From Grant Boulanger:
Dear Ben,
This may not be the time of year that people are thinking along these lines, but I am. I recently came across a document, written by a traditional teacher, that is intended to be sent home at the beginning of the year/semester. It looks VERY MUCH like the letter I’ve sent home in my previous life as a page turner. In recent discussions on the blog we’ve referenced how difficult it can be to connect with page turners and have meaningful discussions about methodology.
In reading over this letter to the parents of students, the following ideas/beliefs jumped out at me from the paper (again I reiterate that I used to have almost a carbon copy of this type of letter):
1. Grade based on completion and compliance, not ability. Homework must be done every night because there’s so much content to cover and if it’s not done, no credit.
2. Pay attention because I won’t slow down.
3. Memorization of vocabulary is the “key to success” in a language.
4. Misspelling leads to confusion therefore spelling (especially accent marks) counts.
5. Output: The more you speak the more confident you’ll get. Reluctance to speak stems from being a perfectionist. It’s a fear you just need to conquer.
As teachers who are on the CI pathway, we know and understand the issues with such statements. Some of these statements can be linked to a teacher’s style or philosophy, i.e. their approach to homework. However, at least #2, #3 and #5 are contradicted by Krashen’s research. Perhaps we should be having courageous conversations with these colleagues, pointing out these inaccuracies.
But, perhaps more importantly, my question is, what are we, as professionals who know these points to be a masquerade, doing to inform our parents about why we do what we do? Are we empowering the public to question such statements, to look at them critically? Remember, most of our students’ parents had a language class in school that would have subscribed to similar processes and expectations.
Can we work together here to post ideas that succinctly lay out the truth about language acquisition in bite-sized pieces for our parents so that they are equipped to challenge their own preconceived notions about how languages are learned?
I’ll get us started. My current document starts with this quote from ACTFL’s Executive Summary of the Standards:
“Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom…”
All the linguistic and social knowledge required for effective human-to-human interaction is encompassed in those ten words. Formerly, most teaching in foreign language classrooms concentrated on the how (grammar) to say what(vocabulary).
While these components of language are indeed crucial, the current organizing principle for foreign language study is communication, which also highlights the why, the whom, and the when. So, while grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, it is the acquisition of the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with users of other languages that is the ultimate goal of today’s foreign language classroom.
More succinctly, also from the same document, “We are learning how, when and why to say what to whom.”
And my document concludes with this piece, influenced heavily by the CO LEAP Appendix document, about what “Rigor” looks like in my class. What does “hard work” look like in Spanish class? Since acquisition only happens when written and spoken messages are actually being understood, “hard work” means:
– staying focused on the message being delivered.
– listening to comprehend.
– reading to comprehend.
– A student who is visibly “working” is engaged in active listening.
– Successful students will take an active role in class – that means they will:
– Listen actively.
– Watch and respond appropriately with body language and/or short answers.