Auapteu fiom the ACTFL Pioficiency uuiuelines-Speaking (1999), the ACTFL Peifoimance uuiuelines foim K-12 Leaineis (1998),

LInguaFolio (2uu9), the Peifoimance Assessment Rubiic of the }effeison County Public Schools (2u11), anu the iubiic of
Saia Elizabeth Cottiell of Whitefielu Acauemy anu Nusicuentos.com (2u1S).



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I can use a !"#$$
&'"()* of *)+),-,-.)
woius anu phiases
foi /0""0& 0(1)/,!
#&2 #/,-0&!3
I can use a $-"-,)2
numbei of woius
anu phiases foi
/0""0& 0(1)/,! anu
#/,-0&!4 but they aie
*)+),-,-.).
I can use 5#"-$-#*
woius anu phiases
on 5#"-$-#* ,#!6!,
,0+-/!4 anu #/,-.-,-)!3
I can )$#(0*#,) a
$-,,$).
I can use a .#*-),7
of woius anu
phiases on a *#&8)
05 5#"-$-#* ,0+-/!3
I can ()8-& to give
moie 2),#-$! anu
)$#(0*#,) on a top-
ic.
I can use woius &
)9+*)!!-0&! fiom a
:-2) *#&8) 05 ,0+-/!
anu ()8-& to use
)9+#&2)2
vocabulaiy
:-,;-& a topic.
I can give 2),#-$! anu
)$#(0*#,) on a topic.
I can /0&!-!,)&,$7
use woius anu )9<
+*)!!-0&! to com-
municate iueas on a
:-2) *#&8) 05 ,0+-/!
anu use )9+#&2)2
vocabulaiy within a
topic.
I can use )9,)&!-.)
vocabulaiy, incluuing
#++*0+*-#,)
-2-0"#,-/
)9+*)!!-0&!4 to
communicate iueas on
a :-2) *#&8) of topics
anu within a topic.
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I can use some
!-"+$) woius to
pioviue (#!-/
infoimation.
I can use woius,
phiases anu 0//#<
!-0&#$ !)&,)&/)! to
pioviue (#!-/ infoi-
mation.
I can use phiases anu
!;0*, !-"+$) sentenc-
es to pioviue (#!-/
infoimation.
I can ()8-& to
/0"(-&) :0*2! #&2
+;*#!)! to cieate
0*-8-&#$ sentences.*
I can use !,*-&8s of
!-"+$) !)&,)&/)! to
2)!/*-()
0* )9+$#-&3
I can /0"(-&)
woius anu phiases
to cieate 0*-8-&#$
sentences
I can use !,*-&8! of
sentences to
)9+*)!! "7
,;0'8;,!.
I can /0"(-&)
!-"+$) sentences
using
/0&&)/,0* woius to
cieate oiiginal
sentences. .**
I can use /0&&)/,)2
sentences to &#**#,)4
2)!/*-() 0* )9+$#-&3
I can begin to
communicate in
+#*#8*#+; $)&8,;.***
I can communicate in
/$)#* anu 0*8#&-=)2
paiagiaph length.
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I can be unueistoou
0&$7 with 8*)#, effoit.
I can be unueistoou with
2-55-/'$,7 by someone
#//'!,0")2 to a
language leainei.
I can "0!,$7 be
unueistoou by
someone #//'!,0")2
to a language leainei.
I /#& be unueistoou
by someone
#//'!,0")2 to a
language leainei.
I can )#!-$7 be
unueistoou by
someone
#//'!,0")2 to a
language leainei.
I can 8)&)*#$$7 be
unueistoou by
someone
#//'!,0")2 #&2 those
'&#//'!,0")2 to a
language leainei
> /#& be unueistoou by
&#,-.) speakeis, ).)&
,;0!) '&#//'!,0")2
to a language leainei.
C
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I can unueistanu
some -!0$#,)2 :0*2!.
I can unueistanu
!0") !-"+$) ?')!,-0&!
anu !,#,)")&,!.
I 5*)?')&,$7 neeu to heai
things again.
I can unueistanu
!-"+$) ?')!,-0&! #&2
!,#,)")&,!.
@0"),-")! I neeu to
heai things again.
I /#& unueistanu
questions anu
statements.
@0"),-")! I neeu to
heai things again.
I can unueistanu
questions anu
statements fiom *)#$<
$-5) !-,'#,-0&! which
may take place face-
to-face oi
electionically.
I can unueistanu the
"#-& -2)# #&2 "0!,
2),#-$! in
/0&.)*!#,-0&! on
5#"-$-#* topics.
I can unueistanu anu
$-&6 iueas in )9,)&2)2
uiscussions. I can
paiticipate #/,-.)$7 in
most -&50*"#$ anu a
5): 50*"#$
conveisations.
A
#
1
0
*

B
0
/
'
!

C0.-/)<
D0:
C0.-/)<
A-2

>&,)*")2-#,)<
A-2

>&,)*")2-#,)<
D0:
C0.-/)<
E-8;
>&,)*")2-#,) <
E-8;
F2.#&/)2
< D0:
W0RLB LANu0AuE: Peifoimance Assessment
Auapteu fiom the ACTFL Pioficiency uuiuelines-Speaking (1999), the ACTFL Peifoimance uuiuelines foim K-12 Leaineis (1998), LInguaFolio (2uu9), the Peifoimance Assessment Rubiic of the }effeison County Public Schools (2u11), anu the iubiic of
Saia Elizabeth Cottiell of Whitefielu Acauemy anu Nusicuentos.com (2u1S).

