1. Your Student’s Path to Language Proficiency
Granite School District
Dual Language Immersion Programs
2015

3. What is language proficiency?
It’s not about passing a test or getting the right answer.
It’s about what students can DO with the language.
Is the meaning understood even though everything may not be grammatically correct?
In order to understand the proficiency reports, we first have to understand proficiency. What is language proficiency?
This is a paradigm shift from when we took language classes or the parents of our students took classes. This is not our students’ mother’s foreign language classes as they say.

4. What does an “A” grade tell a student (or parent) about their language ability?
What does an “A” grade tell a student (or parent) about their language ability? Usually that they have completed the assignments, turned in their work, done well on tests, etc. But do we know what the students can actually do with the language? No. This is why we don’t use the typical report cards for language class in Dual Immersion. Instead we use a Student Proficiency Report that will let you know how your child is progressing and what they can actually do with the language.

5. Paradigm Shift
Shifting from focus primarily on grammar, vocabulary, and skills to a more comprehensive view of proficiency.
Proficiency is “what individuals can do with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context.” (ACTFL Guidelines 2012)
Shifting from focus primarily on grammar, vocabulary, and skills to a more comprehensive view of proficiency.
Proficiency is “what individuals can do with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context.” (ACTFL Guidelines 2012)

6. These are the proficiency targets set for our programs in Utah
These are the proficiency targets set for our programs in Utah. French, Portuguese, and Spanish are listed at the top, while Chinese are below.

7. Learning a Language is Like Learning a Sport
Takes time to learn
Rules, vocabulary, and skills to learn
Proficiency is what individuals can do with the sport in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context.
To help us understand, we can compare it to learning a sport. You know that one still needs to learn the rules, vocabulary, skills, etc., but the application of them in a real game is when we see how proficient the player is.

8. Learning a Language is Like Learning an Instrument
Takes time to learn
Symbols, skills, vocabulary, and concepts to learn
Proficiency is when we can actually use the musical skill to communicate or perform in some way.
Another example can be learning an instrument. Learning a language takes time to become good at it just like learning piano, violin, or any other instrument. Both have symbols, skills, vocabulary, and concepts to learn. Additionally, we know someone has become proficient at it when one can actually use the skill to communicate or perform in some way.

9. Musical Proficiency? Play this piece.
Name the four movements generally associated with a symphony.
an opening sonata or allegro
a slow movement, such as adagio
a minuet or scherzo with trio
an allegro, rondo, or sonata
Which one demonstrates proficiency better?

10. Student Proficiency Reports
This is a sample of the Student Proficiency Report.
It is explained at the Fall SEP Conference and given out at the Spring SEP Conference in grades 1-8.
What it is

11. This is what the Student Proficiency Reports look like
This is what the Student Proficiency Reports look like. This one is a Spanish 5th grade report, but the other languages and grade levels are designed similarly.

12. This is page 2 of the report.

13. Student Proficiency Report
Communicates proficiency, or what the students can do with the language.
Follows the national ACTFL standards (American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages) used across the nation to communicate language proficiency.
Thus the Student Proficiency Reports communicate what the students can do with the language. They communicate proficiency not academic achievement. They follow the national ACTFL standards that describe language proficiency levels. For more information, one can view ACTFL’s web site and see examples of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the different levels.

14. ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Superior
Distinguished
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines are divided into five levels and 4 areas.

15. 1st grade Area: Listening
Shaded box is the target for the grade level.
Checked box is your student’s level.
On the Student Proficiency Report, it lists the area (listening ability)
The target for that grade level is shaded in gray. The teacher will mark the current level of the student with a check in the box.

16. Let’s start with speaking because if you know what a person can say with the language, you know what kinds of things they can also hear. And actually most people can listen at a higher level than they can speak. The student proficiency report shows four boxes with descriptions in each box of what a student at that level can say in the language. The box that is highlighted in gray is the target level for the end of that grade level.

