Category Archives: Teaching Methodology and Research

Tips for Teaching in the Target Language

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Teachers are teaching more and more in the target language.  The first step is to commit to using the target language at least 90% of class time.  This is the ACTFL recommendation.  The second step is to acquire some strategies.  Here is a simple system that I follow that helps me to teach in the target language.

Tips for Teaching in the Target Language (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comRoutine:

  • Use routines in class as much as possible so that students are not constantly trying to decipher language.  Routines provide context to the language and students are better able to comprehend what they hear when it is in an expected context.  They will also begin to pick up on language as they associate it with the actions that they see.  Routines can also include Functional Chunks of Language, which are expressions, phrases or words that students learn as a chunk without necessarily understanding the grammatical structure.  These Functional Chunks of Language help to keep the target language the dominant language in the classroom by both the students and the teacher.

13Comprehensible Input (CI):

  • Comprehensible input is language that students understand.  The teacher can help students comprehend by providing visuals, making gestures and using language that is familiar to students.  Another great way to make input comprehensible is through circumlocation. (You can read more about circumlocution HERE.)

i+1 (Input Hypothesis):

  • i represents a student’s current level of language  (Krashen).  i+1 represents language that is just beyond the current level of students.  i+1 is a way of advancing students in language proficiency by having students rely on the language that they understand to make sense of new language.

Context is the most important thing t keep in mind when teaching in the target language.  When a familiar context is used students are better able to use their understanding of a situation to understand language that they are hearing.

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The SAMR Model

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Technology is all around us and many teachers are integrating various technology tools into their teaching.  Though a new app, website, or computer software may appear (through marketing or other means) to be the “new best thing” you way want to decide this for yourself before using it with your students.  A great way to assess this is through the SAMR model.

SAMR Model: Using Technology in the Foreign (World) Language Classroom. (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comThis model, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, offers a method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and learning. It shows a progression that adopters of educational technology often follow as they progress through teaching and learning with technology.  It is a framework through which teachers can assess and evaluate the technology used in the classroom. As teachers move along the continuum, computer technology becomes more important in the classroom but at the same time becomes more invisibly woven into the demands of good teaching and learning.

The SAMR model explained by Dr. Ruben Puentedura.

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An Exercise in Foreign Language Circumlocution

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The 100th day of school is a very important day in many elementary schools and there are lots of activities to celebrate, all based on the number 100. Each year, I challenge my 3rd graders to list 100 words and expressions that they know in the target language in 20 minutes. I give pairs of students a card with a category and they brainstorm words and expressions. It’s a great way for them to use category words in preparation for circumlocution.

An Exercise in Foreign Language Circumlocution (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comWe then write the list. I always hold off on using the words for numbers, unless they are needed to reach 100. We did not need to resort to them this year.  It is all about the context.  Rather than listing words for fruit, ask students to tell you which fruits are their favorite, or to describe the colors.  Instead of asking for examples of verbs, have students tell you what they like to do on the weekends with their friends, and follow it up with when and where.  Once they communicate in context the words and expressions keep coming.

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Planning Towards a Goal in the Foreign Language Classroom

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Feedback is an important and much-needed part of learning.  It is important that students have a clear understanding of what the goal or end product is so that they don’t feel that they are working just to work.  How many of us have heard students ask, “Why are we learning this?” or “When will I ever need this?”  Students ask this when they are not motivated to learn because the goal that they are working toward is not clear and obvious.  Teachers need to clearly understand what the end goal or product will be, and this needs to be shared with students at the beginning of a unit or lesson.Planning Towards a Goal in the Foreign (World) Language Classroom (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comThroughout the unit or lesson the formative assessment and feedback should always be in relation to the goal.  Comments such as “good work” or “nice job” are not specific and in relation to the goal.  When the goal is presented early on it is more productive to assess formatively and provide feedback toward the goal.  For example, if the goal is to narrate an event in the past, feedback such as, “Your mastery of these regular verb forms will help you to speak confidently about what you did last weekend.  Now turn your focus to these irregular verb forms that will help you speak or write about more events.” Information from  Formative Assessment provides data during the instructional process. Without a clear goal, it is difficult to answer these formative assessment questions:

  • Where am I going?
  • Where am I now?
  • How can I get to where I am going/need to be?

Here are some ways to keep the goal the focus of the a unit or lesson.

