Pennsylvania:

PA STANDARDS (4.25) World Readiness Standards for World Languages (5 Cs)

• Communication

• Cultures

• Connections

• Comparisons

• Communities

Provides opportunities to compare, connect, and communicate through cultural contexts and provide ideas for teachers and students to interact with local and international communities. designed to build oral proficiency.

PSMLA (PA State Modern Language Association) Exemplary Program:

Indicator #7 Implementing Key Instructional Practices:

RATIONALE

Time on task is critical for attainment of standards, so teachers need to maximize their use of the target language. They are the primary source of language input for students. However, it is not enough for teachers to speak the target language—it is critical that teachers facilitate students’ comprehension by using “negotiation of meaning” techniques. Without pair and small group activities in the target language, students have insufficient speaking practice to attain the Communication Standard (Interpersonal Mode). Students will not attain proficiency if the main emphasis of instruction is grammar and if the only speaking that occurs is memorized. Cultural knowledge is essential to effective communication.

FL4K:

Is designed to align with the NCSSFL-ACTFL guidelines for world language instruction. FL4K provides opportunities to compare, connect, and communicate through cultural contexts using authentic resources and offers ideas for teachers and students on how to interact with local and international communities.

FL4K fosters an acquisition process with proficiency targets that lead to a student feeling comfortable and confident with the target language, with the goal of reaching a Novice-High or higher level of proficiency. Provides an engaging and fun language acquisition and intercultural awareness program possible for today’s student so that they can communicate naturally and spontaneously, including Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational skillbuilding with a complete video program interwoven with an intercultural curriculum, reading program, hands-on activities, online practice questions, and games specifically designed to build oral proficiency

Pennsylvania:

Interpretive Communication

Students will use the language and cultural knowledge to interpret, analyze, and demonstrate understanding of authentic speech, texts, media, or signed language on topics relevant to their lives and broader communities.

FL4K:

Students will reach an intermediate-low level by the end of the program units and be able to:

• Identify main ideas, supporting details and various elements such as point of view, intended audience, and purpose from the authentic cultural themes and topics within the nine levels that include 11 Hispanic countries.

• Comprehend and react to content presented through multiple media sources.

• Identify cultural perspectives represented in the source material.

Pennsylvania:

Interpersonal Communication

Students use the target language and cultural knowledge to negotiate meaning through the exchange of information, ideas, reactions, feelings, and opinions in spoken, written, or signed interactions relevant to their lives and broader communities.

FL4K:

• Learners will express needs and wants via the multi-media and multileveled formats in FL4K that include polling, written/oral feedback for opinions/preferences and differentiated student abilities.

• Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed, or written conversations to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions

• Dialogues allow for learner practice in formats used on national tests such as AP, Avant STAMP and ACTFL AAPPL.

• Learners converse with others from the target culture in familiar situations at school, work, or play, and show interest in cultural and linguistic similarities and differences.

• Learners converse comfortably with others from the target culture in familiar, and some unfamiliar situations, with responsiveness to cultural and linguistic attributes.

• FL4K provides teachers with a resource of teacher strategies and activities to engage students.

Pennsylvania:

Presentational Communication

Students use the target language and cultural knowledge to present information, concepts, and ideas on topics of relevance to their lives and broader communities to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate for diverse audiences within and beyond the learning environment.

FL4K:

• Learners will present (writing and speaking) information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media and adapting to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers. Learners will be able to:

• Present about people, activities, events, and experiences.

• Present songs, short skits, or dramatic readings using the authentic resources, dialogues, songs, and art included in FL4K.

Pennsylvania Cultural and Global Competence:

Intercultural Communication

Students use the target language and cultural knowledge to investigate, compare, explain, interact, and reflect on the relationships between the products, practices, and perspectives of diverse and dynamic cultures within their local and global communities.

Cultures:

Use the target language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the relationship between the practices, products, and perspectives of cultures studied. The student can:

• Investigate and describe similarities and differences in practices, products, and perspectives used across cultures (e.g., holidays, family life, historical and contemporary figures) to understand one’s own and others’ ways of thinking.

