Profes sional Develo pment Module I - SEDL · Profes sional Development Module I TEKS for LOTE:...

Languages Other Than English Center for Educator DevelopmentSouthwest Educational Development Laboratory

211 East 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701

In collaboration with

Texas Education AgencyEducation Service Center, Region II

Professional

Development

Module I

TEKS for LOTE:Overview

Professional

Development

Module I

TEKS for LOTE: Overview

Table of Contents

I. IntroductionLOTE CED - What’s in a Name? ...................................... 7LOTE Writing Team for the Clarification

of the Essential Elements ............................................ 9LOTE Program Goals and the Emphasis

on Communication ..................................................... 10Producing the TEKS for LOTE ....................................... 11TEKS for LOTE Writing Procedure ................................. 12Frequently Asked Questions .......................................... 14

II. Background Information for FacilitatorsPreparing for the Workshop ........................................... 21Helpful Hints ................................................................... 22Sample Time Frame ....................................................... 23Other Background Information ....................................... 24

III. Talking Points

IV. Transparencies

V. Handouts

VI. AppendicesTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills

for Languages Other Than English .......................... A-1ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines ..................................... B-1Resource List ............................................................... C-1Activity Materials: Understanding

Progress Checkpoints .............................................. D-1

This module was

prepared by

Linda Calk(primary author)

El Paso, Texas

Phyllis Thompson(reviewer)

Houston Baptist University

Elaine PhillipsLillian King

Kathleen TrailVanessa FloresChuck Reese

LOTE Center for

Educator Development

Inés GarcíaCarl Johnson

Texas Education Agency

5

Introduction

7

The LOTE CED’s goals are:

1) to provide teachers and future teachers with athorough knowledge of the instructional principlesunderlying the TEKS for LOTE adopted by the StateBoard of Education.

2) to establish a coordinated system of professionaldevelopment in LOTE instruction; and

3) to increase LOTE educators’ access to high-quality

LOTE CED:

What’s in a name?

The Languages Other Than English Center for EducatorDevelopment (LOTE CED) was established to assist PreK-12educators in enhancing the proficiency of Texas students of LOTE.

Center Activities

Professional Development GuidesModule I - TEKS for LOTE: OverviewModule II - TEKS for LOTE:

Classroom ImplementationModule III-A - TEKS for LOTE:

Developing Curriculum/Addressing Assessment

These guides are used inworkshops provided by trainedfacilitators in ISCs and ESCs

Peer Coaching/Mentoring ProgramTen LOTE teachers from around thestate were trained in peer coachingand mentoring models of professionaldevelopment. These educators nowwork in their regions to train otherteachers with the goal of establishinga network of peer coaches/mentorsthroughout the state.

Information SourcesThe LOTE CED serves as a sourcefor information related to languagelearning and teaching, languageresearch, and language resources.It publishes a quarterly newsletter(including an on-line version) andhas established a webpage at:

http://www.sedl.org/loteced

The LOTE Center for Educator Development was establishedin February 1998 and is located in the Southwest EducationalDevelopment Laboratory (SEDL) in Austin, Texas. It is acollaboration between SEDL, the Education Service Center,Region 2 (ESC II), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).The Center’s multiple projects are designed to sharesuccessful strategies, current research, and up-to-datelanguage resources and information with LOTE educatorsaround the state.

The Purpose of this GuideThis guide is designed to be used in offering staff developmentto Texas teachers and administrators, as well as to informparents and community members who are interested in theimplementtion of the TEKS for LOTE, PreK-12. We hope theProfessional Development Modules prove to be invaluableresources for educators across Texas.

The LOTE CED’s goals are:1) to provide resources for implementing the Texas

Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages OtherThan English (TEKS for LOTE) and for improving theteaching and learning of languages in Texas;

2) to provide teachers and future teachers with athorough knowledge of the instructional principlesunderlying the TEKS for LOTE adopted by theState Board of Education;


4) to increase LOTE educators’ access to high-qualityinstructional models for all students.

8

LOTE Center forEducator Development

Advisory Committee

Walter Bartz*Indiana Department of Education

Inés GarcíaTexas Education Agency

MayDell JenksKaty ISD

Carl JohnsonTexas Education Agency

Doris KaysNorth East ISD

Lillian KingLOTE Center for Educator Development

Robert LaBouveAustin, TX

Annette LowryFort Worth ISD

Janet NordenBaylor University

Elaine Phillips, ChairLOTE Center for Educator Development

Paul Sandrock*Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction

Jo Anne Wilson*Glen Arbor, MI

*Indicates revolving out-of-state committee position

LOTE Center for

Educator Development

Staff

Lillian KingDirector

Elaine PhillipsField Specialist

Kathleen TrailInformation Assistant

9

LOTE Writing Team

for the Clarification of

the Essential Elements

Art Anderson, Brazoswood ISD

Nathan Bond, Austin ISD

Dulce-María Caba-Caraway, Pasadena ISD

*Linda Calk, Ysleta ISD

Victoria Contreras, University of Texas, PanAm

*María Fierro-Treviño, Northside ISD

Cristela Garza, Corpus Christi ISD

Yvette Heno, Houston ISD

Billie Hulke, Midway ISD

Marla Jones, Denton ISD

Doris Kays, North East ISD

David Kleinbeck, Midland ISD

Annette Lowry, Fort Worth ISD

Luciano Martínez, McAllen, Texas

Linda Nance, San Antonio ISD

Luz Elena Nieto, El Paso ISD

Barbara González Pino, University of Texas, San Antonio

Cindy Pope, Education Service Center, Region XX

Rose Potter, Programs Abroad Travel Alternatives

María del Rosario Ramos, Socorro ISD

Kevin Roberson, Texas Tech University

Elías Rodríguez, Dallas ISD

Karin Sloan, Corpus Christi ISD

*Phyllis Thompson, Houston Baptist University

*denotes team co-chair

Texas Education

Agency

James E. NelsonCommissioner of Education

Ann SmiskoAssociate Commissioner,

Curriculum, Assessment

and Technology

David D. AndersonCoordinator, Curriculum and

Professional Development

Inés GarcíaDirector of Languages Other

Than English

Carl JohnsonAssistant Director of

Languages Other Than

English

10

LOTE Program Goals

and the

Emphasis on Communication

There are five Program Goals that form the foundation of theTEKS for LOTE: Communication, Cultures, Connections,Comparisons, and Communities (also known as the five Cs).These five Cs have become a common framework for LOTEpolicy and planning. The national standards document,Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the

21st Century, forged the path for the five Cs; many states havesince used the 5 Cs paradigm for their own state standards.Those who contributed to the writing and development of theTEKS for LOTE felt that the Texas standards should take adifferent look at the interrelationship of the 5 Cs. As theyworked on the document, they placed the emphasis and mostimportance on the Communication Program Goal.

Communication (listening,speaking, reading, writing, viewing,and showing) is the primary focusof language acquisition. It is thevehicle by which students of LOTEbecome linguistically proficient andreach the other four ProgramGoals. The other four ProgramGoals contribute to and enhancethe communicative languageexperience by supplying context,that is, what students communicateabout (topics, themes, literature,etc.) and in what contexts theircommunication takes place (face-to-face, in writing, outside theclassroom, via the Internet, etc.).

“When you learn a

new language

you gain another

world.”

– Goethe

COMMUNICATION

Cultures Connections

Comparisons Communities

11

Producing the TEKS for LOTE

Ten years after the first implementation of the Essential

Elements, the Texas legislature directed the Texas State Boardof Education in 1995 to adopt the Texas Essential Knowledgeand Skills (TEKS) for all subject areas. The goals of the TEKSwere to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 1, to review andrevise the previously adopted state curriculum (the Essential

Elements), to clarify what all students should know and beable to do, and to serve as the basis for textbook adoptionsand state tests, where appropriate.

To develop the TEKS for Languages Other Than English(TEKS for LOTE) and related products, the Texas EducationAgency, with the assistance of the Southwest EducationalDevelopment Laboratory (SEDL), implemented the projectknown as Project ExCELL (Excellence and Challenge:Expectations for Language Learners).

Project ExCELL worked with a group of mostly foreignlanguage educators, the Writing Team for the Clarification ofthe Essential Elements, to compose drafts of the TEKS forLOTE. This team was representative of the diversity inherentin the composition of Texas itself. The 23 team members camefrom all regions of the state, representing urban, suburban,and rural areas. They also came from diverse linguistic,cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, the team wascomposed of educators who work within many differenteducational structures (from public schools to administrativeoffices to businesses) and represented numerous and variedareas of expertise.

