Montclair State University College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Spanish and Italian

Italian 242 Grammar and Composition I

Course Description: • A two-part writing-intensive course designed to improve the student's written Italian in a variety of contexts: short narratives, descriptions, formal and informal letters, argumentative essays, observation, and analysis. Attention is given to style, register, and vocabulary enrichment. This course begins with a thorough review and refinement of the student's knowledge of Italian grammar with systematic exercises and descriptive analyses of reading passages. The course is centered on discussion and written practice through the writing of multiple drafts and presentations and prepares students for the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages [ACTFL] Writing Test. Taught in Italian. This course is mandatory for all Italian

majors and students of the Initial Teaching Certificate in Italian. Use of Language Lab/Library Media Room, web-based and computer assisted resources required. •Students will practice a series of writing strategies (using visual organizers, creating a cluster diagram, brainstorming ideas, providing supporting detail, creating a time line, using a dictionary, free writing, paraphrasing, creating a point of view, summarizing, narrowing a topic, editing work) and styles of writing. Assigned readings will be examined as models for writing. Elements of literary analysis will also be introduced, with a particular attention to the mechanics of: beginning/ending a story (narrative incipit/explicit), building characters (protagonists/antagonists, flat vs round characters, etc.), descriptions/narrative spaces, point of view, showing/telling, narrative time. • Structurally, the grammar focus of the class will be on usage of: past tenses (passato prossimo, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo, passato remoto, trapassato remoto); pronouns (direct/indirect, double, ci, ne, relative) and articles/prepositions. Written assignments will mostly deal with narrating in the past. Exercises for vocabulary enrichment will mostly pertain to antonimia, sinonimia, intensità, metafora, derivazione (and use of cognates). •A diagnostic “entrance exam” on grammar and writing skills at the beginning of the semester will allow the instructor to assess the quality of your writing and your general knowledge of grammar. Students enrolled in Italian 242, in fact, have many different backgrounds: some have been studying Italian for only 4 semesters, others for longer, and come to 242 with more exposure to Italian from attending advanced courses. For this reason (and for a more balanced assessment of their final results), students will not be matched against one another or against an abstract idea of what “A” (or B, C, etc.) work is. The instructor’s qualitative evaluation will take into account the level they started the class at: substantial improvement must be noticeable in grammar, or vocabulary knowledge, or writing style, for example, if these areas were particularly weak or needed refinement. Students will receive written feedback on their performance in the form of a “progress report” card around the 8th week of the semester, containing advice on how to improve their writing/composition skills. •Italian 242 is student-centered and students will work together in a workshop environment. Creative assigments will be presented in class and evaluated collectively. Students must participate regularly in class. The class adopts a critical thinking approach, with detailed discussion and objective analysis. Your ability to ask questions is extremely important. Class is structured to value new ideas, and to understand and apply them, rather than to meet criteria for evaluation. The dynamic of the class depends on your participation on a daily basis and on lively discussions. •Collaboration among classmates is essential and time has been allotted for in-class group exercises and in-class peer correction of written work.

Fall 2007 Instructor: Dr. Andrea Dini Class: Thursday, University Hall 2004, 4-6:30pm Office: Dickson Hall 369 Office Phone: 973-655- (for urgent messages, please use email) Office Hours: Thursday, 2-4pm, and by appointment Email: andrea.dini@montclair.edu or dinia@mail.montclair.edu

Textbooks and Course Materials Textbooks: Collodi, Carlo. The Adventures of Pinocchio/Le avventure di Pinocchio (bilingual edition, edited and translated by N.Perella). Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. Reading schedule. Le avventure di Pinocchio will be used in class as a springboard for descriptions, summaries, character analysis and vocabulary usage. Passages from Pinocchio will be rewritten, paraphrased, summarized and also discussed according to their narratological elements. It is to your advantage to read chapters of the novel ahead of time and, whenever in need, use the translation which runs parallel to the text. The novel consists of 36 chapters. As you see, we will work groups of 4 chapters at one time, along 9 meetings. A more detailed schedule (with relative assignments) will be given in the Course Calendar (distributed separately). Chapters Due: Oct. 4 1-4 Nov.1 17-20 Dec. 6 33-36 Oct.11 5-8 Nov.8 21-24 Oct. 18 9-12 Nov.15 25-28 Oct. 25 13-16 Nov. 29 29-32 Course materials distributed in Blackboard by your instructor from: Ambroso, Serena and Giovanna Stefancich. Parole. 10 Percorsi nel lessico italiano. Esercizi Guidati. Roma: Bonacci, 1993. (Exercises on: Antonimia, Sinonimia, Intensità, Metafora, Derivazione.)

