
A.2. Questions: Students will ask and answer a variety of questions, giving reasons for
their answers
A.3. Opinions: Students will state personal preferences and feelings with some
explanation
A.4. Problem-solving: Students will give possible solutions to a problem related to a
personal need
A.5. Comprehension: Students will ask for simplification and clarification.
Transitioning (Reflective - Interactive):
A.1. Conversations: Students will discuss and defend an option on selected topics from
the local to the international level
A.2. Questions: Students will ask and answer a variety of questions that require follow-up
questions and responses for more information
A.3. Opinions: Students will defend personal preferences, feelings, and opinions with
more complete explanation
A.4. Problem-solving: Students will suggest options for solving problems related to
personal needs and needs of others
A.5. Comprehension: Students will ask for clarification and suggest alternative words
to ensure understanding
Refining (Interactive - Initiative):
A.1. Conversations: Students will discuss or debate a wide variety of topics from the
local to the international level, hypothesizing, convincing, persuading, and
negotiating to reach a conclusion
A.2. Questions: Students will ask and answer a variety of questions that require
elaboration and substantiation of opinions
A.3. Opinions: Students will defend personal preferences, feelings, and opinions with
substantive arguments
A.4. Problem-solving: Students will discuss options and negotiate to solve a problem
A.5. Comprehension: Students will ask for clarification and be able to paraphrase to
ensure understanding
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will understand and interpret a language other than their own in its
written and spoken form on a variety of topics.
Rationale: Students must develop strong listening and reading skills to interpret the
concepts, ideas, and opinions expressed by members of other cultures through their media
and their literatures. This standard focuses on increasing the level of understanding as
students listen to, read, or view materials in a new language.
Developing (Imitative - Reflective):
B.1. Listening: Students will understand spoken language that incorporates familiar
vocabulary and structures
B.2. Listening: Students will comprehend the main idea and some supporting ideas of
selected authentic materials including recordings, broadcasts, and videos
B.3. Reading: Students will understand selected written materials on topics of personal
interest
B.4. Reading: Students will comprehend the main idea and some supporting ideas of
selected authentic written materials
B.5. Strategies: In addition, students will begin to derive meaning through use of
prediction, prefixes, suffixes, root words, words similar to English, contextual clues,
and word order
Transitioning (Reflective - Interactive):
B.1. Listening: Students will understand spoken language that incorporates more
advanced vocabulary and structures
B.2. Listening: Students will comprehend the main ideas and supporting ideas of oral
presentations and selected authentic materials including videos, and radio and
television broadcasts
B.3. Reading: Students will understand more complex written materials on a variety of
topics and formats
B.4. Reading: Students will comprehend the main idea and key supporting ideas, and
begin to make inferences in selected authentic written materials
B.5. Strategies: In addition, students will use the dictionary to look up words that
cannot be deciphered via previously learned strategies
Refining (Interactive - Initiative):
B.1. Listening: Students will understand spoken language on a wide variety of topics
B.2. Listening: Students will comprehend the main idea and supporting ideas of oral
presentations and authentic spoken materials
B.3. Reading: Students will understand written materials on a wide variety of topics
and in a wide variety of formats
B.4. Reading: Students will comprehend the main idea and supporting ideas, and make
inferences in a wide variety of authentic written materials
B.5. Strategies: In addition, students will analyze the author's use of language to
understand a written text
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of
listeners or readers on a variety of topics in a language other than their own.
Rationale: Students must develop strong speaking and writing skills to communicate
their thoughts, concepts, and opinions effectively to members of other cultures. This
standard focuses on presenting information in a way that is appropriate for the audience.
