Be sure to include this Parent Authorization as part of your completed Autobiography and return it to the Merced County Office of Education by November 17, 2017, 4 pm.
There are three steps to the Application process for the Seal of Biliteracy:
1. Student electronically submits a Seal Application form by 4 pm, Friday, October 6, 2017.
2. The student’s high school and/or district will receive notification of the application, and will verify the student is eligible to apply. Merced County Office of Education must receive verification back from the high school and/or district by 4 pm, Friday, October 20, 2017.
3. Student submits signed Parent Authorization form and Autobiography to the Merced County Office of Education by 4pm, Friday, November 17, 2017. Instructions for the Autobiography are included with this form, as well as the two (2) allowed pages.
The Parent Verification form must be completed and signed by a parent and/or guardian. Signature of Adult Proficient in the Target Language section box must be completed. The submitted Autobiography must be stapled without any cover, binder, or sleeves.
Student Name
Target Language: / 2nd Target Language:
District: / School:
Parent Authorization (to be completed by the parent or legal guardian)
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I authorize the school to release state and national test scores for my student, to the Merced County Office of Education. I understand this information will only be used to consider the student for the Seal of Biliteracy. I give the Merced County Office of Education permission to photograph and/or videotape for educational use. I give the Merced County Office of Education permission to list the names of awardees on the Merced County Office of Education website.
Date:
Printed Parent Name and Signature:
Signature of Adult Proficient in Target World Language
I encourage and support this student to apply for the Seal of Biliteracy based on the target world language. This student has clearly demonstrated a high level of proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Phone: / Email:
Affiliation with Student:
Printed Name and Signature:
Instructions to Student
Please create a word-processed document in which you respond to the following five prompts in English. Use 12-point font when word-processing. Please note: if these instructions are not followed, your submission will be considered incomplete. This typed Language Autobiography as well as the Parent Authorization form is due by Friday, November 17, 2017, 4 pm.
Preparing your responsesOrganize your responses to provide evidence of the 5 C’s; provide new information for every question or prompt. Please avoid repeating yourself across the prompts. Be sure to fully develop your responses by providing specific details and examples. Please be sure to look at the rubric that will be used to score your Language Autobiography. It is available on our website under the Resources tab of Instructional Services/Seal of Biliteracy.
Formatting the Autobiography1. Title: Language Autobiography (page one).
2. Type your name and the date under the title on the first page.
3. Your Language Autobiography is an essay that is a maximum of two pages. The essay MUST be double-spaced. You are to use 12-point font and no more or less than one-inch margins. If the essay has more than two pages, the additional pages will be torn off and not read.
a. In the essay, please address the points below. Be sure to develop your essay by providing specific details and examples. Be sure to look at the rubric on our website that will be used to score your Language Autobiography.
b. This polished piece will determine if you are invited to the Student Assessment Event. Remember, your Autobiography must be word-processed in 12-point font, and no more than two-pages. (Handwritten Autobiographies will be considered incomplete.)
Writing PromptPoints to be addressed in the Language Autobiography Essay (address ALL 5 C’s below):
This essay will reflect your memories, experiences and reflections of yourself as a user/learner of languages, and specifically your first and second (target or foreign) languages.
Points to be Addressed:
1. Use of oral and written communication in your target language with your family and/or friends;
What languages did you first learn at home and what motivated you to learn your target language? What people, travel and experiences influenced your ability to learn and use a second language? Detail your usage of your target language, and give examples of both the challenges and successes with both oral and written communication.
2. Language experiences that have deepened your appreciation for your target culture;
Describe how, through language, you have increased your knowledge of culture. Give examples of how your acquisition and/or deepening of your understanding of your target language has opened doors to a greater understanding of the patterns of communication and culture that are not accessible to a monolingual speaker. Give details about how you have deepened your understanding of culture through listening, speaking, reading
and writing experiences in your target language.
3. Classroom language learning experiences, and the greater perspective you’ve gained about culture, as a result of formal studies;
Specifically discuss your formal education in your language. This includes any foreign language or native speaking courses that have connected you to a greater body of knowledge including the history, literature or social media represented by your target language.
4. Demonstration of your knowledge about language comparisons, that is, the differences and similarities, if any, of your first and target languages;
Use this part of your essay to specifically describe the important differences between English and your target language including grammar, pronunciation, social usage rules, etc. When possible, explain how cultural traits or values are tied to either English or your target language.
5. Description of how your life has been enhanced by participating in multilingual communities within and beyond your school setting.
Describe scenarios or opportunities for you to use your target language, both in writing and orally, to communicate and participate in multilingual communities, either in your own home community or in other parts of the world. Explain how learning and using other languages enriches your life. Project how you will continue to use multilingualism in your college years and/or future career.
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Language Autobiography
Name: Date:
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