17. Speaking Novice Intermediate Advanced
Words, memorized phrases or sentences
Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction.
Paragraphs and more. Narrate and describe in past, present, and future times/aspect, and handle a complicated situation or transaction.
These are what the three levels look like that we’re talking about today. Remember this is just a nutshell view. In reality, there are nuances and subtle differences that require hours of study and practice to be able to fully understand. However, for us to get a general idea, it will help us recognize the stages through which students progress.
The first level is Novice. Novice students speak in words, memorized phrases, or memorized sentences.
Intermediate speakers can take those memorized phrases and chunks and rearrange them or change them to create new sentences. They can ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics and can handle a simple situation or transaction.
Advanced students can speak in paragraphs (if we were to think of the spoken word in the terms of the written word). They can narrate and describe in past, present, and future times. They can handle complicated situations or transactions. We’ll look at them in more details, but this is the easiest way to remember the general ideas. Novices speak in words and memorized chunks, intermediates in sentences, and advanced in paragraphs.

18. Speaking Novice Intermediate Advanced Parrot Survivor Story teller
Here is another way to look at it given us by Chantal Thompson at a training in Novices are like parrots. They can repeat back those memorized chunks and phrases. Intermediates are like survivors. They have the basics that they need to survive in a country, but it’s not pretty. They aren’t eloquent and they make many errors. However, they can survive. Advanced students are compared to story tellers. They can describe and narrate in the past, present, and future and speak across many subjects and in many situations. These images can sometimes help us think of the different levels of speakers as we look at our students.
From Chantal Thompson

19. As we learn language, it’s important for us to remember two things.
1. As we progress throughout the levels, it will take more time to advance. This is because we need to be able to understand many subjects and topics. So an advanced speaker must be able to understand vocabulary and language appropriate for many different topics and subjects. It takes time to not only progress vertically through the grammar, but to also gain the breadth of knowledge to converse in many subject areas.
2. We spend a lot more time in the mid ranges of each level than we do the other levels.

20. Low, Mid, High?
Low- Attempts but is unable to sustain. “Barely hanging on”
Mid- Solid in this level. Sustainable. “Solid & strong”
High- Solid in current level and actually is trying the next level, but not successfully. “Fallen angel”
The ACTFL levels are further broken down into sub-levels: low, mid, and high.

21. Oral Proficiency Levels in the Work Field
Functions
Corresponding Jobs/Professions
Examples of who has this level of proficiency
Utah Dual Immersion Target
Distinguished
Ability to tailor language to specific audience, persuade, negotiate. Deal with nuance and subtlety.
Diplomat, Contract Negotiator, International Specialist, Translator/Interpreter, Intelligence Specialist
Highly articulate, professionally specialized native speakers;
L2 learners with extended (17 years) and current professional and/or educational experience in the target culture
Superior
Discuss topics extensively, support opinions and hypothesize. Deal with a linguistically unfamiliar situation
University Foreign Language Professor, Business Executive, Lawyer, Judge, Financial Advisor
Educated native speakers;
Educated L2 learners with extended professional and/or educational experience in the target language environment
Advanced High
Narrate and describe in past, present and future and deal effectively with an unanticipated complication
Physician, Military Linguist, Senior Consultant, Human Resources Personnel, Financial Broker, Translation Officer, Marketing Manager,
Students with graduate degrees in the language
Advanced Mid
Fraud Specialist, Account Executive, Court Stenographer/Interpreter, Technical Service Agent,
Heritage speakers
Informal learners, non-academic learners with who have significant contact with language (LDS Returned Missionaries)
Grade 12
Advanced Low
Customer service representatives, Police officers, school teachers, Social Worker, Legal Receptionist
Undergraduate language majors with year-long study abroad experience
LDS Returned Missionaries
Grade 10-11
 Intermediate High   
Create with language, initiate, maintain and bring to a close simple conversations by asking and responding to simple questions
Aviation personnel, Missionary, Tour guide, Auto Inspector
Undergraduate language majors without year-long study abroad experience
After 6 years of middle/high school, AP
Grades 8-9
Intermediate Mid
Cashier, Sales clerk (highly predictable contexts)
After 4 years of middle/high school, AP or 2 years college
Grade 6-7
Receptionist, Housekeeping Staff
After 2 years of high school
Grades 4-5
Intermediate Low
Novice High
Communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterances, lists and phrases
After 1 year of high school 
Grades 2-3
Novice Mid
Grade 1
Novice Low
This slide helps us see what our students can do with the proficiency levels they gain throughout the program. These are minimum proficiency levels needed for various professions, and how a student typically gains this proficiency. Remember these are typical students. On the right, you see our proficiency targets for Utah Dual Immersion programs. If the students continue with the program, they will graduate from high school with an Advanced Mid, which typically students with graduating from college attain.
(Source:
Dr. Elvira Swender of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) CIBER 2012 Conference, March 21, 2012, Chapel Hill, NC)
NOTES:
1. The levels indicated are minimal proficiency levels for specific job descriptions and have been established by subject matter experts from a variety of agencies, organizations and companies for whom ACTFL provides oral proficiency testing following an analysis of the linguistic tasks and the responsibilities of the positions.
2. The references to how long it takes to reach certain levels of proficiency were written specifically for the study of Spanish, a Category I language. Other Category I languages include Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Swahili and Swedish. For Category II, III and IV languages, one can expect that it will take longer to reach the same levels of proficiency.
Dr. Ray Clifford of the BYU Language Center says RM’s test about Intermediate Mid to Intermediate High. Chantal Thompson updated info on LDS Missionaries to between Intermediate High to Advanced Low or Advanced Mid)
From Dr. Elvira Swender, ACTFL, CIBER 2012 Conference

