Seal of Multilingual Proficiency

What is the LinguaFolio?

The LinguaFolio, a portfolio of language experiences, consists of:

• LinguaFolio Coversheet
• 1 page Student Application with student information
• 1 page School Verification of state and national scores, submitted in a sealed envelope
• Language Autobiography: responses to five prompts (approximately 200 words each) to demonstrate:
  • English Proficiency
  • Interest and proficiency in additional language(s)
  • Authentic connection(s) and real-life use of language within relevant culture
  • Language comparisons
  • Multicultural experiences

These questions or prompts are designed to evoke responses that address the 5 C's (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparison, Communities).

1. Communication: is at the heart of second language study, whether the communication takes place face-to-face, in writing, or across centuries through the reading of literature.
   1.1  Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and  emotions, and exchange opinions.
   1.2  Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
   1.3  Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
2. Cultures & Written Communication: Through the study of other languages, student gain a knowledge and understanding of the cultures that use that language and in fact, cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs.
   2.1  Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.  Students demonstrate understanding of authentic patterns of communication.
   2.2  Student demonstrate an understanding of relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.
3. Connections: Learning languages provides connections to additional bodies of knowledge that may be unavailable to the monolingual English speaker.
   3.1  Students reinforce and further their knowledge of their disciplines through the foreign language.
   3.2  Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and it's cultures.
4. Comparisons: Through comparisons and contrasts with the language being studied, students develop insight into the nature of language and the concept of culture and realize tat there are multiple ways of viewing the world.
   4.1  Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
   4.2  Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied their own.
5. Communities: Together, these elements enable the student of languages to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world in a variety of contexts and in culturally appropriate ways.
   5.1  Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.
   5.2  Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the language  for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

(from the National Standards in Foreign Language Education)