“I was continually

impressed by the knowledge

and dedication of my fellow

writing team members. We

didn’t always agree, but we

celebrated our ‘storms’ and

used that energy to move

forward. What a privilege

to work with such superb

language educators!”

– Writing Team Member

Texas

Essential Knowledge

and Skills

EssentialElements

Excellence and Challenge:Expectations for Language Learners

PROJECTE x C E L L

12

TEKS for LOTEWriting Procedure

The Writing Team began meeting in March 1995. Methodsused in the development of the TEKS for LOTE includedrecording, collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing thecollective knowledge and experience of the team and ProjectExCELL staff toward producing successive drafts. All ideaswere subject to debate, elaboration, refinement, andverification. Throughout the process, team members and stafflearned from one another, from invited speakers, fromreadings, and from continually addressing the importantissues in LOTE education. The project kept informed of workon LOTE standards in other states and with the NationalStandards Project. Each successive draft was shaped fromthe notes and discussion that came from the writing teammeetings. The TEKS for LOTE Writing Team used aconsensus-building process to approve each section of theTEKS for LOTE.

Expert Review and RevisionProject ExCELL employed expert state and nationalconsultants and used current literature and research to informits work. The utility and quality of the TEKS for LOTE werealso validated through field testing and through review byexpert professionals and public representatives. The majorityof these expert professionals and public representatives werepart of one of the following four groups:

• Field Advisory Committee: a panel of national and stateforeign language experts who reviewed the TEKS for LOTEin terms of their clarity, comprehensiveness, appropriatenessto the needs and conditions of LOTE education in Texas,and utility in terms of curriculum, assessment, teachereducation, and professional development.

• State Board of Education Curriculum Review Committee:This 15-member committee was composed of appointees ofthe Texas State Board members; they reviewed the TEKSseveral times and offered critical analysis and suggestions.

• Connections Team Feedback Committee: This 19-membercommittee consisted of one representative from each of thesubject area writing teams. They reviewed the TEKS forLOTE to ensure and reinforce collaboration and articulationamong disciplines.

• Foreign Language Congress: a committee made up ofcommunity and business leaders of various personal andprofessional backgrounds, they reviewed the TEKS forLOTE for applicability to the real world and for relevance tothe world of work.

The TEKS for LOTE Writing Team incorporated suggestionsfrom all reviewers into the final draft.

“Very coherent and logical

statement of what the state

expects from language students

at different levels.

Comprehensive and complete,

and reflective of current trends

in foreign language teaching

and programs.”– Field Advisory Committee member

“The TEKS for LOTE give

excellent direction to LOTE

programs. Programs which

follow these guidelines will have

academic rigor and should help

students to develop excellent

language skills.” – SBOE Curriculum Review Committee member

“I see most of our suggestions

as fine-tuning an already good

product.”– Foreign Language Congress member

“The community and cultural

components are important

elements, these prepare students

to speak a ‘real life’ language

that can be of great value when

they enter the professional

arena.”– Foreign Language Congress member

13

Feedback and Public

Commentary

Hundreds of respondents offered reactions to the publicdrafts of the TEKS. Both their responses to separateitems and their written comments were analyzed andused to edit the document. The majority of publicresponses showed a high degree of satisfaction with thedraft documents.

“TEKS for LOTE promote

the desire and need for excel-

lence.”– reviewer from the field

“Language learner descriptions

are well-developed. Perfor-

mance expectations at each level

are both challenging and

attainable.”– reviewer from the field

“The wording of this document

supports the goals of all

teachers of languages other

than English in that it is

succinct, yet comprehensive. I

feel it will be a good tool for

teaching and assessment.”– reviewer from the field

14

Frequently

Asked

Questions

The TEKS for LOTE give an overall picture of where studentsshould be headed within the various program goals. Theydescribe what all students should know and be able to do atcertain checkpoints in the PreK-12 sequence. The TEKS forLOTE do not constitute a curriculum; they are content andperformance standards that provide districts with guidelines tomeet the needs of their students. The TEKS for LOTE setclear performance expectations for novice, intermediate, andadvanced language learners. The goal is to develop advancedlevel proficiency that can be obtained when studentssuccessfully complete all the performance expectations in theTEKS for LOTE.

Since levels of entry into LOTE classrooms are so varied andstudent progress is not lock-step, the TEKS for LOTE were notbased on and should not be viewed as grade levelequivalents. The TEKS for LOTE are designed to mirror theACTFL guidelines of proficiency. In the LOTE acquisitionprocess, students can and will reach different levels ofproficiency (novice, intermediate, and advanced) in differenttime frames at different grade levels. The TEKS for LOTEdescribe what all students need to do to achieve an advancedlevel of proficiency and also the factors that will affect progresstoward that goal.

Knowledge of grammar was once viewed as a primary orisolated goal of language study. Now, the study of grammar isunderstood as a tool to support the broader goal of learning tocommunicate by listening, speaking, reading and writing.

(excerpted from

A Texas Framework for

Languages Other

Than English)

What is the role of

the TEKS for LOTE?

Why are the TEKS for LOTE

not described in terms of grade

levels?

What is the role of grammar

in proficiency-based instruction?

15

Decisions regarding the teaching of grammar should be madeafter careful consideration of various factors affectinglanguage instruction, such as:

• Are the students beginning or advanced?

• What ages are the students?

• Do students have prior knowledge of grammar in otherlanguages?

• Is the language studied a modern or a classical language?

• Are students able to access their grammar knowledge tosupport communicative skills?

• Do the students themselves perceive that grammar study willbe useful to them?

If grammar is to be taught explicitly, the instructionalmethodology chosen to present grammar should becompatible with communicative language instruction. Forsome language educators, an appropriate methodology is topresent a brief explanation of grammar to students in order tofocus their attention on a linguistic structure when it appears insubsequent oral or written material. Some educatorsrecommend taking students through a series of contextualizeddrills which move from skill-acquiring activities to skill-usingactivities. For other educators, students are first introducedholistically to an oral or written narrative, then they discuss agrammar point occurring frequently in the narrative. Inwhatever methodology (or combination of methodologies)teachers choose regarding grammar, grammar instruction isan integral part of total language instruction, not a separate"add-on" piece nor an end in itself.

Decisions regarding the inclusion of grammar in the languagecurriculum, such as how much grammar, which grammarpoints, and the approach selected to teach grammar, shouldbe based on the usefulness of grammar in meetingcommunicative goals at different levels of instruction. As moreresearch is done on the supporting role of grammar incommunicative language classrooms, language educators willhave additional information to help make these decisions.

What is the role of grammar

in proficiency-based

instruction?(continued)

16

From the earliest levels of modern language instruction, theLOTE class should use English as a survival tool only. Whenthe overall goal of instruction is development of languageproficiency, the LOTE teacher should strive to use only thelanguage in the classroom. With each level of instruction, asstudents move up the proficiency ladder, the projects andtasks students are involved in should reflect the languagefunctions being taught. If the functions and tasks match thestudents' level of proficiency or are beginning to push studentsinto the next level, the students should not feel the need topresent projects in English. Sometimes, however, in novicelevel classes only, teachers and students might use Englishwhen learning about cultures or comparing languages andcultures. For the teaching of classical languages, English playsa different role, as students focus more on the interpretive useof language, rather than interpersonal production of it.

When teachers and program developers keep all the fiveProgram Goals in mind, they are able to create a balancedprogram of instruction. While all five Programs Goals may notbe evident in every single lesson, over the course of a week, aunit, or a quarter, students work on all five areas. Whenteachers design teaching units, they should determine whatsegments fit best with what goal(s). If they find a unit that hasan overemphasis on one Program Goal, they should adjust theunit and work on items that will bring in one or more of theother Program Goals. It is also important to keep in mind thatthe goals are not taught or practiced in isolation, rather contentor activities may come from cultures, connections,comparisons, and/or communities, with communication beinga constant part of the LOTE instruction.

What is the place of English in

the LOTE classroom?

Given that Communication is

the primary Program Goal of

LOTE education, how can

teachers make sure there is a

balance as they teach to the

other four Program Goals

(Cultures, Connections,

Comparisons, Communities)?

17

Connections and Communities should not be considered an"add-on" to the current instructional program. Connectionsshould be in the language learning process already. Forexample, when students are studying numbers, art,geography, and culture, these are true connections to theexisting curriculum. As the LOTE teacher is teaching reading,the reading process and the material being read can be theconnection.

Newspaper articles, magazine articles, and realia collected bythe students and teacher can bring the community into theschool when the classroom is far from places where thelanguage is used. E-mail, the Internet, pen pals, and localcelebrations can make the community an integral part of theclassroom.