22. Speaking- Novice Low
-Uses isolated words (i.e., single words) to respond to questions.
-Responses pertain to very specific topic areas in predictable contexts.
- May use greetings and polite expressions such as Good Morning and Thank you.
Let’s look at Speaking now in detail.

23. Speaking- Novice Mid
1st
-Uses single words, multiple words, short phrases, greetings, polite expressions, and other memorized expressions on a limited number of topics.
-Frequent searching for words is common.
-May use native language or gestures when attempting to create with language beyond what is known.
-Memorized expressions with verbs and other short phrases are usually accurate, but inaccuracies occur when trying to produce language beyond the scope of memorized material.
Remember this is our target for 1st grade

24. Speaking- Novice High 2nd & 3rd Partial ability to
create with language to convey personal meaning by adapting learned material in single sentences and strings of sentences
ask and answer questions
handle a simple survival situation (daily needs) in the language
Uses vocabulary from everyday topics and subject area content to provide basic information.
Uses memorized expressions with ease and accuracy.
Can respond in intelligible sentences most of the time but does not sustain sentence-level speech
Sentences may not always contain the proper verb formations, and other grammatical inaccuracies may be present.
May revert to the use of English when foreign language words cannot be retrieved or when dealing with unfamiliar topics.

25. Speaking- Intermediate Low
4th & 5th
Sustained but minimal ability to
create with language to convey personal meaning by adapting learned material in single sentences and strings of sentences
ask and answer questions
handle a simple survival situation (daily needs) in the language
Has basic vocabulary for making statements and asking questions to satisfy basic social and academic needs, but not for explaining or elaborating on them.
Can maintain simple conversations at the sentence level by creating with the language, although in a restrictive and reactive manner.
Handles a limited number of everyday social and subject content interactions.
Uses a variety of common verbs in present tense (formations may be inaccurate)
Other verb tenses/forms may appear but are not frequent.
The listener may be confused by this speech due to the many grammatical inaccuracies.

26. Analogy
This analogy helps us understand why we often see more errors in their speaking when they read the Intermediate stage. Think of a baby who can crawl very proficiently. When they first begin to stand and walk, they fall down a lot and are not solid in the skills of walking. Yet, we don’t tell them to go back to crawling because they made less errors then. We encourage them to try the next level of walking until they become skillful at it.
In the same sense, Intermediate students are attempting a higher level of speech. They make more errors at first until it becomes more comfortable for them. As parents and educators, we encourage the students to attempt higher levels and reassure them when they make errors.

27. Speaking- Intermediate Mid
6th & 7th
Confident ability to
create with language to convey personal meaning by adapting learned material in single sentences and strings of sentences
ask and answer questions
handle a simple survival situation (daily needs) in the language
Has basic vocabulary to permit discussions of a personal nature and subject area topics.
May attempt circumlocution when appropriate vocabulary is missing.
Maintains simple sentence-level conversations.
May initiate talk spontaneously without relying on questions or prompts.
May attempt longer, more complex sentences, including the use of basic sentence connectors (e.g., and, but, however)
Uses an increasing number and variety of verbs.
Verbs are mostly in present tense although awareness of other verb tenses (future/past) and forms may be evident.
Meaning is generally clear in spite of some grammatical inaccuracies.