Planning Towards a Goal in the Foreign (World) Language Classroom (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.com

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Language Learning Promotes Acceptance of Social and Physical Diversity

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I wrote a previous post on how a change in the words that a student uses can change a students mindset.  Essentially, a mindset that is more focused on growth and overcoming challenges will lead to higher confidence and a clearer understanding, whereas a fixed mindset causes students to limit their confidence and potential (Carol Dweck, Mindset).  I recently came across the results of a study done at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec that looked at how this concept of a growth or fixed mindset can be influenced by the process that a young learner goes through as he learns a foreign language.

Language Learning Promotes Acceptance of Social and Physical Diversity (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comThis was an interesting study in its methodology.  The children they worked with were 5-6 years old.  Some children were monolingual and others were children who had learned a second language in some capacity.   The researchers told the children stories about babies born to English parents but adopted by Italians, and about ducks raised by dogs. They then asked if “the children would speak English or Italian when they grew up, and whether the babies born to duck parents would quack or bark”  They also questioned “whether the baby born to duck parents would be feathered or furred.”  The children who had learned a second language knew that a baby raised by Italians would speak Italian, whereas the monolingual children were not as certain. The children with experience learning a second language were also more likely to believe that an animal’s physical traits and vocalizations are learned through experience or that “a duck raised by dogs would bark and run rather than quack and fly.”

The results of the study show that learning a second language (not two languages together from birth) not only promotes a growth mindset, but it can “alter children’s beliefs about a wide range of domains, reducing children’s essentialist biases,”  which leads to less stereotyping and prejudiced attitudes. In addition, the study posits that “early second language education could be used to promote the acceptance of human social and physical diversity.”

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Posted in Cultural Exploration, Teaching Methodology and Research

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Virtual Professional Development with a Personal Learning Network (PLN)

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Computers, smartphones, tablets, the internet, apps, and websites are all around us and it is a rare day when a teacher does use at least one of these technology tools.  In response to this, Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) have become virtual, easily accessible and quick.  A PLN consists of learners (teachers seeking professional development in this case) who create connections and develop a network that contributes to their professional development and knowledge.

Virtual Professional Development with a Personal Learning Network (PLN) wlteacher.wordpress.comTypically, the learner does not have to know the people personally or ever meet them in person.  Professional conferences play an important role in professional development, but an active PLN happens on the timetable of the individual, though there are some PLNs that have designated chat session times once a week, but that happens from where you are.

My PLNs:

  • Twitter (hashtag #langchat for foreign language teachers).  Post a question with the hashtag or search Twitter with the hashtag and respond or read responses.
  • Facebook (Create a page and invite teachers to join).  I am a member of the Organic World Language (OWL) page and the discussions are very formative.
  • Pinterest (Follow boards of interest).  I maintain individual boards by topic and follow other boards with those topics.  Comment on pins or repin the pins that you like to your own boards.
  • Instagram (Follow other language teachers and world travelers).  Search topics with hashtags (#) and get great visuals for use in the classroom.  Comment and share with other teachers.
  • Periscope (Interact with language teachers in real time).  I follow several language educators and I also scope once a week, sometimes more, about language teaching tips, tools and resources.
  • YouTube (Follow channels that interest you).  Don’t just watch videos, leave comments and start a conversation.  Create a network.
  • Blogs (like this one).  Follow blogs of interest and you will be notified of new posts.  Don’t just read the posts, pin, tweet, post on Facebook and comment on the post on the blog.  This starts a conversation.

Here is a quick and informative video on Personal Learning Networks (PLNs):

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Is My Foreign Language Textbook Focused on Proficiency?

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This is an important question to consider as language teaching moves toward proficiency and what students are able to do with the language, rather than the more traditional focus of what students know about the language.

Is My Foreign (World) Language Textbook Focused on Proficiency? (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comMany times, teachers are required to use a particular textbook, while in other situations they have choice or can be part of the decision-making process.  Here is a helpful Textbook Evaluation Instrument Based on the ACTFL Standards. Essentially, this document will guide educators in determining how much the textbook guides students toward higher foreign language proficiency levels, based on the ACTFL Standards.

What is a teacher to do if he or she determines that the textbook that is required proves not to be as focused on proficiency as one might hope?  This is actually excellent information to have.  A concrete understanding of what is missing provides the teacher with a solid idea of the types of supplemental activities that need to be used in the class so that proficiency is the goal.

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Engaging with Culture in the World Language Classroom: Cultural Value Dimensions

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In a previous post I wrote about Cultural Intelligence (CQ), which is based on  David Livermore’s research and posits that CQ begins with an interest that motivates us to learn about a culture and we use that knowledge to effectively navigate and interact with the culture.