Developing (Imitative - Reflective):
C.1. Oral presentations: Students will present student-created and/or authentic short
plays, stories, skits, poems, and songs
C.2. Speeches: Students will write and deliver a short presentation about their school
or community
C.3. Directions: Students will give simple directions to someone in order to complete a
multi-step task
C.4. Recounting events: Students will tell a story incorporating some description and
detail
C.5. Forms of writing: Students will write short compositions and letters
Transitioning (Reflective - Interactive):
C.1. Oral presentations: Students will present student-created works and excerpts of
authentic literature
C.2. Speeches: Students will write and deliver a short speech on a topic of personal
interest
C.3. Directions: Students will give a series of directions to someone, coaching the
person in order to complete the task
C.4. Recounting events: Students will recount a story with substantive description
and detail
C.5. Forms of writing: Students will write formal compositions and letters for a variety
of purposes
Refining (Interactive - Initiative):
C.1. Oral presentations: Students will present student-created works and authentic
literature
C.2. Speeches: Students will write and present a speech on a topic that has been
researched
C.3. Directions: Students will give a series of detailed instructions to someone with
suggestions in how best to complete the task
C.4. Recounting events: Students will recount a long story with a wide variety of
details and descriptions
C.5. Forms of writing: Students will write formal compositions, research papers, and
letters for a variety of purposes
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the cultures studied.
Rationale: To fully understand another culture, students need to develop an awareness of
another people's way of life, of the patterns of behavior that order their world, and of the
traditional ideas, attitudes, and perspectives that guide their behaviors.
Developing (Imitative - Reflective):
D.1. Patterns of interaction: Students will interact with respect using culturally
appropriate patterns of behavior in everyday informal and social situations
D.2. Cultural activities: Students will experience cultural and social activities common
to students of similar age in the target cultures (such as holiday celebrations, school
life, and pastimes)
D.3. Beliefs and attitudes: Students will identify some common beliefs and attitudes
within the cultures studied and compare them to their own beliefs and attitudes
D.4. Historical influences: Students will begin to be able to explain historical and
philosophical reasons for different patterns of interaction
Transitioning (Reflective - Interactive):
D.1. Patterns of interaction: Students will interact with respect according to the social
and cultural requirements of most social and some formal contexts
D.2. Cultural activities: Students will compare and contrast activities from other
cultures to their own in relation to home, school, community, and nation
D.3. Beliefs and attitudes: Students will discuss and compare beliefs and attitudes
within the cultures studied and their own in relation to home, school, community
and nation
D.4. Historical influences: Students will exhibit broader and deeper knowledge of
historical and philosophical backgrounds that explain patterns of interaction
Refining (Interactive - Initiative):
D.1. Patterns of interaction: Students will interact in a variety of cultural contexts
(formal/informal, social/work) with sensitivity and respect
D.2. Cultural activities: Students will examine the role and importance of various
social activities within the cultures studied (such as religious celebrations, historical
events, rites of passage)
D.3. Beliefs and attitudes: Students will explain how beliefs, perspectives, and
attitudes affect the target countries' position on global issues
D.4. Historical influences: Students can discuss historical and philosophical
backgrounds that have influenced a culture's patterns of interaction
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the
products and perspectives of the cultures studied.
Rationale: To respect and appreciate the diversity of their world, students need to learn
about the contribution of other cultures to the world and the solutions they offer to
problems confronting them. Awareness of these contributions helps students understand
how their views and other people's views of the world have been influenced.
Developing (Imitative - Reflective):
E.1. Objects and symbols: Students will compare objects and symbols, such as flags or
currency, from other cultures to those found in their own culture
E.2. Contributions: Students will identify major contributions and historical figures
from the culture studied that are significant in the target cultures
E.3. Mutual influences: Students will identify some historical and contemporary
influences from other cultures that impact today's society such as the democratic
form of government and environmental concerns
E.4. Geography: Students will explain the impact of the target country's geography on
daily life
Transitioning (Reflective - Interactive):
E.1. Objects and symbols: Students will research the historic background of objects
and symbols and how they came to represent certain cultures
E.2. Contributions: Students will examine the role and significance of the
contributions of other cultures in today's world
E.3. Mutual influences: Students will discuss how historical and contemporary
influences from other cultures shape people's views of the world and their own
attitudes toward issues facing the world
E.4. Geography: Students will explain the impact of the target country's geography on
the people's beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes
Refining (Interactive - Initiative):
E.1. Objects and symbols: Students will connect objects and symbols of other cultures
to the underlying beliefs and perspectives
E.2. Contributions: Students will examine the role and significance of other cultures on
the target culture
E.3. Mutual influences: Students will explain the impact of a culture's views on what
is happening and could happen in the world today
E.4. Geography: Students will evaluate the target country's geography with respect to
the impact on politics, economics, and history
The following six standards encourage students to go beyond their knowledge of and
skills in language and culture to develop real-life applications for communication
throughout the world. That is why these standards are presented in a different format,
illustrating that they provide a context for the development of skills in communication
and culture. Students at all levels of language development engage in similar types of
activities in connections, comparisons, and communities; the difference is in the
increasing sophistication with which students use their language skill and cultural
knowledge.