28. Speaking- Intermediate High
8th & 9th
Partial ability to
converse freely on autobiographical topics as well as issues related to daily living (in school, home, community)
describe and narrate across the major time-frames of present, past and future
speak in paragraph-length utterances
have good control of basic structures and vocabulary to be understood without difficulty by native speakers, including those unaccustomed to language learners
Has a broad enough vocabulary for discussing simple social and academic topics in generalities, but may lack detail.
Sometimes achieves successful circumlocution when precise word is lacking.
Initiates and sustains conversations by using language creatively.
Shows a developing but not sustained ability to use paragraph-level speech with connected sentences (e.g., then, so, that, etc.) in descriptions and narrations
Control of present tense is solid but patterns of breakdown appear in past and future timeframes
Grammatical inaccuracies are still present.

29. Turn & Talk
Share with a partner next to you what your child should be able to do with the language in his/ her current grade level.

30. Let’s see how you did.

31. Becoming more proficient
Understand the next level
Take risks
Get feedback
Practice
Encouragement
Now that you know a bit about the different proficiency levels, you can help encourage your students to level up. We can use a couple of analogies to help the students do this.

32. Level Up Level up like Mario or video games.
“That was a good answer. Now level up and give me a better answer.”
Some schools use the Mario “level up” idea. Students know they have to try a new level until they succeed in order to win the game. When they give us a simple answer, we can encourage them to “level up” and give me a more complex answer. Perhaps it’s more words or a sentence instead of just words.

33. Ice cream scoops
Tell them to fill up their Ice cream cones with more ice cream. More scoops!!
Another example is the image of ice cream scoops. The inverted triangle graph for proficiency resembles an ice cream cone. So we tell students we want them to fill up their cones with more ice cream scoops. We can say, that was a one scoop answer. Can you give me a two scoop answer?

35. What Parents Can Do
“Give them all of the support you can in their first language and don’t worry about their second.”
Read to your child in your strongest language to encourage development of the home language and to model fluent reading
literacy in a native language is a huge plus when one is learning to read in a second language
Multilingual Children’s Association “frequent book reading leads to more advanced language skills.” no matter which language the books are read in.
Talk about the books with your child. Talk about the characters, plot, what they liked or didn’t like. Encourage conversation in the home language.
Parents often ask what they can do to support their students when they don’t speak the language. Here are some suggestions offered by parents and teachers in Dual Immersion.
Angelina Sáenz , M.Ed. is the lead teacher for the Aldama Elementary Dual Language Program in LAUSD

36. What Parents Can Do
Be positive about the language and encourage during difficult times to persevere
Enthusiasm
Children who do well in language programs are those who have learned to continue with a task even though it is difficult. Parents can model this behavior and help children learn how to continue and persevere

37. What Parents Can Do
Encourage the child by following up with homework, class work, and providing time and materials for the work.
Ask questions about the homework so the child explains about the assignments in his/her first language
Check the child’s backpack each day. Watch for newsletters or other ways the teacher communicate with parents.
Provide a quiet space and ample time to do homework. When possible provide dictionaries in both languages.
Set up “homework buddies” for the language class. When your child may not understand an assignment, you can contact this child for help. If many students are confused, communicate with the teacher. Remember homework should be skills that were taught in class and should be able to be done independently.
Angelina Sáenz , M.Ed. is the lead teacher for the Aldama Elementary Dual Language Program in LAUSD

38. What Parents Can Do Encourage use of the language whenever possible.
Interact with native speakers
Attend cultural events
Check out books in the language from the local library. Request additional books from library staff or donate a book on your child’s birthday to the library
Parent-screened web sites
Favorite DVD’s with language audio tracks and subtitles turned on
Music and dancing
Explore topics of interest to the child in countries that speak the language (for example soccer teams, dancers, instrumentalists, painters, singers, etc.)
Angelina Sáenz , M.Ed. is the lead teacher for the Aldama Elementary Dual Language Program in LAUSD

39. What Parents Can Do Strengthen the connection between home & school.
Volunteer in the classroom or to help teachers by doing tasks at home
Share with students aspects of culture (i.e. dance, art, food, music, etc.)
Set up or participate in dual language family social gatherings
Contribute to the school newsletter items regarding dual language immersion
Serve as chaperones for class field trips and other school events
Become involved with the school community council
Angelina Sáenz , M.Ed. is the lead teacher for the Aldama Elementary Dual Language Program in LAUSD

40. Now we’ll quickly look at writing
Now we’ll quickly look at writing. It’s very similar to what you learned about speaking only in written form. We will look at writing briefly in order to better understand the writing samples or AAPPL results.

