Dear Ben,
As I head off to Latvia to oversee an intensive Russian study program for 14 kids who have done well in three years of Russian, I find an email in my box with the results of our school’s Russian AP exam. Three “regular” program kids and 18 immersion program kids took the exam. The “regular” ones scored in the middle or above the average of the non native-speaking immersion kids, and also scored higher than several of the native-speaking immersion kids. My “regular” kids have had four or five years of my mixed-level, not-completely-scheduled, often and openly derided (by the immersion teacher) CI/TPRS.
Since word has spread that our school plans to cancel the regular level 1 program this year, and the rest of the regular program after that, the parents who know me have evidently been connecting with the principal. One native-Russian mom, a teacher who has observed in both programs, pointed out that she is highly disappointed with immersion, and is removing her son so that he can be part of my second-year classroom. She thinks he’ll learn more that way, as her daughter did, scoring a 5 on the AP after refusing to speak Russian until the end of year 3.
These results are on a truly proficiency-based AP exam. One of the kids was in a mostly 2nd-year class this year and has huge learning disabilities. I would be more surprised, except that I do have years of good feedback and compliments from the universities whose programs receive my kids. They’re usually lacking in descriptive grammar skills, but their “four skills” and easy participation in classes make them stand out. Two have been placed into heritage speaker classes.
It would be different if I could count myself a great teacher. I’m not. The CI/TRPS is what works. I won’t preach to the choir, but I know myself not to be a talented practitioner. I flail about and keep trying new stuff, to the extent that my kids often refer to me as ADHD. Maybe I am.
So keep on trucking, y’all! It works, even if the results make someone want to get rid of you.
Luckily, U of Wisconsin-Madison has had my kids, and they hired me this summer to lead the NSLI-Y in Latvia that I mentioned above. I hope to send you updates, because the hosting program is evidently so successful that West Point, DLI, Air Force Academy, and the Reservists send their Russian specialists there to put a polish on their Russian. My group will be the first set of high schoolers.
Latinsoft (the program) administered an on-line placement exam. It goes from A1 to C2, or from beginners to what they say is professional level. It is a multiple-choice, pick the right answer, vocabulary/grammar test. The lead teacher was dividing students into groups by the results of the test when I went to Latvia a couple weeks ago to vet the host families and look over plans. She said the students will take this test at the end of the course to show improvement. (I suspect that if the test is transparent, everyone can teach and learn to the test, but that’s a different topic.)
I asked how Latinsoft assesses spoken language. The teacher said that if students can pick the right answers, they can also talk at that level. I bit my tongue. I will be letting you know how that works. The students will do pre- and post- State-Department OPI’s, so that should help at a macro level. I’ll be interested in how my own travelers (one scored A1 on the exam, one A2) fit in with the others, who mostly scored A2. The A1 is better at listening and speaking in class, but he hates on-line tests. Most of the kids come from Chicago area prep schools where one teacher tried to use TPRS based on the YouTube video of me, but the other is fairly traditional.
I will watch classes with an open mind, knowing that when a student lives with a Russian-speaking family, in a Russian-speaking town, hanging out for at least two hours a day with Russian-speaking peer volunteers, it’s likely she is going to learn at least as much from that exposure as in the classroom. The peer volunteers will lead craft circles, sport activities, music lessons and theater exercises. All of that sounds perfect to me for comprehensible input activities.
Watch this space and maybe my blog. If I can be politically correct, I’ll be posting there. If I have the need to rant or to complain, I’ll try to make comments here somehow, so as not to cause offense there.
Michele