The question should not focus on what needs to be taken outof the elementary curriculum in order to fit in LOTE instruction,rather it should focus on what content is already in the grade-level curriculum that could appropriately be taught through theLOTE. Elementary schools find time to include LOTE in theirinstructional program when they adopt content-based,content-enriched, or total and partial immersion programs.LOTE instruction in elementary grades should fit over existingtopics and concepts, rather than dealing with unrelatedcontent.

Distance learning, language-learning technology, and dualenrollment at colleges and universities all provide a means ofoffering more LOTE instruction than a school might normallybe able to provide.

How can I add Connections

and Communities to what I am

already doing?

When can I find time in the

elementary school for LOTE?

How can my school offer a

variety of languages and levels

when we don't have the

teachers?

19

Background

Information for

Facilitators

21

Materials• Professional Development Guide: Overview

• Overhead Transparencies

• Masters of Handouts for each of the participants

• Mastershow group activities

• Copy of TEKS for LOTE for each participant

Equipment• Overhead projector/marker

• Pencils

• Blank transparency/marker

• Scissors

• Small white envelope

Room Arrangement• Depending on group size, participants may be

grouped at tables by language and/or levels taught

Preparing for the Workshop

This Professional Development Guide is designed to help staffdevelopers introduce the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skillsfor Languages Other Than English (TEKS for LOTE) to Texaseducators and/or to interested community members.

The information is structured for a workshop of presentationand interaction. The presenter will offer introductoryinformation and highlights of the TEKS for LOTE usingoverhead transparencies or a Power Point presentation.Through group activities and discussions, workshopparticipants will be invited to examine and respond to theTEKS for LOTE in various ways. Teacher participants willdraw implications for the classroom.

Equipment and Materials• Professional Development Module I, TEKS for

LOTE: Overview

• Copy of LOTE CED Module Workshop Roster (in the back of the binder)

• Color Transparencies (included in this manual) or Power Point presentation

• Copies of Handouts for each of the participants

• Copies of TEKS for LOTE for each participant (inAppendix A)

• Overhead projector/screen

• Pencils/pens

• Blank transparencies/marker

• Scissors

• Small white envelopes with paper strips for GroupActivity I (see page 27)

Room Arrangement• Depending on group size, participants may be

grouped at tables by language and/or levels taught.

Notes

22

Helpful Hints

• Plan to arrive 30 to 45 minutes ahead of time to check theroom situation and equipment, to double-checkhandouts, and to rearrange the room if necessary.

• Whenever possible, find out ahead of time who theparticipants are: teachers? coordinators? administrators?other? languages represented? levels represented?years of experience? experience with the TEKS forLOTE? Take this information into account as you discussand complete group activities. It can also help you planhow you want to group participants for activities.

• Watch the time carefully when getting group reports. Ifyou have a large number of participants, you will onlyhave time to sample answers here and there, the dipstickapproach. You may need to be skilled at cutting theconversation short.

• Be very familiar with A Texas Framework for LanguagesOther Than English as well as the material in this guideso that you are prepared to field participants’ questions.Prepare a generic statement to use to deflect questionsthat are off-topic or not within the purview of theworkshop such as, “That’s an excellent question, but it’sreally beyond the scope of what we’re doing today.Perhaps we could discuss it after the session?”

• Avoid controversy by knowing your audience and beingaware of local politics. You are not a district consultantand are not there to solve district problems.

Notes

Material from Project ExCELL’s A Texas Framework for LanguagesOther Than English is used liberally throughout this manual. Facilitatorsmay find it useful to have the Framework on hand as a reference tooland resource for preparing TEKS for LOTE workshops.

23

Sample Time Frame

T 1-6 Introductions/getting started; 15-20 minutesopening activity and initialpresentation of Cs

T 7-11 Legislative Background; Writing 5-10 minutesTeam; Who/What Contributedto the TEKS; Comparing theTEKS and the EEs

T12-14 How is LOTE Education 20-30 minutesChanging; “Changing Paradigm”activity; Guiding Principles

T15-22 Program Goals and content of 35-45 minutesthe Cs; learning snapshot activity

BREAK 15 minutes

T23-29 Explanation of Progress Check- 25-35 minutespoints and related activity

T30-33 TEKS Terminology, definitions, 5-10 minutesand examples; Special Featuresof the TEKS; How do the TEKScontribute to quality LOTE education?;Who can the TEKS for LOTE help?

T34 What do I do now? activity 5-10 minutes

T35 Examine alignment samples; 15-20 minutesCulminating Activity (Does It Align?)

EVALUATION 10 minutes

Notes

The most important “learnings”that should occur in the work-shop involve the Program Goals(5 Cs and communicationmodes) and the ProgressCheckpoints (proficiency levels).Most of your time should bedevoted to helping participantsgain a thorough understanding ofthese two topics. Since the othersubjects will be of interest tosome and not to others, “read”your audience carefully andspend as little or as much of theremaining time on them as youfeel is needed. Be sure to allowtime for the culminating activity,however, which will motivateparticipants to carry through withtheir plans for implementing theTEKS for LOTE.

24

Background Information onTransparencies

The information contained in this section is designed to providethe facilitators with background details needed to thoroughlydiscuss the transparencies and to respond to questions from theparticipants. Much of the information is also found in A TexasFramework for Languages Other Than English and is providedhere as a matter of convenience. Please note: the lengths ofthe various background sections do not necessarilycorrespond to the amount of time that should be devoted tothe designated transparencies during the actual workshop.

The Legislative Background

Transparency 7Since 1985, schools in Texas have implemented a common,statewide curriculum called the Essential Elements of instruction.This curriculum, adopted by the Texas State Board of Education inresponse to legislative action in 1981, detailed the elements ofinstruction that students should have the opportunity to learn. TheEssential Elements have served since that time as the basis forlocal curriculum development, state-adopted textbook proclam-ations, and for preparation and development of educators.

Ten years after the first implementation of the EssentialElements, the Texas Legislature directed the Texas State Board

Notes

Information on the legislativeprocess, writing team, and otherentities contributing to the TEKSis provided primarily for thosegroups expressing a keeninterest in the history of theirdevelopment.


1) to provide teachers and future teachers with athorough knowledge of the instructionalprinciples underlying the TEKS for LOTEadopted by the State Board of Education.

2) to establish a coordinated system ofprofessional development in LOTE instruction;and


Workshop Activity Directions

IcebreakerTransparencies 1-6/Handouts 1-2Distribute Handouts 1 and 2 as participants enter the room.Participants should begin immediately the paired interview activity,Handout 2. As soon as the majority of participants have anopportunity to briefly discuss their answers, welcome the group andintroduce yourself and your co-presenter(s).

When time for the paired interview is up, overlayTransparencies 2-6 (one at a time) as you ask questions toelicit examples of activities that really helped participants learna language. Do not discuss the 5 Cs, per se, here. Simply usethe circles to show participants that what they know reallyworks in learning a language is also the essence of theProgram Goals in the TEKS for LOTE.

25

of Education in 1995 to adopt the Texas Essential Knowledgeand Skills (TEKS) for the required curriculum of the state’spublic schools, including Languages Other Than English(LOTE). The resulting TEKS for LOTE were approved by theState Board of Education in the spring of 1997. The TEKS forLOTE were to be implemented by school districts as guidelinesfor instruction beginning with the 1998-99 school year.

The Writing Team

Transparency 8The 23-member Writing Team for the Clarification of theEssential Elements that created the TEKS for LOTErepresented all regions of the state and came from diverselinguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. The team includedLOTE teachers at all levels (elementary, middle and highschool), district LOTE coordinators, university professors andteacher educators, Education Service Center personnel, andmembers of the business community. The TEKS for LOTE werealso reviewed by two advisory committees that included stateand national language experts (Field Advisory Committee) aswell as representatives from businesses and communitiesacross the state (Foreign Language Congress). For moreinformation on the TEKS for LOTE writing process, see theIntroduction section of this manual.

Who and what contributed to the TEKS?

Transparency 9In addition to the committees mentioned above, extensivepublic comment and review were solicited. The TEKS forLOTE were critiqued by teachers and administrators acrossthe state as well as the State Board of Education CurriculumReview Committee and TEA’s Connections Team FeedbackCommittee. Field tests occurred in the El Paso, Socorro, FortWorth, Richardson, Katy, North East, and Northside ISDs.

The direct and indirect influence of current languageacquisition theory and research on the TEKS for LOTE andthat of national movements and standards projects is obvious.The communicative, student-centered nature of the TEKS forLOTE (with their emphasis on communication and language incontext) was also informed by the proficiency movement,communicative competence theory, Standards for ForeignLanguage Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century (thenational standards), and the language-specific standardsbeing developed by the various AATs.