But how do we gain knowledge about a culture that gives us insights into perspectives that influence behavior, traditions and practices?  There are 10 dimensions of cultural value that researchers at the Cultural Intelligence Center (including Livermore) use to compare one culture with another.  It is important to point out the difference between a stereotype and archetype in this research. A stereotype is the belief that all members of a group act the same way while an archetype is a tendency of a group of people to behave in a certain way.  These cultural value dimensions are based on archetypes.

Engaging with Culture in the Foreign Language Classroom: Cultural Value DimensionsI use these cultural values to engage conversations about culture that come up in classroom.  Rather than viewing our own culture as the norm, we reference these cultural values to gain an understanding of the perspectives of our culture and that of another country or community.  This framework helps to move beyond statements such as “Culture A is always late and Culture B is always on time.”  With an understanding of the “Time–Punctuality versus Relationship” cultural value dimension there is a better understanding of how to engage with a culture that is different than one’s own in regards to this  particular dimension.

I don’t reference all of the dimensions with students because it can get a bit overwhelming.  Instead, I focus on a few and they learn to words to reference them in the target language. These are the Cultural Value Dimensions that tend to be more approachable for students, though more are possible with additional time and dedication.

Engaging with Culture in the Foreign Language Classroom: Cultural Value Dimensions

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Posted in Classroom Procedures, Cultural Exploration, Teaching Methodology and Research

Language Proficiency and Accuracy in the Foreign Language Classroom

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Language Proficiency and Accuracy in the Foreign (World Language Classroom (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comProficiency and Fluency are the natural use of language that occurs when a speaker takes part in meaningful interaction and maintains communication despite inaccuracy. They often require negotiation of meaning and address misunderstandings.

Accuracy focuses on correct use of language and structures.

Activities in the foreign language classroom tend to fall into these two categories.

Screen Shot 2014-11-17 at 8.41.35 PMTaking the key words from these activity descriptions, we can see that Proficiency-Based Activities focus on meaningful communication, employ strategies to navigate unpredictable language, use language in context, and don’t use dictated structures.  Accuracy-Based Activities focus on small amounts of correct language used out of context, use dictated structures and don’t focus on communication.

Where does this leave us, given that accurate language is needed to communicate in context?  I believe that there is a place for both types of activities in the foreign language classroom. Traditional teaching methods have focused most attention on accuracy of language at the expense of proficiency and fluency. In the communicative language classroom instruction should provide a balanced approach that gives students opportunities to build proficiency, while at the same time tending to the accuracy of their language.

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Posted in Classroom Procedures, Grammar and Structures, Speaking, Teaching Methodology and Research

Foreign Language Comprehensible Input and Proficiency Goals

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Comprehensible Input is language that a student hears or reads that has meaning.  This does not imply that the learner understands all of the words and structures, but rather that the learner is able to interpret enough of the language to make meaning out of what is being heard or read.  Typically, new vocabulary and structures are presented using comprehensible input and the learner is expected to draw on what is comprehensible to make sense or meaning out of the unfamiliar words or structures.

Foreign (World) Language Comprehensible Input and Proficiency Goals (French, Spanish) wlteacher.wordpress.comFor example, though a learner does not know how to put a verb in the past tense, he can deduce that the verb in the sentence, “I walked to school yesterday” is in the past tense because he comprehends the words “I,” “walk,” “to,” “school,” and “yesterday.”  With additional comprehensible input and rich examples the learner eventually picks up on the “ed” morpheme that puts the verb in the past tense and will begin applying it himself.  This takes some practice on the part of the teacher to make sure that the language is comprehensible to the learner and includes structures a little beyond the current proficiency level.  A solid understanding of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and text types will help in this area.

This works well when students have a wealth of language to pull from, but what about novice learners?  In this case I rely a lot on visuals and eventually use only language that is known by students and supply the visual only for new words.  The goal is always to work toward a higher proficiency level and for students to know what the goal is.  For example, with my 3rd graders, a proficiency goal as a novice-low reaching toward novice-mid is to say what they like to do and what they do not like to do.

IMG_2711The class is conducted entirely in the target language using visuals and gestures as comprehensible input.  Once students have acquired the vocabulary and structure and can state what they like and don’t like to do they place a sticker on the proficiency goal.  They often use the visuals as a guide when speaking, but there is no reliance on the native language since there are no words.  This requires a few classes and diverse activities with the new vocabulary, but 100% target language use is possible.

IMG_2712

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