Calvino, Italo. Ultimo viene il corvo. Torino, Einaudi, 1949. [Selections and/or excerpts from: Un pomeriggio, Adamo, Il giardino incantato, Un bastimento carico di granchi, Il bosco degli animali, Desiderio in novembre, Dollari e vecchie mondane, Furto in una pasticceria, Paura sul sentiero, Campo di mine ] ___________. Il castello dei destini incrociati. Torino, Einaudi, 1973. [Selections] ___________. Marcovaldo, ovvero le stagioni in città. Torino, Einaudi, 1963. [Selections and/or excerpts from: Luna e Gnac, Il bosco sull’autostrada, Funghi in città, Marcovaldo al supermercato] ___________. Palomar. Torino, Einaudi, 1983. [Selections] Collodi, Carlo. Le avventure di Pinocchio. Edizione di riferimento, Milano: Rizzoli, 1949 (edizione per Letteratura italiana Einaudi, electronic file). [If you do not need a bilingual edition, you can just use this one for reading the novel.] Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. New York: Penguin, 1994. Napolitano Devine, Annamaria Nicolais. Grammatica italiana. Saratoga.CA: Anma Libri, 1979. Olson, Edwards, Foerster. In viaggio. Moving Towards Fluency in Italian. New York:McGraw-Hill, 2003. Olson, Edwards, Foerster. Workbook/Laboratory Manual Part A to accompany In viaggio. Moving Towards Fluency in Italian. New York:McGraw-Hill, 2003. The following texts are recommended for Italian 242 Fall 07 and Italian 243 Spring 08 (not to mention you can use them for any other advanced Italian course). Dictionaries: 1) You can order this title via www.ibs.it:

Titolo Sinonimi e contrari. Dizionario fraseologico delle parole equivalenti, analoghe e contrarie

Autore Pittano Giuseppe Prezzo Sconto 20%

€ 36,24 (Prezzo di copertina € 45,30 Risparmio € 9,06)

Dati 2006, 1088 p. Editore Zanichelli

2) You can order this title via www.Amazon.com (as either new or used): HarperCollins Sansoni Italian Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition (Hardcover)

List Price: $75.00 Price: $47.25 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

You Save: $27.75 (37%) Strongly recommended for grammar and vocabulary: You can order the following titles via www.Amazon.com (as either new or used):

A Reference Grammar of Modern Italian, 2 Edition (Paperback) by Maiden Martin (Author), Cecilia Robustelli (Author) List Price: $29.95

Price: $17.97 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. DetailsYou Save: $11.98 (40%)

Mastering Italian Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach (Mastering Vocabulary Series) (Paperback) by Luciana Feinler-Torriani (Author), Gunter Klemm (Author)

List Price: $12.95 Price: $10.36 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. DetailsYou Save: $2.59 (20%)

MOVIE SCREENINGS Students will watch and discuss (mostly, in writing) the following movies during the semester: 1. Novecento [1900] by Bernardo Bertolucci (1976) 2.Pasqualino Settebellezze [Seven Beauties] by Lina Wertmuller (1977) 3.La notte di San Lorenzo [The Night of the Shooting Stars] by Emilio &Vittorio Taviani (1982)

4.Il postino [The Postman] by Michael Radford (1994) 5.La meglio gioventù [Best of Youth] by Marco Tullio Giordana (2004) 6.El Alamein by Enzo Monteleone (2002) 7.Romanzo criminale by Michele Placido (2006)

N. 2,3,4 are in Sprague Library and have been placed on reserve for this class. N. 1, 5, 6 can be rented via Netflix, and/or can easily be found at Blockbuster’s or Hollywood Video (they have a U.S. distribution). N. 2,3,4 can also be found on NetFlix and/or at the other stores (if you elect not to watch them at the Library). Part of n. 5 and (in its entirety) N. 7 will be viewed during class time. Please plan ahead to be sure you will have the movies when their blogs/reaction papers are due.

Grade breakdown: Interactive in-class writing activities (30%): 1. Active participation and preparation (including grammar pop-quizzes), discussions (movie screenings), active use of assigned vocabulary 20% 2. Descrizioni Impromptu writing activities 10% Individual Homework: Grammar and Writing Skills (50%) 3. Assigned compositions/grammar exercises (various topics/styles; analyses) 20% 4. Weekly Blackboard Compositions (Journal) 20% 5. Discussion Board (Movie Screenings) 10% Formal Written Examinations (20%) 6. Assessments of Grammar Knowledge (Week 5 and 8) 10% 7. Final Web Page Project 10% Course graded on a conventional A-F scale: A 100-94 A- 93-90 B+ 89-87 B 86-84

B- 83-81 C+ 80-77 C 76-74 C- 73-71 D+ 70-67 D 66-64 D- 63-60 F 59-0

Writing proficiency and assessments

(yes, it will be you at the end of the semester… worn out but highly satisfied! a new-born writer! and in Italian!) ☺

1. Active participation, preparation, discussions on assigned readings (Pinocchio, Calvino’s stories), active use of assigned vocabulary. 20%