Notes

26

How are the TEKS different from the

Essential Elements?

Transparencies 10 & 11The Essential Elements are based on the four language skillsof listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with the addition ofculture and language. The skills are defined in isolation fromeach other with districts deciding what to emphasize. Studentexpectations are defined at each language (course) level. TheEssential Elements are described in terms of what teachersshould do.

The TEKS for LOTE describe what students should know andbe able to do. They are based on the five Program Goals (thefive Cs): Communication, Cultures, Connections, Compari-sons, and Communities. Communication is central andserves as a vehicle for the implementation of the otherProgram Goals. The usual four skills and two new ones,viewing and showing, are integrated in the TEKS. Viewingrefers to understanding and interpreting non-linguistic infor-mation (e.g., gestures, a play presentation, advertisements).Interpretation is the primary communication mode. Showingincludes expressing understanding of non-linguistic ele-ments, demonstrations of cultural practices, using graphicsand illustrations with presentations and role-playing. Presen-tation is the communication mode. Student expectations aredescribed in terms of Progress Checkpoints which corre-spond to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

How is LOTE education changing?Transparencies 12 & 13In the past ten years, research in language acquisition andinstruction has changed the focus of the learning and teach-ing of LOTE. LOTE now includes programs providing instruc-tion from Pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 which allows allstudents to develop proficiency and skills that can be used inthe real world. The proficiency movement, communicativecompetence theory, and the work of the American Council onthe Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) have all contrib-uted to the prominence of student-centered classrooms,language in context, the use of authentic texts, and languagefor real-world purposes. Therefore, this “new” paradigm hasactually evolved after a long period of “incubation” and withinput from many sources, including the Standards for ForeignLanguage Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century.

Notes

27

Guiding PrinciplesTransparency 14Inclusion of All Students

Acquiring languages other than English is essential for allstudents. Throughout the United States the importance ofknowing languages other than English is recognized not onlyfor the benefits it brings students in an academic setting, butalso for the benefits it brings to individuals and communitiesas we interact with others locally and around the world inbusiness and in social situations.

Language learning is no longer just for college-bound students.Given the opportunity, all students are capable of and canbenefit from learning other languages. Data from standardizedtests show that traditionally disadvantaged groups gain aneducational advantage through LOTE instruction, and researchsuggests students with strong LOTE instruction in the earlygrades score higher than those with no LOTE instruction. Theskills and knowledge acquired through the study of LOTE aretransferable to other subject areas and strengthen students’intellect while enhancing their lives. The advantages that profi-ciency in LOTE provide in today’s world have made learninglanguages increasingly important for all students.

Notes






The Changing ParadigmTransparency 13/Handouts 3-4Divde the audience into groups of 3-4. Each group should be given:1) a copy of Handout 3, “The Changing Paradigm of PreK-12

LOTE Education” (“Building on...”;) and2) a set of sentence strips (“Moving to...”) copied and cut from

the master and placed into an envelope (use Handout 4).

Ask participants to work together in their groups to match the“Building on...” and “Moving to...” columns of the paradigm byplacing the sentence strips on the paper in the correct order. Asgroups signal that they’ve finished, distribute Handout 4 soparticipants can check their answers. Check participants’understanding of the changing paradigm once the activity isfinished and provide clarification if needed.

28

Student Variables

Multiple student variables affect how students acquire languagesand must be considered in the LOTE classroom. These variablesinclude but are not limited to the age and developmental stage ofthe learner, multiple intelligences and individual learning styles,prior knowledge and experience with language and content,learning disabilities, and emotional and affective factors. Thoughthe variables can seem overwhelming, most students learn andretain knowledge best through a combination of learning stylesand intelligences. Teachers, therefore, must respond to thedifferent variables affecting language acquisition by using avariety of instructional strategies.

Advanced Proficiency

Knowing languages other than English at advancedproficiency levels upon graduation benefits students andsociety. When students graduate from high school knowing alanguage in addition to English at an advanced proficiencylevel, they are able to use that language for real-worldapplications in the community, on the job, and in their personallives. They have a desirable job skill and have the skills tobecome lifelong learners. On a national level, a multilingualpopulace strengthens our society by expanding its members’sense of community.

Benefits of Extended Sequences

LOTE programs that start in elementary school and continueuninterrupted through high school allow students to reachadvanced levels of proficiency and benefit students in otheracademic and social arenas. Studies show that developingadvanced language proficiency requires an extended period oftime so that students have ample opportunities to experience andpractice the language in meaningful communication. The simpletruth is that learning to communicate in another language takestime. The goals set out in the TEKS for LOTE for advancedproficiency simply cannot be reached in two or three years oflanguage study.

The opportunity to achieve advanced proficiency is not theonly reason to start learning languages in elementary school;language study is beneficial to elementary-aged students forother reasons as well (e.g. greater mental flexibility, improvedself-concept, and a sense of cultural pluralism). Someresearch suggests a “critical period” in childhood whenlanguage learning and pronunciation acquisition occur moreeasily. Other studies show that learning a second languagestrengthens rather than hinders a child’s first language.

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Native Speakers

Maintaining and expanding the language of native speakersof LOTE benefits the individual and society. In many schoolsin Texas there is a large group of students who have abackground in the LOTE being taught (Spanish and otherlanguages as well). All of these students possess someknowledge of and functional ability in the language. Thesestudents are valuable linguistic and cultural resources andtheir language skills should be expanded and strengthened.

Since students with home backgrounds in languages otherthan English have varying abilities and proficiencies andvarying amounts of motivation to learn the language,instruction in the language should take into account theprevious knowledge and language experience that thesestudents possess. It is important for school districts torecognize that students who are native (or heritage) speakershave instructional needs that are different from those of thetraditional foreign language student and may require acurriculum specially developed for them.

Interdisciplinary Nature of Language

Learning languages other than English is interdisciplinaryand enlarges the knowledge base available to a student.Students who have skills and knowledge in LOTE haveexpanded access to information that is not always availableto those who speak only English. In addition, when contentfrom other disciplines is incorporated into the LOTEcurriculum it reinforces that content and simultaneouslyserves as a vehicle for communicating in the languagebeing learned.

Increased Cultural Understanding

Languages other than English enable students to betterunderstand other cultures. In addition to the traditional waysof studying culture, culture in language instruction is nowgenerally understood to include the perspectives (how peopleperceive things), the practices (what people do), and theproducts (what people create, both tangible and intangible) ofa society. As students observe and analyze theinterdependence of perspectives, practices, and products ofa culture, they become more aware of similarities anddifferences among cultures. Students can explore their owncultures in the context of exploring others, thus becomingreflective learners adept at using their newly-acquired, cross-cultural vision.

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The Five Program Goals and Their

Content Areas

Transparencies 15-22Communication

Communication skills are the primary focus of language study.These skills include the usual skills of listening, speaking,reading, and writing, as well as viewing and showing skills.Students develop communication skills by using knowledge oflanguage and culture, communication strategies, learningstrategies, and content from other subject areas. Through theCommunication goal, students develop the skills necessary tomanipulate the content of the other four Program Goals.

Communicative proficiency derives from control of threemodes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, andpresentational. Students need practice in all three types ofcommunication throughout a program in order to satisfy theirmost commonly expressed reason for taking a language class:to learn to communicate.

Interpersonal mode:In the interpersonal mode, there is direct exchange ofcommunication between individuals, either listeners andspeakers, or readers and writers. This mode calls for activenegotiation of meaning among the individuals and requires anatural pattern of adjustment and clarification in order toachieve successful communication. Both receptive skills(listening and reading, sometimes enhanced by viewing) andproductive skills (speaking and writing, sometimes enhancedby showing) are required in the interpersonal mode.

Notes





Guiding PrinciplesTransparency 14Assign a Guiding Principle key phrase (e.g., Native Speakers)to pairs or groups of participants. Ask them to brainstorm,then explain to the whole group the relevance of their keyphrase to LOTE education. Provide background information(pp. 27-29) as needed.

You might begin discussing theProgram Goals by askingparticipants if they can namethe Five Cs. See if they knowhow the “Texas Cs” differ fromthose in the national standards.

Ask for volunteers to explain thethree modes.

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Interpretive mode:The interpretive mode includes the receptive skills oflistening and reading. The communicative source (e.g., theauthor, speaker, or actor) is not present or accessible;therefore, negotiation of meaning is not possible. Thelistener or reader must determine the meaning by usingprior knowledge of the language and culture, personalknowledge about the subject, learning strategies, and,perhaps, reference materials. Interpretation of any mediumis enhanced by viewing, whether of pictures, staging,setting, or body language.