• Use appropriate language and behaviors while participating in familiar culturally authentic activities and situations (e.g., presentations, virtual activities, community celebrations, theatrical productions, concerts, interviews).

FL4K:

• Students seek opportunities and interact with people who speak other languages and who have different cultural practices and perspectives.

• Students use and improve their linguistic and cultural skills to investigate, explain, and reflect on the relationship between cultural products and perspectives.

• Students use the language to interact with members of their local and global community in linguistically and culturally responsive ways

• Students use culturally appropriate behaviors as they interact with members of their local and global communities

• FL4K brings students experience with products of the target cultures such as stories, poetry, music, paintings, dance, drama, etc., and explains the origin and importance of these products in today’s culture.

Pennsylvania:

Connections:

Build, reinforce, and expand knowledge of other content areas and evaluate information and diverse perspectives while using the target language to develop critical thinking and creative problem solving. The student can:

• Identify and use familiar vocabulary and phrases in the target language supported by resources (e.g., maps, graphs, visuals, audio, digital media) to reinforce prior knowledge and make connections to new knowledge of familiar topics in other content areas (e.g., geography, history, arts, math, science).

• Access and interpret information in the target language on familiar topics and use it to reinforce and further knowledge in other content areas.

• Analyze and synthesize information gathered in the target language to think critically and solve problems in other content areas and realworld situations in the culture(s) studied and (as applicable) in one’s own culture.

FL4K:

• Provides opportunities for collaboration, promoting leadership, critical thinking and problem solving, decision-making, developing technology and media literacy skills, encouraging accountability and responsibility, and developing interculturality and global citizenship.

• The FL4K culture component is relevant and provides high interest topics that allow students to make comparisons between cultures. Students become aware of global concerns with examples of climate change, lack of resources, changes in habitats and well-being of citizens across the globe.

• Aligns with ACTFL 21st Century World Readiness Standards.

Pennsylvania:

Comparisons:

Students use the target language and cultural knowledge to investigate the world, recognize diverse perspectives, interact, and exchange ideas with people from diverse backgrounds, and engage with others to improve conditions within their local and global communities.

FL4K:

• Presents products, practices, and perspectives of 11 Hispanic cultures with opportunities for investigation and interaction. The program includes cultural comparisons, reflection questions, polls, and opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making regarding the following topics: geography and climate, citizens, languages, sites of interest, transportation, animals, food, lodging, nature, adventures, contemporary topics, and the arts.

• Students use and improve their language skills and cultural knowledge to examine, compare, and draw conclusions about local and global issues and events.

• Students use and improve their language skills and cultural knowledge as they examine and integrate diverse perspectives and worldviews.

• Students use and improve their language skills and cultural knowledge as they interact and exchange ideas across boundaries of language, culture, and identity

• Students use and improve their language skills and cultural knowledge as they engage with others to improve conditions toward sustainable development and collective well-being

Pennsylvania:

Communities:

Students set goals and reflect on their use of language and intercultural skills to maximize life-long learning, personal enrichment, and benefit to self and community.

The student can:

• Use expanded vocabulary and structures in the target language to access and interact with different media and community resources within the school setting (and beyond, as applicable).

• Use the target language to participate in activities for personal enjoyment and community involvement within the school setting (and beyond, as applicable).

FL4K:

• Provides templates that can be customized to suit the community of learners. Teachers have the flexibility in using the ready-made resources by FL4K or customizing them to the community needs. The cultural component of the program is widely diverse in gender, ethnicity and race so students can see themselves represented.

• Activities are differentiated to meet the learner’s proficiency level.

• Games and hands-on activities engage students within the classroom, school or community and allow for collaboration or competition.

Pennsylvania:

Standards lead to the Seal of Biliteracy achievement.

FL4K:

Offers Can-Do Statements with built-in recording features for students to provide evidence of what they can do as they progress on a continuum of proficiency according to skill in an interwoven language and culture program with a multi-level intercultural curriculum for differentiation including heritage speakers

Mirrors the format for the national tests used for the Seal of Biliteracy to provide a comfort level from the lowest level to the intermediate level. The objective for learning is to scaffold language in context as students achieve higher proficiency levels in each mode. Feedback to students is personalized.