A Philosophy of Language Instruction in High School – Robert Harrell
In developing and articulating a philosophy of language instruction, or instruction of any kind for that matter, a good place to start is at the end. What is the goal of our instruction? What should students be able to do:
COVID Prayer – 7
Too often now, it seems, more every day, that that dang darkness creeps in, a little more each day since the crisis began, and there's that word again - tired. The darkness used to creep in a little. Now it’s creeping
COVID Prayer – 6
The model for our work as language teachers was always there – your Madonna and Child – but we missed it and put this work, this crazy work we all do for you, up in our heads and we tried
Robert Harrell on Homework
The text below is being added to the Primers if you ever have the "homework discussion" with your students, colleagues, or parents: There is a place for Homework, just not homework as it is traditionally conceived. Many people read Alfie Kohn
Robert Harrell on Language Assessment Principles
Source: Language Assessment; Principles and Classroom Practices, H. Douglas Brown and Priyanvada Abeywickrama. Pearson Education, 2010. There are five principles of language assessment: PracticalityReliabilityValidityAuthenticityWashback Practicality includes: Staying within the budgetDoable within time constraintsClarity of directions for administrationAppropriate utilization of human resourcesNot exceeding available material
Scope and Sequence
In various writings, Robert Harrell has illustrated and defended the use of comprehensible input in foreign language classrooms. The CI tidal wave, however, has yet to find its defense in most district level Scope and Sequence documents, which are still
Traps
Another repost from Robert Harrell. He raises the right points and has a way of exposing stinking thinking in language instruction as no other person can. Enjoy! Hi Ben, Thanks to the feedback from the PLC, I have revised the Eight Traps
COVID Prayer – 4
To God: It’s really been more than a tug-of-war. It’s been like a war. Why has the natural process of acquiring our first language - You've done a great design there, by the way - become such an exercise in futility?
COVID Prayer – 3
So many thoughts rush into my mind when it tries to figure out what languages are, and why on earth You ever made them. But one thing is certain. One thing I know for certain. Languages are beautiful, just as
COVID Prayer – 2
Languages are so beautiful, and you made up so many of them, all of them like beads on the string of a glorious and shiny necklace that you made and wear just for us, as a way to draw us