Attendance is not considered participation. You are graded upon active participation in class: questions, answers, group work, volunteering, etc. (You are not graded on your mistakes: mistakes will happen. You are graded on your willingness to interact –in speaking and in writing- with your instructor and your fellow classmates.) An obvious lack of at-home preparation will have a negative effect upon the participation portion of your grade (as will frequent tardiness). Several grades for participation will be given over the course of the semester, and averaged for a final class participation grade. Ask your instructor for your participation grade, and discuss with him how to improve this important part of your overall grade. Grammar knowledge will also be assessed during in-class exchanges and collective correction of written elaborates and exercises (by using transparencies and/or the class data projector). 2. Descrizioni. In-class impromptu writing activities 10% During class time there will be several paired or group writing activities ranging from descriptions to summaries to drafting letters, etc., in which speed will be an important component. Since vocabulary knowledge will be

essential for these in-class tasks, vocabulary exercises will be done and reviewed collectively before specific activities. 3. Assigned compositions 20% There will be several short compositions on a wide range of topics to be written in drafts during the semester. Compositions will also be peer-corrected and each student will receive a grade based also on his/her ability to improve another student’s piece of writing. Cooperation among classmates will be essential, as well as the timely completion and distribution of compositions when due. No late assignments accepted. If your composition is late, you will receive a zero for that composition. 4. Weekly Journal/Discussion Board 20% An important component of this class is your “weekly journal” to be posted by 8pm each Sunday on Blackboard. (Late postings not accepted.) Entries must be a minimum of 400 words each week. You can post by Saturday, if you elect to do so. Shorter entries will not be counted towards your grade. Entries cannot be repetitive; topics will need to vary (some more specific topics may also be assigned in advanced by your instructor as well). NOTA BENE: To receive credit, by Monday 8pm each student must also have chosen and replied to one classmate’s entry with his/her comments (a mininum of 150 words). The overall weekly postings are, in fact, a minimum of 550 words. 5. Discussion Board (Movie Screenings) 10% Students will write a min. of 300 words on an assigned topic pertaining to each of the movies they will screen during the semester. Shorter entries will not be counted towards your grade. 6. Grammar assessments (2, 5% each) and Final Web Page project (10%) 20% Two exams on grammar knowledge will be administered during the semester. Instructions on the Final Web Page Project will be given separately. (Most assigned compositions written during the semester will be collected, re-edited, woven together and “published” on-line by each student for a “personal” web page in Italian.)

Grading criteria. The following page contains is the grading criteria to be used to evaluate your written assignments. Your instructor will write his/her comments on the final draft of your compositions AND will give you copy of his/her evaluation (boxes will be checked). You will be able to clearly see how your grade was reached and the strenghts (or weaknesses) of your written production

Criteria

Points

Content (Information conveyed) • � Minimal information; information lacks substance (superficial);

inappropriate or irrelevant information; or not enough information to evaluate 16-19

• � Limited information; ideas present but not developed; lack of supporting detail or evidence.

20-23

• � Adequate information; some development of ideas; some ideas lack supporting detail or evidence.

24-27

• � Very complete information; no more can be said; thorough, relevant, on target.

28-30

Organization • � Series of separate sentences with no transitions; disconnected ideas; no

apparent order to the content; or not enough to evaluate. 11-14

• � Limited order to the content; lacks logical sequencing of ideas; ineffective ordering; very choppy, disjointed.

15-18

• � An apparent order to the content is intended; somewhat choppy, loosely organized but main points do stand out although sequencing of ideas is not complete.

19-22

• � Logically and effectively ordered from introduction to conclusion; main points and details are connected; fluent.

23-25

Vocabulary • � Inadequate; repetitive; incorrect use or non-use of words studied; literal

translations; abundance of invented words or words in English; or not enough to evaluate.

11-14

• � Erroneous word use or choice leads to confused or obscured meaning; some literal translations and invented words; limited use of words studied.

15-18

• � Adequate but not impressive; some erroneous word usage or choice, but meaning is not obscured; some use of words studied.

19-22

• � Broad, impressive; precise and effective use and choice; extensive use of words studied.

23-25

Language • � Abundance of errors in use and form of the grammar already studied;

frequent errors in subject / verb and noun / adjective agreement; non-Italian sentence structure; erroneous use of language makes the work mostly incomprehensible; no evidence of having edited the work for language; or not enough to evaluate.

6-9

• � Frequent errors in use and form of the grammar already studied; some errors in subject / verb and noun / adjective agreement; erroneous use of language often impedes comprehensibility; work was poorly edited for language.

10-13

• � Occasional errors in use and form of the grammar already studied; occasional errors in subject / verb and noun / adjective agreement; erroneous use of language does not impede comprehensibility; some editing for language evident but not complete.

14-17

• � No errors in the grammar already studied; very few errors in subject / verb and noun / adjective agreement; work was well edited for language.

18-20

TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ITALIAN 242 (Keep these instructions handy when accessing course materials)

A. Computer and Internet access. Computer access is necessary to satisfy course requirements. If you do not have a computer or have limited Internet home access (and/or a dial-up connection), make sure you set aside sufficient time to do work on campus in the many computer labs the University offers to students. Language students are encouraged to work in the Language Laboratory located in Dickson Hall 278.

Note to AOL users: Always use browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox etc. to access materials related to this class. If you are an AOL user, for example, log on to your AOL account to get on-line and minimize it. Then open Internet Explorer or Netscape or another browser to connect to the Internet. AOL causes frequent error messages and/or sessions to expire if you try to access your Webmail, or Blackboard using the AOL browser. If you must, use AOL only to get on-line.

B. Msu Net-Id.

NOTA BENE: For your Italian class(es) you are required to have a valid MSU Net ID account. If you do not have a valid MSU Net ID account, please go to: http://oit.montclair.edu/resources/studentemail.html and follow the on-screen instructions to get one.

