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IV. Using Puntos de partida to Organize Courses for Language
Proficiency
A. The Concept of Proficiency
Teaching for proficiency has been a goal of United States government and military language schools
for over three decades, and many foreign language professionals in academia have also accepted it
of the discussion has centered on oral proficiency, the idea of proficiency is not, of course, limited to
oral production. It also applies to reading, writing, and listening. Teams of professors working under
the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) have written generic guidelines
for all skills, and language-specific guidelines are available for the most commonly taught languages.
†
B. Teaching for Proficiency: Classroom Applications of the Concept of
Proficiency
There are several ways to make the standard beginning language class more proficiency-oriented.
The suggestions that follow are based on the ACTFL Intermediate-level descriptors. No claim is made
here that they offer a secret key that will magically unlock the doors to language proficiency, but
when used with a textbook such as Puntos de partida, which was developed with these concerns in
mind and which included virtually all of these features even in its first edition, they can produce
excellent results, even with the customary limitations imposed by time and the often excessive
number of students in beginning language classes.
1. The ACTFL Intermediate Level
Creating with the language is an important criterion for the Intermediate level, so ways must be
found to stimulate original language production. Personalization, contextualization, input-based and
open-ended activities, small-group and/or pair work, and opportunities for correction-free self-
expression are the keys to progress in this area, as is practice with critical language functions.
*
This was a multinational effort aimed at developing a set of descriptors of language ability that led to the ACTFL/ETS oral
proficiency scale in use today.
†
ACTFL’s website: http://www.actfl.org. ACTFL’s Guidelines can also be found on several websites.
a. Personalization
Students will learn Spanish more enthusiastically and produce it more spontaneously if they are
encouraged from the beginning to speak and write about themselves, their families, their friends,
their classes, and their favorite activities. Questions and topics that appeal to them will encourage
more use of Spanish than will those about which they have no interest or knowledge.
questions, complete sentences, interview one another, or talk spontaneously about their tastes and
preferences.
b. Contextualization
Exercises consisting of a series of unrelated questions, fill-in-the-blank statements, and the like are
much less effective in stimulating language production than are the interesting, contextualized
activities of the sort found in Puntos.
Even language use of the simplest kind takes on more meaning when placed in a thematic
framework suggestive of a real-life situation. Puntos is filled with such activities. Here is an example
of a contextualized activity from Gramática 6, Expressing to be. The activity (p. 78) focuses on the
use of ser to express possession, as well as on the de + el contraction. The simple context— to which
of the two people do the items below?— requires students to actually understand the cues and make
a decision about how to answer, not just plug in an answer in a mechanical way.
¿De quién es? Las siguientes cosas (things), ¿son de la rica actriz Jennifer Sánchez o Martín
Osborne, el estudiante (pobre, naturalmente)? En parejas, hagan y contesten preguntas. Las
respuestas pueden (can) variar.
MODELO: la mochila →
E1: ¿De quién es la mochila?
E2: Es la mochila del estudiante.
c. Input-based activities
Second-language acquisition research has focused considerable attention on the importance of the
development of receptive skills in the broader language learning process. This means not only
working on listening and reading skill development, as many good instructors have always done, but
more importantly, providing opportunities for students to be exposed to new materials via input-
based activities.
The Vocabulario: Preparación sections of Puntos have traditionally provided such activities. An
important feature of subsequent editions has been the inclusion of input activities in the grammar
sections as well. For example, the second student text activity in the Práctica section on -ar verbs (p.
44) permits students to “process” a variety of -ar present tense forms in a meaningful context.
and so on.
Paso 3 of the same activity provides an opportunity for students to work with the new structure in
pairs, using the same sentences that they have become familiar with in Paso 2.
d. Open-ended activities
Exercises and activities in any given part of a text should progress from the more controlled, in which
students are expected to supply the correct answer to demonstrate understanding of a grammatical
concept or mastery of vocabulary, to the open-ended, in which they are encouraged to be inventive
and communicate their own ideas. Puntos is rich in such open-ended activities, as can be seen in this
one from p. 207 in the student text.
¿Sabe Ud. mentir (to lie) bien?
