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“Acquiring A Language” Poster
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12 thoughts on ““Acquiring A Language” Poster”
It’s from Grant!
Linda we are across the hallway form each other and talking across the infinitude of the internet. But I am glad you said it here. It’s Grant Boulanger who just won Central States Teacher of the Year, one of five such ACTFL regional winners who will compete for ACTFL national teacher of the year. And we had something to do with that over the winter and good on us! And good on you Grant. Let’s post that in the next few days.
Linda – can I come over and film a class for the blog members next period (7th)?
Is it “authentically” or “spontaneously?”
I was thinking the same thing Lance!
I feel like my students (first year French, 6th graders) speak more comfortably than they write. Maybe it’s different for languages, like Spanish, where the spelling is so much more phonetic. I might redo my poster to state that “eventually we write and speak because we have listened and read.” Do any other French teachers, or teachers who teach both Spanish and French, see a difference?
Mine both write “comfortably” but the Spanish is more accurately-spelled. But the French kids are just as comfortable…just not as good at spelling. I like the fact that speaking is last because we don’t do too much focus on it (on kids speaking) in my first year classes.
Carla, some Chinese teachers online talked about switched the order of speech and writing for our context, too. Especially if it’s intending to suggest handwriting instead of composing by typing in the language.
I think that it is an individual thing as to how the expression plays out. What I mean is that some write their thoughts (and therefore, their L2 first), while some vocalize their thoughts first. I have a few students who do great oral expression/interaction but poor written expression. It may be partly that I have been so much the rope in the tug o’ war between student need and administrative “need” that I have not serviced them well with sufficient reading. But I think that it is also a reflection of their strengths/non-strengths.
“It may be partly that I have been so much the rope in the tug o’ war between student need and administrative “need” that I have not serviced them well with sufficient reading.”
At my site, I feel like I have gone HEAVY on the reading because of admin “suggestions”. Everyday since November, the kids have been reading a Mini-story and I usually have them read the story recycling old vocabulary (I make it up or use a student’s Freewrite). Then I have them do 5 questions about the reading — Very school like warm-up. I pick out the students to answer the questions in a “yes” “no” fashion or even asking the big WHY questions which follow “BECAUSE” most students can say these phrases.
Afterwards we go into new stories, scripts, story asking Ben’s way or MT.
I feel that personalities and skills play a huge part. I have a student who “Gets it” and pronounces well but his reading/writing skills are low. I have introverted students who hardly EVER speak but when I call on them — they have the most authentic sounding French I ever heard a 1st year student have. It’s crazy inspiring because I have never seen this type of acquisition. I could only imagine the gains these students could have with some of the Rock Star teachers in this blog.
I am proud to say that about 50% of my 1st year students can write 100 word stories or more in ten minutes during their freewrites.
I love a good metaphor and Nathaniel shares one here:
…I have been so much the rope in the tug o’ war between student need and administrative “need” that I have not serviced them well with sufficient reading…
But the rope gets blamed.
What is valuable about that poster for me is that it forces grammar and forced speech and writing parents into discussion with me.
Yes. Definitely good for back to school night (coming up for me in April)