NOTA BENE: Login to your e-mail account at: http://webmail.montclair.edu to get mail on and off-campus.

NOTA BENE: Your instructor will communicate with you by using only your MSU email address. Please check your MSU email often. Do not forward your MSU email to other email addresses (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.).

C. Blackboard.

Your Net Id will be necessary to access a course management system called Blackboard (http://www.montclair.blackboard.com), where Italian 242 content and course-related information may be regularly posted by your instructor. When you are logged in, the list of the classes you are taking will appear on the right of your screen. Click on Italian 242 and explore the site. You will need to familiarize yourself with the system within the first week of class. You can learn more about Blackboard at: http://oit.montclair.edu/resources/studentbb.html .

It is your responsibility to get acquainted with the way Blackboard works. Your instructor can help you but cannot do your work for you, so please spend some time in a Lab (or at home with your computer) to explore the site and the course. You will soon find out how easy it is to navigate Blackboard (Bb6). Check your course on Blackboard regularly (make sure you check for announcements at least the day before class meets). Your instructor may also upload handouts for you to download and use in class, so it is extremely important that you keep updated.

Attendance policy

Class attendance is mandatory. Your instructor keeps a written record of attendance, documenting all absences and late arrivals. (Your instructor may elect to have a sheet circulate at the beginning of each class that students will have to sign. Late arrivals will be documented immediately.) Because of the collaborative and communicative nature of language learning, be aware that absences will not allow you to develop and improve your skills in Italian and will therefore influence the instructor’s evaluation of your in-class active oral participation, preparation and homework. For this reason, no distinction between excused and unexcused absences will be made. However, should you be absent or late for class, make sure you tell your instructor, so you can have advanced notice of homework and be prepared when you come back to class next time. Always check your syllabus and Blackboard if you need to be absent from class. ***** If the student experiences extenuating circumstances outside of their control (i.e. death in the family, unforeseen serious illness, etc..) the professor and the department must be notified immediately so that proper arrangements can be made according to school policy. ***** For their own good, we firmly discourage students from joining the course after the first crucial 2 meetings. Absences numbering 4 or more mean automatic failure of the course. Since class meets only once per week, 4 absences constitutes one (1) month of missed classes. Understand, however, that one absence in face-to-face meetings with the instructor already adversely affects your final grade: 1 absence = loss of A, A-, 2 absences = loss of B+, B, B-, 3 absences = loss of C+, C, C-, and D range 4 + absences = Failure Should you be absent during class time allotted for peer-corrections/group work, you must make up the time (and complete assignments) outside the course’s formal schedule in order to receive credit. Chronic tardiness will also be taken into account for final grade computation by your instructor: if a student arrives late to class 3 times (10-15 minutes into class, or more), the instructor will attribute 1 absence.

AGREEMENT

After reading your syllabus, please complete this form in all of its parts, sign it and return it to your instructor the second day of class. Please PRINT: I, ____________________________________, enrolled in Italian 242 . Fall 2007, with Professor Dini,

have read and have understood the prerequisites for this class as outlined in the Syllabus. I understand

that the Syllbus is a contract between myself and my instructor and that it binds both of us to its

observance.

I furthermore state that I understand that:

1) Absences; 2) Failure to comply with textbook requirements; 3) Failure to comply with deadlines for homework/exams; 4) Academic dishonesty (plagiarism [copying and/or paraphrasing from uncredited

sources], receiving external help on exams, papers, compositions, homework through tutors or on-line translators)

will have an adverse effect upon my final grade. Important: In case of academic dishonesty, students will receive F for the course and their names will be reported to the Dean of Students’ office. Signature: __________________________________, date ________________________

PRELIMINARYACTFL Proficiency Guidelines CC Writing

Revised 2001

Karen E. Breiner-SandersGeorgetown University

Elvira SwenderAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Robert M. TerryUniversity of Richmond

INTRODUCTION

The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, first published in 1986, are global characterizations of integrated performancein each of four language skills C speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The ACTFL Guidelines are based in large parton the language skill level descriptions used by the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) and adapted for use in academicenvironments.

The ACTFL Speaking Guidelines have been extensively tested and interpreted, owing to their role as theevaluative core of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and in the context of research projects, articles, and debates. In1999, the time had come for them to be reevaluated, revised, refined, with the anticipation of a reworking of the remainingthree skills C writing, listening, and reading C to follow.

This revision of the Writing Guidelines follows the precedent set in the revised guidelines for speaking C they arepresented in a top-down fashion (from Superior to Novice) rather than in a bottom-up order, thereby allowing for morepositive descriptive statements for each level and sublevel, stressing what language users can do with the language ratherthan what they cannot do. This top-down ordering also manifests more clearly the close link between a specific proficiencylevel and the next lower level by focusing on a narrower sphere of performance rather than by regarding the expansionof functional tasks and expectations as leaps as one moves up the proficiency scale. It must be noted that the Superior levelencompasses levels 3, 4, and 5 of the ILR scale. However, the abilities at the Superior level described in these guidelinesare baseline abilities for performance at that level rather than a complete description of the full range of Superior.

