Yes, The Somos Curriculum meets South Carolina's World Language Standards, which are aligned with ACTFL’s World Readiness Standards.

Proficiency Benchmarks - World Languages

Interpretive Communication

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to understand, interpret, and analyze authentic fictional and informational texts as well as conversations and discussions. Through instruction with The Somos Curriculum, students’ progress toward proficiency is marked by the following performance indicator benchmarks:

1. Identifying memorized or familiar words when they are supported by gestures or visuals. (NOVICE LOW)

2. Identifying basic facts from memorized words and phrases when they are supported by gestures or visuals. (NOVICE MID)

3. Identifying the topic and some isolated facts from simple sentences. (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Identifying the topic and related information from simple sentences. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Understanding the main idea and key information. (INTERMEDIATE MID)

The South Carolina Standard Document Writing Team identified several elements of literacy that help lead to higher levels of understanding in the interpretive mode, and The Somos Curriculum utilizes the elements as follows:

Interpersonal Communication

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to communicate in spontaneous spoken or written conversations on both very familiar and everyday topics, using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences and questions. Through instruction with The Somos Curriculum, students’ progress toward proficiency is marked by the following performance indicator benchmarks:

Exchange Information and Ideas:

1. Providing information by answering a few simple questions with the help of gestures or visuals. (NOVICE LOW)

2. Requesting and providing information by asking and answering a few simple questions. (NOVICE MID)

3. Requesting and providing information by asking and answering using simple sentences most of the time. (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Requesting and providing information in conversations by creating simple sentences and asking appropriate follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Exchanging information in conversations on familiar topics and some researched topics, creating sentences and series of sentences and asking a variety of follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Meet needs or address situations:

1. Expressing some basic needs with the help of gestures or visuals.  (NOVICE LOW)

2. Expressing basic needs related to familiar and everyday activities. (NOVICE MID)

3. Interacting with others to meet basic needs related to routine everyday activities using simple sentences and questions most of the time.  (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Interacting with others to meet basic needs in familiar situations by creating simple sentences and asking appropriate follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Interacting with others to meet needs in a variety of familiar situations, creating sentences and series of sentences and asking a variety of follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Express, react to, and support preferences and opinions:

6. Expressing basic preferences or feelings with the help of gestures or visuals.  (NOVICE LOW)

7. Expressing preferences or feelings and reacting to those of others. (NOVICE MID)

8. Expressing, asking about, and reacting to preferences, feelings, or opinions on familiar topics using simple sentences most of the time and asking questions to keep the conversation on topic.  (NOVICE HIGH)

9. Expressing, asking about, and reacting with some details to preferences, feelings, or opinions on familiar topics, by creating simple sentences and asking appropriate follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

10. Exchanging preferences, feelings, or opinions and providing basic advice on a variety of familiar topics, creating sentences and series of sentences and asking a variety of follow-up questions. (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Presentational Communication

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to present information on both very familiar and everyday topics using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, and simple sentences through spoken or written language. Through instruction with The Somos Curriculum, students’ progress toward proficiency is marked by the following performance indicator benchmarks:

Narrate about life, experiences, and events:

1. Introducing oneself with the help of gestures or visuals. (NOVICE LOW)

2. Presenting information about oneself, interests and activities using a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases and simple sentences. (NOVICE MID)

3. Presenting personal information about life and activities, using simple sentences most of the time. (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Presenting personal information about their life, activities and events, using simple sentences. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Telling a story about their life, activities, events and other social experiences, using sentences and series of connected sentences. (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Give a preference, opinion, or persuasive argument:

1. Expressing likes and dislikes with the help of gestures or visuals. (NOVICE LOW)

2. Expressing likes and dislikes using a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases and simple sentences. (NOVICE MID)

3. Expressing preferences on familiar and everyday topics of interest, using simple sentences most of the time. (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Expressing my preferences on familiar and everyday topics of interest and explaining why they feel that way, using simple sentences.(INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Stating their viewpoint about familiar topics and give some reasons to support it, using sentences and series of connected sentences (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Inform, describe, or explain:

1. Naming very familiar people, places, and objects with the help of gestures or visuals. (NOVICE LOW)

2. Presenting on very familiar and everyday topics using a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases and simple sentences. (NOVICE MID)

3. Presenting on familiar and everyday topics, using simple sentences most of the time. (NOVICE HIGH)

4. Presenting on familiar and everyday topics, using simple sentences. (INTERMEDIATE LOW)

5. Giving straightforward presentations on a variety of familiar topics and some concrete topics they have researched, using sentences and series of connected sentences (INTERMEDIATE MID)

Intercultural Communication

The Somos Curriculum prepares students to investigate products and practices to understand cultural perspectives. The Somos Curriculum provides ample opportunities for students to interact with others in and from another culture. Through instruction with The Somos Curriculum, students’ progress toward proficiency is marked by the following performance indicator benchmarks:

Investigate:

1. Identifying some typical products related to familiar everyday life in the student’s own culture and other cultures. (NOVICE)

2. Identifying some typical practices related to familiar everyday life in a student's own culture and other cultures. (NOVICE)

3. Comparing products related to everyday life and personal interest or studies in the student’s own culture and other cultures. (INTERMEDIATE)

4. Comparing practices related to everyday life and personal interest or studies in the student’s own culture and other cultures. (INTERMEDIATE)

Interact:

5. Communicating with others from the target culture in familiar everyday situations, using memorized language and showing basic cultural awareness. (NOVICE)

6. Using appropriate rehearsed behaviors and recognizing some obviously inappropriate behaviors in familiar everyday situations. (NOVICE)

7. Conversing with peers from the target culture in familiar situations at school, work, or play and show interest in basic cultural similarities and differences. (INTERMEDIATE)

8. Recognizing that significant differences in behaviors exist among cultures, use appropriate behaviors and avoid major social blunders. (INTERMEDIATE)

This alignment document for South Carolina educators was created using verbiage from the South Carolina's World Language Standards.