Introduction

“Language and communication are at the heart

of the human experience. The United States must
educate students who are equipped linguistically and
culturally to communicate successfully in a pluralistic
American society and abroad. This imperative envisions
a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain
proficiency in English and at least one other language,
modern or classical.”

- STANDARDS FORFOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING:

PREPARING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY,
1996

Citizens of the world today need to be able to communicate in a language other

than English, as global economies and new technologies continue to change and
“Over time Hawaii’s
erase existing borders between nations. The study of a foreign language enables
students to communicate with other people in other cultures and participate more students must have a
fully in the global community. greater degree of
achievement in the
The Hawai‘i Content Standards for World Languages establish the direction area of languages.”
for teaching and learning languages other than English in Hawai‘i. It sets high
expectations for all students and supports an extended sequence of language (HCPS COMMISSION 1994)
learning. The standards further answer the call of the Hawai‘i State Legislature,
which directs the Department of Education to “require a course of study and
instruction for the first twelve grades to enable all students to meet progressive
standards of competency in a language in addition to English.” (HRS Act 309)

The 1994 Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards (HCPS) introduced

K-12 standards for World Languages. The standards commission recognized then
that implementation would happen not at once, but incrementally. The refined
standards continue the K-12 focus. They also incorporate major features of the
document Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st
Century (1998), and promote the foundational belief of that national standards
project: that all children can be successful language and culture learners.

Schools are asked to use these standards as the basis of conversations about how
to help all students to be successful language and culture learners. Through
discussions of how standards can guide program design and influence instructional
choices, improvements in language education can provide the educational benefits
that all of Hawaii’s students will need to become effective communicators in this
global society.

1
About the Standards

General Learner THE C’s of Language Learning:

Outcomes-–the essential An Overview of the Standards
overarching goals…
The six content standards for World Languages describe the skills and knowledge
they enable learners to be achieved through a continuous sequence of study from kindergarten through
to lead full and grade 12. They are based upon the national standards contained in the document
productive lives. Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century (SFLL)
and are consonant with the Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards (HCPS).
MAKING SENSE OF STANDARDS,
1999 The task force leading the development of the national standards identified the
broad goals of the discipline, and within each of these goal areas it developed
a description of the essential skills and knowledge which comprise the standards.
The five goal areas of the national standards have been condensed into four strands
— Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, and Connections and Communities —
which organize the Hawai‘i content standards.

“The standards The standards are not listed in order of importance. However, the communication
standards play a central role since it is only through effective communication that
selected for world the other standards can be fully met.
languages are based
on the national Each standard leads toward the development of the General Learner Outcomes.
standards, which Students become more responsible for their own learning as they become better at
will help the Hawai‘i Communication. They increase understanding that it is essential for human beings
to work together through the Cultures standard, which promotes understanding
document fit in to a and tolerance for individual, cultural and language differences. Students apply
nationally accepted complex thinking and problem solving through making Comparisons of how
framework for different language and culture systems operate. Developing cultural and language
language teaching proficiency is a process that provides many opportunities to evaluate whether one
in the next century.” is performing well enough to make Connections and interact effectively in
Communities which use the language.
DR. NANCY RHODES,
CENTER FORAPPLIED LINGUISTICS,
1999

2
Content Standards — At-A-Glance

COMMUNICATION 1. Engage in conversations, provide and obtain

information, express feelings and emotions,
and exchange opinions. (Interpersonal)

2. Understand and interpret written and spoken

language on a variety of topics. (Interpretive)

3. Present information, concepts, and ideas to

an audience of listeners or readers on a variety
of topics. (Presentational) “The standards for
foreign language
learning are
organized within
CULTURES 4. Demonstrate an understanding of culture through
five goal areas
the study of the relationship among practices,
which make up
perspectives, and products of another culture.
foreign language
education:
communication,
cultures,
connections,
COMPARISONS 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of comparisons,
language through comparisons of the language and communities.
studied and their own. None of these goals
stands alone: all are
interconnected.”
STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN
LANGUAGE LEARNING:
PREPARING FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY,
1996

CONNECTIONS 6. Use the language to connect with other disciplines,

access information through authentic language
AND COMMUNITIES sources, and explore opportunities to interact in
multicultural settings.