For the two productive skills (speaking and writing), commercial and academic requirements have demonstratedthe need for more clearly delineated language proficiency criteria and specific distinctions in performance at the Advancedlevel (described as ALimited working proficiency@ for level 2 on the ILR scale). The division of the Advanced level intoHigh, Mid, and Low responds to these needs and is consonant with the distinctions made at lower levels of the WritingGuidelines and also in the revised guidelines for speaking.

Most significantly, writing, as discussed in this document, refers to both spontaneous and reflective writing.Spontaneous writing does not incorporate sufficient time for revision, rewriting, or clarification and elaboration. Reflectivewriting, on the other hand, affords the writer the time to better plan and organize the written material, and to be fullyinvolved in the entire writing process through rereading, revising, and rewriting. Both types of writing can be evaluatedusing these guidelines since it is not the type of writing but the product that is being evaluated. One might anticipate thatreflective writing would result in a richer and more accurate sample than spontaneous writing.

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As tasks shift upward, the writing, by necessity, becomes more reflective in order to satisfy the demands of thehigher levels. Writers become more aware of and more focused on the other, on the reader of the text, and also on the aimsthat they have for the reception of the text. In the real world, most writing tasks above the Intermediate level require somedegree of reflective writing. At higher proficiency levels, more tools are used and are used more skillfully (proofreading,editing, use of dictionary, spell checks, and other printed and electronic resources). Upper-level writers function as theirown editors to enhance the content, style, and impact of their text.

These revisions of the Writing Guidelines are provided as a first step in the revision process. Since language ascommunication is a constantly evolving phenomenon, we anticipate additional study, discussion, and research on writingitself and on its place in teaching, learning, and life. The committee invites the profession to use these guidelines to assesswriting proficiency and to consider the implications of these revisions on instruction and curricular design. The committeealso invites the profession to continue to study, discuss, and carry out research on these writing guidelines so that they canbe further refined to more precisely describe writing performance.

Acknowledgments

ACTFL is indebted to the following individuals who contributed to the original ACTFL Proficiency GuidelinesProject of 1986: Heidi Byrnes, James Child, Nina Patrizio, Pardee Lowe, Jr., Seiichi Makino, Irene Thompson, and A.Ronald Walton. Their work was the foundation for this revision project.

We would also like to thank the following committee members and reviewers who helped in the current revisionprocess: Lucía Caycedo Garner, Chantal Thompson, Eileen Glisan, Ray T. Clifford, Seiichi Makino, Martha Herzog,Pardee Lowe, Jr.

The revision of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines was supported by a grant from the United States Department of EducationInternational Research and Studies Program.

The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Writing (Revised 2001) may be used for non-profit, educational purposes only, provided thatthey are reproduced in their entirety, with no alterations, and with credit to ACTFL.

SUPERIOR

Writers at the Superior level are able to produce most kinds of formal and informal correspondence, complex summaries,precis, reports, and research papers on a variety of practical, social, academic, or professional topics treated both abstractlyand concretely. They use a variety of sentence structures, syntax, and vocabulary to direct their writing to specificaudiences, and they demonstrate an ability to alter style, tone, and format according to the specific requirements of thediscourse. These writers demonstrate a strong awareness of writing for the other and not for the self.

Writers at the Superior level demonstrate the ability to explain complex matters, provide detailed narrations in all timeframes and aspects, present and support opinions by developing cogent arguments and hypotheses. They can organize andprioritize ideas and maintain the thrust of a topic through convincing structure and lexicon and skillful use of writingprotocols, especially those that differ from oral protocols, to convey to the reader what is significant. Their writing is

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characterized by smooth transitions between subtopics and clear distinctions made between principal and secondary ideas.The relationship among ideas is consistently clear, evidencing organizational and developmental principles such as causeand effect, comparison, chronology, or other orderings appropriate to the target language culture. These writers are capableof extended treatment of a topic which typically requires at least a series of paragraphs but can encompass a number ofpages.

Writers at the Superior level demonstrate a high degree of control of grammar and syntax, both general andspecialized/professional vocabulary, spelling or symbol production, cohesive devices, and punctuation. Their vocabularyis precise and varied with textured use of synonyms, instead of mere repetition of key words and phrases. Their writingexpresses subtlety and nuance and is at times provocative. Their fluency eases the reader=s task.

Writers at the baseline of the Superior level will not demonstrate the full range of the functional abilities of educated nativewriters. For example, their writing may not totally reflect target language cultural, organizational, syntactic, or stylisticpatterns. At the baseline Superior level, occasional errors may occur, particularly in low-frequency structures, but thereis no pattern. Errors do not interfere with comprehension and they rarely distract the native reader.

