Page 134 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages
C2. Purpose, Form, and Style
By the end of this course, students will:
C2.1 Purposes and Characteristics of Text Forms: identify the purpose(s) and characteristics of some familiar text forms, including fictional, informational, graphic, and media forms, and explain how the characteristics help communicate the meaning (e.g., predictable structure in a pattern book makes the text accessible for new language learners; the division of information into short sections in a how-to book allows the reader to follow instructions easily; a list of components enables the consumer to check that a product is complete before assembly and/or use; pictures and product information in a catalogue give consumers information to help them make choices; images and short paragraphs on a website encourage the user to browse instead of reading in depth)
Teacher prompts: “How does the format of a pattern book help new learners of a language understand the message?” “What is the purpose of including pictures in a catalogue?”
C2.2 Text Features and Elements of Style: identify some features and stylistic elements
of familiar text forms, including fictional, informational, graphic, and media forms, and explain how they help convey the meaning (e.g., rhyme and repetition emphasize particular ideas in a poem; numbered steps and diagrams in a manual guide the user through procedures; a price column and subsections by course allow the diner to skim a menu for information; graphics, fonts, colours, and illustrations in an advertisement highlight the features of the product; titles and subtitles organize information in an article or
a report; maps and sample itineraries in a travel guide help the reader plan the details of a trip)
Teacher prompts: “How is the text laid out in this manual? Why?” “What are some elements of a travel guide that help readers find the information they need to plan a trip?”
C2.3 Metacognition:
(a) describe some strategies they found helpful before, during, and after reading to understand texts;
(b) identify their areas of greater and lesser strength as readers, and plan steps they can take to improve their reading skills (e.g., plan to preview vocabulary to improve reading fluency; identify which strategies they use regularly and automatically and which they seldom use, and decide whether to revise their practice; plan to reread to find information they may have overlooked; reflect on their use of reading comprehension strategies and plan to use the ones they find
most effective when setting new goals; with a peer,
exchange helpful strategies, and plan to try one used by their classmate)
Teacher prompts: “Can you identify a strategy that you use frequently and automatically? Do you think it is effective? What might you change about your practice?” “What strategy do you use to remember important points? How does it compare to the strategy that your classmate uses?”
C3. Intercultural Understanding
By the end of this course, students will:
C3.1 Intercultural Awareness: using information from a variety of texts in the target language, identify communities where the target language is spoken, find out about aspects of their cultures, and make connections to personal experiences and their own and other communities (e.g., locate target-language communities in an atlas or a geographical database; order from an authentic menu according to a budget; determine the ingredi- ents in a recipe from a target-language community; identify and describe a theme or character in a legend from a target-language community; identify cultural events listed in an online newspaper; identify target- language texts in their own environment, such as on product packaging and store signs or in com- munity newspapers; conduct research to identify significant landmarks in various countries or regions where the target language is spoken, and describe them to the class)
Teacher prompt: “What kinds of target-language texts can you find in your own community? What do they tell you about the concerns and interests of the people who use the target language?”
C3.2 Awareness of Sociolinguistic Conventions: identify, in level-appropriate texts in the target language, examples of sociolinguistic conventions associated with a variety of social situations in diverse communities where the target language is spoken (e.g., classify salutations used in letters, e-mails, and postcards according to the context;
distinguish between formal and informal expressions used in e-mails; skim a variety of texts to identify vocabulary related to extending invitations; identify words and expressions unique to a particular region in a text they have read in class; interpret abbrevi- ations commonly used in social networking or text messages in the target language)
Teacher prompts: “Look at the forms of address in a letter to a friend and a letter to a government official. How do they differ, and what is the effect of each on the reader?” “What expressions can you use to extend an invitation?”
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