Yes, The Somos Curriculum meets Virginia's World Language Standards of Learning (SOL) 2021.

World Languages: Novice Levels

The Somos I Curriculum is a novice level curriculum through which students begin to develop communicative competence in the target language and expand their understanding of the culture(s) of the people who speak the language. The Somos Curriculum provides opportunity and materials for the three strands of communicative competence which are as follows: 

• Interpersonal speaking, writing, and signing as interactive processes in which students learn to communicate with another speaker of the target language.

• Interpretive listening, reading, and viewing as receptive processes in which students develop comprehension of the target language.

• Presentational speaking, writing, and signing as productive processes in which students focus on organization of thoughts and awareness of their audience in delivering information in the target language.

In each unit of the Somos Curriculum students have an opportunity to:

• Learn to communicate in real-life contexts about topics that are familiar and meaningful to them. 

• Exclusively hear, read, listen and write exclusively in the target language and use authentic materials to learn about the language and culture. 

• Receive instruction with grammar as it is integrated according to vocabulary and structures needed in the various situations in which students are required to communicate. 

• Develop a greater understanding of the structure of their own language and the unique aspects of their own culture. 

• Communicate in a real world setting through the integration of technology.

Intercultural Communication

Benchmarks

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to identify typical products and practices to help make connections to and understand perspectives in native and other cultures using the target language. The Somos Curriculum also prepares students to interact at a survival level in everyday contexts with people in and from other cultures using the target language and appropriate rehearsed behaviors.

Standards

Development of interculturality or intercultural competence is a primary goal of The Somos Curriculum. Throughout The Somos Curriculum, students develop in the area of intercultural communication as they work toward Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Communication standards.

Interpretive Communication

Benchmarks

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to comprehend spoken, written, or signed information in very familiar, everyday contexts from authentic texts presented through a variety of media and based on familiar topics.

The Somos Curriculum also prepares students to identify the general topic and basic information from words, phrases and simple sentences in authentic informational and fictional texts and overheard or observed conversations.

Goals

Each unit in the Somos Curriculum allows ample opportunities for students to perform in the Novice range of Interpretive Communication on a variety of tasks (listed below).

Standard 1: Investigate intercultural Products, Practices and Perspectives through Interpretive Communication (Interpretive Mode)

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided multiple opportunities to identify and compare typical products and practices related to familiar, everyday life in native and other cultures to help understand perspectives.

Standard I Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to identify and make simple comparisons between typical products and practices to help understand perspectives in native and other cultures, such as meals, grocery shopping, and food trends; rooms in a house, use of space, and size of appliances; video and cell phone use, school life, and the importance of extracurricular activities; currency, shopping, and saving vs spending.

Standard 2: Compare intercultural Behaviors

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided ample opportunities to identify and compare familiar or everyday behaviors in native and other cultures.

Standard 3: Comprehend Authentic Texts that are Spoken, Written or Signed

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided ample opportunities to understand the topic and some isolated facts in authentic informational texts; authentic fictional texts; and overheard or observed conversations.

Standard 3 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided ample opportunities to comprehend fictional media or content such as individual facts from radio or video ads, such as product name, cost, and where to buy it. Students are provided ample opportunities to recognize the topic and a few details in texts such as a family tree or historical account. The Somos Curriculum provides ample opportunities for students to identify individual story elements in an episode of a video series and actions, including characters, setting, or theme. In the Somos Curriculum students have opportunities to follow simple steps and directions. The Somos Curriculum provides ample opportunities for students to identify simple information and question from conversation and identify basic facts in group texts or social media threads. 

Interpersonal Communication 

Benchmarks 

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to communicate in spontaneous spoken, written, or signed conversations on very familiar, everyday topics. 

The Somos Curriculum also prepares students to request and provide information using a variety of practiced or familiar words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions. 

Goals

Each unit in the Somos Curriculum allows ample opportunities for students to perform in the Novice range of Interpersonal Communication on a variety of tasks (listed below). 

STANDARD 4: Investigate Intercultural Products, Practices and Perspectives (Interpersonal Mode)

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to identify products and practices related to everyday life to help understand perspectives of native and other cultures. 

Standard 4 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to exchange simple oral or signed information about similarities and differences between typical products and practices and exchange simple written information about similarities and differences between typical products and practices. 

STANDARD 5: Interact with Culturally Appropriate Language and Behaviors (Interpersonal Mode)

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to interact in familiar, everyday situations using practiced language and behaviors and show cultural awareness by recognizing culturally inappropriate behaviors. 

Standard 5 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to use culturally appropriate greetings or abbreviations in brief written communications, use culturally appropriate word order and punctuation when exchanging written information and use culturally appropriate formatting of contact information when purchasing an item. 

