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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year the language stops feeling like a class and starts feeling like a tool. Students hold real conversations, read articles and stories meant for native speakers, and give talks that inform or persuade. They dig into how another culture actually thinks, not just what it eats or celebrates, and compare it to their own. By spring, students can follow a news clip or short story in the language and discuss it with a clear opinion.

  • Real conversations
  • Reading native texts
  • Presenting ideas
  • Cultural perspectives
  • Comparing cultures
  • Using language outside class
Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Stretching into longer conversations

    Students start the year holding real conversations in the language. They share opinions, ask follow-up questions, and keep a discussion going on familiar topics without falling back to English.

  2. 2

    Reading and listening for meaning

    Students work with articles, videos, and audio made for native speakers. They pull out the main idea, catch supporting details, and notice the writer's point of view.

  3. 3

    Culture behind the words

    Students look at how people in other countries live, celebrate, eat, and work, and why. They compare those habits to their own and explain what surprises them.

  4. 4

    Presenting and persuading

    Students give longer presentations and write longer pieces to inform, tell a story, or argue a point. They adjust their tone for the audience, whether classmates, a teacher, or a wider group online.

  5. 5

    Using the language beyond class

    Students put the language to work outside the classroom through projects, pen pals, community events, or online exchanges. They set personal goals and track how their language use is growing.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 12.
Communication

  • Learners understand, interpret

    NH-WL.1.1.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students listen to, read, or watch material on a range of topics in the language they are learning, then pull out the meaning and think critically about what the speaker or writer intended.

  • Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed

    NH-WL.1.2.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students hold a back-and-forth conversation in the language they're learning, adjusting what they say based on how the other person responds. They share information, reactions, and opinions, not just rehearsed phrases.

  • Learners present information, concepts

    NH-WL.1.3.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students prepare and deliver presentations in the language they're learning, choosing words and style to fit the audience, whether speaking to classmates, writing for readers, or creating something for viewers to watch.

Cultures

  • Learners use the language to investigate, explain

    NH-WL.2.1.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students explain why people in the cultures they are studying do things the way they do, connecting everyday habits and traditions to the beliefs and values behind them.

  • Learners use the language to investigate, explain

    NH-WL.2.2.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students explain how everyday objects, traditions, and art forms from another culture connect to what people in that culture value and believe. They use the target language to make those connections.

Connections

  • Learners build, reinforce

    NH-WL.3.1.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students use a second language to dig into subjects like history, science, or math, applying what they know across disciplines to think through problems in a new way.

  • Learners access and evaluate information and diverse perspectives that are…

    NH-WL.3.2.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students read, listen to, or watch real content in another language, such as news, stories, or interviews, then weigh what different people and cultures believe or value.

Comparisons

  • Learners use the language to investigate, explain

    NH-WL.4.1.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students notice how grammar rules, word structures, and sentence patterns differ between the language they are learning and their home language, then draw conclusions about how languages work in general.

  • Learners use the language to investigate, explain

    NH-WL.4.2.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students compare their own culture to the culture they are studying, looking at traditions, habits, or values, then explain in the target language what is similar, what is different, and what those differences reveal.

Communities

  • Learners use the language both within and beyond the classroom to interact and…

    NH-WL.5.1.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students use the language they're learning to have real conversations and work with others, both inside school and out in the world. It's not just classroom practice; it carries into daily life and interactions with people from other cultures.

  • Learners set goals and reflect on their progress in using languages for…

    NH-WL.5.2.wl-checkpoint-c
    Checkpoint C

    Students think about how well they're learning a new language and set goals for getting better. They connect the language to things they actually enjoy or want to do in life.

Common Questions
  • What should students be able to do in the language by the end of this checkpoint?

    Students hold real conversations on familiar topics, read articles or short stories and explain what they mean, and write or present in the language for different audiences. The work moves past memorized phrases into giving opinions, telling stories, and explaining ideas.

  • My child only speaks the language in class. How can I help at home?

    Ask students to teach you something small in the language each week, like ordering a meal or describing their day. Watching a short show, song, or news clip with subtitles for ten minutes also counts. The goal is regular contact, not perfect grammar.

  • Do students need to be fluent at this level?

    No. Students should sound comfortable on familiar topics and recover when they get stuck, but they will still make mistakes and search for words. Confidence and willingness to keep talking matter more than sounding native.

  • How should I sequence the year across the three communication modes?

    Plan units around a topic or cultural question, then build in listening or reading sources, a conversation or interview task, and a presentation or written piece. Rotating modes inside each unit keeps students from leaning on one strength all year.

  • How much culture should be folded into language units?

    Culture should sit inside almost every unit, not live as a separate chapter. Tie practices and products, like meals, holidays, music, or daily routines, to the language students are already using so they have something real to talk about.

  • What usually needs the most reteaching at this checkpoint?

    Past and future time frames, connecting sentences with words like because, when, and although, and listening to unfamiliar speakers at normal speed. Plan to revisit these across multiple units rather than teaching them once.

  • How can students keep using the language outside of class?

    Point students toward short podcasts, social media accounts, pen pals, or local community events in the language. Even 15 minutes a few times a week, chosen by the student, builds more skill than another worksheet.

  • What does a strong end-of-year piece of student work look like?

    A student can give a short presentation or write a few paragraphs on a familiar topic with clear organization, several time frames, and some cultural detail. A listener or reader who speaks the language can follow it without effort, even with small errors.

  • How do I know students are ready for the next level?

    Students should be able to handle an unplanned conversation on a familiar topic, read a short authentic text and summarize it, and compare something about the culture studied to their own life. If those three feel steady, they are ready.