FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASS EXPECTATIONS:
C-M Language Students are expected to exhibit the following:
WRITTEN ASSESSMENTS:
*Written quizzes and homework assignments comprise 25% of the student’s overall grade.
*Tests and projects comprise 50% of the student’s overall grade.
All written and typed work is to be neat and legible. Assignments are to be turned in on time, except for those
special cases with extenuating circumstances. In these special cases, the teacher must be appropriately notified
and NOT THE MOMENT BEFORE any assignment is due. Sloppy illegible papers will not be accepted. It is
recommended that the student put a line through any error and make the necessary correction, rewrite the
assignment or simply use white out.
Reminder: Use of white-out is an accepted means for making corrections. However, students who submit
papers covered with whited out answers will be required to rewrite the assignment after school.
*Use of white-out is NOT acceptable on standardized examinations.
For timed activities such as written tests, it is recommended that the student be well prepared for the exam and
write their answers on scrap paper first, especially for sentence translations and essays. Students with poor
penmanship may type their work and submit it to the teacher directly or send via e-mail; in certain cases this may
include exams. Students with illegible work will be directed to rewrite or type the assignment for credit after
school.
Spelling is an important skill in foreign language study. Incorrect spelling counts as a student error, unless that
student is on a Special Education IEP with spelling exemption. Spelling exemption applies to foreign language levels
1-3. The fourth and fifth year language courses are college preparation and/or college credit classes that do not
follow the spelling exemption designation.
VERBAL-LISTENING ACTIVITIES aka “SEAT TIME” ACTIVITIES:
During “seat time” activities (audio, video, computer lab enrichment activities or paired dialogue assignments),
students are required to sign the student signature sheet, serving as “proof” of the students’ participation in the
required activity. Students are to be respectful of one another and put forth effort. Failure to participate and/or
stay on task will cost the student that day’s class participation grade. In extreme cases, disciplinary action will
result. Absent students will be required to make up the activity after school. All “Seat Time” work comprises 25%
of the student’s quarterly grade.
For all audio and listening activities, which could include grammar review assignments from a written text,
students must listen, answer and/or repeat in the target language, as directed by the program or by the teacher.
Students are expected to listen, respond appropriately, stay on task and not talk, goof around or work on
assignments for other classes. Should the activity involve a reading-listening assignment, students MUST follow
along, keeping their eyes on the reading, while listening in the target language. Failure to comply with seat time
regulations will result in loss of credit for that day’s participation grade.
Students may not laugh at or make fun of classmates during speaking activities. Disciplinary action could result.
When the teacher corrects a student’s pronunciation, it is not meant to offend or belittle, but rather to improve
the student’s speaking in the target language. The student will be expected to attempt to pronounce the word
correctly.
Choral repetition activities require participation from all students, not from a select few. Every student must
develop their own speaking skills in the target language. Failure to do so will result in loss of credit for that day’s
participation grade.
Many foreign language “seat time” and enrichment activities are performed in the Computer Lab. Students are
required to view their own screens and type their own work using the appropriate language accents and symbols.
Students must not to rely on others to do their typing for them. College work is typed and submitted (or forwarded
to the professor on-line). Accurate typing skills and internet use for academic purposes are necessary high school
skills that are required in college.
Many of the verbal activities that language students perform are recorded (whether on tape or on computer).
Students are responsible for exhibiting the appropriate behavior of a high school language student, pronouncing
words correctly in the target language and not horsing around. Inappropriate behavior i.e. laughing, inappropriate
noises on tape (or on the monitor) will not be tolerated and student work will not be accepted.