This past weekend on the forum Megan asked about essential questions that she had to provide her administrators with. I made these suggestions:
1. Can I understand (name of language you teach) by listening to it?
2. Do I need to read something to learn (the language you teach)? – on this one it would be when you are doing R & D.
3. Does it help to see something, like a picture, when I am learning (name of language) – on this one it would be when you are doing L & D.
4. In what ways can I show my teacher that I understand (name of language)?
5. What is the importance of working with my teacher to understand (name of language)?
6. What do I have to do to let my teacher know that I am understanding?
7. What do I have to do to let my teacher know that I am not understanding?
8. How will how I pay attention in this class affect my grade?
9. How important is it for me to not speak in English in this class?
10. What does it mean to “negotiate meaning” with my teacher in this class?
11. How can I help the story move along better?
12. How does the way we speak (name of language) in this class reflect what the national standards say about how I can learn the language?
13. What is the most important skill in learning a language? (here is where a child should be able to use the word interpersonal if they are above, say, 8th grade, because you taught them how that is the most important skill. They don’t have to be able to write a book about it, they should just know that how they interact with you interpersonally is the most important skill in learning a language.
14. Can I have fun and still learn a language?
15. How long can I listen to a foreign language, trying to understand it, before I go splat?
16. What are the rules in this class?
17. Is there a difference between learning a language and acquiring one?
18. In order for me to acquire this expression, how many times will I need to hear it in class, once I understand it? [credit: Nathaniel Hardt]
19. “Do you understand the message and can you show me?” [credit: Alisa Shapiro]