Abbott Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes:

How to Benchmark Student Progress

National Chinese Language ConferenceChicago, Illinois

April 30-May 2, 2009

Marty AbbottAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

ACTFL PERFORMANCE GUIDELINES

FOR K-12 LEARNERS

www.actfl.org

What are the Major What are the Major Levels?Levels?

How are They Defined?How are They Defined?

Novice Novice

Memorized languageMemorized language

Lists words/phrasesLists words/phrases TelegraphicTelegraphic

Attempts at conversationAttempts at conversation ReactiveReactive

Limited topic areasLimited topic areas Social courtesiesSocial courtesies Dates, numbers, colorsDates, numbers, colors Family, home, common Family, home, common

objectsobjects

Intermediate Intermediate

Survival ProficiencySurvival Proficiency

Has sufficient language to Has sufficient language to express own meaningexpress own meaning

Engages in simple Engages in simple conversationconversation

Can deal with a simple Can deal with a simple social transactionsocial transaction

Asks and answers questionsAsks and answers questions

Advanced Advanced

Limited Work Proficiency Limited Work Proficiency

Speaks with confidenceSpeaks with confidence Can narrate and describe in all Can narrate and describe in all

major time framesmajor time frames Can elaborate, clarify, illustrateCan elaborate, clarify, illustrate Can handle a situation with a Can handle a situation with a

complication complication ““The Story Teller”The Story Teller”

BenchmarksBenchmarks

Novice Learner RangeNovice Learner Range Parallels Novice High in Parallels Novice High in ACTFL Proficiency ACTFL Proficiency

GuidelinesGuidelines (K – 4, 5 – 8, 9 – 10)(K – 4, 5 – 8, 9 – 10) Intermediate Learner RangeIntermediate Learner Range

Parallels Intermediate Mid in Parallels Intermediate Mid in ACTFL ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines Proficiency Guidelines (K-8, 5-12, 9-12)(K-8, 5-12, 9-12)

Pre-advanced Learner RangePre-advanced Learner Range Parallels Intermediate High in Parallels Intermediate High in ACTFL ACTFL

Proficiency Guidelines Proficiency Guidelines (K-12)(K-12)

National StandardsNational StandardsCommunication GoalCommunication Goal

Interpersonal Mode—two-way Interpersonal Mode—two-way interactioninteraction

Interpretive Mode—one way listening or Interpretive Mode—one way listening or readingreading

Presentational Mode—one way speaking Presentational Mode—one way speaking or writingor writing

DomainsDomains

Comprehensibility Comprehensibility How well is the student understood?How well is the student understood?

Comprehension Comprehension How well does the student understand?How well does the student understand?

Language Control Language Control How accurate is the student’s How accurate is the student’s language?language?

Vocabulary Vocabulary How extensive and applicable is the student’s How extensive and applicable is the student’s vocabulary?vocabulary?

Cultural Awareness Cultural Awareness How is the student’s cultural How is the student’s cultural knowledge reflected in language use? knowledge reflected in language use?

Communication Strategies Communication Strategies How does the student How does the student maintain maintain communication?communication?

ACTFL PK -16 Performance Rating ScaleDifferentiating the performance of language learners in an academic

settingPK – 16 Performance Rating Scale

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines

ADV 2 Advanced Mid

ADV 1 Advanced Low

INT 5 Intermediate High

INT 4 Intermediate Mid



INT1 Intermediate Low

NOV 4 Novice High

NOV 3 Novice Mid

NOV 2 Novice Mid

NOV 1 Novice Low

National StandardsNational StandardsCommunication GoalCommunication Goal

Standard 1.1 Interpersonal ModeStandard 1.1 Interpersonal Mode

Students engage in conversations, Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.exchange opinions.

Virginia State Standards of Learning (SOL)Virginia State Standards of Learning (SOL)

STRAND #1: Person-to-Person CommunicationSTRAND #1: Person-to-Person CommunicationLevel ILevel I

1.1 Use Spanish greetings, farewells, and 1.1 Use Spanish greetings, farewells, and expressions of courtesy both orally and in writing expressions of courtesy both orally and in writing according to appropriate rules of politeness.according to appropriate rules of politeness. Initiate and close an oral or written exchange in Spanish.Initiate and close an oral or written exchange in Spanish. Use formal and informal forms of address correctly in Use formal and informal forms of address correctly in

familiar phrases and situations in Spanish.familiar phrases and situations in Spanish. 1.2 1.2 Exchange written and spoken information Exchange written and spoken information

involving likes and dislikes, descriptions, involving likes and dislikes, descriptions, requests, directions, and instructions in Spanish.requests, directions, and instructions in Spanish. Ask questions and provide responses in Spanish based Ask questions and provide responses in Spanish based

on self and familiar materialon self and familiar material Sustain brief oral and written exchanges in Spanish Sustain brief oral and written exchanges in Spanish

using familiar phrases and sentences.using familiar phrases and sentences.

