Study Guide

Field 079: Cherokee 
Sample Language Comparisons Assignment

Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."

The following materials contain:

Test Directions for the Language Comparisons Assignment

[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold  These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]

This section of the test consists of an assignment that requires you to compare and contrast a given element of English with that element in the target language. Remember to provide details to support your response.

 start bold Your response may be written in either English or the target language. end bold  This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. If you choose to respond in English, type your response in the response box presented on-screen. If you choose to respond in the target language, your final response must be written on the response sheet provided. Please label your response sheet with the appropriate assignment (e.g., "Language Comparisons"). Your response sheet must be scanned using the scanner provided at your workstation.

 start bold Instructions for scanning your response sheet are available by clicking the "Scanning Help" button at the top of the screen. end bold 

Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria.

 start bold PURPOSE: end bold   the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment

 start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold   accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge

 start bold SUPPORT: end bold   quality and relevance of supporting details

 start bold RATIONALE: end bold   soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

Any time spent responding to the assignment, including scanning the response sheet(s), is part of your testing time. Monitor your time carefully. When your testing time expires, a pop-up message will appear on-screen indicating the conclusion of your test session. Only response sheets that are scanned before you end your test or before time has expired will be scored. Any response sheet that is not scanned before testing ends will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be scored.

Sample Language Comparisons Assignment

subarea roman numeral 3 
Language Structures and Comparisons

 start bold Complete the assignment that follows. end bold 

To demonstrate your understanding of the linguistic structures of Cherokee and English, write a response in which you:

Remember to provide details to support your response. Your response may be written in either Cherokee or English. If you choose to respond in Cherokee, you may write either in the syllabary or in phonetic script. Within your response, however, you must write consistently either in the syllabary or in phonetic script.

Sample Strong Response to the Language Comparisons Assignment

 start italics Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. end italics 

One major difference between the verb systems of Cherokee and English is that Cherokee uses a very wide range of affixes (prefixes, infixes, and suffixes) to add and provide meaning to verbs, whereas English typically uses other words to provide the equivalent meaning. The Cherokee verb conveys much more information than the English verb; in many cases, a verb can be a whole sentence in Cherokee. For example, information about who is performing an action or when/how the action is taking place can be conveyed directly within the verb in Cherokee, but requires the addition of a pronoun or helping verb(s) in English:

Jiwoniha. I am speaking.
Aniwoniha. They are speaking.
Dekanogisgv’i. She was singing.

Another main difference between the verb systems of Cherokee and English is that Cherokee uses a set of verbs known as "classification verbs" that have no equivalent forms in English. In Cherokee, verbs relating to handling (e.g., hold, have, get, receive, carry) have five forms corresponding to the physical attributes of what is being handled. For example, the verb "to have" in Cherokee has these five forms:

Agiha. I have something (round, solid, compact, or non-tangible).
Agikaha I have something (living).
Agineha. I have something (liquid).
Agina’v. I have something (flexible).
Agwvya. I have something (long and rigid).

There is not a direct equivalent of this system in English.

Performance Characteristics for the Language Comparisons Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the language comparisons assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
PURPOSE the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
SUPPORT quality and relevance of supporting details
RATIONALE soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

Scoring Scale for the Language Comparisons Assignment

Scores will be assigned to each response to the language comparisons assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4  start bold The "4" response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved.
  • There is a substantial, accurate, and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is sound; there are high-quality, relevant examples.
  • The response reflects an ably reasoned, comprehensive understanding of the topic.
3  start bold The "3" response reflects a general knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is largely achieved.
  • There is a generally accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence generally supports the discussion; there are some relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a general understanding of the topic.
2  start bold The "2" response reflects a partial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.  end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is partially achieved.
  • There is a limited, possibly inaccurate or inappropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is limited; there are few relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a limited, poorly reasoned understanding of the topic.
1  start bold The "1" response reflects little or no knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is not achieved.
  • There is little or no appropriate or accurate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence, if present, is weak; there are few or no relevant examples.
  • The response reflects little or no reasoning about or understanding of the topic.
U  start bold The response is illegible, not written to the assigned topic, not written in the required language, or of insufficient length to score. end bold 
B  start bold There is no response to the assignment. end bold