ADVANCED-HIGH

Writers at the Advanced-High level are able to write about a variety of topics with significant precision and detail. Theycan handle most social and informal correspondence according to appropriate conventions. They can write summaries,reports, precis, and research papers. They can also write extensively about topics relating to particular interests and specialareas of competence, but tend to emphasize the concrete aspects of such topics. Advanced-High writers can describe andnarrate in all major time frames, with good control of aspect. In addition, they are able to demonstrate some ability toincorporate the functions and other criteria of the Superior level, showing some ability to develop arguments and constructhypotheses. They cannot, however, sustain those abilities and may have difficulty dealing with a variety of topics in abstract,global, and/or impersonal terms. They often show remarkable ease of expression when writing at the Advanced level, butunder the demands of Superior-level writing tasks, patterns of error appear. Although they have good control of a full rangeof grammatical structures and a fairly wide general vocabulary, they may not use these comfortably and accurately in allcases. Weaknesses in grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling or symbol production, cohesive devices, or punctuation mayoccasionally distract the native reader from the message. Writers at the Advanced-High level do not consistently demonstrateflexibility to vary their style according to different tasks and readers. Their writing production often reads successfully butmay fail to convey the subtlety and nuance of the Superior level.

ADVANCED-MID

Writers at the Advanced-Mid level are able to meet a range of work and/or academic writing needs with good organizationand cohesiveness that may reflect the principles of their first language. They are able to write straightforward summariesand write about familiar topics relating to interests and events of current, public, and personal relevance by means ofnarratives and descriptions of a factual nature. Advanced-Mid writers demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe withdetail in all major time frames. Their writing is characterized by a range of general vocabulary that expresses thoughtsclearly, at times supported by some paraphrasing or elaboration. Writing at the Advanced-Mid level exhibits some varietyof cohesive devices in texts of several paragraphs in length. There is good control of the most frequently used targetlanguage syntactic structures, e.g., common word order patterns, coordination, subordination. There may be errors incomplex sentences, as well as in punctuation, spelling, or the formation of non-alphabetic symbols and character production.While features of the written style of the target language may be present, Advanced-Mid writing may at times resemble oral

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discourse or the writing style of the first language. Advanced-Mid writing incorporates organizational features both of thetarget language or the writer=s first language. While Advanced-Mid writers are generally aware of writing for the other,with all the attendant tailoring required to accommodate the reader, they tend to be inconsistent in their aims and focus fromtime to time on the demands of production of the written text rather than on the needs of reception. When called on toperform functions or to treat topics at the Superior level, Advanced-Mid writers will generally manifest a decline in thequality and/or quantity of their writing, demonstrating a lack of the rhetorical structure, the accuracy, and the fullness ofelaboration and detail that would be characteristic of the Superior level. Writing at the Advanced-Mid level is understoodreadily by natives not used to the writing of non-natives.

ADVANCED-LOW

Writers at the Advanced-Low level are able to meet basic work and/or academic writing needs, produce routine socialcorrespondence, write about familiar topics by means of narratives and descriptions of a factual nature, and write simplesummaries. Advanced-Low writers demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in major time frames with some controlof aspect. Advanced-Low writers are able to combine and link sentences into texts of paragraph length and structure. Theirwritings, while adequate to satisfy the criteria of the Advanced level, may not be substantive. Writers at the Advanced-Lowlevel demonstrate an ability to incorporate a limited number of cohesive devices but may resort to much redundancy, andawkward repetition. Subordination in the expression of ideas is present and structurally coherent, but generally relies onnative patterns of oral discourse or the writing style of the writer=s first language. Advanced-Low writers demonstratesustained control of simple target-language sentence structures and partial control of more complex structures. Whenattempting to perform functions at the Superior level, their writing will deteriorate significantly. Writing at the Advanced-Low level is understood by natives not used to the writing of non-natives although some additional effort may be requiredin the reading of the text.

INTERMEDIATE -HIGH

Writers at the Intermediate-High level are able to meet all practical writing needs such as taking notes on familiar topics,writing uncomplicated letters, simple summaries, and compositions related to work, school experiences, and topics of currentand general interest. Intermediate-High writers connect sentences into paragraphs using a limited number of cohesive devicesthat tend to be repeated, and with some breakdown in one or more features of the Advanced level. They can write simpledescriptions and narrations of paragraph length on everyday events and situations in different time frames, although withsome inaccuracies and inconsistencies. For example, they may be unsuccessful in their use of paraphrase and elaborationand/or inconsistent in the use of appropriate major time markers, resulting in a loss in clarity. In those languages that useverbal markers to indicate tense and aspect, forms are not consistently accurate. The vocabulary, grammar, and style ofIntermediate-High writers essentially correspond to those of the spoken language. The writing of an Intermediate-High

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writer, even with numerous and perhaps significant errors, is generally comprehensible to natives not used to the writingof non-natives, but gaps in comprehension may occur.

INTERMEDIATE-MID

Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level are able to meet a number of practical writing needs. They can write short, simplecommunications, compositions, descriptions, and requests for information in loosely connected texts that are based onpersonal preferences, daily routines, common events, and other topics related to personal experiences and immediatesurroundings. Most writing is framed in present time, with inconsistent references to other time frames. The writing styleclosely resembles the grammar and lexicon of oral discourse. Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level show evidence of controlof syntax in non-complex sentences and in basic verb forms, and they may demonstrate some ability to use grammatical andstylistic cohesive elements. This writing is best defined as a collection of discrete sentences and/or questions loosely strungtogether; there is little evidence of deliberate organization. Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level pay only sporadic attentionto the reader of their texts; they focus their energies on the production of the writing rather than on the reception the textwill receive. When Intermediate-Mid writers attempt Advanced-level writing tasks, the quality and/or quantity of theirwriting declines and the message may be unclear. Intermediate-Mid writers can be understood readily by natives used tothe writing of non-natives.

