Grades:           9-12

Credit:            One

Prerequisite:  Level 2 or equivalency test

Course Description

Students continue to develop and refine their proficiency in all four language skills– listening, speaking, reading, and writing– with emphasis on the ability to interact orally and in writing. They communicate using more complex language structures on a variety of topics, moving from concrete to more abstract concepts. At this level, students comprehend the main ideas of the authentic materials that they read and hear, and they are able to identify significant details when the topics are familiar. Students gain a deeper understanding of the world around them while studying Rights and Responsibilities, Future Plans and Choices, Teen Culture, Environment, and Humanities.

This course’s primary goals, aligned with Virginia and national standards, are to:

Communicate in Russian

• Students function in a variety of practical settings using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as knowledge of the target culture(s).

Understand other cultures

• Students demonstrate an understanding of traditions, customs, beliefs, and cultural contributions and how these elements relate to language.

Connect with other disciplines and acquire information

• Students connect information about the language and cultures they are learning with concepts studied in other subject areas.

Develop insight into their own language and culture

• Through study of language and culture, students recognize, compare, and contrast language concepts as well as cultural perspectives, practices, and products.

Participate in the global community

• Students use the foreign language to communicate with speakers of that language, both at home and around the world, to improve their own communication skills and to enhance their view of themselves as citizens of the world.

Each topic addressed in the Program of Studies has progress indicators defining what students will be able to do. For example, under the theme Future Plans and Choices, the topic Educational Plans specifies that students will be able to discuss courses of study, long-range education and career goals, and educational systems in other countries. Essential vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of the themes and topics.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has developed and uses the Performance Assessment for Language Students (PALS) program. Performance assessments are conducted routinely throughout the year and are rated using PALS criteria (rubrics) developed by FCPS foreign language teachers. The end-of-year assessment again uses the PALS performance criteria.

For additional information, including resources for students, see the FCPS Foreign Language Home Page at: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/forlang/.