STANDARD 6: Exchange Information and Ideas

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to request and share oral or signed information on familiar and everyday topics. 

Standard 6 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to ask and answer simple questions about an infographic and exchange written information about what people do. 

STANDARD 7: Meet Personal Needs or Address Situations

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to interact with others to meet basic needs in familiar and everyday situations. 

Standard 7 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to interact with a group of friends to plan deadlines and who will do what for an upcoming event and interact online to ask and answer questions. 

STANDARD 8: Express, React to and Support Preferences, Opinions, or Viewpoints

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to express, ask about, and react to simple preferences, feelings, or opinions on familiar topics. 

Standard 8 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to exchange opinions about which photo apps are more useful than others and tell why and write an e-pal to talk about clothing preferences from another culture. 

Presentational Communication

Benchmarks

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to present prepared or spontaneous information on very familiar, everyday topics through written, spoken, or signed language. 

It also prepares students to inform, narrate, and express preferences and opinions using a variety of practiced or familiar words, phrases, simple sentences and questions. 

Goals

Each unit in the Somos Curriculum allows ample opportunities for students to perform in the Novice range of Presentational Communication on a variety of tasks (listed below). 

STANDARD 9: Investigate Intercultural Products, Practices and Perspectives (Presentational Mode)

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to identify similarities and differences between typical products and practices related to everyday life. 

Standard 9 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to identify similarities and differences between products and practices and identify similarities and differences between typical products and practices. 

STANDARD 10: Communicate with Culturally Appropriate Language and Behaviors (Presentational Mode)

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to present in very familiar situations using appropriate learned behaviors to show basic cultural awareness. 

Standard 10 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to reproduce culturally appropriate language and learned behaviors and use culturally appropriate formatting of contact information. 

STANDARD 11: Inform, Describe, Explain, or Provide Instructions

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to give simple descriptions of familiar and everyday topics. 

Standard 11 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to describe simple routines, such as a school day and weekends, going places in a city, or planning a trip.

STANDARD 12: Narrate About Life, Events, or Experiences 

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to provide details about personal life, interests, and activities. 

Standard 12 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to tell a simple story about a family or vacation photo, answering who, what, where, when, and why questions. It also prepares students to compare fans of different sports or sporting events in simple articles for the school newspaper. 

STANDARD 13: Support Preferences, Opinions, or Viewpoints

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to express preferences on familiar and everyday topics or topics of interest from native and other cultures. 

Standard 13 Progress Indicators for Modern World Languages

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to recommend places to shop, eat, or vacation using simple description or details. It also prepares students to respond in a shared digital space about media platforms, listing pros and cons for each.

Communicative Literacy

Benchmarks

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to use literacy skills to comprehend authentic texts that are spoken, written or signed. It also prepares students to use interpersonal skills to interact, negotiate meaning, and communicate effectively. Additionally, it prepares students to use presentational skills to communicate effectively. 

Goals 

Each unit in the Somos Curriculum allows ample opportunities for students to perform in the Novice range of Communicative Literacy on a variety of tasks (listed below). 

STANDARD 14: Develop Interpretive Literacy

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to recognize cognates and infer meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases using context clues and background knowledge; use visual, aural, and organizational features to identify the purpose of simple texts, such as fables, graphics, announcements, or instructions; use a mixture of literal and inferential self-questioning before, during, and after engaging with texts, such as “What happened or what might happen next?”; make simple text-to-text connections using information from previous texts; and select relevant digital and cultural resources and use them appropriately. 

STANDARD 15: Develop Interpersonal Literacy

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to use culturally appropriate and relevant language and rehearsed or learned behaviors to communicate, react, and show interest; use simple interjections, rejoinders, requests for clarification, interrogatives, and transition words; increase comprehensibility and clarify information using word substitution, rephrasing, circumlocution, and attention to pronunciation, tone, or pitch; infer meaning of unfamiliar language from gestures, facial and body expressions, context clues, or topic of conversation; and select relevant digital and cultural resources and use them appropriately. 

STANDARD 16: Develop Presentational Literacy

Throughout the Somos Curriculum students are provided with ample opportunities to Use authentic resources and familiar content, structures, and syntax that are relevant to the topic; organize information in a logical sequence, with topic sentence, simple details and conclusion, and clarify with simple language or circumlocution as needed by the audience; communicate with attention to pronunciation, spelling, non-alphabetic characters, mechanics, intonation patterns, tones, non-manual markers, hand shapes, or signing parameters to increase comprehensibility; maintain audience interest via details, creativity, emotion, humor, technology, or visuals; and select relevant digital and cultural resources and use them appropriately.

This alignment document for Virginia educators was created using verbiage from the Virginia World Language Standards of Learning 2021