3
About the Standards
The Communication
Standards
The content standards within the
Communication strand focus on three
communicative modes that differ
according to the context and purpose
of communication.
1. Interpersonal Communication
Students use language to interact in a
culturally and age-appropriate manner
“One of the most
in the course of daily life. In this mode
important goals of individuals interact with each other to
second language study state and clarify meaning; they observe
is the development and monitor one another to see how
of communicative their meanings and intentions are
being communicated. They can adjust
competence in
and make clarifications to improve
languages other communication. Such reciprocal com-
than English. munication is contained in face-to-face
When individuals conversations and in the exchange of
have developed personal letters or e-mail messages.
communicative
Key features of this standard are:
competence in a 1) participating in conversations in
language, they are order to socialize and exchange
able to convey and messages on a variety of daily
receive messages of topics; and
2) providing and obtaining informa-
many different types
tion in brief communicative
successfully.” exchanges.
STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE
LEARNING: PREPARING FOR
THE 21ST CENTURY,
1996
4
2. Interpretive Communication
This mode focuses on the understand-
ing and interpretation of written and
spoken language, involving one-way
listening and reading of public infor-
mation via a variety of print and
nonprint materials. In interpretive
communication the listener does not
have the opportunity to ask questions
in order to increase comprehension.
Such instances of “one-way” reading
or listening include interpretation of
texts, movies, radio and television
broadcasts. Key features of this stan-
dard are the listening and reading skills
that enable learners to interpret ideas
and opinions expressed by members of
other cultures.
3. Presentational Communication
This mode focuses on oral or written
presentation to an audience. Such
presentations may be formal or
informal. Examples include public
announcements, class reports, letters
to the editor, and the like. As with
the interpretive mode, presentational
communication is one way. It does
not allow direct interaction with the
audience.
A key feature of this standard is the
focus on acquiring authentic patterns
and appropriate styles of the target
language for presenting meaning in
speech and writing.
About the Standards

Students need different language competencies for each of these modes. They
must use a wide variety of effective strategies for reading and listening, for speaking
and writing, in order to convey and receive messages of many different types. The
ability to apply their knowledge of the structural patterns and grammatical features
of the language is necessary for participation in the Communicative Modes.

This chart from the National Standards document illustrates the three modes and
the link between language and culture.

Framework of Communicative Modes

INTERPERSONAL INTERPRETIVE PRESENTATIONAL

DEFINITIONS • Direct oral • Receptive communi- • Productive

communication cation of oral or communication
(e.g., face-to face written messages. using oral or
or telephonic) Mediated communi- written language.
between individuals cations via print
who are in and non-print • Spoken or written
personal contact. materials. communication for
people (an
• Direct written • Listener, viewer, audience) with
communication reader works with whom there is no
between individuals visual or recorded immediate personal
who come into materials whose contact or which
personal contact. creator is absent. takes place in a
one-to-many mode.

• Author or creator of
visual or recorded
material not known
personally to
listener or reader.

PATHS • Productive abilities: • Primarily receptive • Primarily productive

speaking, writing. abilities: listening, abilities: speaking,
reading, viewing. writing, showing.
• Receptive abilities:
listening, reading.

CULTURAL • Knowledge of • Knowledge of how • Knowledge of

cultural perspectives cultural perspectives cultural perspectives
KNOWLEDGE governing interac- are embedded in governing interac-
tions between products (literary tions between a
individuals of and artistic). speaker and
different ages, his/her audience
• Knowledge of how
statuses, back- and a writer and
meaning is encoded
grounds. his/her reader.
in products.
• Ability to recognize • Ability to analyze • Ability to present
that languages use content, compare it crosscultural
different practices to information information based
to communicate. available in own on background of
language and the audience.
• Ability to recognize assess linguistic
that cultures use and cultural • Ability to recognize
different patterns differences. that cultures use
of interaction. different patterns
• Ability to analyze
and compare of interaction.
content in one
culture to interpret
U.S. culture.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LINGUISTIC SYSTEM The use of grammatical, lexical, phonological, seman-
tic, pragmatic, and discourse features necessary for participation in the Communicative Modes. 5
About the Standards
The Cultures, Comparisons,
Connections and
Communities Standards
4. Cultures
Through comparisons and contrasts of
other cultures and their own, students
develop greater insight into their own
culture and realize that multiple ways
of viewing the world exist. To fully
know another culture, students need
to understand the cultural perspectives
that generate patterns of behavior, ways
of life, ideas and attitudes. Students
need to know that the true content
of language study is not only the
grammar and the vocabulary, but the
cultures expressed through and inextri-
cably woven into that language.
The stages of learning
This standard focuses on the relation-
are adapted from the ship between the patterns of behavior,
ACTFL K-12 the products and the underlying beliefs
Performance and values that represent that culture.
Guidelines and
5. Comparisons
are used to organize
By comparing their own language and
content which is the new language, learners develop a
implied by those greater understanding of their own lan-
guidelines. guage and the nature of language itself.
Knowledge of the conventions of a lan-
guage, its linguistic system, grammar,
vocabulary, phonology and other fea-
tures allows learners to communicate
precisely and strengthens students’
ability to develop hypotheses about the
structure and use of language.
This standard focuses on:
1) knowledge of the ways different
language systems express
meaning; and
2) knowledge of how vocabulary,
expressions, structures and
language functions within a system
are used to communicate ideas in a
variety of ways.
6
6. Connections and Communities
This standard provides a context in
which students can combine elements
from each of the other goal areas -
language use and the ability to apply
knowledge of cultural perspectives -
with knowledge gained from various
sources. Students’ command of the
second language is strengthened and
they can use it for more purposes.
Hawaii’s international environment
combined with our multilingual and
multicultural population provides a
wealth of resources within the state.
In addition to those resources,
Internet, e-mail and satellite broadcasts
provide options for students to practice
their language outside of the school
setting.
This standard focuses on using
language as a tool to:
1) connect to other learning
experiences in and out of school
(e.g. school subjects, extra
curricular activities, etc.)
2) get information from a range of
language sources and
3) connect with others who use the
same language.
Displaying the Standards
in Stages
Research on second language acquisi-
tion has shown that, regardless of
their age, learners progress through
fairly predictable stages of language
use. While instructional practices and
selections of curricular topics will vary
greatly from elementary to high school
classes, the characteristics of the devel-
opmental stage, whatever a student’s
age, are similar. The standards are
therefore organized in stages of
language learning not only to make
them useful to the program as it exists
today, but also to propel Hawai‘i
forward toward the goal of language
learning as an integral part of the K-12
curriculum.
About the Standards