Presentational mode:The presentational mode calls for the creation of formalmessages, public speaking or an editorial, for example, tobe interpreted by listeners or readers where there is noopportunity for active negotiation of meaning betweenlisteners and speakers or readers and writers. Theproductive skills (speaking and writing) are used in thismode. The presentational mode is enhanced by the showingof non-linguistic elements such as photographs, gestures,demonstrations of cultural practices (e.g., dances, sports),the use of graphics or illustrations, and role-playing.

Cultures

Students learn about and experience other cultures as anintegral part of studying languages other than English. Thisincludes studying and experiencing the following three culturalcomponents of a society:

Perspectives: The way people perceive things; theirattitudes and values

Practices: What people do; their patterns of behavior

Products: What people create, both tangible andintangible: their literature, art, music, tools,food, laws, games, etc.

PRACTICESpatterns of social

interactions

PRODUCTS

books, tools, foods, laws, music, games

PERSPECTIVESmeanings, attitudes, values, ideas

Notes

Grasping the “perspectives-practices-products” concept hasbeen challenging for manyteachers of LOTE. Thisdiagram has been quite helpfulin explaining the concept. Youmay wish to draw it on atransparency as you discussthe Cultures Program Goal.

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Products include both the great accomplishments of a cultureand the institutions that characterize how the societyfunctions. This element has been referred to as “Big C” cultureand includes art, music, dance, drama, poetry, and literature,as well as social, economic, and political systems.

Cultural practices are also a vital component ofcommunication. Inappropriate body language can convey anunintended meaning even when the words are correct (e.g., agesture intended to be a “good-bye wave” could be confusedwith the “come here” gesture in Italian). Unexpected behaviorcan cause one to misinterpret someone else’s meaning (e.g.,arriving “late” to an appointment may mean only that theperson’s culture puts a different priority on punctuality).

Learning about and understanding cultures increasesstudent motivation to learn the language, fosters divergentthinking, and connects language learning to other subjectareas. In addition, the Program Goal of Cultures providesknowledge to enhance any future contacts with nativespeakers of the language studied, either informal (throughfriends or travel experiences) or formal (in business orprofessional contexts).

Using products, practices, and perspectives to frame the studyof culture represents a relatively new way of thinking aboutculture for most language teachers. Perspectives, inparticular, may be a difficult concept to grasp. In fact, not allteachers of LOTE will know all of the perspectives of a givenculture, e.g., their values and attitudes. Yet understandinghow people view things, perspectives, is integral tounderstanding practices and products because perspectivesoften determine the manifestations of the practices andproducts. (For example, in the U.S., attitudes about time andfood determine a product — fast food — and a practice —getting food from a drive-through window.) The goal is toteach about observing and analyzing cultural information inorder to determine what the perspectives of individuals andgroups in the culture are. Studying the cultural perspectivesbehind the behavioral patterns of people in that culture(practices) and behind the tangible and intangible creations ofart; literature; dance; music; and social, economic, andpolitical institutions (products) creates a balanced approach tounderstanding a culture.

Because novice level students may not have sufficientknowledge of the language to use it exclusively to discuss

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culture, teachers may choose to use English to help studentsunderstand and discuss the perspectives behind culturalpractices and products. Students can then apply thisknowledge in tasks matched to their ability to use thelanguage, such as listing practices that are common amongspeakers of English, speakers of the language being studied,or speakers in both cultures. Intermediate and advanced levelstudents, however, would use the language to learn aboutculture through the interpretation and discussion of authenticmaterials. For example, novice level students might speak inEnglish about why Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is animportant ritual in Mexico, then apply that knowledge bylabeling contrasting phrases as descriptive of Mexico or of theUnited States. Intermediate and advanced level studentsmight interpret the unique cartoons and other Día de losMuertos features in Mexican newspapers through discussionin Spanish.

Resources that provide cultural information include videos,literature, periodicals, and guest speakers. Students should bemade aware of the cultural context of language segments andtaught to look for cultural information. As they role play, writestories, or conduct interviews, they should do so in aculturally-appropriate manner.

Connections

Knowledge of other languages and cultures provides the toolsand context for connecting with other subject areas such asthe fine arts, health, social studies, sciences, mathematics,and Reading/Language Arts. Through Connections, studentshave access to information in the language and use thelanguage to connect to other subject areas.

Acquiring languages other than English becomes morerelevant and engaging to students when it serves as a vehiclefor the development of ideas and acquisition of information ontopics from other disciplines and the students’ personalinterests. Using another language to connect with otherdisciplines provides learners with the skills and interests tolook beyond the limits of their immediate circle of experienceand to see how language skills apply to education and otherreal-world concerns. Language skills also provide studentsincreased access to the whole range of information availableinternationally through print, the Internet, satellite technology,and video.

Students make connections in different ways at different gradelevels. Because linguistic development (native language and

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other languages) and other cognitive development take placesimultaneously in the early elementary grades, examples ofconnections appropriate for younger learners could includelearning the basic concepts of the solar system, the parts of aplant, or the life cycle of a butterfly completely in the secondlanguage. In middle school, students might experiment withConnections through a historical role-play using the secondlanguage. For example, German students could set up an EllisIsland-type immigration station with a twist—non-languagestudents play the role of the immigrants in the late 1800’swhile German students operate the station in German. At thehigh school level, intermediate and advanced students oftencreate their own personal connections, with the languageteacher serving as a coach. Students may apply their secondlanguage skills to acquire information, such as materials onfood exports in international agribusiness, original Frenchresearch on leukemia, or recordings of contemporary Chinesemusical opera.

In immersion and content-based language programs, studentsdevelop language skills by using the language as a mediumfor learning other school subjects. In LOTE programs, studentsnot only connect to other subject areas, but use their newlanguage to gain access to information available only in thelanguage and to hear and read artistic works in their original,untranslated forms.

Comparisons

Learning another language involves an implicit or explicitanalysis of the nature of language and concepts of culture. Anatural result of learning another language is the comparisonof the language being learned with the native language. As aresult of these comparisons, students focus, often for the firsttime, on how their own language functions (e.g., the use ofgender or the placement of adjectives). They gain a deeperunderstanding of vocabulary through the study of cognatesand derivatives. Such comparisons also highlight thedifferences between languages and help students tounderstand that there are many different ways to communicatethe same idea. The insights gained from languagecomparisons enable students to be better language learners.

The same type of comparisons occur when it comes tocultures. Students learn about different traditions, customs,and practices, as well as discover that they share many thingsin common with people of another culture. Students realizehow one culture can have an impact upon another culture.

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Exploring cultural concepts with limited language skillsrequires activities that ask students to interpret materials fortheir main ideas and to present information in formats thatmatch their language ability, such as listing for novice levellearners. Activities can be designed that help students expresscomplex cultural comparisons with simple language. Forexample, students can be asked to check their comprehensionor insight on a cultural topic by responding to statements witha check in the appropriate column: this is common in theUnited States, this is common in the foreign country, or this iscommon in both cultures. As students progress through a LOTEprogram, their growing sophistication in cultural insights will bematched by their growing sophistication in using the LOTE.

Communities

Learning languages other than English occurs both within andbeyond the school. It increases opportunities for participationin communities in Texas, in other states, and around the world.Students use languages to enhance their personal and publiclives, for personal enrichment and career development.

Students may participate in Texas communities by attendingcultural events or concerts, or visiting museums or exhibitions.As part of their language study, they may participate in or plantheir own celebrations of the traditions of cultural and linguisticcommunities that are the same or different from their own.They may also use the language to converse with speakers ofthat language outside of class (e.g., helping aSpanish-speaking parent in the school office, or usingVietnamese to serve a patron at a restaurant). Students mayalso participate in communities in other states and around theworld by traveling or by using technology to inform themselvesabout other places, peoples, and cultures.

In studying Communities, students learn how knowing morethan one language is an asset for future career and businessopportunities, and thus how it can expand their possibilities foremployment. High school students may apply their languageskills by tutoring elementary grade native speakers or by doingan internship during part of the school day in a businesssetting where the language being studied is used, such as inthe international marketing section of a manufacturingcompany or in the international exchange center of a bank. Inaddition, knowing more than one language provides a meansof future learning and personal enrichment. Regardless of thelanguage studied, students of LOTE learn how to uselanguages to communicate across cultural borders, a skill thatis applicable throughout one’s life.