No judgment of right or wrong should inhibit language use in these activities, for students must feel
free to use Spanish as a natural means of communicating information. For the most part, error
correction should be done at a later time, as discussed in letter F.
e. Small-group and pair work
The difficulty of working on such open-ended activities in the large language classes often found in
colleges and universities can be dealt with successfully by dividing students into pairs or small
groups. These can be for reading, writing, conversational, or cultural-research assignments, or for
those that require a combination of skills. It is helpful to match talented students with those of less
advanced language ability so that no team is likely to become the class “star.” (This also has the effect
of allowing slower learners to receive help from more proficient language students in a
nonthreatening situation.) Specific tasks should be assigned and time limits established for each
activity. The instructor should “float” from one group to another providing assistance or
encouragement as needed, ensuring that Spanish is being used, and making mental (or discreetly
written) notes of common errors to be worked on later. Each group or pair must know that some, if
not all, of them will be required at the end to share with the class what they have been doing during
the activity. If all are called on with equal regularity, it will not matter if any given pair or group is not
selected to “report” at the end of a specific activity. A friendly, cooperative, noncompetitive
environment must be established in the classroom so that students will want to work together
toward proficiency.
f. Error correction
Also critical to developing proficiency is judicious error correction. In real-life situations, errors are
allowed to pass uncorrected unless they interfere with communication, at which time conversation
usually breaks down. In the classroom, the same thing must be allowed to happen, difficult though it
may be for the instructor to allow. A good technique is for the instructor to take note of frequently
made errors as unobtrusively as possible when they occur (in general class discussions or in small-
group work) and bring them up after the open-ended activity session is over. Then additional
practice can focus on eliminating the more troublesome problems. Only if errors interfere with
communication or threaten to be repeated so frequently as to become ingrained should a “free
expression” activity be interrupted for correction.
g. Language functions
Other functions essential to reaching the Intermediate level of proficiency are the ability to ask and
answer questions and to survive predictable situations. Throughout Puntos, students are given the
opportunity to interview each other or to ask questions in the context of communicative activities.
Many real-life situations, based on the chapter themes, are also suggested— some rather structured,
others quite open-ended. Again, instructors can be as creative as they like in providing opportunities
for students to practice these critical functions.
2. Reducing the First-Year Grammar Load
One frequent response to suggestions like those in the preceding section is, “I’d like to be able to take
the time for such activities in my class, but if I do, we’ll never finish the book.” This is certainly a
problem in multiple-section courses in which all students must arrive at the same point by the end of
each term, and it is a problem that has often been exacerbated by the philosophy of textbook writers
and departmental administrators alike. It is usual for foreign language textbooks to pack a standard
canon of grammar into a first-year book, and department heads routinely expect instructors to cover
every bit of it in a year. The frustrations that result for both instructors and students are obvious.
There are some very solid reasons for reducing the amount of grammar presented in beginning
courses. First, it is clearly more likely that students will master the fundamentals of Spanish if they
are given time to use vocabulary and structures repeatedly in a variety of contexts. Proficiency in
achieved by memorization alone. It is far more effective to reduce the quantity of structures studied
and fully master those that are taught than to pack the course so heavily with grammar that students
spend all their time memorizing new rules and have no time to practice using them.
Second, setting the ACTFL Intermediate level as a reasonable goal for first-year students of
Spanish suggests that the most important grammar structures for a first-year course are those
necessary to achieve proficiency at that level. This means that the structures that enable students to
express their own feelings in a personal way, talk about their own lives, survive basic, predictable
into proficiency at advanced levels, where those structures are essential.
the past subjunctive, if clauses, and future verb and conditional verb forms are all presented in later
chapters (although parts of these paradigms are presented functionally relatively early in the text, for
example, me gustaría + infinitive).
Consequently, students work with these secondary structures (secondary for the needs of
beginning students), but not as much as with other, more fundamental material. Exposure to the
structures, however, means that students have an awareness of them, with in-depth study postponed
to the second year. In all probability they will master such material more quickly when the
appropriate time comes, and the first year can be devoted to practice with and review of more basic
material, where proficiency can more realistically be achieved.