Topic: Greetings and Introductions Topic: Greetings and Introductions CommunicationCommunication

Person-to-Person CommunicationPerson-to-Person Communication

Use appropriate forms of address to peers and Use appropriate forms of address to peers and adults when making introductions.adults when making introductions.

Use appropriate gestures and expressions of Use appropriate gestures and expressions of greeting and leave-taking.greeting and leave-taking.

Ask and respond to simple questions about Ask and respond to simple questions about someone else's identity and well-being.someone else's identity and well-being.

(Fairfax County Public Schools, VA)(Fairfax County Public Schools, VA)

RatingRating FunctionsFunctionsTasksTasks

Content/Content/contextscontexts

Text Text typetype

Language Language Control Control

VocabularyVocabulary CommunicatioCommunication Strategiesn Strategies

Cultural Cultural AwarenessAwareness

NOV 1 NOV 1 = NL= NL

Can respond Can respond to highly to highly predictable predictable questions by questions by listing, listing, naming, and naming, and identifying. identifying. Ask and Ask and answer answer formulaic formulaic questions.questions.

Personally Personally relevant relevant information information limited to a limited to a very small very small number of number of content areas content areas such as:such as:Family Family membersmembersBasic objectsBasic objectsColors Colors ClothingClothingWeatherWeatherDates and Dates and TimeTimeFood, etc.Food, etc.

Isolated Isolated words words onlyonly



Text typeText type Language Language Control Control

VocabularyVocabulary CommunicatioCommunication Strategiesn Strategies


NOV 3 NOV 3 = NM = NM full full


Personally Personally relevant relevant contexts; contexts; information information may include may include content areas content areas such as:such as:Family Family membersmembersBasic objectsBasic objectsColors Colors ClothingClothingWeatherWeatherDates and Dates and TimeTimeFood, etc.Food, etc. Intermediate Intermediate contexts contexts some of the some of the time time

MemorizeMemorized phrases d phrases and short and short sentencessentences

Can Can control control memorized memorized language language sufficiently sufficiently to be to be appropriatappropriate to the e to the context context and and understoounderstood with d with difficulty difficulty by those by those accustomeaccustomed to d to dealing dealing with L2 with L2 learnerslearnersLanguage Language control control may may decrease decrease when when attemptinattempting to g to express express own own meaning. meaning.

High High frequency frequency vocabularyvocabularyLimited Limited number of number of familiar familiar topics topics Formulaic Formulaic expressionsexpressionsLexical items Lexical items used with used with little little attention to attention to grammatical grammatical structurestructure

May use some May use some or all of the or all of the following following strategies to strategies to maintain maintain communicationcommunication::Imitate Imitate modeled words modeled words Use facial Use facial expressions expressions and gesturesand gesturesRepeat wordsRepeat wordsresort to first resort to first language language Ask for Ask for repetitionrepetitionState lack of State lack of understandingunderstanding

May imitate May imitate culturally culturally appropriate appropriate gestures and gestures and formulaic formulaic expressions expressions

NOV 2 NOV 2 = NM = NM minimalminimal


Personally Personally relevant relevant contexts; contexts; information information may include may include content areas content areas such as:such as:Family Family membersmembersBasic objectsBasic objectsColors Colors ClothingClothingWeatherWeatherDates and Dates and TimeTimeFood, etc.Food, etc.

Words and Words and some some memorizememorized phrasesd phrases



Text typeText type Language Language Control Control

VocabularyVocabulary Communication Communication StrategiesStrategies


NOV 4 NOV 4 = NH= NH

Much of the Much of the time can time can initiate, initiate, maintain, and maintain, and end a end a conversation conversation to satisfy to satisfy basic needs basic needs and/or to and/or to handle a handle a simple simple transaction.transaction.Ask Ask questions. questions. Create with Create with the language; the language; express own express own thoughts thoughts (simple (simple narration and narration and description description primarily in primarily in present time);present time);Consistently Consistently can respond can respond to highly to highly predictable predictable questions by questions by listing, listing, naming, and naming, and identifying. identifying. Ask and Ask and answer answer formulaic formulaic questions.questions.

