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Mandarin IV

Course Name: Mandarin IV 

Prerequisite: Mandarin III

Course Code #: H5442 (Academic) and H5441 (Accelerated)    Year: 5X    Credits: 5

Course Description: This course is designed for students who have experienced achievement in their study of Mandarin III, and who have demonstrated language proficiency at least at the Novice High Reaching through Intermediate Low Developing range. In the Mandarin IV course, students will continue to expand their cultural and global understandings through the study of a non-Western language and culture within various thematic contexts such as science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics. Thematic units focus on the integration of culture and language and will provide students with opportunities to apply communication skills to real-life situational contexts. Students will build upon their previous experience in Mandarin and will continue to hone their interpretive listening and reading skills, as well as their interpersonal and presentational speaking and writing skills. To gain proficiency, students are expected to take more risks and be more creative and spontaneous with the language. Classes are conducted entirely in the target language and students are expected to use the target language for communication within the classroom. Students in both levels will experience the same content, however, the depth of study and expected proficiency in each mode of communication, increases with each level.

Course Proficiencies: Students who successfully complete this course will have developed the ability to communicate at the intermediate-low and intermediate-mid proficiencies level in three modes of communication:
●    Interpretive - the ability to understand spoken and written communication within appropriate cultural contexts;
●    Interpersonal - the ability to engage in direct oral and/or written communication with others; and
●    Presentational - the ability to present, orally and/or in writing, information, concepts and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers with whom there is no immediate interaction.

In addition, students will have developed Intercultural Communication skills at the intermediate proficiency levels. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages has defined these intermediate skills in terms of “Can-Do” statements. In this course students will target the following “Can-Do” statements for Intercultural Communication:
●    In my own and other cultures, I can make comparisons between products and practices to help me understand perspectives. (Intermediate)
●    I can interact at a functional level in some familiar contexts. (Intermediate)


Lastly, students will acquire language skills in the five areas outlined in the National Standards for Learning Languages: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities, also known as The Five C’s of world language education.

Alignment to New Jersey Student Learning Standards:
 
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards include Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, as well as nine K-12 standards for the following content areas. These areas include: 21st Century Life and Careers, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Visual and Performing Arts and World Languages. The standard for language learning in New Jersey reinforces the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that are targeted across the standards for each content area.

The 2014 New Jersey Student Learning Standard for World Languages is as follows:
7.1    All students will be able to use a world language in addition to English to engage in meaningful conversation, to understand and interpret spoken and written language, and to present information, concepts, and ideas, while also gaining an understanding of the perspectives of other cultures. Through language study, they will make connections with other content areas, compare the language and culture studied with their own, and participate in home and global communities.

This standard is further divided into proficiency levels and three strands, one for each mode of communication. The proficiency levels are in line with the national performance descriptors as released by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign languages. These guidelines indicate six different levels of proficiency that can be expected at the K-12 level of language learning. Throughout the course, students will be working to demonstrate proficiency at the Intermediate Low and Intermediate Mid levels in all three modes of communication including: interpretive communication, interpersonal communication and presentational communication. The specific standards for this course are outlined below within in each mode of communication.

Interpretive Mode
Students will develop the ability to:
1.    Identify the main idea and most supporting details contained in culturally authentic materials using electronic information and other sources related to targeted themes such as science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics; Compare and contrast information (e.g. the main idea, theme, main characters, and setting) in texts from age- and level-appropriate, culturally authentic materials found in electronic information and other sources related to the targeted themes. (7.1.IL.A.1, 7.1.IM.A.1)
2.    Demonstrate comprehension of instructions connected to daily activities and instructional tasks, through appropriate physical response; Demonstrate comprehension of oral and written instructions connected to daily activities and to some unfamiliar situations through appropriate responses. (7.1.IL.A.2, 7.1.IM.A.2)
3.    Compare and contrast the use of verbal and non-verbal etiquette (i.e., the use of gestures, intonation, and cultural practices) in the target culture(s) and in one’s own culture; Analyze the use of verbal and non-verbal etiquette (i.e., gestures, intonation, and cultural practices) in the target culture(s) to determine the meaning of a message. (7.1.IL.A.3, 7.1.IM.A.3)
4.    Use the target language to describe people, places, objects, and daily activities learned about through oral or authentic written descriptions; Use target language to paraphrase
 