Finally, it should be noted that many programs solve the problem of “covering the book” by using
a beginning text over three or even four semesters (or four or more quarters). This approach allows
individual instructors can decide whether this approach is appropriate for their campus, especially if
their institution has many students who will eventually transfer to another institution.
3. Authentic Materials
Realia and authentic texts of all kinds enhance students’ receptive skills, reinforce vocabulary,
4. Ancillary Materials
The package of materials that accompanies Puntos provides enormous support to both students and
For Students and Instructors
Workbook/Laboratory Manual
Connect
DVD Program
Audio Program
Supplementary Materials to Accompany Puntos de partida
For Instructors Only
Instructor’s Manual
Digital Transparencies
Videoscript
Image Bank
Cultural and Grammar PowerPoint Presentations
C. The ACTFL National Standards: The 5 Cs
In 1996, ACTFL published National Standards for Foreign Language Education, which is now in its
third edition. The content standards for foreign language education are known as the 5 Cs, and they
have had immeasurable impact on current pedagogy, methodology, and foreign language textbooks.
The following list of the 5Cs includes an overview of how Puntos in its current and previous editions
has integrated and applied the standards.
1. Communication: Communicate in Languages Other than English.
Puntos provides many opportunities for students to "engage in conversations," "understand
and interpret written and spoken Spanish," and formulate written and oral presentations on a
variety of topics. See, for example, the abundant Conversación pair/group activities and the
new A escribir guided writing sections, as well as the new ¡Ahora, yo! and Más ideas para
su portafolio features (at the end of each chapter in the Producción personal section).
2. Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures.
This standard emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the practices and
perspectives and between the products and perspectives of a culture. Puntos provides a
variety of culture-based presentations and tasks with information on products, practices, and
Students are often encouraged to explore additional information on their own as part of tasks
they are completing or for their own fulfillment.
3. Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information.
Whenever possible, Puntos encourages students to practice Spanish in meaningful contexts
4. Comparison: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture.
Throughout Puntos, students compare the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures to their
own. In addition, students are encouraged to compare the customs of different Spanish-
5. Communities: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around
the World.
The goals of this standard are for students to use Spanish within and beyond the classroom
setting and to become lifelong learners. In addition to classroom and online activities, Puntos
while no one can predict what students will do when they leave our classes, the authors hope
that Puntos provides enough stimulating content and encourages enough skill development
that students will become lifelong learners and users of Spanish, or at least people who are
interested in Hispanic cultures, here and abroad.
In addition to the multiple opportunities for working with the 5 Cs within the Student Edition of
Puntos de partida, all Connect activities are tagged to the 5 Cs for easy reference while selecting
assignments. That means, for each chapter, the side panel will
show which standards can be practiced. Just select the standards
that you would like your students to work on, and then filter the
results to show the list of pertinent activities. You can learn more
about our Connect offering in the Connect User’s Guide on the
Online Learning Center.
D. Conclusion
Puntos is up to date in its approach to teaching Spanish and can be used effectively in proficiency-
oriented classrooms. To derive the maximum benefits from the materials, instructors are urged to do
the following:
• Facilitate personalized, open-ended conversation with the class as a whole and encourage
students to work in pairs or small groups, and to use language spontaneously, as suggested by
thematic vocabulary, realia, and readings.
• Regularly use the student ancillaries and the abundant support materials available to the
instructor.
• Above all, ensure that grades are calculated in such a way as to reflect the communication
skills students are practicing, in equal proportion to the time spent on them in class.
This approach to teaching for proficiency should make learning Spanish both more enjoyable to
students and more functionally productive. The ACTFL Intermediate level is a reasonable goal for
first-year college students to achieve, and it is not too much to expect that most students in a class
will reach that level in most skills. Puntos provides a framework and an extensive series of
communicative activities designed to lead to that level of proficiency. When sufficient time,
encouragement, and help are provided, students can achieve the highest level of proficiency possible
in one year and establish a solid foundation on which further proficiency can be built.
While believing that their text serves well as a vehicle for proficiency-oriented classes, the
authors of Puntos feel that no textbook can promise that students will achieve the proficiency goals
