CATALINA FOOTHILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

The foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains

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World Languages

Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) students are part of a dynamic, interconnected, and technologically driven global society. Learning to effectively communicate in more than one language, with an appropriate understanding of cultural contexts, is an essential goal for all students that prepares them to compete and collaborate internationally.

CFSD developed the World Languages standards and a K-12 program of study that supports a common vision about language learning - a vision that articulates language learning at the elementary, middle, and high school levels so that CFSD students may achieve a high level of language proficiency.

Learning a language is a complex process, whether the language is acquired in infancy as a first language or later in life as a second or third language. In either case, the learning process consists of acquiring a language system rather than learning a series of disconnected components. A language system consists of not only vocabulary and grammar rules, but also such elements as gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication. A language system also includes discourse, whereby speakers learn what to say to whom and when. In addition to gaining experience with language systems, studying other languages provides students with knowledge of the richness of the cultures of the languages being learned. CFSD students develop an awareness of other people, the people’s unique ways of life, and their contributions to the world. The specific elements of culture to be learned will vary by language, and even within languages.

Introduction to World Languages  |  Language Proficiency Articulation Chart for Spanish  |  Language Proficiency Articulation Chart for Chinese

Arizona Seal of Biliteracy  |  Tips for Language Learning