what is heard or read in oral or written descriptions of people, places, objects, and daily activities. (7.1.IL.A.4, 7.1.IM.A.4)
5.    Demonstrate comprehension of conversations and written messages on familiar topics related to science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics; Comprehend conversations and written information on a variety of familiar and some unfamiliar topics. (7.1.IL.A.5, 7.1.IM.A.5)
6.    Identify some unique linguistic elements in English and the target language; infer the meaning of a few unfamiliar words in some new contexts; Infer the meaning of some unfamiliar words in some new contexts. (7.1.IL.A.7, 7.1.IM.A.7)
7.    Compare and contrast unique linguistic elements in English and the target language; Use knowledge of structures of the target language to deduce meaning of new and unfamiliar structures. (7.1.IL.A.8, 7.1.IM.A.8)
Interpersonal Mode
Students will develop the ability to:
1.    Use digital tools to participate in short conversations and to exchange information related to targeted themes related to science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics; Use digital tools to participate in short conversations and to exchange information related to a variety of familiar topics and some unfamiliar topics. (7.1.IL.B.1, 7.1.IM.B.1)
2.    Give and follow requests for participating in age- and level- appropriate classroom and cultural activities; Give and follow a series of oral and written directions, commands, and requests for participating in age- and level-appropriate classroom and cultural activities in familiar and some unfamiliar situations. (7.1.IL.B.2, 7.1.IM.B.2)
3.    Imitate and use appropriate gestures, intonation, and common idiomatic expressions of the target culture(s)/language during daily interactions and in familiar situations; Use appropriate gestures, intonation, and common idiomatic expressions of the target culture(s)/language in familiar and some unfamiliar situations. (7.1.IL.B.3, 7.1.IM.B.3)
4.    Ask and respond to factual and interpretive questions of a personal nature or on school-related topics and on some unfamiliar topics and situations. (7.1.IL.B.4, 7.1.IM.B.4)
5.    Engage in short conversations about personal experiences or events and/or topics studied in other content areas that may be related to science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics; Engage in short conversations about personal experiences or events, topics studied in other content areas, and some unfamiliar topics and situations. (7.1.IL.B.5, 7.1.IM.B.5)
Presentational Mode
Students will develop the ability to:
1.    Use knowledge about cultural products and cultural practices to create a multimedia-rich presentation on targeted themes such as science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics, to be shared virtually with a target language audience; Synthesize information related to the cultural products, cultural practices, and cultural perspectives
 
associated with targeted culture(s) to create a multimedia-rich presentation on targeted themes to be shared virtually with a target language audience.  (7.1.IL.C.1, 7.1.IM.C.1)
2.    Present student-created and/or authentic short plays, skits, poems, songs, stories, or reports related to targeted themes such as school and home life, health and nutrition, travel, visual arts, communication and media, academics and career readiness, technology, or global challenges; Dramatize student-created and/or authentic short plays, skits, poems, songs, stories, or reports. (7.1.IL.C.2, 7.1.IM.C.2)
3.    Use language creatively to respond in writing to a variety of oral or visual prompts within the contexts of science and technology, personal and public identities, families and communities, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics; Use language creatively to respond in writing to a variety of oral or visual prompts about familiar and some unfamiliar situations. (7.1.IL.C.3, 7.1.IM.C.3)
4.    Compare and contrast age- and level-appropriate culturally authentic materials orally and in writing; Synthesize information found in age- and level-appropriate culturally authentic materials. (7.1.IL.C.4, 7.1.IM.C.4)
5.    Explain the cultural perspective associated with a few cultural products and cultural practices from the target culture (s) and one’s own culture; Compare cultural perspectives of the target culture(s) with those of one’s own culture as evidenced through their cultural products and cultural practices. (7.1.IL.C.5, 7.1.IM.C.5)
6.    Summarize requirements for professions/careers that require proficiency in a language other than English based on exploration of the 16 Career Clusters. (7.1.IL.C.6)
Educational Technology (NSLS 8):
8.1.12.D.1    Demonstrate appropriate application of copyright, fair use and/or Creative Commons to an original work.
8.1.12.D.2    Evaluate consequences of unauthorized electronic access (e.g., hacking) and disclosure, and on dissemination of personal information.
8.1.12.A.2    Produce and edit a multi-page digital document for a commercial or professional audience and present it to peers and/or professionals in that related area for review.
8.1.12.A.3    Collaborate in online courses, learning communities, social networks or virtual worlds to discuss a resolution to a problem or issue.
8.1.12.F.1    Evaluate the strengths and limitations of emerging technologies and their impact on educational, career, personal and or social needs.
21st Century Life and Careers (NJSLS 9):
9.2.12.C.5    Research career opportunities in the United States and abroad that require knowledge of world languages and diverse cultures.
NJ Career Readiness Practices:
CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee. CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason. CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity.
CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence. Assessment Criteria: Teachers utilize student observation checklists, formative assessments, daily participation, tests, quizzes, homework, interpretive, interpersonal and
 
presentational tasks and assessments, projects, integrated performance assessments, student
self-assessments and peer assessments to evaluate the progress and/or achievement of the above stated proficiencies.
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