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Graduate Programs in TCI/TPRS
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9 thoughts on “Graduate Programs in TCI/TPRS”
This is very interesting. I believe, especially in Eric Herman’s case, that most TPRS teachers know more about real SLA than others that are removed from the classroom. The work that we do is really in search of the best results with the time that we have. Furthermore, all the theory in the world means very little unless theories can be realized in the real world in real time with real learning situations.
A side note to this story is that at NTPRS this summer I shared VP’s “Where are the Experts?” article with Krashen. I did not get a chance to get any feedback about his thoughts on it but my guess is that he loved it!
https://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/hispania/v098/98.1.vanpatten.pdf
…all the theory in the world means very little unless theories can be realized in the real world….
That’s a monster quote right there Michael.
It is my understanding that the best way is going from bottom up. That is, that many CI teachers need to organize and spread the good word of teaching. This could include data, personal accounts and websites such as this one. Being present is just as important. Developing allies is also key.
Steven wrote: Developing allies is also key.
This is very true, and we need to seize opportunities to interact with potential allies. Today I was out of class for a workshop with the Instructional Leadership Team at my school. Composed primarily of department chairs, we are considered the people who provide instructional leadership on our campus. While we were originally scheduled to participate in a “district training”, we were able to make this an on-campus event. The two faculty members who led the workshop used the book “Teach Like a Champion”, and we focused on a single technique: “No One Opts Out”, i.e. don’t let students get away with saying, “I don’t know” and failing to engage. Yesterday, one of the leaders asked me if I would allow some of the team to come into my classroom and see me employ the technique. Despite this being very last minute, I said “of course” and had the opportunity to teach a 20-minute lesson for them. I didn’t have to say anything about TCI or TPRS, I just made sure students were engaged. Lots of positive comments, and now I have even more members of the faculty who have experienced the power of what I do. One of them was even using some German at our debrief.
Although I could be cynical about this as the “technique du jour”, in the larger scheme of things I see it as another opportunity for people to come into my classroom and become informed supporters of a method that engages students and helps them to acquire a language. At this point I have a principal and four assistant principals who are enthusiastic about what I do, an AVID coordinator who encourages students to take German, a special education teacher who knows that her students can do well in my class, colleagues who thoroughly enjoyed themselves learning some German (I can’t say acquiring because they didn’t receive sufficient exposure), and a librarian who wants to come and see more.
Our “homework” is to share the technique with our departments and invite department members (especially the most resistant ones) to come, observe, and evaluate us. Even more opportunities to get other teachers into my classroom. At this point, I have realized that I am secure enough in what I do that the change-resistant teachers simply no longer cause me stress. I can always get better in my teaching, and I will thank my colleagues for their feedback, then evaluate the critique, using what is valid to improve my craft and discarding what is not valid. During our conversation after the lesson, our librarian made a comment that allowed me to identify where a slight modification of what I did could have gotten even more student engagement. My school actually has the potential to become a place of broad collaboration. Wow.
“I didn’t have to say anything about TCI or TPRS, I just made sure students were engaged.”
Yes. Sometimes putting the commando hat away and just showing them your engaged class is the best way to advocate for the work we do.
Way to volunteer for the observation!
I’m on board. I’m working alongside my students and expert TPRS gurus I connect to learn this method and make it more visible in the “academy” where we certify and train world language teachers. I feel quite isolated, finding very little scholarship (zero) in the top academic journals that make any reference to TPRS (applied linguistics, tesol quarterly. Hispania, Language Education, etc.).
I’m new to participating here and want to thank you all for this movement and for so much writing and sharing–deep collaboration and model teacher-democracy. I really admire it, your fabulous leaders and new recruits.
Right now I’m looking for any videos of experts using TPRS in ESL/EFL/ESOL settings since most of the teachers I work with are training to teach English in the US or abroad.
I have one student of Portuguese language teaching and am looking for videos showcasing that language of instruction.
I’ve just helped to produce wonderful Chinese videos of Sandra (Zihan) and I hope she/we will post those youtube videos here soon. Wonderful.
Big shout out for Robert Patrick for leading the way in Georgia TPRS.
Is Sandra who drew out that one sentence to an entire minute at War Room Chicago last year? Or did she do the hair plucking? I’m trying to put a face to the name here. They were both great.
Perhaps when we invite resistant or newbie colleagues to observe us, we can manage the feedback up front by asking, [either handing out the Q beforehand or stating after the fact]:
(a la Laurie Clarcq’s new ‘n improved coaching model):
What did the teacher do to make the students comfortable and help them understand the target language?
This may refocus the discussion on positive attributes (& eliminate nit-picking and unwarranted criticism).
Good one Alissa. I am doing 10 minute demo lessons at our open house next week and I welcome the opportunity. I intend to ask those very same two questions. “What did I do that helped you learn French?” “What did I do to help you feel comfortable during the process?”
Nice work, Robert!
Chill