Cultures, Connections,
Comparisons, Communities
The outside ring of the NAEP
graphic contains the other four ‘C’s of the National
Standards: Cultures, Connections, Comparisons,
Communities. These four ‘C’s provide the goals
for Communication. Note that there are no lines dividing these four
‘C’s into separate boxes. They are also interrelated
and should all be reflected in every unit of instruction.
Imagine the four ‘C’s as the underpinning for all communication.
They are on a round base upon which the triangle of Communication
rests. Consider the characteristics of each of the four ‘C’s: 
Cultures
includes not only the products (art, music, monuments,
etc) associated with a certain country but also the practices
(customs, habits, traditions, etc.) of the people of a certain
country. Both aspects help students understand more about the
people of the culture: what is important to them and how it shapes
their view of the world. The National Standards refers to this
understanding as perspective.
Connections emphasizes the content in a language
class: content learned in the foreign language classroom can enrich
the students’ understanding of other disciplines. And, content
learned in other disciplines can be used as springboards that
encourage students to explore topics through the lens of the target
language and culture.
Comparisons allows students to compare and contrast
the target language and culture with their own, encouraging deeper
understandings of both their own and other countries’ language
and culture.
Communities takes the language learning beyond
the classroom. Students are encouraged to find ways to use their
language in their community and beyond via exchanges, travel,
communication via the Internet. Language instruction also encourages
lifelong learning, sparking an interest in and appreciation for
other languages, people, culture that continues throughout the
students’ lives.
What is the role of the four ‘C’s
in assessing Communication?
The four ‘C’s provide the context for the assessment.
Remember that the assessment has to be authentic: it has to reflect
real life situations where communication in the foreign language
is necessary. Keeping the four ‘C’s in mind (the base
that supports the Communication triangle) will guide your choice
of an appropriate context for your assessment.
What does an assessment based on the NAEP framework
look like in the classroom?
Keeping in mind that a performance assessment is the application
of what a student has learned to an authentic communicative situation,
we consider the NAEP
graphic as the visual representation of the assessment framework.
The parts create one unified image; there are not different pieces
scattered over the page nor are the parts presented in a linear
list. The image is an inclusive circle.
See examples
of what assessments based on the NAEP framework look like in the
classroom. |
