Riverside County Seal of Multiliteracy: Language Autobiography

Background Information These questions or prompts are designed to evoke responses that address the 5 C’s (Communication, Cultures and Written Communication, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities). 1. Communication: is at the heart of second language study, whether the communication takes place face- to-face, in writing, or across centuries through the reading of literature. 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 1.2 Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics. 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

2. Cultures and Written Communication: Through the study of other languages, students gain a knowledge and understanding of the cultures that use that language and, in fact, cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs. 2.1 Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. Students demonstrate understanding of authentic patterns of communication. 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.

3. Connections: Learning languages provide connections to additional bodies of knowledge that may be unavailable to the monolingual English speaker. 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of their disciplines through the foreign language. 3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures.

4. Comparisons: Through comparisons and contrasts with the language being studied, students develop insight into the nature of language and the concept of culture and realize that there are multiple ways of viewing the world. 4.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. 4.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

5. Communities: Together, these elements enable the student of languages to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world in a variety of contexts and in culturally appropriate ways. 5.1 Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. 5.2 Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. National Standards in Foreign Language Education

Form B (revised 1/17/14 jw) Language portfolio entry 4 of 4

Riverside County Seal of Multiliteracy: Language Autobiography

Instructions to Student Please create a document (either on a word processor or handwritten) in which you respond to the following five questions or prompts in English. Please use 12 point font (if word processing) or blue or black ink (if writing by hand). If your response is handwritten, please be careful to create a legible document and either print or use cursive handwriting. Please note: If these instructions are not followed, your submission will be considered incomplete. Be sure to include this Language Autobiography as part of your completed Language Portfolio, which must be submitted by Friday, September 12, 2014, at 5 p.m.

Preparing Your Responses Organize your responses to provide evidence of the 5 C’s from the Standards for Foreign Language Learning. 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 (see below).

Students Requesting the Riverside County Seal of Multiliteracy in Two “Target”* Languages Please note that if you are requesting the Riverside County Seal of Multiliteracy in two or more “target” languages, you must prepare Language Autobiographies for each “target” language—one addressing each “target” language. The additional Language Autobiographies must be written with the same care as the first. * Note: We use the term “target” language for the language other than English. Formatting the Language Autobiography 1. Title the first page: Language Autobiography. 2. Place your name and the date under the title on the first page. 3. Copy the number and then the wording of the question or prompt, verbatim. 4. Write each response directly under its number and question or prompt using no more than 200 words (not including the number of words in the question or prompt). a. Detail and examples are powerful. Remember, you have 200 words per prompt for your response. b. This Language Autobiography will determine if you are invited to the Student Assessment Event.

Writing Prompts 1. Communication: What language(s) did you first learn to speak in your home? Describe your family background in regard to language(s), motivation to learn other languages, and/or travel to places where the local people speak your “target” language, etc. 2. Culture and Written Communication: Describe how you gain and increase your knowledge of the “target” language and the culture(s) of the people who speak it. Include an example of how language and culture are intertwined. How have you developed authentic patterns of communication? What products or perspectives are unique in the culture(s) using your “target” language? 3. Connections: How have you gained access to additional bodies of knowledge through your acquisition of the “target” language, knowledge that would be unavailable to the monolingual speaker? What have you gained? What distinctive viewpoints have you gained through your study of the “target” language and its cultures? 4. Comparisons: What important differences are there between English and the “target” language that you have learned? What features of the languages might make one easier or more difficult to learn than the other (i.e., grammar, pronunciation, social usage rules, etc.)? What cultural traits or values can be tied to the language characteristics of either English or your “target” language? 5. Communities: Describe scenarios or opportunities you have had to use your “target” language, both in writing and orally, to communicate and participate in multilingual communities (i.e., in school, at home, and/or in other parts of the world). Describe your opportunities for face-to-face conversations, providing or obtaining information for yourself or others, or exchanging opinions. With whom do you typically communicate and about what sorts of things? How does learning about other languages and communities bring you personal enjoyment, enrichment, and make a difference in your life?

Form B (revised 1/17/14 jw) Language portfolio entry 4 of 4 Assessors’ Names: Language: Table Number: Riverside County Seal of Multiliteracy Language Autobiography Rubric Student’s Name: District: Portfolio Number: For each row labeled (A-E), circle one (1) descriptor (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) and identify a holistic, final score at the bottom by checking the appropriate box. 5 4 3 2 1 Excellence Command Competence Suggests Lack of Demonstrates Lack of Competence Competence A Communication, The responses to the 5 The responses to the 5 The responses to the 5 The responses to the 5 The responses to the 5 Cultures, prompts of the Language prompts of the Language prompts of the Language prompts of the Language prompts of the Language Connections, Autobiography address all 5 Autobiography address 4 of Autobiography address 3 of Autobiography address 2 of Autobiography address 1 of Comparisons, C’s (see the back of rubric). the C’s. the C’s. the C’s. the C’s. and Communities

B Demonstration of Fully and appropriately Appropriately addresses all or Addresses and completes the Partially addresses the Does not complete all Ability to addresses prompts with almost all of the prompts, task, responds adequately to prompts, may respond portions of the prompts, Develop the relevant and thorough completes tasks, well- most of the prompts, is inappropriately to some parts responds inappropriately to Topic treatment, is very well developed treatment and well organized with adequate of the task, may have some most parts of the task, organized and cohesive, offers organized, generally cohesive cohesiveness, is generally irrelevant treatment, may be includes irrelevant elements, a rich variety of details and and offers a variety of details appropriate, may have some inadequately organized, may may be disorganized and examples. and examples. repetition of the information. be underdeveloped due to have contradictions or lack of example and detail, confusing information, may may be repetitive. be very repetitive. C Use of the Use and control of a variety of Evidence of control, good to There may be lack in the Errors occur in elementary Numerous errors in Structures of the structures; there is no very good use of some variety of structures used; structures with some structures impede English repetitive pattern of structures elementary structures. Syntax there may be some patterns correctness with advanced communication. Sentence Language Syntax used. Syntax (word order) is is generally correct. detected. There may be structures. Simple structures structures are very consistently appropriate. awkward structures. A few are consistently used with elementary. Syntax can be errors in syntax may occur. definite patterns or sentences problematic. may be awkward. Syntax errors occur. D Vocabulary Use Rich, precise vocabulary with Considerable breadth of Appropriate vocabulary, Limited vocabulary, perhaps Insufficient and therefore ease of expression. Accurate vocabulary, solid but perhaps perhaps lacking sophistication some interference from repetitive vocabulary, usage. not overly sophisticated. with some repetition. A few another language. Usage perhaps some interference Usage is generally correct. usage errors may occur. errors may occur. from another language. Usage errors may impede the reader. E Use of Excellent command of Conventions are generally There may be errors but the There are errors in the use of There are pervasive errors in Conventions conventions: spelling, correct perhaps with most of the response is conventions that impede the the use of conventions that paragraphing, punctuation, occasional errors. Maintains accurate. There may be a reader. There may be interfere with agreement. Correct register. appropriate register. lack of sophistication. significant and inappropriate communication. Register Register is generally changes in register. may be consistently appropriate with occasional inappropriate. lapses. Adapted from AP Spanish Language 2010 Writing and Speaking Scoring Guidelines.

Language Portfolio Score:  5 4 3 2 1 A student must score a minimum holistic 3 out of a possible 5 on the Language Portfolio. A score of 2 or less on any section will disqualify a student. For office use only: Form B (rev. 3.6.14JW)

Form B (revised 1/17/14 jw) Language portfolio entry 4 of 4