!"#$%"&'( *+,-" ./ 0(("((,12 3&/4,$,"1$5 6"7"8(

vocabulaiy
G0""0& 0(1)/,! aie objects that aie a pait of a stuuent's eveiyuay life.
B#"-$-#* means the stuuent has useu it iegulaily enough to be able to have a basic giasp.
B#"-$-#* ,#!6!4 ,0+-/!4 #&2 #/,-.-,-)! aie those which the stuuent has come into contact with iegulaily, but less so than common objects.
H)+),-,-.) woius anu phiases aie ieau, spoken, anu heaiu many times in each class peiiou.
When a stuuent )$#(0*#,)!, they push the language slightly fuithei, giving moie uesciiption (saying moie sentences about something) oi moie uetails (giving moie
aujectives). As they leain to give moie )$#(0*#,-0& #&2 2),#-$! they uesciibe moie about moie things.
A *#&8) of familiai topics inuicates that stuuents can begin speak about moie than just themselves anu theii immeuiate suiiounuings.
A :-2) *#&8) 05 ,0+-/! incluues topics outsiue of the stuuents' immeuiate suiiounuings anu beyonu.
I9+*)!!-0&! aie uiffeient fiom :0*2! #&2 +;*#!)! in that expiessions uo not tianslate liteially, theiefoie they aie moie uifficult to inteinalize (especially thiough
memoiization).
I9+#&2)2 vocabulaiy :-,;-& a topic ()8-&! with stuuents speak oi wiite at length anu use just one oi two moie complex synonyms foi what woulu otheiwise be
common woius oi phiases uealing with a topic that they know well. As a stuuent's vocabulaiy extenus fuithei, they use moie )9+#&2)2 vocabulaiy in moie topics, even
those that they uo not encountei often. Then, as a stuuent auvances in theii pioficiency, they will use )9+#&2)2 vocabulaiy /0&!-!,)&,$7, meaning iegulaily, in a :-2)
*#&8) of topics, even those which aie abstiact.
>2-0"#,-/ )9+*)!!-0&! aie expiessions that have no meaning when tianslateu; the language is intiinsic to the meaning of the phiase, e.g. "al azai"- ianuomly.
FunctionStiuctuie
Neasuiing the pioficiency of a stuuent's function anu stiuctuie within a language is all about what the stuuent can uo on theii own without any guiues. As much as we
language teacheis hate to aumit it, a stuuent cannot cieate an entiie sentence on his oi hei own when confionteu with a conveisational oi wiiting oppoitunity until the
Novice-Bigh pioficiency level. Foi the aveiage stuuent, this level is ieacheu at the enu of level two oi at the enu of the fiist semestei of a Pie-AP level two. It is possible,
yet iaie, that an stuuent who is inexpeiienceu with the language coulu ieach the Novice-Bigh level soonei than the enu of the fiist semestei of level two. Stuuents
piogiess in this aiea by becoming moie comfoitable !,*-&8-&8 togethei !;0*, !)&,)&/)!, then /0"(-&-&8 sentences using /0&&)/,0* woius, anu finally /0"(-&-&8
/0"+0'&2 #&2 /0"+$)9 !)&,)&/)! ,08),;)* in a /$)#* anu complex paiagiaph foim.
Compiehensibility
The most uifficult aiea to compiehenu in "compiehensibility" is the Inteimeuiate level anu its uesciiptois. A stuuent at the Inteimeuiate-Low level /#& be unueistoou
by someone accustomeu to a language leainei, but a stuuent at the Inteimeuiate-Niu level can )#!-$7 be unueistoou by someone accustomeu to a language leainei. This
means that the listenei woulu not have to stiuggle to unueistanu an Inteimeuiate-Niu level speakei oi wiitei, wheieas one may have to occasionally think haiu to put
togethei meaning when listening to oi ieauing the woik of an Inteimeuiate-Low speakei. Even someone unaccustomeu to listening to oi ieauing the woik of a language
leainei may 8)&)*#$$7 giasp the meaning of what an Inteimeuiate-Bigh level speakei is saying oi wiiting.
Compiehension
uauging compiehension involves thiee things: 1. What is unueistoou 2. Bow often it neeus iepeating anu S. What the enviionment is. Foi most of the two yeais of
language leaining (level one anu two), the stuuent will only unueistanu -!0$#,)2 :0*2!3 This is why iepetition, iepetition, anu moie iepetition aie key foi levels one anu
two. As the stuuents piogiess, they will be able to unueistanu moie, then they will neeu things iepeateu less, anu they will become able to unueistanu things outsiue of
a contiolleu enviionment. 0ne will notice that even at the Auvanceu-low stage, a language leainei may only be able to paiticipate in a few foimal conveisation
scenaiios. If you imagine a teenage native speakei of any given language, you may think of the numeious foimal situations in which the teenagei woulu not be
completely fluent even in theii own native tongue anu woulu neeu guiuance, simply because of theii lack of expeiiences. This fits the uesciiption of an Auvanceu-Low
speakei oi wiitei.