This is the year the new language stops being a list of words and starts being a way to actually talk. Students hold short conversations, share opinions, and pick up the main idea from things they read, hear, or watch. They start comparing how this language and culture work next to their own. By spring, students can have a back-and-forth chat on familiar topics and write a short note or message that someone else can follow.
Students move past memorized phrases and start trading real questions and answers about daily life, family, school, and weekend plans. Expect them to ask follow-up questions instead of freezing when a conversation keeps going.
Students take on short articles, videos, songs, and conversations in the new language. They pull out the main idea and key details, even when they do not catch every word.
Students look at how people in other countries shop, eat, celebrate, and spend time with family. They compare those habits to their own and notice why the differences make sense.
Students give short talks, write paragraphs, and make videos or slides to explain, persuade, or tell a story. Sentences get longer, and reasons start backing up opinions.
Students put the language to work beyond the classroom by reading real websites, watching shows, or talking with speakers in the community. They also set their own goals for what to learn next.
Students listen to, read, or watch material on different topics in the target language and show they understand the meaning, not just the words.
Students hold back-and-forth conversations in the language they're learning, asking questions, sharing opinions, and responding to what the other person says.
Students prepare and deliver presentations in the language they're studying, adjusting their words and format to fit the topic, the audience, and the goal, whether explaining a concept or making an argument.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Learners understand, interpret Checkpoint B | Students listen to, read, or watch material on different topics in the target language and show they understand the meaning, not just the words. | TX-WL.1.1.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed Checkpoint B | Students hold back-and-forth conversations in the language they're learning, asking questions, sharing opinions, and responding to what the other person says. | TX-WL.1.2.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners present information, concepts Checkpoint B | Students prepare and deliver presentations in the language they're studying, adjusting their words and format to fit the topic, the audience, and the goal, whether explaining a concept or making an argument. | TX-WL.1.3.wl-checkpoint-b |
Students investigate how people in other cultures act and why, connecting everyday habits and traditions to the values or beliefs behind them. They explain those connections in the language they are learning.
Students explore how everyday objects, art, and traditions from another culture reveal what people in that culture value and believe. They explain those connections in the language they are learning.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Learners use the language to investigate, explain Checkpoint B | Students investigate how people in other cultures act and why, connecting everyday habits and traditions to the values or beliefs behind them. They explain those connections in the language they are learning. | TX-WL.2.1.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners use the language to investigate, explain Checkpoint B | Students explore how everyday objects, art, and traditions from another culture reveal what people in that culture value and believe. They explain those connections in the language they are learning. | TX-WL.2.2.wl-checkpoint-b |
Students use the language they're learning to explore ideas from other subjects, like science or history. Working across subjects helps them think through problems and find solutions in a new language.
Students read, watch, or listen to real materials in the target language to find information and understand how people from that culture see the world.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Learners build, reinforce Checkpoint B | Students use the language they're learning to explore ideas from other subjects, like science or history. Working across subjects helps them think through problems and find solutions in a new language. | TX-WL.3.1.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners access and evaluate information and diverse perspectives that are… Checkpoint B | Students read, watch, or listen to real materials in the target language to find information and understand how people from that culture see the world. | TX-WL.3.2.wl-checkpoint-b |
Students notice how the new language handles things differently from their own, like word order, verb forms, or politeness levels, and use those comparisons to understand how language itself works.
Students compare their own cultural practices and beliefs to those of the language they're studying, then explain what those differences and similarities reveal about both cultures.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Learners use the language to investigate, explain Checkpoint B | Students notice how the new language handles things differently from their own, like word order, verb forms, or politeness levels, and use those comparisons to understand how language itself works. | TX-WL.4.1.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners use the language to investigate, explain Checkpoint B | Students compare their own cultural practices and beliefs to those of the language they're studying, then explain what those differences and similarities reveal about both cultures. | TX-WL.4.2.wl-checkpoint-b |
Students practice the new language outside class too, not just during lessons. They use it to talk, work, and connect with people in their community and with people from other countries.
Students pick a personal goal for using the new language, then look back at how far they've come. That might mean tracking progress in a hobby, a show they watch, or a skill they want to build.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Learners use the language both within and beyond the classroom to interact and… Checkpoint B | Students practice the new language outside class too, not just during lessons. They use it to talk, work, and connect with people in their community and with people from other countries. | TX-WL.5.1.wl-checkpoint-b |
| Learners set goals and reflect on their progress in using languages for… Checkpoint B | Students pick a personal goal for using the new language, then look back at how far they've come. That might mean tracking progress in a hobby, a show they watch, or a skill they want to build. | TX-WL.5.2.wl-checkpoint-b |
Students move past memorized phrases and start holding real conversations about familiar topics. They can read short articles, stories, and messages, write paragraphs about themselves and their world, and talk about the cultures where the language is spoken.
Ask students to teach a few words or phrases each week, or to summarize a short video or song in English. Even five minutes of listening to music, watching a cooking video, or reading a menu in the language counts as real practice.
Students should hold a short conversation on everyday topics like food, school, family, travel, and weekend plans. They should read a short text and pull out the main idea, and write a paragraph or two about themselves with reasons and details.
Plan units around topics students actually talk about, then layer the three modes inside each unit: listen or read first, talk about it, then write or present. Revisit the same topic later in the year with harder texts so students stretch beyond memorized chunks.
Some grammar practice is expected, but most class time at this stage should involve reading, listening, speaking, and writing about real topics. If grammar is the only thing happening, ask the teacher how students get to use the language for actual communication.
Past-tense storytelling and giving reasons or opinions are the two areas where students tend to stall. Build in regular short tasks where students retell something that happened and explain why they liked or disliked it, across many units.
A lot. Students are expected to compare daily life, holidays, food, school, and family routines in the cultures studied with their own, and to explain why things are done a certain way. Culture is not a Friday activity; it shows up in almost every unit.
A ready student can have a short unscripted conversation on a familiar topic, read a short authentic text and answer questions about it, and write a paragraph with connected sentences. If most of their language is still memorized phrases, they need more practice before moving on.
Encourage students to follow a creator, listen to a podcast, watch a show with subtitles, or message a pen pal in the language. Short daily contact builds more skill than long weekend study sessions.