41. What does a NOVICE writer look like?
They can write practice, memorized words and phrases to convey a simple message.
They can copy familiar words or phrases or reproduce basic characters with some accuracy.
They cannot break apart memorized chunks of language to create personal meaning.

42. What does an INTERMEDIATE writer look like?
They can break apart chunks of memorized language and recombine them creating their own meaning.
They use sentences and strings of sentences to convey simple facts and ideas of personal interest.
They are understood to those accustomed to the writing of non-natives.

43. What does an ADVANCED writer look like?
They can coordinate created language.
They can connect sentences into a paragraph.
They can adapt language to unanticipated situations

44. 2013 Proficiency Targets

45. As we learn language, it’s important for us to remember two things.
1. As we progress throughout the levels, it will take more time to advance. This is because we need to be able to understand many subjects and topics. So an advanced speaker must be able to understand vocabulary and language appropriate for many different topics and subjects. It takes time to not only progress vertically through the grammar, but to also gain the breadth of knowledge to converse in many subject areas.
2. We spend a lot more time in the mid ranges of each level than we do the other levels.

46. Determining proficiency level over time
Proficiency level not achievement
Is the overall meaning understandable?
This is where they are for that topic and task. Students may demonstrate different proficiency levels. Over time look at the general trends.
It is very important to keep in mind that a writing sample is just one snapshot of the student’s writing abilities THAT day on THAT topic. Proficiency levels are determined over time with multiple samples. So we look at their results over time and see what general proficiency level they demonstrate in their writing. Looking at this chart, you can see the student generally began in the Novice Low area and by May was writing in the Novice Mid level. Some samples are higher, some may be lower, but this is a general range.

47. Performance Vs. Proficiency
Demonstrate the features of the range in certain contexts and content areas that have been learned and practiced.
Demonstrate consistent patterns of all of the criteria for a given level all of the time.
One thing to keep in mind is that the AAPPL test does not give us a definitive proficiency level. That would require more in-depth assessment. What it does give us is a performance assessment that gives us a good indication of the progress being made towards a proficiency level. It demonstrates their abilities in certain contexts and content areas that have been learned and practiced. Remember that proficiency demonstrates consistent patterns of all of the criteria for a given level all of the time. Still this is helpful for us to see how the students are doing and gauge their progress. It is a standardized test given on a computer and rated by national scorers.

48. Assessing Language Competencies - STARTALK Session
5/4/2013
Islands of performance
merge into continents
on the way to
global proficiency!
As students learn a piece of language, it adds to their overall proficiency picture. We like to think of these are islands of proficiency. For example, a student could learn the basic greetings in that language. That is an island so to speak. Later they learn how to tell about themselves giving personal information. That is another island of proficiency. Once we combine many islands of proficiency, we build continents of proficiency. Eventually, as we add more language skills, vocabulary, and experience, those continents of proficiency build global proficiency.

49. AAPPL Measure
ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages
Addresses the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning
Assesses following modes of communication:
Interpersonal Listening/Speaking- Grades 3,5,6,7 & 8
Interpretive Reading- Grades 4,6,7 & 8
Presentational Writing- Grade 6,7 & 8
The AAPPL Measure is the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages. It addresses the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. In Utah we assess the following modes of communication (see slide)

50. AAPPL Individual Report
This is what the Individual Report looks like. Students take the test in the spring and receive their scores in the fall just like CRT tests. There will be a web site available on the USOE site to help explain the reports. If you look at this sample, you can see the AAPPL score on the left. AAPPL breaks the Novice and Intermediate levels down into numerical levels. You can see this student scored an N4. What I like is that it gives a description of what students can do and then gives some suggestions and strategies to improve the student’s language proficiency.

51. AAPPL Test Scoring Scale
This shows the numerical levels of the AAPPL test scoring scale. All of our students in elementary will be taking Form A. Form B will be given to secondary students.

52. Time Source: ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners 2012
This graph from AAPPL again emphasizes that language development takes time. You can see on this chart that in order to truly develop a language in to an advanced range, one needs to begin in Kindergarten or first grade, and continue through high school and college. This is the gift we are giving our students through Dual Immersion.
Source: ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners 2012

53. Questions

54. Contact Information
Kerrie Neu