Grade Cluster Benchmarks

Although the three Stages mentioned earlier organize the benchmarks, they are What students should
actually presented in four grade level clusters to guide program development
know and be able
beginning at kindergarten. The clusters — K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 — serve to
provide teachers, students, and others with the vision of what all students should to do by the end of
know and be able to do by the end of certain points in their education. They certain points in
further explain the standards and provide a framework for the course of study their education.
to attain progressive levels of competency required by the 1998 Legislation.

Stage I:

This is the Beginning stage of learning in which the learner has just entered formal The K-5 program is
language instruction, and may occur at any age. It describes learning achieved by a sequential program
students in sequential elementary programs or a two-year middle school or high leading to the develop-
school sequence. Students at this stage use a limited supply of memorized words,
phrases and short sentences meet simple practical needs. They comprehend general ment of communica-
information, vocabulary and messages on familiar topics with contextual and visual tive proficiency in a
support; and are able to imitate culturally appropriate gestures and words. language other than
English. It lays the
foundation for further
language study in
Understanding Stage I and upcoming years.
the Benchmarks for Elementary Grades

In Stage I, the Elementary sequence, attention is given to the progressive development

of proficiency. For all elementary grades this includes: oral language development
(listening and speaking skills); awareness of other cultures and; comparison of
language and culture to the student' own language and culture.

GRADES K-3 GRADES 4-5

The benchmarks describe the development
of listening, speaking and cultural awareness.
Emphasis is placed on the oral language
development necessary for students to
become good readers and writers.
Content begins with topics close to the
self, the home, and the school, and are
introduced in concrete, meaningful contexts.
Grammar is not ignored but is learned
indirectly. Structural patterns are acquired
as part of a larger context.
The benchmarks focus on building the
ability to communicate purposefully-–asking
questions or writing messages with a purpose
in mind. Tasks require a certain amount of
communicative ability in using skills of listen-
ing, speaking, reading and writing. Reading
and writing are natural extensions of oral
language.
Content is expanded to include topics about
family, community and other parts of the
world.
Grammar provides the essential framework
for supporting meaning and is still learned
indirectly. Grammatical structures are careful-
ly selected for relevance to specific language
functions

7
About the Standards

Stage II

Stage II describes an intermediate learning stage reached by learners who have

had several years of formal instruction. At this stage learners to begin to express
thoughts using sentences and strings of sentences when interacting on familiar
topics. They begin to use pronunciation and intonation patterns well enough to
avoid misunderstandings. Intermediate learners are able to meet practical writing
needs by recombining learned material, and show some control of vocabulary
and formal structures of the language. Intermediate learners comprehend
general concepts, main ideas and some supporting details about familiar topics.
They begin to apply familiar structures to new situations and use a greater range
of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. In speaking and reading they experi-
ment with strategic use of language to avoid breakdowns in communication.

