World Languages

Prince William County Schools

Introduction to World Languages Middle School Curriculum and Pacing Guide

AP Theme(s): IB Themes
Global Challenges and Contemporary Life
/ Pacing Guidelines:
2 Weeks or 7.5 Hours
Thematic Unit/Topics:
Communication and Language Families
Virginia SOL:
  Communication
·  Interpretive
·  Interpersonal
·  Presentational
  Cultures
·  Products
·  Practices
·  Perspectives
  Connections
  Comparisons
 Communities / NSOL 5.1, 5.2: VASOL I.12
The student will explore stimulations in which to apply target-language skills and cultural knowledge beyond the classroom setting for recreational, educational, and occupational purposes.
V.A.4: Develop an awareness of employment possibilities for those who are able to communicate in another language.
Essential Questions: / ·  What is communication?
·  How do we communicate?
·  How are the forms of communication similar or different?
·  What is language?
·  How are the languages of the world related?
Outcomes/
Objectives/Learning Targets:
SWBAT: / ·  Define communication and language
·  Identify the different methods of communication such as: verbal, non-verbal (gestures, signs, and body language) and written
·  Identify languages and language families of the world
·  Discover characters or alphabets of language families
·  Briefly describe the evolution of languages and how the languages within a family are related
·  Explain how initial sounds of children’s first languages transcend all languages
·  Recognize the importance of tone and how it relates to your language and others
Vocabulary: / ·  Communication
·  Methods of Communication:
Ø  Spoken or Written Language
Ø  Gestures
Ø  Body Language
Ø  Sounds
Ø  Signs
Ø  Symbols
·  Language Families
·  Intonation
Formative Assessments: / ·  Given the word “hello” in 15 different languages, students will identify the language that each “hello” belongs to, before going over the correct answers students will compare their answers to those of their partner.
·  Activities C and D on page 6 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Activity E, on page 7 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Activity F, Teacher-led Pictionary, page 7 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Students will read about the history of language in the text, Invitation to Languages, beginning on page 8 and ending on page 10, right before, “Language Families”
·  Activities A and B on page 13 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Borrowing Words, page 18 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Borrowed Words “English”, page 19 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Activities A and B on page 19 of the text, Invitation to Languages
·  Identify methods of communication in correct and appropriate contexts
Summative Assessments/
Integrated Performance Assessment / Interpretive: / Interpersonal: / Presentational:
Strategies and Resources / Resources:
·  Textbook, Invitation to Languages,
pages 2-19
·  Online Resources—Websites
http://mandarin.sdcoe.net/la1.html
An in-depth definition of language, its subsets, and facts about language acquisition.
http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test4materials/ChildLangAcquisition.htm
Basic information regarding first language acquisition. This information could be used for a warm-up or exit slip.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/alphabets.htm
Includes a definition of an alphabet along with some writing samples from different alphabets.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Canada_english_words
A comparison of British English and Canadian English. This can be used to form an activity comparing terms used in American English to terms used in British and/or Canadian English.
http://aboutworldlanguages.com/language-families
A closer look at the different language families of the world.
·  Online Resources—Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atI-JPGcF-k
A video by Vsauce, giving a brief history of the origins of the English language and dialect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w6uQIXC1aI
A video by Mental Floss, examining in an expedited fashion, regional slang in American, British, and Canadian.
·  http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/guide/
Statistics and facts about languages. Check sample web page in Curriculum Notebook
·  http://greatlanguagegame.com
A game that asks players to identify languages spoken by native speakers. Includes statistics of 78 languages. Check lesson guide sheet before using the video game to help identify unknown languages and places where they are spoken. Outcome: The value of listening for sounds and language family similarities.
·  http://www.ethnologue.com/statistics/size
Ethnologue Language Statistics and Demographics
See page from web site for example of information in Curriculum Notebook
·  ACTFL Facts about English
·  Venn diagram of similarities and differences in forms of communication among cultures
·  Search for You Tube or video clips of intonation its impact on communication / Strategies:
·  General Strategies—
Working with partners
Working with groups
T-charts

Edited by Committee August 12, 2014