foreign_language_education

 

**Foreign Language Education (Clare)**
Productivity

//Standard: // 12.3.4 Compose detailed written information with more varied vocabulary and structures.

Present Scenario:   Ms. Johnson teaches a 12th grade foreign language class. She wants her students to compose detailed written information with more varied vocabulary and structures. Usually, Ms. Johnson would assign the students a topic and ask them to write two or three paragraphs in the last 15 minutes of almost every 50 minute class. Students then were asked to revise their drafts after school and turn the new version in the next day. Ms Johnson would provide feedback to each individual by offering additional revision suggestions. Although this activity did improve the students’ writing skills somehow, Ms. Johnson realized the following problems. First, some students complained that although they could easily detect spelling mistakes, they felt it's very hard to revise vocabulary and structures simply because they tended to think the drafts were good enough in those aspects. Second, Ms. Johnson felt that students’ revisions were hard to trace and she didn’t know where they had taken place in the drafts. Third, Ms. Johnson was overwhelmed by the workload of mistake checking and feedback providing that she was always behind the schedule of developing lesson plans and instructional materials. Moreover, document missing happened from time to time, which was though not a big loss, still caused some frustration. Ms. Johnson was advised to consider using computer and I nternet to solve those issues but she couldn’t figure out a practical plan. Can you help her? //Learners:// This is a foreign language class of 22 12th graders. //Environment://The class has access to a computer lab that can hold 30 students. Each student can be assigned to a working station that is loaded with Microsoft suite and Internet. The teacher's computer is also connected to a projector. //Objective:// Given the electronic drafts written by their classmates, the students should be able to use appropriate softwares to make revisions on vocabulary and structures, and submit to the teacher, thus they are supposed to master and practice varied vocabulary and structures and detect problems associated with them.

Course exploration   //Standard: // 11.7.1 (6-12 Sequence for Modern European and Classical Languages)   Use elements of word formation to expand vocabulary and derive meaning. http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/docs-Language/2007-06-06-WorldLang-6-12-ModernEuropeanClassical.pdf

Present Scenario: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Mr. Willington teaches a 11th grade foreign language class. He wants the students to develop vocabulary building skills by using elements of word formation to expand their vocabulary and derive meaning. He made piles of flash cards with root words, prefixes or suffixes on the left side and its meaning on the back of each card. He usually distributed them into different groups in class and had the students read through, memorize cards and test each other. Mr. Willington hoped that this activity could enlarge the students’ vocabulary capacity, but only to find that a substantial amount of students still did poorly in unit tests on root words, prefixes or suffixes. He thinks he can improve this activity by changing it so that: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· <span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Each student would be able to access the full bank of words on the flash cards. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· <span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Students could be tested either immediately or periodically after they have memorized the words. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· <span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Students would be given more timely feedback and learning strategies. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· <span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Students would always have access to the words they have had trouble with and improve retention. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Mr. Willington wonders what technology tool would satisfy his needs. Can you offer him your help? //Learners:// This is a foreign language class of twenty 11th graders. //Environment:// There is a computer lab available with 25 working stations loaded with Internet and all necessary applications. //Objective:// Given root words, prefixes or suffixes, students should be able to memorize their meanings and thus expand their vocabulary. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Communication Standard:<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">11.1.4 ( 6-12 Sequence for East Asian Language) Make requests and ask different types of questions in a variety of social situations. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/docs-Language/2007-06-06-WorldLang-6-12-EastAsian.pdf

Present Scenario:<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Lindsey teaches 11th grade foreign language class. She wants her students to improve their listening and speaking skills through role plays so that they can make requests and ask different types of questions in a variety of social situations. Previously, Lindsey would create various role play and interview scenarios and form students into groups of three to five. The students would be assigned the roles, and switch the roles afterwards. Lindsey found that this activity did improve students listening and speaking abilities, but very slowly. The students lacked timely feedback and correction. Besides, Lindsey found that students’ pronunciation made no improvements at all since their language levels are quite similar to each other. Lindsey is considering providing the students with authentic environment and opportunities to communicate with native speakers so that the kids can experience what native conversations in a variety of social situations would look like, but she thinks it’s impossible to pair a native speaker with every student. If you were Lindsey, how would you make this idea feasible? //Learners:// This is a foreign language class of twenty 11th graders. //Environment:// Students have access to a technology center that has 7 working stations loaded with Microsoft Suite, Breeze, MSN, Skype and other necessary applications. The teacher's computer is up in the front of the center and connected with a projector. //Objective//: Given a conversation partner to speak with, students should be able to make requests and ask different types of questions in a variety of social situations and make improvement in their pronunciation. Production Standard:11.8.3 (K-12 Sequence for East Asian Language) Show evidence of becoming a life-long learner by using the target language and cultural knowledge for personal enrichment. http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/docs-Language/2007-06-06-WorldLang-K-12-EastAsian.pdf

Present Scenario: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">John teaches 11th grade East Asian language class. He wants his students to show evidence of becoming a life-long learner by using the target language and cultural knowledge for personal enrichment. Previously, he asked the students to keep a journal, recording everything they did after class associated with the target language practice and the cultural knowledge building of the target language. However, he realized that the journal alone was not sufficient to present vividly what the students had done. Besides, individual journals were not very easy to share among the students. John wants to improve his class by the application of technology so that the students would be more motivated to use the language and keep the evidence, and be more willing to share with each other. What suggestions can you give John? Learners: This is a East Asian language class of twenty-two 11th graders. Environment: Students have access to a classroom which has 4 computer workstations as well as a teacher computer connected with a projector. Objective: With the help of one or two specific technology tools, students will demonstrate motivation to use the target language and cultural knowledge, keep the evidence, and share the evidence with each other.

Data Collection/Analysis Standard: 11.7.6 (K-12 Sequence for East Asian Language) Compare and use idiomatic, colloquial and proverbial expressions in the target language. http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/docs-Language/2007-06-06-WorldLang-K-12-EastAsian.pdf

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Present Scenario: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Emily teaches 11th grade foreign language class. She encouraged students to collect various idiomatic, colloquial and proverbial expressions from materials (e.g., newspaper, brochure, announcement) written in the target language in order for them to be able to compare and use them. This activity was very successful at the very beginning since students were quite motivated to keep those materials they had encountered in daily lives and bring them to share with each other. Movie posters and advertisement were particularly in vogue for a while and evoked some heated discussion. But as time went by, each student has got a pile of materials and they complained it’s hard to categorize them sometimes because of the space they take. Besides, they usually spend a long time retrieving old materials when they need them so they don’t even want to read them any more and collecting simply became meaningless. Emily didn’t expect this situation to occur. She wants to improve this activity so that the following needs could be met: l  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Materials could be easily grouped and physically moved around. l  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Materials are easy to retrieve. l  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students can share each other’s collection and discuss the characteristics of each material type. l  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Good samples of each topic or subject area could be tagged and kept for future use. l  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Space for storing. <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Emily certainly thinks some technology tools might be appropriate to use here but doesn’t know which to choose exactly. What are your suggestions to improve the class?

Leaners: This is a foreign language class of 21 11th graders. Environment: Students have access to a classroom and a computer lab which has enough computers for every student. A teacher computer connected to a projector is available. Objective: In order for the students to compare and use idiomatic, colloquial and proverbial expressions in the target language, students should be able to collect different expressions from various materials and be able to group, tag, retrieve and share the information with the help of technology tools.

Learner