Most of the Most of the time time functions in functions in contexts contexts relevant to relevant to one’s one’s immediate immediate environment. environment. Content areas Content areas may include may include information information about:about:Self/FamilySelf/FamilyHousingHousingDaily routineDaily routineInterests Interests SchoolSchoolWorkWorkCommunityCommunity

Mostly Mostly produces produces simple simple sentencessentences; ; predictablpredictable e sentences sentences and some and some memorizememorized phrasesd phrases

Control of Control of language is language is sufficient to sufficient to be be generally, generally, but not but not consistentlconsistently, y, comprehencomprehensible to sible to those those accustomed accustomed to dealing to dealing with L2 with L2 learnerslearnersControl of Control of language language may may decrease as decrease as language language expands expands acrossacrossTopicsTopicsFunctionsFunctionsTime Time frames frames

Most of the Most of the time producestime produces High High frequency frequency vocabularyvocabularyVariety of Variety of topical groupstopical groupsThematic Thematic languagelanguageExpanding Expanding number of number of familiar words familiar words and phrasesand phrasesLimited Limited number of number of common common idiomatic idiomatic expressionsexpressions

May use some May use some or all of the or all of the following following strategies to strategies to maintain maintain communicationcommunication::ParaphraseParaphraseAsk questionsAsk questionsAsk for Ask for clarificationclarificationSelf correct Self correct when not when not understoodunderstoodimitate imitate modeled words modeled words use facial use facial expressions expressions and gesturesand gesturesrepeat wordsrepeat wordsresort to first resort to first language language ask for ask for repetitionrepetitionstate lack of state lack of understandingunderstanding

Much of the Much of the timetimeMay May demonstrate demonstrate cultural cultural knowledge knowledge in in conversatioconversationnMay useMay use culturally culturally appropriate appropriate gestures gestures and and expressions expressions May imitate May imitate culturally culturally appropriate appropriate gestures gestures and and formulaic formulaic expressions expressions

ACTFLACTFLAssessment for the Performance Assessment for the Performance

and Proficiency of Languageand Proficiency of Language

(AAPPL)(AAPPL)

Grade Clusters and Proficiency Grade Clusters and Proficiency RangesRanges

Grade ClustersGrade Clusters PK – 4PK – 4 5-85-8 9-12 9-12 13-1613-16

Proficiency RangesProficiency Ranges Advanced Low - SuperiorAdvanced Low - Superior Intermediate Mid - Advanced LowIntermediate Mid - Advanced Low Novice High - Intermediate MidNovice High - Intermediate Mid Novice Low - Novice HighNovice Low - Novice High

Situation: Your Chinese class is partnering with a social Situation: Your Chinese class is partnering with a social studies class on a project designed to encourage Chinese-studies class on a project designed to encourage Chinese-speaking people in the community to vote in the upcoming speaking people in the community to vote in the upcoming

mayoral election. You’ve agreed to make signs to be placed mayoral election. You’ve agreed to make signs to be placed around community showing each candidate’s priorities. The around community showing each candidate’s priorities. The social studies team has come up with graphics for each sign. social studies team has come up with graphics for each sign.

Task: Place the Chinese text next to the matching graphics.Task: Place the Chinese text next to the matching graphics.

Type of Response: Modified selected responseType of Response: Modified selected response

VOTE!VOTE!

Report ExampleReport Example

Novice LowNovice Low Novice MidNovice Mid Novice HighNovice High

……provides evidence of the ability to provides evidence of the ability to understand short, disconnected utterances understand short, disconnected utterances within highly predictable and familiar within highly predictable and familiar contexts. Comprehension often depends on contexts. Comprehension often depends on recognizing memorized words and phrases, recognizing memorized words and phrases,

……provides evidence of the ability to provides evidence of the ability to understand short, simple speech with understand short, simple speech with memorized words and phrases on highly memorized words and phrases on highly predictable and familiar topics most often predictable and familiar topics most often related to self. related to self.

……provides evidence of the ability understand provides evidence of the ability understand simple speech with memorized phrases on simple speech with memorized phrases on familiar subjects. Can understand speech on familiar subjects. Can understand speech on content that has been previously seen or content that has been previously seen or heard.heard.

Understanding Sean’s performanceSean’s performance falls in the Novice Mid range. He can understand conversations and recorded materials in familiar contexts. He relies heavily on memorized words, phrases, and structures and expends enormous effort to accomplish these listening tasks. Next StepsLanguage learners at this level would benefit from increasing their exposure to spoken language in live and recorded oral texts. Listening should focus on understanding key words and main ideas. Sources for listening practice include level appropriate texts that are related to academic content as well as individual student interests.

Sean’s performance

ACTFL PERFORMANCE GUIDELINES FOR K-12 LEARNERS

Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA)

INTASC

Education

Abbott Student Learning Outcomes