Under current program conditions, Stage II characteristics are commonly

acquired by students who have completed three to four years of high school
language courses in European languages or four to five years of Asian languages,
or who have been in sequential elementary or middle school immersion or
semi-immersion programs. This document is designed to allow students to
follow an extended sequence of language instruction beginning in elementary
school so that they may reach Stage II in the intermediate or middle school
grades.

Understanding the Benchmarks

for Middle grades (Grades 6-8)

In Stage II, the Intermediate sequence, the focus is on the ongoing, progressive
development of language proficiency which allows students to perform the basic
functions of the language in increasingly complex situations.

Reading and writing continue to be natural extensions of the listening and

speaking skills. Content now includes broader areas of knowledge and interest
to reflect this age group and language level.

Students communicate orally and in writing with their peers and others using
more complex language. They can tell or retell a story, present skits, songs,
poetry and personalized statements to a variety of audiences.

They continue to familiarize themselves with other cultures by participating in

activities characteristic of young adolescents in the target cultures. They explore
viewpoints and attitudes behind the practices and customs of other cultures.

8
About the Standards

Stage III

Through an extended experience of language learning, the learners at The benchmarks for
Stage III, the Expanding Stage, show limited facility with narration and grades 9–12 describe
description. They will often be able to use connected sentences and short
paragraphs.
expectations of students
who are in a continu-
They interact freely with other speakers, using language confidently and with ing sequence which
ease in most simple social contexts. Learners are able to meet most of their began in grade K and
own practical writing needs. They can also make some longer oral and written reflect the sequential
presentations showing sustained control of the key structures of the language.
nature of language
They comprehend main ideas and most details on a variety of topics beyond development.
the immediate situation. They use knowledge acquired in other settings and
understand significant details from a variety of topics found in authentic material.

Comprehension at this stage allows the learner to deduce meaning in unfamiliar

passages by classifying words or concepts.

The current practice of beginning language instruction in high school does not
provide students sufficient opportunity to develop the proficiencies described at
Stage III.

Understanding the
Benchmarks for Grade 12

In Stage III, the Expanding sequence, the primary goal is the progressive acquisition
of cultural knowledge, and the increasing ability to apply language and culture in an
authentic setting.

In comparison to current language programs, the Grade 12 benchmarks reflect

knowledge and skills that are just beginning to develop in students high school
Level V and VI courses. As stated in the intent of this document, the current practice
of beginning language study in high school does not allow students sufficient
opportunity to develop Stage III proficiencies.

9
 World Languages Content Standards
and Grade Cluster Benchmarks
CONTENT
STANDARDS
COMMUNICATION
1. Students engage in
conversations, provide
and obtain information,
express feelings and
emotions, and exchange
opinions. (Interpersonal)
2. Students understand and
interpret written and
spoken language on
a variety of topics.
(Interpretive)
3. Students present
information, concepts,
and ideas to an
audience of listeners or
readers on a variety of
topic. (Presentational)
10
Stage I
K - 3
• Use greetings, leave takings and simple
courtesy expressions.
• Ask and answer questions about personal
information: name, age, family, grade, what
languages are spoken at home, etc.
• Ask and answer simple questions about basic
likes and dislikes; favorite colors, TV shows,
foods, etc.
• Ask and answer simple questions about
comfort and state of being; hot, cold, hungry,
happy, sad, etc.
• Give and respond to simple instructions and
requests to participate in routine classroom,
school, and daily life activities.
• Understand main ideas of selected songs and
segments of television programming.
• Understand and abide by posted school
signs in the target language, such as
"Girls Bathroom”.
• Understand main ideas and identify
characters in illustrated stories.
• Recite poetry, songs, proverbs or short
anecdotes or narratives that are commonly
know by peers in the target culture.
• Present orally (such as in a show and tell
format) simple information about family
members, friends and objects in the everyday
environment.
• Prepare written communication, such as
a poster on a given theme.
4 - 5
• Engage in simple exchanges and provide
details about personal background,
memorable events and interests.
• Exchange personal preferences and basic
information about concrete topics such as
clothing, food, leisure activities, etc.
• Provide basic information about familiar
people, places and objects.
• Understand main ideas of spoken material
such as stories read aloud, segments of high
interest programming for general audiences
including news/weather reports, sports,
commercials.
• Understand and restate main ideas of high
interest materials such as stories, product
descriptions, advertisements and magazines.
• Understand, respond appropriately, or get
key details from posted public signs, such as
hours of operation.
• Prepare and give brief oral presentations
such as songs, skits, short stories, and brief
reports of personal experiences.
• Prepare a flier or a letter for a school
publication.
 CONTENT Stage II Stage III
STANDARDS
6 - 8 9 - 12

