Second Language Literacy
We define Second Language Literacy as the ability to read, write, listen, and speak a language that is not your native language.
What We Expect Our Students to Learn
Students will demonstrate reading comprehension of a short text in the target language.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
All students enrolled in a 200-level foreign language course are required to take the final exam.
Measure: How are we rating their performance?
On the final exam, students will read passages in the foreign language and respond to short-answer questions in English.
Target: What score did we expect?
70% of students will score 70% (or above) on reading comprehension.
Findings: What score did our students earn?
2019
- Spanish: 86% of students scored 70% or higher.
We plan to increase the difficulty of reading comprehension questions on the exam. - French: 90% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue to develop reading activities that promote string proficiency in reading comprehension. - German: 43% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will devote more class time, homework and assignments to reading comprehension strategies.
2025
- Spanish: 73% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue adding more extra practice outside and inside the class period and we will continue to monitor the progress. - French: 97% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue to do more practice, monitor the group of students we receive next time, and adjust the activities to fit their needs. - German: 67% of students scored 70% or higher.
The German instructors will brainstorm ways to improve students’ reading comprehension in the target language, including adding additional practice opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.
Students can compose a passage in the target language that a sympathetic native speaker could understand.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
All students enrolled in a 200-level foreign language course are required to take the final exam.
Measure: How are we rating their performance?
On the final exam, students will write a short passage in the target language.
Target: What score did we expect?
70% of students will score 70% (or above) on reading comprehension.
Findings: What score did our students earn?
2019
- Spanish: 88% or students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue focusing on writing skills with in-class assignments, homework and exams. - French: 74% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will develop more peer review writing activities to help improve students' confidence in writing. - German: 92% or students scored 70% or higher.
We will encourage more in-class writing assignments to help students rely less on translation tools.
2025
- Spanish: 82% or students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue doing in-class compositions and incorporating more practice during class. - French: 90% of students scored 70% or higher.
The French program will continue to incorporate writing activities in the practice of all the material. - German: 98% or students scored 70% or higher.
We need to rethink the efficacy of the homework assignments due to the use of online translators and AI.
Students can answer questions on listening stimuli at the intermediate-low level on the ACTFL scale.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
All students enrolled in a 200-level foreign language course are required to take the final exam.
Measure: How are we rating their performance
On the final exam, students will answer 10 multiple-choice questions in the target language, based on material learned in two listening passages at the intermediate-low level.
Target: What score did we expect?
70% of students will score 70% (or above) on listening competency.
Findings: What score did our students earn?
2019
- Spanish: 97% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will work on increasing the complexity of the listening sections in future assessments. - French: 80% of students scored 70% or higher.
Audio material (songs, video clips) will continue to be an integral part of the teaching resources. FREN 200 instructors will also continue to use the many listening resources offered by the textbook. - German: 70% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue assigning listening activities through in-class activities and homework.
2025
- Spanish: 96% of students scored 70% or higher.
We modified the final exam to increase difficulty of listening sections. - French: 84% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue assigning a variety of listening activities and conduct classes solely in French language. - German: 88% of students scored 70% or higher.
We will continue to emphasize listening skills, integrating songs and cultural videos as appropriate.
Students can demonstrate the ability to accurately translate into English a Latin passage at the intermediate-mid level on the scale of the National Standards for Classical Language Learning.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
All students enrolled in a 200-level Latin course are required to take the final exam.
Measure: How are we rating their performance
On the final exam, students will translate a Latin passage at the intermediate-mid level into correct English.
Target: What score did we expect?
70% of students will score at the intermediate-mid level (or above) on translation ability.
Findings: What score did our students earn?
2019
- Latin: 73% of students scored 70% or higher.
Continue using the newly adopted textbook for lower-level Latin classes, which helps with translation.
2025
- Latin: 92% of students scored 70% or higher.
We recommend that the basic materials and methods be retained, but with an added emphasis on the concepts taught towards the end of LATN 200. In particular, this should be accomplished via fuller explanations, additional examples, and/or more focused homework assignments as well as a greater presence on quizzes and exams.