These can be made into posters or, for those who are taking a class period this fall – hopefully early on – to explain to their students CI acquisition theory so that the kids stop complaining about not having worksheets and so that they will know how they are being graded, I share these posters from about five years ago here. Cut and paste and use however you think is best. Make sure you use the term “US Department of State” in any elevator speech you may have with an administrator or parent, as per this important article by Robert Harrell (the posters are below the article):
The US Department of State on Rigor (article by Robert Harrell):
An academic program is rigorous when there is:
depth and integrity of inquiry: Many teachers have expressed concern that there is too much curricular material to “cover” and not enough time to teach it in. Academic rigor implies that sufficient time be devoted to a topic or unit of study and that students would have an opportunity to explore it in depth, developing questions as they go along.
sustained focus: Some students may need assistance and training to persevere on a given subject so that there would be the opportunity to study a topic in depth.
suspension of premature conclusions: Our nature is to find confirmation for our hunches, and this tendency often limits our possible conclusions. Academic rigor suggests that we train students in their individual work and research to continue to search for the one exception that disproves the hypothesis.
continuous testing of hypotheses: Even after being certain that our hypotheses are supported by evidence, we need to continue to test and re-test in different situations and under different circumstances.
http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/44875.htm
Robert Harrell on the Department of State:
1. Any time a curriculum or scope and sequence is planned so that a certain number of chapters in textbook are covered, it is not rigorous because it falls into the trap of “too much curricular material to ‘cover’.” TCI allows for depth and integrity of inquiry; it is therefore more rigorous than a course in linguistics (which is merely onerous).
2. Worksheets and constantly changing activities do not require sustained focus; in fact, they are a perfect matrix for not only catering to but perpetuating short attention spans. TCI requires students to sustain focus as they participate in the class discussion in the target language, a truly rigorous undertaking.
3. Providing students with “rules of grammar” at the outset is the precise opposite of suspension of premature conclusions because learners are presented with the conclusions before they have even encountered the content (language). By encouraging students to form their own conclusions about what is correct language through prolonged exposure (and sustained focus) to it, TCI is obviously far more rigorous than other methods.
4. Having been provided with conclusions (i.e. “rules of grammar”), students have no opportunity to test their hypotheses because they have failed to develop any; instead this entire aspect of rigor has been excised from the curriculum in favor of onerous exercises with the result that students fail to become critical, creative thinkers or lifelong learners. TCI encourages students to be critical in comparing their language with the correct language they hear and read, be creative by figuring out how to express their ideas, opinions, needs, wants, etc. with the language they have acquired, and be lifelong learners through knowing how languages are acquired apart from sitting in a classroom.
As the Department of State website points out, these students, parents, and administrators have confused “rigorous” with “onerous” to the detriment of all concerned.
Here are the posters:
Student Reflection Checklist
Students who succeed in this class can say:
I listen to comprehend.
I read to comprehend.
I sit up with squared shoulders and clear eyes.
I respond to questions using short answers.
I use the stop sign when I don’t understand.
I do my 50%.
I don’t talk over.
My acting is like a mirror to my teacher’s words.
I stay focused on the message.
Language classes don’t seem like other classes. To really learn a language, you have to feel it and not think about it so much. So, keep these things in mind:
1. You will know you are learning when you understand the conversation.
2. You will know you are learning when you notice that you can write more in the language than you could before.
3. You will know you are succeeding when it all starts to look like a movie in your mind.
4. You will know you are succeeding when you forget that it is even a foreign language.
What does Rigor (hard work) look like in this class?
Language acquisition only happens when written and spoken messages are actually being understood.
In this class “hard work” means that ON THE INSIDE you need to:
Stay focused on the message being delivered.
Observe what is happening.
Listen with the intent to comprehend.
Read with the intent to comprehend.
In this class “hard work” means that ON THE OUTSIDE you need to:
Respond with body language.
Show the teacher when you do not understand.
Respond with short answers.
Read and show that you understand.
RIGOR means that you will FEEL:
Confident.
Aware of the stream of the conversation.
Like you understand, but you may not feel as if you are learning.
You don’t feel lost, confused, defeated or frustrated.
You will KNOW you are learning when:
You understand what the teacher says or what you are reading.
The language you are learning starts to fall out of your mouth in class without you
thinking about it too much.
The language you are learning comes out naturally and makes sense (even with errors).
You notice you can write more in the language you are learning than you did before.
You are not translating from English to the language you are learning when you speak or write.