Notes

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Progress Checkpoints for LOTETransparencies 23-29Language proficiency is not developed in a strict linearprogression, a progression of equal-sized blocks of materiallearned and tested. Rather, language proficiency developswhen practice is guided repeatedly over time to help studentsgain confidence and fluency in different language functions.Teachers plan classroom activities to help students get closerand closer to authentic use of language structures andvocabulary, knowing that students’ experimentation withlanguage will falter as structured support (such as written sheetsto guide pair work) is removed, but will then progress again asstudents stretch to creatively apply their language tools. In thissection, Progress Checkpoints along the path of proficiency aredescribed. These checkpoints cannot be precisely equated withyear-long courses, since experience makes clear that studentsdo not neatly reach a new checkpoint at the end of each schoolyear. The pathway is constant, but the time it takes each studentto reach each checkpoint is not. These Progress Checkpointshelp guide the teacher and students to know first the goals for

Notes





Identifying Program GoalsTransparencies 21-22/Handouts 5-7/7aDistribute Handout 5 and explain that participants will use itas a reference for the activity. Ask participants to take abouttwo minutes to discuss with a partner which of the ProgramGoals and content areas are already being covered in theirclassrooms.

Distribute Handouts 6 and 7/7a. Instruct participants toindividually read each of the five snapshots and write in theblank on Handout 6 the Program Goal which is being targetedin each. Ask participants to check responses with their groupand discuss any discrepancies. Use Transparency 22 tocheck responses.

Instruct participants to work as a group to select one snapshotand then discuss additional instructional activities which maybe added in order to expand the snapshot. Groups shouldchoose a spokesperson. Ask various group spokespersons toreport briefly on their expanded snapshot.

37

designing developmental activities and second the signsshowing that students are reaching a given checkpoint. In thisway, the Progress Checkpoints will guide curriculum, instruction,and assessment.

The Progress Checkpoints in the TEKS for LOTE representdifferent learning stages also known as proficiency levels(Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced). An inverted triangle isoften used to show that as students advance from ProgressCheckpoint to Progress Checkpoint, the amount of time andpractice needed to reach the next stage increases. A studentcan move relatively quickly through the early stage ofmimicking memorized words and phrases, a stage that islimited, controlled, and comfortable. To move into later stages,characterized by flexible, challenging, and creative use oflanguage, requires longer periods of practice and anincreasingly meaningful volume of experiences.

Gaining proficiency is a process that requires repeatedexposure and opportunities to practice new languagefunctions, vocabulary, and structures; to receive feedback; andto use skills in increasingly sophisticated contexts. A topicintroduced at one level might reappear in the next as achallenge in a new context; learners reach for the next level asthey begin to control the tasks of the present level. “Mastery”does not come two or three weeks after material is introduced,but rather after the student has had many opportunities topractice the material in meaningful ways. In addition, studentsdo not “wake up” one day having changed ProgressCheckpoints; instead, they move through stages within theProgress Checkpoint (e.g., novice-low, novice-mid,novice-high) as they progress toward the next ProgressCheckpoint by showing increasing control over andconsistency in the use of the language proficiencycharacteristics at the next checkpoint.

A Word on Accuracy

Accuracy is the degree to which communication is structurallycorrect and culturally appropriate. In real-life situations,communication occurs without complete structural precision, thatis, grammar mistakes do not necessarily equate to lack ofcommunication. However, a high degree of accuracy, includingcommunicating in a socially and culturally appropriate manner, isvery important to achieving high levels of proficiency.

At different levels of proficiency, students exhibit different degreesof accuracy. Novices, for example, may repeat memorizedphrases with nearly perfect grammar and pronunciation. As theybegin to combine these learned phrases in an effort to build morecreative ones, accuracy initially declines. Temporary fluctuationsin accuracy normally accompany increases in skill development.

Notes

The ACTFL ProficiencyGuidelines, which describethe proficiency levels in detail,are included as an appendix tothis manual.

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As students grow more secure in their understanding ofanother culture, their ability to behave in culturally appropriateways increases. The overall goal is to gradually use and meshcultural and linguistic skills with increasing accuracy in order toobtain a high level of language proficiency.

Progress Checkpoint Descriptions

Progress Checkpoints describe what students should knowand be able to do at the end of each level of proficiency. Theyprovide an overall view of the expectations for studentperformance at critical points along the language learningcontinuum. As students progress, they may experiment withand show some ability in language characteristics normallybeyond their proficiency level; however, for most students theirconsistent and independent use of the language follows theprogression from Novice, through Intermediate, to Advanced.Progress Checkpoints will influence the design of classactivities and assessment by providing a broad focus for theevaluation of student work.

Novice level:Using age-appropriate activities, students develop theability to perform the tasks of the novice language learner.The novice language learner, when dealing with familiartopics, should:

Notes





Understanding Progress CheckpointsTo prepare for this activity, photocopy the pages in Appendix D,and cut apart the separate sentences. Mount individual sentenceson colored construction paper or poster board using the color codeindicated. (If you laminate them, they can be used over and over.)

Distribute a card to each participant (or pair, depending on thesize of the group). Ask them to read the description anddetermine if it describes a novice-, intermediate-, or advanced-level task. Once the determination has been made, they shouldmove to the corner of the room you have designated for eachproficiency level. Beginning at one corner, ask participants to readtheir statement and explain their choice, then elicit the wholegroup’s reaction: “Does everyone agree that this is a novice(intermediate, advanced) level task?” Lead participants tounderstand why the choice is or isn’t correct. Once you’ve done acouple of the sentences, you’ll probably find participants changingtheir mind and moving to another corner. This is fine! (Activityidea stolen from facilitator Nathan Bond.)

Identify Tasks by ProgressCheckpoints (p. 40) is analternative/additional activity forreviewing characteristics ofproficiency levels.

Use the TEKSpectations trans-parencies to review/reinforce thecharacteristics of each profi-ciency level after completing theUnderstanding Progress Check-points activity.

39

• understand short utterances when listening andrespond orally with learned material;

• produce learned words, phrases, and sentenceswhen speaking and writing;

• detect main ideas in familiar material when listeningand reading;

• make lists, copy accurately, and write from dictation;

• recognize the importance of communicating in aculturally appropriate manner; and

• recognize the importance of acquiring accuracy ofexpression by knowing the components of language,including grammar.

Intermediate level:The intermediate language learner, when dealing witheveryday topics, should:

• participate in simple face-to-face communication;

• create statements and questions to communicateindependently when speaking and writing;

• understand main ideas and some details of materialon familiar topics when listening and reading;

• understand simple statements and questions whenlistening and reading;

• meet limited practical and social writing needs;

• use knowledge of the culture in the development ofcommunication skills;

• use knowledge of the components of language,including grammar, to increase accuracy ofexpression; and

• cope successfully in straightforward social andsurvival situations.

Advanced level:The advanced language learner, when dealing with eventsof the concrete world, should:

• participate fully in casual conversations in culturallyappropriate ways;

• explain, narrate, and describe in past, present, andfuture time when speaking and writing;

• understand main ideas and most details of materialon a variety of topics when listening and reading;

• write coherent paragraphs;

• cope successfully in problematic social and survivalsituations;

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• achieve an acceptable level of accuracy ofexpression by using knowledge of languagecomponents, including grammar; and

• apply knowledge of culture when communicating.

* For an adaptation of these Progress Checkpoints forclassical languages, see A Texas Framework for LanguagesOther Than English, Appendix D.

TEKS for LOTE TerminologyTransparency 30/Handout 10/10aThe official TEKS for LOTE use the following terms:

Knowledge and Skills are general statements describing whatstudents should know and be able to do.

Performance Expectations are statements describing whatstudents are expected to know and be able to do at a givenProgress Checkpoint.

Progress Checkpoints describe the proficiency students shouldhave at the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced language levels.

A Texas Framework for Languages Other Than English addsthe following terms:

Example Progress Indicators illustrate what students might doto show their progress in meeting the PerformanceExpectations outlined in the TEKS for LOTE. They providesample descriptions of what a student should know and beable to do at the Progress Checkpoints. The ExampleProgress Indicators are just that, examples and are not meantto be comprehensive. These example progress indicators maynot always apply to classical languages.

Notes





Identify Tasks by Progress

CheckpointsTransparencies 27-28/Handouts 8-9Distribute Handouts 8 and 9 to participants before the activity.Instruct participants to mark each descriptor on Handout 8with N (Novice), I (Intermediate), or A (Advanced). Handout 9may be used for reference. Ask participants to share answerswith the group and discuss any discrepancies. Use Trans-parency 28 to check answers.

Teachers may be anxious as tohow the Progress Checkpointscorrespond to the languagelevels with which they arefamiliar; use Transparency 29 toshow them the approximatecorrelation between the two.Emphasize the fact that thetransparency should serve as aguideline and that not allstudents will fit neatly into thisscheme.

Teachers can refer to Handout10/10a to see samples of TEKSterminology pulled from theFramework.

