It’s Reading not Rocket Science with GInny Hildebrant Ginny Hildebrant is the published author of three books for Spanish-language learners. In this session she shared how to incorporate the reading of a novel into the curriculum. According to GInny pre-teaching vocabulary is an essential component of student success when reading novels. This step should not be skipped as it helps to lower students’ affective filter. When the students begin to read the text, it should be easy for them. After all, if reading is painful, who wants to do it? TA: Do whatever it takes to make reading in L2 easy. Keynote Address with Dr. Bill Van Patten Dr. Bill Van Patten is the host of a Tea With BVP, a weekly, live podcast that discusses all things related to Second Language Acquisition. In his Keynote Address, BVP shared myths and facts of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). While quite a bit of research has been done on SLA, and we have learned a lot in terms of how SLA occurs, there is quite a bit that is still a mystery. For example, we do not know why people acquire language at different rates, when all factors are equal. We also do not know the role L1 plays in SLA. BVP shared a metaphor about L1 learning compared with L2 learning. Learning L1 is like walking up a flight of stairs. Not overly difficult, but to do so takes skill. Learning L2 is like walking up the same set of stairs while lugging an overstuffed suitcase. The physical act of walking hasn’t changed, but there is now something dragging you down. Researchers have yet to unpack what it is about L1 that burdens the L2 acquisition process, but they are aware that somehow the L1 gets in the way. TA: There is A LOT going on the brain during L2. 90% Target Language, 100% Effective! with Carol Gaab Carol began by sharing the meaning behind the title of her session. ACTFL suggests that the L2 classroom stays in the target language 90% of the time, but in reality 90% is a made-up number. Furthermore, staying in L2 for 90% of the time may not even be enough. Students need hours and hours and hours to acquire language. Therefore it is essential the classroom stays in the target language, which includes both the teacher and the students. However, simply remaining in the target language is not enough, the language MUST be compelling AND comprehensible. This is essential. Carol shared a number of strategies to ensure that language is both. TA: In order for students to acquire language effectively, the classroom must remain in compelling and comprehensible [target] language a minimum of 90%. Creating Culture: Speaking Before They Can with Grant Boulanger Grant is an ACTFL Teacher of the Year candidate, and with good reason! He is not only an engaging speaker, but also a highly engaging teacher. Grant shared that he does NOT expect his Level 1 students to produce any language until they are comfortable. He has NO forced output AT ALL. However, he still gives students an interpersonal grade. How? Because communicating with the teacher is also considered interpersonal communication. When Grant questions his students, and they respond in a manner in which they are comfortable (verbal or non-verbal), and in which shows they comprehend the message, this counts as interpersonal communication. This was a huge A-HA moment for me. But if the students are producing language (AKA forced output), how can they be assessed? Grant had an answer for that also. He expects students to be attentive listeners, ask for clarification of meaning and respond to questions at a level where they are comfortable. He has students self assess these qualities using a rubric. These scores make up the majority of his gradebook. TA: Interpersonal communication does not need to be verbal, not does it need to be student to student communication. A Thanksgiving TPRS Story with Jim Tripp Jim Tripp is a classroom educator currently working in Iowa. He has been using TPRS methodology for years and has published a collection of Matava-style stories that he has written. In this session, he chose to use the audience as classroom learners and run through the storyasking process using one of his stories. I personally loved this session. I had not yet neither seen nor experienced a storyasking session in person, and Jim was amazing to see in action. During the session he introduced target phrases, established meaning of those phrases, asked the story and sprinkled in a lot of PQA (Personalized Question and Answer) along the way. One element that Jim includes is something called “personal public dictation.” Essentially, he calls a student to the board (personal) and dictates a sentence, which the student then transcribes (public). TA: Storyasking is a fun, interactive method for both the teacher and students!
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Jessie Oelke
#deptofone providing compelling and comprehensible input Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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by Bethanie Drew The Language Coach by Amy Lenord Bryan Kandel TPRS by Bryan Kandel Bryce Hedstrom's Blog by Bryce Hedstrom CI Peek by Carol Gaab Creative Language Class by Kara Parker & Megan Smith La Clase de Sra. Dentlinger by Elizabeth Dentlinger The Comprehensible Classroom by Martina Bex Grant Boulanger's Blog by Grant Boulanger Kristy Placido's Blog by Kristy Placido Maris Hawkins' Blog by Maris Hawkins El Mundo de Birch by Sharon Birch Musicuentos by Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell Mis Clases Locas by Allison Wienhold Making Good Mistakes by Courtney Johnson MJ's Comprehensible Input by Michele Whaley My Generation of Polyglots by Mike Peto PBL in the TL by Laura Sexton Somewhere to Share by Carrie Toth Spanish Nobility by Jason Noble Teaching Spanish by Kara Jacobs Todally Comprehensible Latin by Keith Toda Tripp's Scripts by Jim Tripp |