What am I Assessing?

Process: 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.