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Learning Snapshots are brief examples of real classroomactivities that show what Program Goals, Knowledge and Skills,or Performance Expectations can look like when implemented.Teachers wrote the learning snapshots which were adapted foruse in the Framework. Many of the learning snapshots can beadapted to all languages, proficiency levels, and grade levels.Usually more than one knowledge and skill and performanceexpectation are reflected in the learning snapshots.

Special Features of the TEKSTransparency 31Classical Languages

The essential knowledge and skills acquired by studentslearning a classical language will be somewhat different fromthose of the modern languages. Communication in a classicallanguage is through the written messages that have comefrom the ancient world. Those messages, whether in the formof epic poetry or graffiti, are the major lines of communicationwith the ancient Greeks and Romans. Reading, then, is thekey to communicating with the ancient world and the primaryskill developed in learning a classical language. In addition,students should acquire appropriate listening, speaking, andwriting skills to enhance the development of reading skills andto improve their comprehension of ancient texts.

Some adapting of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skillsfor Languages Other than English will be necessary for theclassical languages. Teachers and curriculum developers willfind it very helpful to refer to the Standards for ClassicalLanguage Learning. These standards were developed as acollaborative project of the American Classical League and theAmerican Philological Association with assistance fromRegional Classical Associations.

Nonsequential Language Programs

Course offerings under the rubric of nonsequential LanguagesOther Than English may be taught by districts outside thestandard Levels I-VII sequential program. Two categories ofcourses are approved for districts to offer: Cultural andLinguistic Topics and Exploratory Languages.

Cultural and Linguistic TopicsCultural and Linguistic Topics may be offered at theelementary, middle, or high school level for one-half to onecredit with no prerequisites. These courses address thehistory, geography, cultural aspects, and/or linguisticaspects of selected regions or countries.

Exploratory LanguagesExploratory Languages courses may be offered at the

Notes

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elementary, middle, or high school level for one-half to onecredit with no prerequisites. They are most typically offeredearly in the middle grades, usually at Grade 6 or Grade 7.These courses provide students with the opportunity toinvestigate, compare, contrast, and come to appreciate avariety of languages and cultures or to value the study ofanother language. This type of experience is especiallyvaluable as it allows students to decide which language(s)they may wish to study later in greater depth.

Although nonsequential courses are not geared toward thedevelopment of language proficiency, they do offer a goodopportunity for the enrichment of students who may not beable to fit language courses into their schedule or who are notinterested in pursuing a sequential program in language.

How can TEKS contribute to quality

LOTE education?

Transparency 32The TEKS for LOTE contribute to quality LOTE education inmany ways. They articulate expectations for what studentsshould know and be able to do by providing a clear and conciseset of content standards and performance expectations atdifferent proficiency levels (Progress Checkpoints). Becausethey are part of Texas law and are required to be used asguidelines for instruction in all Texas schools, the TEKS forLOTE help to improve the quality of LOTE teaching and learningin Texas and challenge districts and teachers to develop qualityLOTE programs that are aligned with them. The TEKS for LOTEemphasize the importance of extended sequences of languagelearning in that they address all students, PreK-12. In addition,they are challenging and centered on attaining communicativeproficiency; students who meet the high expectations set out inthe TEKS for LOTE will certainly raise their proficiency in LOTE.

Who can the TEKS help? How?Transparency 33The TEKS for LOTE can provide guidance and information tovarious groups. They may help teachers and administrators inthe design and implementation of a well-articulated district-wide or classroom-level curriculum. The TEKS for LOTE alsohelp educators by providing guidelines for evaluating studentprogress which can be used as assessments are developed.In addition, they can aid in the process of selectinginstructional materials. The TEKS for LOTE are clear andconcise, they can easily be used to educate parents and othercommunity members about LOTE curriculum areas.

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What do I do now?Transparency 34Now that they’ve had a basic overview of the TEKS for LOTE,participants may wonder what they should do next. Below is a listof suggestions, although it is not meant to be comprehensive.

• Utilize the materials found in A Texas Framework forLanguages Other Than English, Professional Developmentfor Language Teachers: Implementing the TEKS forLOTE, and Preparing Language Teachers to Implementthe Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills forLanguages Other Than English. The documents wereprepared by Project ExCELL, and photocopies can beordered from the Texas Foreign Language Associationat a minimal cost.

An original version of A Texas Framework for LanguagesOther Than English can be ordered from the TexasEducation Agency. For document ordering information, seeHandout 14.

• Attend follow-up TEKS training workshops: Module II, TEKSfor LOTE: Classroom Implementation and Module III-A,TEKS for LOTE: Addressing Assessment. Contact yourlocal Education Service Center to obtain information ontraining dates in your region.

• Watch the Region 20/Project ExCELL video availablefrom the regional Education Service Centers.

• Network with other teachers and districts and share ideasregarding implementation and curriculum development.

• Join professional organizations and obtain informationfrom regional and national organizations on work beingdone nationwide concerning support for the standardsand systemic reform.

• Use the TEKS for LOTE to evaluate your district orclassroom curriculum (a unit plan or weekly plan).Enumerate the ways in which it leads to studentsmeeting the new standards and the ways it does notreflect them. Think of ways to incorporate the ProgramGoals in the curriculum.

• Check out the LOTE CED website (www.sedl.org/loteced). It’s full of information for LOTE teachersseeking to implement the TEKS for LOTE.

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1) to provide teachers and future teachers with athorough knowledge of the instructional principlesunderlying the TEKS for LOTE adopted by theState Board of Education.



What Do I Do Now?Transparency 34/Handout 11Distribute Handout 11. Show Transparency 34 and giveparticipants two minutes to quickly list a number of steps they cantake in order to implement the TEKS for LOTE. Elicit severalresponses and write them on a blank transparency on theoverhead projector. Add additional ideas, such as the ones listedabove, if participants don’t come up with them on their own.


1) to provide teachers and future teachers with athorough knowledge of the instructional principlesunderlying the TEKS for LOTE adopted by theState Board of Education.



Does It Align?Transparency 35/Handouts 12/12a and 13/13aDistribute Handout 12/12a, which includes a sample descriptionof a district LOTE program and a LOTE teacher’s classroomcurriculum, including how the program reflects the TEKS andareas of concern where it may not. Ask participants to take aminute to read the description. Be sure participants understandwhat you mean by alignment.

Distribute Handout 13/13a and instruct participants to completethe chart from left to right (13 for classroom teachers; 13a foradministrators and coordinators). As they finish, ask them toshare information in small groups.

As an alternative when time is short, go over the sample alignments(Handout 12/12a) and ask participants to take Handout 13 back totheir district or school to complete with other interested persons.

Notes

DON’T FORGET THE EVALUATION ORSIGN-IN ROSTER!Allow ten minutes for participants to complete the evaluationincluded at the end of the Handouts section of this manual.Send copies of the evaluation forms to the LOTE CED in one ofthe large postage-paid envelopes provided in this binder.

Also, please send a LOTE CED Module Workshop Roster back tothe LOTE CED every time you conduct a workshop (also includedin this binder.) If the workshop venue already uses another type ofsign-in sheet, please photocopy that sheet and send in a copy.Please ensure that whatever you send includes your name, yourco-presenter’s name, the date of the workshop, the modulepresented, the workshop location, and the number of participants.

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Talking Points

47

Pa ired I nte rview

Instructions: Find a partner and share yourresponses to the followingquestions.

1. What language other than English do you know?

2. Think back to the time you first felt, “Hey, I can speak thislanguage!” In retrospect, what do you believe are thethings that you had done or the things that had happened toenable you to really learn a language? List them below.

HO-2

Transparency 1/Handouts 1 & 2 Agenda• Have this transparency

on the overheadprojector as participantsenter. Handout 1 is acopy of this agenda andshould be duplicatedand passed out toparticipants.

• Provide copies ofHandout 2 as well soparticipants can begintheir paired interview.

Communication• Ask for brief examples

of the kinds ofcommunicationparticipants engaged inwhen they were reallylearning a language(e.g., communicatingwith a purpose abouttopics of interest toaccomplish a task.)

Transparency 2

48

Cultures• Ask participants what

kinds of things theylearned about the cultureas they were learning alanguage. Elicit bothpractices and products.

• Ask if they were everpuzzled by theperspectives behind thepractices and products.

Connections• Ask participants to name

the kinds of informationthey have access to inthe language that theywould not have accessto otherwise.

• Ask what subjects(content) they learnedabout in/through thelanguage.

Comparisons• Ask for examples of

language and culturalcomparisons (betweentheir native language/culture and the new) thatthey remember makingas they learned thelanguage.

Communities• Ask how participants use

the language to enrichtheir lives personally.How do they connectwith the culture in thecommunity or otherwise?

