Does The Somos Curriculum meet Connecticut’s World Language Content Standards?

Yes, The Somos Curriculum meets Connecticut's World Language Content Standards (2005).

CONTENT STANDARD 1: Communication (Interpersonal mode)

Students are provided with ample opportunities to engage in conversation, provide and obtain information, express feelings and exchange opinions in the interpersonal mode. 

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Greet others and exchange essential information, including names, addresses, birthplaces, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Novice

• Describe various objects and people found at home and school. Novice

• Give and follow simple instructions by participating in various games or other activities with partners or groups. Novice

• Exchange basic information about events, such as classes, meetings and meals.

• Describe their favorite activities at home and school. Novice

• Express their likes and dislikes regarding various people, objects, categories and events present in their everyday environments. Novice

• Indicate that they do not understand a message or that they cannot express their intended message adequately. Novice

• Recognize that there are often multiple ways to express an idea in the target language. Novice

• Use appropriate gestures, when necessary, to make their messages comprehensible. Novice

• Exchange information with peers and the teacher (both face-to-face and in writing) about events in their everyday lives and experiences from their past. Intermediate

• Give and follow directions in order to travel from one location to another and ask questions for clarification. Intermediate

• Acquire goods and/or services through basic negotiations and exchange of monies.

• Work in groups to plan events and activities to be carried out in the target language, evaluate their efforts and identify ways to improve their communication in the target language. Intermediate

• Exchange thoughts about people, activities and events in their personal lives or communities. Intermediate

• Find alternate methods of communication when they cannot express their intended message adequately. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 2: Communication (Interpretive mode)

Students are provided with ample opportunities to understand and interpret spoken and written language on a variety of topics in the interpretive mode. 

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Identify people and objects in their environments, based on oral and written descriptions. Novice

• Comprehend short conversations among peers and familiar adults on well-known topics, including their favorite activities at home or school. Novice

• Comprehend the main ideas contained in videos, DVDs, films, television programs, or websites on familiar topics. Novice

• Comprehend the main idea of orally related personal anecdotes, familiar fairy tales and other narratives based on well-known themes. Novice

• Comprehend the main ideas and identify the principal characters when reading poems, short folk tales or illustrated stories. Novice

• Comprehend brief notes on familiar topics, including daily activities at home or school. Novice

• Comprehend the principal message in highly illustrated texts in which cognates are used, including stories, newspaper articles and advertisements. Novice

• Recognize and respond appropriately to questions, statements or commands. Novice

• Comprehend the main ideas when listening to peers and familiar adults discuss topics of personal interest. Intermediate

• Understand the main ideas, themes and some details from authentic television, radio, Internet-based and digital (e.g., PowerPoint) or live presentations on topics that are of interest to themselves as well as their peers in the target culture. Intermediate

• Work individually to collect data on familiar topics from various print, digital and electronic resources. Intermediate

• Identify the principal characters and comprehend the main ideas, themes and significant details when reading authentic literary texts that have been adapted for student use. Intermediate

• Comprehend the basic content of written materials selected by the teacher on the basis of topical familiarity, e.g., personal letters, e-mail, websites, pamphlets, advertisements and illustrated newspaper and magazine articles. Intermediate

• Begin to make informed hypotheses about the meaning of unfamiliar, more complicated passages in the target language, based on contextual clues. Intermediate

• Sustain listening comprehension when confronted with less familiar topics by relying on verbal and nonverbal cues and listening for rephrasing and circumlocution, i.e., using other words and gestures to explain words or concepts. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 3: Communication (Presentational mode)

Students are provided with ample opportunities to present information, concepts and ideas to listeners or readers on a variety of topics in the interpretive mode. 

