Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to
First Class – 7 – The Order of Presenting the Verbs Doesn’t Matter
Share:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Ben Slavic
Get The Latest Updates
Subscribe to Our Mailing List
No spam, notifications only about new products, updates.
Related Posts
CI and the Research (cont.)
To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to
Research Question
To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to
We Have the Research
To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to
7 thoughts on “First Class – 7 – The Order of Presenting the Verbs Doesn’t Matter”
Love this post! I find myself getting all stressed about what order to present things in, but you are so right in that if you just pick one verb you truly can do a lot with it. And I totally agree that the verbs are the “meat” of the language and something I need to focus more on.
One question though…you mentioned starting with the verb “looks for” in level 1. How would you or anyone else start a level 2 class? I teach Spanish but any ideas would be helpful.
Thanks and I am happy to hear you arrived safely and thus far are adjusting to and enjoying India.
Thank you Polly. I would mention that in theory the big growing list of verbs on the Verb Wall would provide that information (what to teach in the next level) in a contiguous program but yeah, what if we don’t know what was taught in level 1?
A simple way would be to teach the level 1 verbs over again. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I personally would do it. If the kids knew them already, they would tell me and I could teach another one. I know that this a really right brained answer to the question, but it kind of makes sense. It’s not like the kids wouldn’t benefit from the input. 1000 reps on a verb in one year is really not enough. We need more reps on verbs, and there is no one place they arrive at when we can say that they have had enough reps.
If we are delivering comprehensible input, we are doing our jobs. We seem so carried away with what we have “covered” and “not covered”. I don’t really understand that, but of course on the Myers-Briggs I am so far in the upper right hand corner of that grid (TSOC – Totally Spaced Out Cadet) as to be literally millimeters from being outside the box entirely.
Another thing you can do is work from Matava scripts which are a bit complex for level one students but great for levels two and above. Tripp’s Scripts are simpler, perhaps better for level one.
It’s funny. We talk about accountability and we think that listing a bewildering list of grammar structures tied to a book makes us accountable, but our kids never learn anything in that those pacing guides settings, so how can we be said to be the ones lacking accountability?
All we do is list a bunch of verbs that we covered, and yet some people don’t see that as “rigorous” enough. And yet our kids end the year with 50 or more verbs in at least three verb tenses in their pockets, so who are the ones lacking in accountability really?
Are there other answers to Polly’s question that the group can think of?
I, too, am wondering how to begin this year’s verbs. For the first time, I am teaching third year students who have had two years of grammar and vocabulary instruction. I heard that some of them were worried because I “talk in Spanish all the time” (I wish that were 100% true…)
Anyway, I am going to try to teach the same TPR gesture words that I taught to Spanish I kids last year and see if I can just move at a faster pace with these older students. If they balk at TPR, I have four novels to read…
I have not been faithful in reading this blog lately–but this year, I think I’m going to need it!
thanks!
And we have missed your voice here Lori so welcome back. I think your plan sounds great.
good to be back; I appreciate the kind words, Ben. Last year was my dream year–the main Spanish teacher taught 3 classes of English so I got her Spanish I class. I was a full-time Spanish teacher–Spanish I and Spanish III (kids I’d had in Spanish II, so hit the floor running).
But dream years don’t last; English teaching didn’t work out so well for her and so now I’m relegated to 1/2 time Spanish again with 50 kids in Spanish III and 10 kids in Spanish IV. Plus I don’t have my own room anymore. On the plus side, I won’t be nearly as busy, so I plan to spend a lot more time checking out this PLC. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do.
Ben…I wish you taught in my department! You would really help me keep perspective on what’s important in life! Intellectually I know that I shouldn’t stress out as what is most important is that we build a community and make these kids feel like part of a family (something many are lacking these days), but sometimes my hormones and emotions get the best of me and I just get all crazy stressed. On a side note if you didn’t teach you should write as I always enjoy reading whatever it is you put on this PLC.
I like your answer of reteaching or reviewing the level 1 verbs. I will get students from 3 different teachers and 2 of us teach with TPRS and the other one is very traditional. I am not sure what her students will have actually acquired from last year. I guess I will find out soon enough. Plus, even though most of our students have had these 50 or so verbs from level 1, they still need tons more reps on the various tenses. Since last year was my first year teaching TPRS, I was not as skilled at hitting the various tenses and tended to focus more on present in level 1 and present and past in level 2. I know the students could benefit from hearing the verbs they’ve acquired in the different tenses as this concept alone is crazy hard.
I really like the Matava scripts and used lots of them throughout my first year with TPRS. I ordered Tripp’s scripts but still need to look at those. They do seem more suited to level 1, so I’ll take a peak at those in the next week before school starts. Always so much to do with so little time! But I must remember what you always say which is that a bad day of TPRS is better than a good day of the traditional method!
Thanks for your quick reply!
… I am not sure what her students will have actually acquired from last year….
Speaking charitably, not much is my guess.
… even though most of our students have had these 50 or so verbs from level 1, they still need tons more reps on the various tenses….
There it is, right there.
…the students could benefit from hearing the verbs they’ve acquired in the different tenses as this concept alone is crazy hard….
Just do the PQA in whatever verb tense feels natural, depending on what you are talking about. Then do the story in the past tense, and then do the reading in the present.
Thanks for the kind words, Polly. By the way, my quick reply is brought to you by Jet Lag.