Once all the transparencieshave been overlaid, pointout that the thingsparticipants did to reallylearn a language areactually the essence of theTEKS for LOTE. (Theactual discussion of theProgram Goals occurs laterin the workshop.)

Transparencies 3-6

49

The LegislativeBackground• Briefly outline the

legislative historyunderlying the TexasEssential Knowledgeand Skills.

The Writing Team• Use the pie charts to

show participants thediversity of the writingteam by languagestaught, specialization,and district size. Thisinformation is especiallyimportant for those whofeel traditionallyunderrepresented in thistype of undertaking.

• Emphasize the fact thatthe team came toconsensus on the itemsthat appear in the TEKSfor LOTE.

Transparency 7

Transparency 8

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Who and whatcontributed to theTEKS?• Point out the various

groups that contributeddirectly to the revisionand refinement of theTEKS for LOTE as wellas the influence of thestandards movementand languageacquisition theorynationwide.

How are the TEKSdifferent from theEssential Elements?

Indicate that the differences

focus on the following:

• integration vs. isolationof the skills

• student vs. teacherexpectations

• traditional skillsapproach vs. the 5 Cs

• student expectationsdescribed in terms ofProgress Checkpoints

Transparency 9

Transparencies 10 & 11

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Transparency 12

Transparency 13/Handouts 3 & 4

How is LOTEeducation changing?• Tell participants the

“new” paradigm hasevolved after a longperiod of incubation.

• Mention some of thefactors that haveinfluenced change inLOTE classrooms.

• Ask what changes theyhave noticed in LOTEinstruction.

The ChangingParadigm of Pre-KLOTE Education• Have participants use

Handout 3 and theenvelope with sentencestrips to complete thisactivity.

• Provide a copy ofHandout 4 only aftergroups have finished.

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Transparency 14

Transparency 15

Guiding Principles ofLOTE Education• Point out that the shift in

paradigm hasnecessitated arethinking of theessence of LOTEeducation which has, inturn, lead to a new setof Guiding Principlesthat are the philo-sophical basis of theTEKS for LOTE.

• Assign “key phrases”and lead participantsthrought the GuidingPrinciples Activity.

Interrelationship ofthe Five Program Goals• The Programs Goals, or

5 Cs, form thefoundation of the TEKSfor LOTE. Ask how theTexas Cs differ from thenational standards, thenpoint out thatCommunication is at thecenter of everything thatgoes on in languageclassrooms and is thevehicle by which stu-dents reach the otherProgram Goals.

• State that the traditionalfour skills of listening,speaking, reading, andwriting are integrated ineach of the ProgramGoals.

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Transparency 16

Transparency 17

Communication

• Say that communicativeproficiency derives fromcontrol of three modes ofcommunication.

• Describe the threemodes, or askparticipants to explain.

Cultures

• Say that learning aboutand experiencing anotherculture is an integral partof learning a language.

• Use the transparency toexplain the distinctionbetween practices andperspectives and productsand perspectives. (Thepractices and perspectivesillustration depictsJapanese business cards,a very important aspect ofJapanese businessculture.)

• Give examples of bothpractices and productspointing out that novicelearners may need todiscuss culturalinformation in Englishwhen necessary.

Connections

• Say that knowledge ofother languages andcultures providesstudents the tools andthe context forconnecting with othersubject areas such asart, health, sciences, etc.

• Point out that howstudents connect withother disciplines varieswith grade levels.

• Ask how learners can gainaccess to informationavailable only in the otherlanguage.

Transparency 18

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Transparency 19

Transparency 20

Comparisons• Elicit examples of some

types of comparisons thatcan be made on thenature of language (e.g.,gender, adjectiveplacement, idiomaticexpressions).

• Food is a favorite culturalcomparison. Elicit otherexamples includingholiday traditions,customs, school systems,laws, notions of familyand friendship.

• Ask participants tosuggest examples ofother “foreign”expressions that havebeen incorporated into theEnglish language.

Communities• Remind participants that

learning languagesoccurs both within andbeyond the school.

• Ask participants for waystheir students use thelanguage to connect tothe community or forpersonal enrichment orcareer enhancement.

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Transparencies 21 & 22/Handouts 5, 6, & 7-7a

Transparency 23/Handout 9

Progress Checkpointsfor LOTE• Use the transparency to

discussthe non-linear nature oflanguage proficiency asillustrated by the gradualdarkening of the colorin the inverted triangle.The gradual increase inlanguage proficiency isalso denoted bythe dotted lines.

• Explain how the invertedtriangle also illustrates theincreasing amount oflanguage controlled ateach level.

• Lead participants in the

Identifying ProgramGoals/Answer Key• Provide Handout 5 (for

reference), Handout 6, andHandout 7-7a for thisactivity.

• Lead participants throughthe activity and ask themto elaborate on theirchoices.

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Transparencies 24, 25, & 26Progress Checkpoints:Novice• Use the transparency

to review the charac-teristics of a novicelevel learner.

• Indicate the relative lackof accuracy at this level.

Progress Checkpoints:Intermediate• Use the transparency to

review the charac-teristics of an inter-mediate level learner.

• Point out that aslearners begin to createwith language, accuracymay initially decline.Temporary fluctuation inaccuracy accompaniesincreases in skilldevelopment.

Progress Checkpoints:Advanced• Use the transparency to

review the charac-teristics of an advancedlevel learner.

• Tell participants there isno guarantee that evenstudents beginninglanguage study inelementary school willreach the advancedlevel of proficiencybecause the rate atwhich learners progressis highly individual anddepends on manyfactors.

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Identify Tasks byProgress Checkpoints• Use Handouts 8/8a and

Transparencies 27-28 todo this activity in pairsor with the whole groupto review. Participantscan also use Handout 9for reference.

How might ProgressCheckpoints relate tolanguage levels?• Use the transparency to

show how ProgressCheckpoints andlanguage levels mightrelate.

• Stress the informationcontained in thefootnote on thetransparency.

Transparency 29

Transparencies 27 & 28/Handouts 8-8a

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Transparency 30/Handouts 10-10a

Transparency 31

TEKS for LOTETerminology• Define the terms for

participants and thenreview the examples onthe transparency.

• Tell participants that theExample ProgressIndicators and theLearning Snapshots arefound in A TexasFramework forLanguage Other ThanEnglish.

• Refer participants toHandouts 10/10a,samples from theFramework.

Special Features ofthe TEKS• Elicit participants’

thoughts on why/howthe TEKS for LOTE willneed to be adaptedsomewhat for theclassical languages.

• Refer participants to theStandards for ClassicalLanguage Learningdeveloped by nationaland regional classicalprofessionalorganizations.

• Briefly describe thenature of nonsequentialcourses that areapproved for districts tooffer.

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How can TEKScontribute to qualityLOTE education?• Brainstorm ways in

which the TEKS forLOTE help to improveLOTE teaching andlearning in Texas byemphasizing theimportance of commun-icative proficiency andquality LOTE programsbased on high andchallenging standards.

Who can the TEKS forLOTE help?Ask participants how thesegroups are affected by theTEKS for LOTE. Guidethem to see that the TEKShelp in the following ways:

• They clearly stateexpectations for stu-dents and, by implica-tion, for teachers.

• They describe a clearsequence of proficiency.

• They provide guidelinesfor district andclassroom curriculum.

• They requireassessment for profi-ciency as well as forachievement.

Transparency 32

Transparency 33

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Transparency 34/Handout 11What Do I Do Now?Allow time for the group tobrainstorm and shareideas. Bring out thefollowing suggestions ifthey don’t.

• Utilize Project ExCELLdocuments.

• Attend other TEKStraining workshops(Modules II and III).

• Watch the Region 20/Project ExCELL videoavailable from localEducation ServiceCenters.

• Network with otherteachers and districts.

• Join professionalorganizations.

• Evaluate your district orclassroom curriculum (aunit plan or weeklyplan).

• Allow time for parti-cipants to look at theappropriate samplealignment worksheet(Handout 12 or 12a),then guide participantsthrough the activity orassign as homework iftime is short.

Handouts 12-12a

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Does It Align?• After participants have

looked over the samplealignments, they shoulduse Handout 13 or 13ato reflect on their ownsituation.

Transparency 35/Handouts 13-13a

DON’T FORGET

THE EVALUATION!

• Allow ten minutes forparticipants to completethe evaluation (2 pages)included at the end ofthe Handouts section ofthis manual.

• Draw Handout 14 to theirattention if they’reinterested in orderingany Project ExCELLpublications.

Handout 14/Evaluation Form

Profes sional Develo pment Module I - SEDL · Profes sional Development Module I TEKS for LOTE:...

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