The last ACTFL newsletter had a great article about staying in the target language in class. This is always a big challenge for me. Enjoy this reading and please share your thoughts!
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How do you stay in the target language?
This is always my classroom goal. I find it easier in Sp. 1, since I have started the students out this way than I do in Sp. 2, where I have students from different classes. Sp. 4 classes are definitely 90% for me and we’re starting a class challenge next term for the students to hit the 90% mark, too. They are chatters, so it’s going to be a struggle (for them, I’m going to enjoy it!).
This article was awesome and very timely! I’m looking for a dynamic presenter to do a one-day workshop on reaching 90% TL use in the WL classroom. Anyone know of someone who would be great for the job? Let me know at bleessccflt@yahoo.com!
I don’t know how to NOT use Spanish! I always ask if there is a student that can explain what I’ve said in Spanish (because sometimes they understand classmates despite their mistakes). If that doesn’t work, I ask for a volunteer to explain in English. Better to have the students using English to teach one another for clarification than myself! Plus, we have a department oral production policy. That really helps the students stay in the TL!
I speak both English and Spanish, just the way I learned it growing up. It gets to the point that the students don’t realize that they are understanding Spanish more and more. My biggest problem are the parents who complain that too much Spanish is being used in the classroom, then they pull their child out of my class. They just want the “A”
For Spanish 1, I try to “weave” in the beginning.
Ex: Por favor, open your libros to page ocho.
As the year progresses, I add more of the target language.
I have found that some of the struggling students shut down if they feel overwhelmed with total (even 90 %) immersion. By “weaving,” they hear some words they should know, mixed with words in English.
I started this year (my 2nd) with more Spanish than I used in class my first year. I realized after about 3 weeks of using some that my students understood more than they let on! Stinkers. So I am constantly trying to use more and more. I’m still not sure how to use it 90% while explaining activities but I think it’s important that they hear and understand.
I recently found out about organic language acquisition which employs total immersion and kinesthetics to teach but I have two concerns: first I am not sure that my language skills are good enough to teach using full immersion and second I worry about teaching cultural concepts in the target language. I really want to move to 100% TL but I worry about myself more than my students. I am a certified teacher and speak Spanish but just don’t know if I can keep my students on board for the full class period without the class dissolving before my eyes… Oh and great article just wish it had more specifics on how to keep the kids in the TL
Russ, where are you located? The founder of OLA (organic language acquisition), Darcy, has been giving a few workshops around the US, and more are coming soon. Their facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Organic-Language-Acquisition/292853297393181?fref=ts
I’ve just started to realize myself how powerful just letting students let the language grow is. I’ve always believed in 100% target language, but this approach has made that seem so logical. I’m also not a native speaker, so maybe we could talk.
Thanks guys for being so dedicated to your students and your language!
During the first week of school I stay completely in the target language and it works wonders for my classroom management. I get quite a workout doing all the input, but by Friday the kids are confident that they can understand and respond in Spanish. We start with the alphabet, spelling, and classroom object (lots of props too!). As they begin to be able to produce the language (starting with sí/no questions, then giving them multiple choice options, then an open-ended question), I start adding commands (lift the notebook, pass the pencil, etc.). By the end of the week the students can tell me what to do with the classroom objects and they love it! Many instances, multiple representations and authentic communication is key.
This is a struggle every world language teacher faces. I try to stay at 90% but it’s just so hard at times. Recently I went to a TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling also known as Total Physical Response Storytelling), and the presenter Blaine Ray was advocating first language use. He argued that speaking in the target language when the student was struggling with comprehension was counter productive. I asked about resorting to visuals, and he said those too slowed down processing time… I guess this “hot” topic is still up for debate.
Great points! I struggle to stay at 90%. I find that I keep asking myself, can I do this in Spanish? If the answer is yes, I do. If not, I don’t. Each year I learn how to do more in Spanish. I’ve been to Blaine Ray’s conference too. I honestly can see both sides, so I do the best I can based on my students and the situation.
Hi Kara
The TL 90% + is a great goal, but there is a crucial component that must accompany the 90% TL goal – the TL needs to be comprehensible. Someone once told me there are 2 times the students are not acquiring the language: 1) when the teacher speaks in the 1st language, and 2) when the students don’t understand what the teacher is saying in the TL. Speaking in the TL alone is not enough. (I learned that from experience.)
Comprehension checks throughout the class period, limiting vocabulary, and quick translations using the 1st language when needed, as practiced by Blaine Ray, are several ways to accomplish this.
It is so exciting and rewarding for both the teacher and the students when the teacher reaches the 90% TL goal… AND the students understand what is communicated in the TL!!!
I teach an exploratory Spanish class, Spanish I, and Spanish II, and we have an ongoing competition between myself (the teacher) and the students where we catch each other out if either speaks English. If one of us slips up, we get a point on the board under “la profesora” or “la clase.” I keep a running tally for each class and if the class beats me, they win a little party at the end of the quarter. A couple of years in, and we’re all still motivated by this method!