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Give simple oral reports or presentations about family members and friends, objects, or common school and home activities in their everyday environments. Novice

• Recite poetry, songs, proverbs or short anecdotes that are familiar to their peers in the target culture. Novice

• Write short, informal notes in which they describe or provide information about themselves, their friends and families, and their school activities. Novice

• Create lists of items necessary to plan activities that might take place in their daily lives or in the target culture. Novice

• Make brief presentations to their class in the target language on topics of personal interest or topics that have been studied in other subject areas. Intermediate

• Prepare audio or visual messages in the target language for their peers in the target culture on topics of personal interest in their daily lives. Intermediate

• Present short plays and skits, recite selected poems and anecdotes, and perform songs in the target language. Intermediate

• Summarize the plot and provide brief descriptions of characters in selected poems, short stories, folk tales and anecdotes in the target language. Intermediate

• Write notes or short letters in the target language to peers in the target culture on topics of shared personal interest, including daily events and activities. Intermediate

• Prepare a diary of their daily activities and those of their families and friends in the target language. Intermediate

• Effectively use repetition, rephrasing and gestures to assist them in communicating their meaning in the target language. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 4: Cultures

Students are provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate an understanding of the products, practices and perspectives of the cultures studied, and use their cultural knowledge for interpersonal, interpretative and presentation communication.

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Observe and identify tangible products of the target language, such as toys, dress, types of dwellings, musical instruments and typical foods. Novice

• Identify and experience or read about expressive products of the target culture, such as children’s songs, selections from children’s literature and types of artwork and websites that are enjoyed or produced by their peer group in the target culture. Novice

• Identify, discuss and create different types of artwork that are enjoyed or made by their peer group in the target culture. Novice

• Participate in age-appropriate cultural activities, such as games, songs, birthday celebrations, storytelling, dramatizations or role-playing of the target culture. Novice

• Use appropriate gestures and oral expressions for greetings, farewells and common or familiar classroom interactions of the target culture. Novice

• Recognize simple themes, ideas or perspectives of the target culture. Novice

• Identify authentic products, such as those found in the target culture’s homes and communities, and discuss their significance. Intermediate

• Identify, experience or read about, and discuss expressive forms of the target culture, including but not limited to art, literature and music (e.g., folk art, authentic children’s books, songs and dance), and describe their significance. Intermediate

• Participate in age-appropriate cultural activities, including, but not limited to adolescent games (e.g., card, board, computer and outdoor games), sports-related activities, music, television and the Internet. Intermediate

• Use appropriate verbal and nonverbal behavior for daily activities among peers and for activities or contexts that include adult interaction. Intermediate

• Observe, identify and discuss patterns of behavior or interaction that are typical of their peer group in the target culture. Intermediate

• Identify, discuss, analyze and evaluate themes, ideas and perspectives that are related to the practices and products being studied. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 5: Connections (Interdisciplinary Mode)

Students are provided with ample opportunities to reinforce and expand their knowledge of other areas of study through the world language, and vice versa. 

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Use simple information learned in other subjects in their study of a world language. Novice

• Use simple information from their world language class in their study of other subjects. Novice

• Use new information and interdisciplinary awareness gained through world language study to expand their personal knowledge. Novice

• Acquire information from a variety of other subjects and integrate it into the world language classroom, comparing and evaluating the similarities and differences in information. Intermediate

• Acquire more detailed information from a variety of sources in the world language classroom and integrate it with other school subjects, comparing and evaluating the similarities and differences in information. Intermediate

• Use new information and critical thinking gained through world language study to expand their personal knowledge. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 6: Connections (Intradisciplinary Mode)

Students are provided with ample opportunities to acquire and use information from a variety of sources only available in the world language.  

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Use multiple media resources to access information regarding the target culture(s). Novice

• Recognize the various sources of information available only in the target language and culture(s), e.g., newspapers, websites, television, etc. Novice

• Demonstrate the ability to access information about the target language and culture(s) from various sources, including the Internet, with assistance if necessary. Novice

• Use multiple media resources to expand their understanding of the target culture(s) and integrate it with their existing knowledge base. Intermediate

• Develop the necessary skills to use the Internet in order to gain greater access to the target culture(s). Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 7: Comparisons Among Languages 

Students are provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate literacy and an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons across languages. 