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines
through a language other than English.
Rationale: The conscious effort to connect the study of languages with other disciplines
opens doors to information and experiences that enrich students’ entire lives. Students can
use information and skills learned in other classes to practice their new language.
Conversely, language classes provide additional information to enhance what students
learn in other disciplines.
F.1. Speaking and writing: Students will use topics and skills from other school
subjects to discuss and/or write in the language studied
F.2. Reading and listening: Students will read material, listen to and/or watch
programs in the language studies on topics from other classes
F.3. Accessing resources: Students will access resources in the language studied on
topics being discussed or researched in other classes
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints
that are available only through a language and its cultures.
Rationale: Being able to access information in more than one language gives students a
much richer base of knowledge. Not only is there a greater choice of resources, but there is
also the opportunity to analyze a topic from another culture’s perspective, providing
students with unique insights.
G.1. Popular media: Students will read, view, listen to, and talk about subjects
contained in popular media from other countries in order to gain a perspective on
other cultures
G.2. Accessing resources: Students will access information in the language studied in
order to gain greater insight about other cultures and/or their own
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through
comparisons of the language studied and their own.
Rationale: Students who study more than one language gain insight into the nature of
their own language and can analyze the power of word choice. They can compare how
different language systems express meaning and reflect culture.
H.1. Structures: Students will identify cognates (words similar to English), word roots,
prefixes, suffixes, and sentence structure to derive meaning
H.2. Idioms: Students will identify expressions that cannot be translated word for word
in order to derive meaning
H.3. Translation: Students will identify words and expressions that have no equivalent
in another language
H.4. Cultural characteristics: Students will identify cultural characteristics of
language such as formalities, levels of politeness, informal and formal language
H.5. Phonetics: Students will compare the sound-symbol association of English to that
of the language studied
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through
comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.
Rationale:
Students who study more than one language continuously compare and contrast the prac-tices
of people in different cultures. This helps students understand themselves better and
builds understanding of different responses to similar situations.
I.1. Cultural variations: Students will discuss the meaning of perspectives, products,
and practices in different cultures
I.2. Comparisons: Students will compare the form, meaning, and importance of certain
perspectives, products, and practices in different cultures
I.3. Characteristics of culture: Students will understand the concept of culture as
they compare other cultures to their own
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will use the language both within and beyond the school setting.
Rationale: As businesses expand domestic and international markets, and as people of the
world meet each other more often through face-to-face encounters and/or the use of
technology, the need for students to be proficient in other languages becomes critical in
order for the United States to maintain international respect and economic
competitiveness.
J.1. Service: Students will provide service to their school and community through such
activities as tutoring, teaching, translating, interpreting, and assisting speakers of
other languages
J.2. Outreach: Students will participate in activities where the ability to communicate
in a second language may be beneficial, including business internships, exchange
programs, and sister city projects
J.3. Communication: Students will exchange information with people locally and
around the world through avenues such as penpals, e-mail, videos, speeches, and
publications
Content Standard
Students in Wisconsin will show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the
language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Rationale: Students who study another language are better prepared to be responsible
members of their communities because of their global perspective. They have expanded
their employment opportunities both at home and abroad and have access to a wider
variety of resources where they can pursue topics of personal interest.
K.1. Media: Students will use various media in the language studied for study, work, or
pleasure
K.2. Careers: Students will investigate careers where skills in another language and/or
cross-cultural understanding are needed
K.3. Understanding: Students will deepen their understanding of other cultures
through various avenues; such as cuisine, sports, theatre, dance, and art
K.4. Further learning: Students will look for opportunities to learn more about
languages and cultures
K.5. Intercultural Experiences: Students will travel to communities where the
language studied is spoken and/or host someone from a country where the language
studied is spoken
Standards provided by Wisconsin Department of Public Information
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Updated December 19, 2001
Editor and Publisher: Jeff Sutherland, jsutherland@madison.k12.wi.us
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