COMMUNICATION • Engage in sustained conversations in straight

forward social or transactional situations to
acquire goods, services or information.
1. Students engage in
• Relate anecdotes, narratives, or descriptions
conversations, provide about personal or familiar experiences and
and obtain information, past or future events.
express feelings and • Express basic opinions and feelings about
emotions, and exchange familiar experiences and events with some
explanation.
opinions. (Interpersonal)
• Use appropriate vocabulary to express
failure to understand or otherwise adjust or
clarify communication.
• Obtain and process information in order to
manage situations that require problem
solving.
• Engage in sustained conversations to
exchange opinions and give reasons for
personal reactions about significant events
and literary selections – read, heard, or
viewed.
• Create detailed descriptions within a
conversational context.
• Initiate, sustain, and conclude conversations
on a wide variety of topics.

2. Students understand and • Understand main ideas and some supporting
detail of general broadcast about which the
interpret written and student has some knowledge or personal
spoken language on experience.
a variety of topics. • Understand main ideas of public
(Interpretive) announcements intended for a wide
audience.
• Understand main ideas and some supporting
detail of published materials such as simple
stories or reports relating to familiar
experiences or events.
• Understand main ideas and most supporting
detail of broadcast or published materials on
a wide variety of topics.
• Comprehend and comment on age
appropriate authentic literature of the
target culture.
• Learn about culture, events, and issues from
a wide range of broadcast or published
materials.

3. Students present • Prepare and present orally a narrative, • Prepare and make an oral report about a
descriptive, or factual report relating to significant event or topic including reasons
information, concepts, personal or familiar experiences and events. for their opinions and feelings about it.
and ideas to an
• Prepare a story or report about a familiar • Prepare a detailed story or a report to
audience of listeners or event or personal experience for a student describe a significant event for an
readers on a variety of publication or a Web page. appropriate venue such as a student
publication or a web page.
topic. (Presentational)

11
 World Languages Content Standards
and Grade Cluster Benchmarks
CONTENT
STANDARDS
CULTURES
4. Students demonstrate an
understanding of culture
through the study of the
relationship among
practices, perspectives,
and products of another
culture.
COMPARISONS
5. Students demonstrate an
understanding of the
nature of language
through comparisons of
the language studied
and their own.
CONNECTIONS AND
COMMUNITIES
6. Students use the
language to connect
with other disciplines,
access information
through authentic
language sources, and
explore opportunities to
interact in multicultural
settings.
12
Stage I
K - 3
• Identify and express opinion about key
similarities and differences between the
dress, toys, celebrations, food, and music
of the target culture and their own.
• Participate appropriately in cultural activities,
such as games, songs, celebrations,
storytelling, and dramatizations of the
target culture.
• Identify gestures and greetings that are
common to the culture studied.
• Recognize some of the differences between
the sound and writing systems of the
language studied and the native language.
• Identify words that have been borrowed from
one language to another.
• Understand that a language cannot be
translated word for word.
• Exchange simple greetings and conversation
with target language speakers within and
beyond the school setting.
• Identify uses of the language studied outside
of the classroom.
4 - 5
• Identify and use appropriate gestures and
other forms of non-verbal communication.
• Recognize distinctive aspects of daily life and
routines in the target culture through media,
pictures and stories.
• Identify and produce artwork, crafts, or
graphic representations of the culture being
studied.
• Identify and tell the major features of mutual
contributions such as food, songs, customs,
and the arts of the target culture and one’s
own culture.
• Understand and use a limited set of
high-frequency abstract ideas from the target
culture("It is important to play fair”) in the
school context.
• Identify connections between languages by
identifying elements such as loan words and
root words.
• Identify similarities and differences in basic
grammatical and structural patterns (word
order, formal vs. informal, time and tense) of
the target and native languages.
• Identify differences and similarities between
the sound and writing system of the target
language and their own.
• Demonstrate an understanding of vocabulary
and some basic ideas learned in other
subject areas, such as math facts,
measurement, or geographical features.
• Identify professions that require proficiency in
the target language (travel guide, translator,
language teacher.)
• Communicate with speakers of the target
language in person or via letter, e-mail,
field trips, or exchanges of audio and
video tapes.
 CONTENT Stage II Stage III
STANDARDS
6 - 8 9 - 12

CULTURES • Identify ideas common to the target culture

and describe how they influence behavior
• Identify social and geographic factors that
affect language and cultural practices.
and language in various settings such as
4. Students demonstrate an school, family, and immediate community. • Discuss expressive products of the culture,
including selections from various literary
understanding of culture • Identify the impact of the target and native genres and the fine arts and explain how
through the study of the cultures on each other. they reflect an aspect of that culture.
relationship among • Identify some commonly held generalizations
practices, perspectives, about the culture studied.
and products of another
culture.