INTERMEDIATE-LOW

Writers at the Intermediate-Low level are able to meet some limited practical writing needs. They can create statements andformulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are recombinations of learned vocabulary and structures.These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic subject-verb-object word order. They are written mostlyin present time with occasional and often incorrect use of past or future time. Writing tends to be a few simple sentences,often with repetitive structure. Vocabulary is limited to common objects and routine activities, adequate to expresselementary needs. Writing is somewhat mechanistic and topics are limited to highly predictable content areas and personalinformation tied to limited language experience. There may be basic errors in grammar, word choice, punctuation, spelling,and in the formation and use of non-alphabetic symbols. When Intermediate-Low writers attempt to perform writing tasksat the Advanced level, their writing will deteriorate significantly and their message may be left incomplete. Their writingis understood by natives used to the writing of non-natives, although additional effort may be required.

NOVICE-HIGH

Writers at the Novice-High level are able to meet limited basic practical writing needs using lists, short messages, postcards,and simple notes, and to express themselves within the context in which the language was learned, relying mainly onpracticed material. The writing is generally writer-centered and is focused on common, discrete elements of daily life.Novice-High writers are able to recombine learned vocabulary and structures to create simple sentences on very familiartopics, but the language they produce may only partially communicate what is intended. Control of features of theIntermediate level is not sustained due to inadequate vocabulary and/or grammar. Novice-High writing is oftencomprehensible to natives used to the writing of non-natives, but gaps in comprehension may occur.

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NOVICE-MID

Writers at the Novice-Mid level are able to copy or transcribe familiar words or phrases, and reproduce from memory amodest number of isolated words and phrases in context. They can supply limited information on simple forms anddocuments, and other basic biographical information, such as names, numbers, and nationality. Novice-Mid writers exhibita high degree of accuracy when writing on well-practiced, familiar topics using limited formulaic language. With lessfamiliar topics, there is a marked decrease in accuracy. Errors in spelling or in the representation of symbols may befrequent. There is little evidence of functional writing skills. At this level, the writing may be difficult to understand evenby those accustomed to reading the texts of non-natives.

NOVICE-LOW

Writers at the Novice-Low level are able to form letters in an alphabetic system and can copy and produce isolated, basicstrokes in languages that use syllabaries or characters. Given adequate time and familiar cues, they can reproduce frommemory a very limited number of isolated words or familiar phrases, but errors are to be expected.

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Summary Highlights

SUPERIOR ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE NOVICE

Superior-level writers arecharacterized by the ability to

! express themselves ef-fectively in most informaland formal writing onpractical, social, and pro-fessional topics treatedboth abstractly as well asconcretely.

! present well developedideas, opinions,arguments, and hypothe-ses through extendeddiscourse.

! control structures, bothgeneral and special-ized/professional vocabu-lary, spelling or symbolproduction, punctuation,diacritical marks, cohesivedevices, and otheraspects of written formand organization with nopattern of error to distractthe reader.

Advanced-level writers arecharacterized by the ability to

! write routine informal andsome formal correspon-dence, narratives, descrip-tions, and summaries of afactual nature.

! narrate and describe inmajor time frames, usingparaphrase and elabora-tion to provide clarity, inconnected discourse ofparagraph length.

! express meaning that iscomprehensible to thoseunaccustomed to the writ-ing of non-natives, primar-ily through generic vocab-ulary, with good control ofthe most frequently usedstructures.

Intermediate-level writers arecharacterized by the ability to

! meet practical writingneeds C e.g., simplemessages and letters, re-quests for information,notes C and ask and re-spond to questions.

! create with the languageand communicate simplefacts and ideas in a loose-ly connected series ofsentences on topics ofpersonal interest and so-cial needs, primarily in thepresent.

! express meaning throughvocabulary and basicstructures that is compre-hensible to those accus-tomed to the writing of non-natives.

Novice-level writers arecharacterized by the ability to

! produce lists and notes andlimited formulaic informationon simple forms anddocuments.

! recombine practiced materialsupplying isolated words orphrases to convey simplemessages, transcribe familiarwords or phrases, copy lettersof the alphabet or syllables ofa syllabary, or reproducebasic characters with someaccuracy.

! communicate basic infor-mation.