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete comparison tasks such as: 

• Give examples of words borrowed from one language and used in another, and develop an understanding of the process of borrowing. Novice

• Demonstrate an awareness of the target language’s phonetic and writing systems and how they differ from the phonetic and writing systems in the English language. Novice

• Develop listening and speaking skills on a range of topics to facilitate reading skills. Novice

• Retell, summarize and give opinions on grade-appropriate texts read aloud by the teacher. Novice

• Copy and organize in a logical sequence a written text provided by the teacher. Novice

• Understand how idiomatic expressions affect communication and reflect culture. Intermediate

• Access a wide variety of printed material that includes multicultural themes and character, fiction and nonfiction readings. Intermediate

• Use oral and written language to relate their own experiences and construct their own stories. Intermediate

• Expand comprehension strategies to predict outcomes and make comparisons. Intermediate

• Produce coherent and accurate written work for a variety of purposes (e.g., lists, messages, short notes, journal entries). Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 8: Comparisons Among Cultures 

Students are provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate an understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons across cultures.

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete comparison tasks such as: 

• Identify, compare and contrast different forms of communication across cultures, including signs, symbols, advertisements, packages, displays, murals, songs and rhymes. Novice

• Demonstrate knowledge of the patterns of behavior across cultures that are related to recreation and celebrations. Novice

• Identify and describe some cultural  beliefs and perspectives relating to family, school, work and play across cultures. Novice

• Use new information and cultural awareness to recognize the similarities and differences across cultures. Novice

• Use new information and cultural awareness to compare and contrast their experiences with those of their peers in the target culture(s) and to identify with and respect peers in the target culture(s). Novice

• Compare and contrast art forms, such as music and songs across cultures. Intermediate

• Investigate and report on cultural traditions and celebrations, such as holidays, birthdays, “coming of age” celebrations, seasonal festivals, religious ceremonies and recreational gatherings, that exist across cultures. Intermediate

• Solicit their peers’ opinions on aspects of culture through face- to-face contact or written exchanges and compare this information with how their peers in the target culture(s) view the same topic. Intermediate

• Use new information and perspectives to compare and contrast their experiences with those of their peers in the target culture(s). Intermediate

• Use new information and perspectives to discuss the differences across cultures and begin to explain the reasons for such differences. Intermediate

• Use new information and perspectives to identify universals of human experience across cultures and to demonstrate empathy and respect for the people(s) of other cultures. Intermediate

CONTENT STANDARD 9: Communities 

Students are provided with ample opportunities to use the world language and their cultural knowledge both within and beyond the school setting for personal enjoyment, enrichment and active participation.

The Somos Curriculum equips students with useful, high frequency vocabulary and a complex mental representation of language that allows them to successfully complete communicative tasks such as: 

• Exchange information about family, school events and celebrations with native speakers via letters and technologies, such as e-mail, audio or videotapes, CDs, DVDs and distance learning. Novice

• Identify different types of employment in which target language skills are an asset. Novice

• Review materials and/or media from the target language and culture for enjoyment and/or entertainment. Novice

• Discuss their families, school experiences, free-time activities and current events in the target language in written or oral form. Intermediate

• Interact with members of the local community who are employed in a variety of professions to learn how they use the target language in their work. Intermediate

• Demonstrate their target language skills while involved in community activities, including community service activities. Intermediate

• Review materials and/or media from the target language and culture for enjoyment. Intermediate

• Use various media from the target language and culture for entertainment. Intermediate

• Consult various sources in the target language to obtain information on topics of personal interest. Intermediate

• Demonstrate self-knowledge as well as understanding of others in areas of common interest through the target language. Intermediate

This alignment document for Connecticut educators was created using verbiage from the Connecticut's World Language Content Standards (2005).