• Use knowledge of loan words, root words, • Comprehend impact on communication of

COMPARISONS radicals, etc. to determine the meaning of words, phrases and idioms that do not
new words and phrases directly translate from one language to
another.
5. Students demonstrate an • Use some idiomatic expressions, words and
understanding of the phrases in correct context. • Use knowledge of contrasting structural
nature of language patterns between the target language and
• Know and apply elements that signify time the student’s own language to communicate
through comparisons of and compare them to linguistic markers in effectively.
the language studied student’s own language.
• Recognize and understand changes in
and their own. • Use bilingual dictionary to select appropriate meaning due to pitch and intonation.
words in preparing written or oral reports.

• Comprehend main ideas of short video • Use target language sources to find
CONNECTIONS AND materials in the target language on topics information about a topic being studied
COMMUNITIES being studied in other classes (health, in other school subject (climate change,
environment, etc.). government structure, public health).

6. Students use the • Present oral or simple written reports in the • Determine ways in which the language
target language on topics being studied in studied can enhance activities that benefit
language to connect other classes (nutrition, communities, the school or community such as preparing
with other disciplines, transportation, etc.). informational flyers about school or
community events and visits to elder homes.
access information
through authentic
language sources, and
explore opportunities to
interact in multicultural
settings.

13
About the Refinement Process
The refinement of the 1994 Hawai‘i
Content Standards required the collab-
orative efforts of a variety of focus,
advisory, and teacher groups. These
groups contributed greatly to the work
by proposing changes after careful
analysis of the HCPS and comparison
with other states’ standards and with
the national standards as presented in
Standards for Foreign Language
Learning: Preparing for the 21st
Century (1998).
Throughout the process, proposed
changes were studied in the context of
criteria for quality standards found in
research on standards and drafts were
presented for review and comment by
groups of teachers, national consultants
and professional language organiza-
tions including the American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
(ACTFL). Responses from those
groups confirmed that the content
standards and benchmarks selected met
the criteria studied. In particular, they
met two important criteria for guiding
language study: they are essential to
developing communicative compe-
tence; and contribute to the goal of
helping all students to become effective
communicators and participants in a
global society.
A special thank you goes to all of the
individuals involved in the refinement
of the standards. While their names
are too numerous to list here, their
suggestions and critiques were an
invaluable contribution to the work
presented.
The Department also wishes to
acknowledge and thank the advisory
team members and consultants who
contributed to writing and refining the
final wording of the standards:
14
• Anita Bruce, DOE Educational
Specialist, World Languages
• Lynette Fujimori, DOE
State Resource Teacher,
World Languages
• David Hiple, Ph.D., National
Foreign Language Resource
Center, Associate Director,
University of Hawai‘i
• Council for Basic Education,
Washington D.C.
• Cynthia Ning, Ph.D., Center for
Chinese Studies, Associate
Director, University of Hawai‘i
• Toyoko Okawa, Japanese
Language Teacher, Punahou;
Member of the Japanese National
Standards Regional Writing Team
• June Phillips, Ph.D., College of
Arts & Humanities, Dean, Weber
State University; Director of the
National Foreign Language
Standards Project
• Nancy Rhodes, Ph.D., Foreign
Language Education and Testing
Consultant, Center for Applied
Linguistics; Member of the
ACTFL Performance Guidelines
for K-12 Learners Task Force
The results of their work are seen in
content standards and benchmarks that
have retained the strengths of the orig-
inal HCPS while drawing upon nation-
al standards to provide a meaningful
context for organizing curriculum and
instruction.
Implementation Issues

Implementing Standards at The following examples illustrate some

Various Entry Points: of the typical patterns of language
acquisition under current programs.
The Stage I benchmarks can be applied
not only to programs beginning in
kindergarten, but at other grade levels ENTRY POINT YEARS OF STUDY CURRENT “LEVELS” EQUIVALENT STAGE
as well. Teachers will need to make IN HIGH SCHOOL

modifications for programs that begin

High School 2 I and II Stage I
at grade levels that differ from the clus-
ters described in the K-12 benchmarks, High School 4 I – IV Stage II
applying the appropriate stage bench- Grade 7 4 I – IV Stage II
marks throughout the continuing
sequence. Grade 7 6 I – VI Begin Stage III

