Sample Performance Tasks

Novice Level

Sample Performance Task

Your school is hosting a foreign delegation and your job is to ”meet and greet” the guests with other students. While you and your friends are honored to be selected as hosts you are also worried about the responsibility. As you meet to plan your strategies what might be some ways you and your friends could greet the guests? Think about different situations you have been in as a guest; what worked well for you? What didn’t work so well? As a group develop some simple sentences of greeting in the target language. Make sure you include appropriate expressions and gestures. How might you go about finding out the best ones to use? As a group critique one another on pronunciation, use of gestures, and use of appropriate expressions. What are some common errors you are making? In what areas are you doing well? What steps will you take to make sure your presentation is flawless?

You will be assessed on your ability to develop and use simple conversation using appropriate expressions, your ability to use common gestures, and your ability to work collaboratively with peers.

This sample performance task addresses the following:

Complex Thinking Standards

Comparison
Error Analysis

Learner Expectation(s)

Collaborative Worker
Knowledgeable Person (see content standard)
Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)

K-12 Content Standard(s) I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.
II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.

Key Learnings III. Engages in simple conversations.
IV. Uses common or familiar gestures and expressions of target culture.

Complex Thinking Standards	Comparison Error Analysis
Learner Expectation(s)	Collaborative Worker Knowledgeable Person (see content standard) Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)
K-12 Content Standard(s)	I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language. II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.
Key Learnings	III. Engages in simple conversations. IV. Uses common or familiar gestures and expressions of target culture.

SOURCE: Educational Planning, Portland Public Schools

Intermediate Level

Sample Performance Task

Tradition can be a strong force in many lands. Use your research skills to investigate what constitutes tradition. What are some positive aspects of tradition? What are some drawbacks? Using the information you have collected, deduce how advertising, cookbooks and select reading passages reflect traditions of the target culture. What aspects of culture seem to be most consistent? Which ones seem to be in flux? Which generalizations about tradition seem to most evident in advertisements, cooking or other sources?

Select a form of tradition and make your own advertisement, a new “traditional” recipe or short reading passage. Be sure you include traditional cultural practices and values from the target culture.

You will be assessed on your ability to understand cultural practices and values of the target culture through investigation, your ability to deduce the effects of identified generalizations on the values and traditions of the target culture, and your ability to create an advertisement, recipe or short reading passage.

This sample performance task addresses the following:

Complex Thinking Standards

Deduction
Investigation

Learner Expectation(s)

Quality Producer
Knowledgeable Person (see content standard)
Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)

K-12 Content Standard(s) I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.
II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.

Key Learnings 4. Reads and understands idea of simple reading materials.
2. Understands the cultural practices and values of the target culture (e.g., family, school, work, play).

Complex Thinking Standards	Deduction Investigation
Learner Expectation(s)	Quality Producer Knowledgeable Person (see content standard) Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)
K-12 Content Standard(s)	I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language. II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.
Key Learnings	4. Reads and understands idea of simple reading materials. 2. Understands the cultural practices and values of the target culture (e.g., family, school, work, play).

SOURCE: Paul MacDowell, Portland Public Schools

Advanced Level

Sample Performance Task

You have decided that a school based radio and TV show would be a great way towards helping the school and the community at large learn about each other and the wide range of ethnic and linguistic groups contained in both. What might be the format of the radio and TV show be like? How much of the show should be in English and in the target language? How will you provide an equitable balance, not only in regards to ethnic and linguistic diversity, but also to the various viewpoints within each group? What might be some of the prompts you will develop or topics you will identify? Compose some prompts in English and the target language.

You will be assessed on your ability to invent a radio or TV show, your ability to make decisions to develop equitable and quality prompt questions, your ability to compare and contrast cultures and your ability to communicate in a variety of ways.

This sample performance task addresses the following:

Complex Thinking Standards

Invention
Decision Making

Learner Expectation(s)

Effective Communicator
Knowledgeable Person (see content standard)
Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)

K-12 Content Standard(s) I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.
II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.

Key Learnings 1. Engages in student initiated exchanges within real-life context
1. Analyzes various aspects of cultures (e.g. customs, politics, institutions, laws, the arts).

Complex Thinking Standards	Invention Decision Making
Learner Expectation(s)	Effective Communicator Knowledgeable Person (see content standard) Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)
K-12 Content Standard(s)	I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language. II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.
Key Learnings	1. Engages in student initiated exchanges within real-life context 1. Analyzes various aspects of cultures (e.g. customs, politics, institutions, laws, the arts).

SOURCE: Adapted from Standards for Foreign Language Learning, 1996

Superior Level

Sample Performance Task

You have been asked to serve on a committee to work with the city council to help them be informed about community groups. How do you go about eliciting concerns or suggestions the target culture may have? What might be some of the issues or problems people may have? How do you deal with the concerns of the target population and those of the city as a whole? Are there commonalities? What are some differences?

As a committee member you decide to hold a panel discussion in the target language at school. How will you advertise the event? How will you organize it? Be sure you are able to analyze the perspectives of the constituents and provide ideas or means of assistance to the community as a committee members?

You will be assessed on your ability to to understand the social, political, and economic issues of the target community, your ability to problem solve and your ability to communicate effectively in a variety of ways.

This sample performance task addresses the following:

Complex Thinking Standards

Analyzing Perspectives
Problem Solving

Learner Expectation(s)

Effective Communicator
Knowledgeable Person (see content standard)
Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)

K-12 Content Standard(s) I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.
II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.

Key Learnings 1. Engages in extemporaneous exchanges.
1. Understands the social, political, and economic issues that affect the community of the target culture.

Complex Thinking Standards	Analyzing Perspectives Problem Solving
Learner Expectation(s)	Effective Communicator Knowledgeable Person (see content standard) Versatile Thinker (see complex thinking standard)
K-12 Content Standard(s)	I. Communicates through listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language. II. Acquires and uses knowledge of cultures while developing foreign language skills.
Key Learnings	1. Engages in extemporaneous exchanges. 1. Understands the social, political, and economic issues that affect the community of the target culture.

SOURCE: Educational Planning, Portland Public Schools