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Glossary

argument C a type of discourse that is intended to persuade or convince; because of the polemic nature of argument,

one can expect to find a significant number and variety of connectors that facilitate elaboration, detailing, and

the incorporation of examples, for a cogent and cohesive organization of ideas.

aspect CC a verbal category that refers to some characteristic of the activity or state of a verb; indicates if an action or

state is viewed as completed or in progress ( I went / I was going), instantaneous or enduring ( The sun came

out / The sun was shining), momentary or habitual (They vacationed at the shore / They used to vacation at

the shore ). Aspect is often indicated by prefixes, suffixes, infixes, phonetic changes in the root verb, use of

auxiliaries.

circumlocution C an indirect or roundabout compensation strategy to express a thought or meaning when appropriate

lexical items are unknown.

cohesive devices CC language components that link ideas for seamless flow within and among sentences and paragraphs,

such as relative pronouns, pronoun substitutions [subject and object], coordinating and subordinating

conjunctions, adverbs of time, subordinate clauses.

distract the native reader C errors (misspelling, incorrect grammar, incorrect lexical items, faulty structure) appearing

in writing samples that focus the attention of the native language user on the form rather than on the meaning.

elaboration C adding more detail and specificity in the exposition of a particular idea.

fluency CC a flow in the written language as perceived by the reader, made possible by clarity of expression, the

acceptable ordering of ideas, use of vocabulary and syntax appropriate to the context, with words, phrases,

and idiomatic expressions that go together by common lexical convention.

formal/informal writing C features of writing (format, punctuation, choice of vocabulary) that reflect different

audiences and purposes for the communication. For example, in informal writing, the use of contractions and

colloquialisms, direct discourse, generic vocabulary; in formal writing, the use of honorifics, indirect

discourse, specific and thematically appropriate vocabulary. See also tailoring of writing.

functions C also called task universals or global tasks, this latter particularly referring to communicative tasks

(descriptive, informative, narrative, persuasive, and/or hypothetical writing) that have been identified as the

key criteria for a given level of proficiency.

functional writing skills C what an individual is able to do with written language, for example, those writing

capabilities that are appropriate to satisfy communication needs for specific writing purposes (personal,

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practical, academic, professional, creative writing, etc.)

generic vocabulary CC those words and expressions that serve equally well in a variety of categories and contexts. Such

vocabulary is readily intelligible to the general public, but does not normally deepen meaning. (See also specialized

vocabulary).

low-frequency structures C complex language constructions that are seldom utilized or required in a given language in its less

formal expression, but often necessary in the most formal types of writing geared to high-level communicative tasks such

as persuading and hypothesizing. Examples of such constructions are some compound tenses (AShe would have

thought@), the sequencing of tenses (AIf they had considered the implications, they would have opted for another

solution@), and compounded subordination (AGiven the clear and present danger, and in view of the significant loss

already suffered by the villagers, the council decided to ...@).

non-alphabetic symbols C those elements of meaning that appear in both Roman and non-Roman languages that

indicate stress, punctuation, syllabification; including ideographs and pictograms C Un hombre muy tímido

entró; The first- and second-year students are here; ( ? $ ) * + 8.

oral discourse C a style of language that contains the characteristics of informal spoken language, i.e., redundancy,

repetition, fragments, contractions, simple sentences.

paragraph C a specific unit of thought that reflects a structural and thematic chronology (beginning, middle, end),

usually organized through a group of related sentences that encompass a sense of unity and completeness.

Often, and especially in academic formats, the paragraph contains a topic sentence (a clear statement of the

principal idea or thesis), and the sentences that follow help explain or contribute to the elaboration of the topic

sentence.

paraphrase C stating the contents of a passage or text in similar language without quoting the original text or using the

language verbatim.

redundancy C linguistic and structural components that serve the same purpose within the communication; also

superfluous words (a verbatim quotation), repetition (This is my father. I work for my father.), or

unnecessary verbiage (Two years ago in 1999, .... ).

reflective writing C written material that is planned and organized through rereading, revising, editing, and rewriting.

The writer has time to plan and organize the written material, to be fully involved in the entire writing

process. This type of writing is generally necessary to produce texts at high proficiency levels. Writers C and

most decidedly high-level writers C will generally produce higher-level written texts through reflective writing

than through spontaneous writing.

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specialized vocabulary C words, expressions, technical terms, etc., that are meaningful to members of a specific group

or field of study or endeavor, but not to the general public. While sometimes referred to as jargon, a

specialized vocabulary channels meaning and makes the information more precise, more focused, and at times

more profound. (See also generic vocabulary)

spontaneous writing C writing that is produced when preparation and production need to occur at the same time; it

does not allow sufficient opportunity for revision, rewriting, or editing.

symbol production C the production of ideographs or pictograms (as in Chinese, Japanese), or non-alphabetic elements

of a given language.

time frames C general periods in time: past, present, or future, but not necessarily tenses that indicate those specific

times. For example, future time can be indicated by use of the future tense, but also by the present tense: I am

going to the movies this afternoon. Likewise, past time can be indicated by use of the present tense: Elle vient

de partir; Ella acaba de salir [She has just left].

tailoring of writing CC selecting language, information, and ideas, and ordering these components, to create a particular

effect in the reader, whether to convince or persuade, to incite or anger, to comfort, or to summon support or

action, etc. Such tailoring also includes the use of appropriate variables in register, i.e., in expository writing

vs. information writing.

verbal markers C those morphological, phonological and/or semantic elements that indicate differences in tense [ran /

run / have run;hablo / habló (I speak / he spoke)]; person C (I eat / He eats); auxiliaries [Elle est sortie hier

soir (She went out last night) / Elle a sorti la poubelle (She took the trash can out)]; and aspects of verbs

[They ran / They were running].