Factors that impact the students’ ability

to meet the standards, such as variation
in the total amount of instructional “As a unified profes-
time, age and cognitive development of sion…it behooves us to
the students must also be considered in familiarize ourselves
developing performance indicators that
match the actual language program.
with learning at all
levels so that we can
properly embrace stu-
What STAGES are my dents who come to us
students in? from programs at
To interpret the STAGES according
younger levels.”
to the current context of World
Languages programs in Hawai‘i, JUNE PHILLIPS, LINKING RESEARCH,
THEORIES AND PRACTICES.
the reader must remember that a
1999
beginner, at any age, is a STAGE I
learner: Stages II and III always
express expectations of students in con-
tinuing programs. Since students cur-
rently enter language study at various
points in their education teachers will
need to select the benchmarks accord-
ing to Stages of learning rather than by
grade level. For example, high school
teachers developing standards based
curriculum for traditional Levels I and
II courses should address the Stage I
Beginning Sequence then consult Stage
II to develop the continuing
sequences.

15
Implementation Issues

Implementing K-12 Standards

This document provides a framework of what our community continues to request

— a strong foreign language program beginning in the elementary grades. It is not
meant to maintain the status quo of language learning in Hawai‘i but to provide
a vision of a path to proficiency for all students. In order to provide a reasonable
opportunity to achieve higher levels of language proficiency, implementation of the
standards-based program should provide:

For Elementary Schools

(Grades K-5 ): Instruction at least three times per week for at least 35 minutes
per session in a continuing sequence.

For Middle Schools, Intermediate Schools and High Schools:

Sequences which build upon prior years’ learning and provide daily instruction
for at least 40 minutes.

ENTRY POINT YEARS OF STUDY EQUIVALENT STAGE

Grade K 6 Stage I
Grade K 9 Stage II
Grade K 13 Stage III

Next Steps

The standards provide the guide and vision for language learning in the state and
show what we can expect our students to accomplish when given the educational
opportunities they need.

Many schools may begin by focusing their discussions on ways to ensure that their
curricular choices enable students meet the standards in the existing programs.

Other schools may need to discuss what it means to start a program. Consider-
ations including staff availability, time for planning, time in the school day,
articulation with other schools, and a range of details will require the support
of a planning team dedicated to success.

In all cases, examining the details of how we can provide language learning
experiences to all students will require coordinated planning.

Schools are asked to begin their discussions of what it will take to bring
these opportunities to all students. For further discussion or information
on implementing standards, please contact Anita Bruce, the state educational
specialist for World Languages, at 394-1322, or through Lotus Notes at
anita_bruce@notes.k12.hi.us.

16
Resources
American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL
Performance Guidelines for K-12
Learners. Yonkers, NY: American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages, Inc. 1995
American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
Yonkers, NY: American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages, Inc.. 1989.
American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Standards for Foreign Language
Learning: Preparing for the 21st
Century. American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages, Inc.
1995.
College Board. Academic Preparation
for College: What Students Need to
Know and Be Able to Do. New York,
NY: College Board, 1983.
Articulation and Achievement:
Connecting Standards, Performance,
and Assessment in Foreign Language.
New York, NY: The College Board,
1996.
Hawaii Department of Education.
Hawaii Content and Performance
Standards, 1994 Final Draft. Hawai‘i
Department of Education, 1994.
Lipton, Gladys. Elementary Foreign
Language Programs: FLES: An
Administrators’ Handbook.
Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook
Company, 1992.
North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction. Standard Course of Study.
Raleigh, NC: Department of Public
Instruction, 1995.
Omaggio, Alice. Teaching Language
in Context. Boston, MA: Heinle and
Heinle, 1986.
Phillips, June K. editor. Foreign
Language Standards: Linking Research,
Theories, and Practices. National
Textbook Company, Lincolnwood.
1999.
Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction. Wisconsin’s Model
Academic Standards for Foreign
Languages. Wisconsin Department
of Public Instruction, 1997.
17
Glossary
ACTFL: the American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Acquisition/Learning: “acquisition
of a second language” refers to the nat-
ural way one acquires a first language
through meaningful communication
whereas learning a second language
implies the formal study of a language
including grammatical rules.
Articulation: seamless transition
from one level to the next.
Authentic literature: materials, or
sources of information, written origi-
nally in a language other than English
for native speakers and readers of that
language. Includes fiction, advertise-
ments, films etc.
Benchmarks: indicate developmentally
appropriate content knowledge and
skills at specific grade levels or at a
cluster of grade levels.
Communicative competence: ability
to function in a communicative setting,
that is, to understand and produce
comprehensible messages suitable to
different kinds of situations (what is
appropriate to say, how it should be
said, and when it should be said.
Content Standards: define what a stu-
dent should know and be able to do.
Context: the overall situation in which
the language learning occurs.
Courtesy formulae: polite or helpful
conventional expressions or remarks
such as “thank you,” “you are
welcome,” and “please.”
Culturally acceptable vocabulary:
vocabulary which is socially appropriate
within a given culture.
18
Entry point: grade level at which
a student begins the study of a world
language in a school or district.
Expressive products: stories, poetry,
music, paintings, dance , drama or
other creative representations of a
culture.
Framework: broad organizing struc-
ture for the essential knowledge and
skills in a program area.
Function: use of the language for
an intended purpose; communication
tasks such as asking and answering
questions, giving and obtaining infor-
mation, expressing opinions, etc.
Genre: form or type of literary
content, such as a novel, tragedy,
comedy or poem.
Interpret: to have or show one’s
own understanding of the meaning.
Modes of communication: ways of
receiving or transmitting information.
Nonprint: symbols, words, pictures,
and illustrations not in traditional print
form such as those seen in computer
programs and in the environment.
Novice: beginning language learner.
Beginning language category of the
ACTFL guidelines.
Performance Indicators: these indi-
cators are clearly linked to the content
standard. They are a description of
what must be included in the student
work that meets the content standard.
Performance Standards: provide
performance indicators and concrete
examples of how well students learn
the materials represented by the
content standard.
Glossary

Perspective: used in reference to the

meanings, attitudes, values, and ideas
represented by a cultural group.

Practice: refers to the patterns of

social interactions with and within
the different people in the culture.

Print: symbols, words, pictures,

and illustrations as seen in books,
magazines, leaflets.

Product: language use or a tangible

representation of the culture. It can
include items such as plays, music or
architecture or food, artifacts, dresses,
games, songs etc.

Proficiency: ability to communicate

effectively in both oral and written
forms in the cultures where the
language is spoken.

Standard: statement of what a student

should know and be able to do.

Strand: the major categories into

which the content standards are
organized.

Syntax: way language is structured

and ordered within sentences.

Target culture: the culture of the

people who speak the language being
learned.

Target language: language being

learned.

Visual clues: visible information such

as tangible objects, gestures, etc.which
may assist a reader in gaining meaning
from unfamiliar words.

19
Notes

20
Notes

21
Notes

22
Foreword

Research on effective schools tells us that one of the most important elements
in improving the results of education is being clear about standards, what it is
that students are expected to learn. The refined “Hawai‘i Content and
Performance Standards, HCPS II”, provides such standards for Hawaii’s
students in kindergarten through grade twelve in ten academic content areas.
This document describes the content standards for World Languages. The content
standards are clear, broad statements of important ideas, concepts, skills and
dispositions to be taught and learned in a content area and answer the question
“What should students know, be able to do, and care about?” The K-12 content
standards are clarified by benchmark standards that indicate developmentally
appropriate content knowledge and skills at a cluster of grade levels. For World
Languages, the grade level clusters include K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
To follow and support these content standards, performance standards, that answer
questions like “What does good performance look like?” and “How good is good
enough?” will be described on a website. They will be developed in collaboration
with teachers and other educators in the coming year and will clarify the content
standards by describing what evidence is acceptable in determining whether
content standards have been met.
Equally important to learning academic content is developing the knowledge, skills
and attitudes that all students need to lead full and productive lives. Four General
Learner Outcomes serve as the essential, overarching goals for all of the content
and performance standards. They must be an integral and vital part of all teaching
and learning. All teachers in all grades and in all subjects must contribute to the
development of the General Learner Outcomes while promoting the learning of
subject matter as well. The General Learner Outcomes are:
• The ability to be responsible for one’s own learning.
• The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together.
• The ability to be involved in complex thinking and problem solving.
• The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and
quality products.
The real test of the standards is their applicability and usefulness in the classroom
to improve student learning. Raising our expectations is but the first step; it’s
what we do with the standards - living up to them - that will ultimately make us
a performance oriented system.
We are about to embark on an important journey that will challenge how we think,
feel and act in regards to teaching and learning. Begin your discussions on what it
will take to implement these standards. Give us feedback on the effectiveness and
usefulness of the content standards, work with us in developing the performance
standards, and always keep the General Learner Outcomes in the forefront.
Let us work together with common purpose and mutual obligation and affirm
our responsibility to educate all students and to do so to the same high standards.

Paul G. LeMahieu, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Education
World Languages
Content Standards
Moving from the Blue Book
to HCPS II

Office of Accountability
and School Instructional
Support/School
Renewal Group

Department of Education
State of Hawai‘i

RS 00-0098
August 1999