Core Practices

Leadership Initiative for

Language Learning

Andrea Behn, NBCT

Janesville Parker High School

Development of Core Practices

ACTFL's brainchild to create teacher leaders in a variety of educational levels, backgrounds, and languages​

• Joint effort: ACTFL, regional organizations (Central States), TELL Project, lobbying groups like NCSSFL, NNELL ​
• Languages are the link between all subject areas and the real world and world language teachers need to be effective in and out of the classroom​

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• Dr. Eileen Glisan​
• Taken from Teacher's Handbook by Shrum and Glisan

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Why the Core Practices?

You already do these as an effective educator!

• Leadership
• Support- TELL Project frameworks
• Student Learning Outcomes and Personal Professional Goals

They aren’t a checklist! You cannot focus on them all at once!

Core Practice 1

Facilitate Target Language Comprehensibility

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Facilitate Target Language Comprehensibility

Students and teachers speak, listen, read, write, view, and create in the target language 90% or more during classroom time: comprehensible input, contexts, and interactions.

@HolaSrHoward

ACTFL Recommends 90% Target Language Use

This recommendation is not

only for teachers. It’s for

STUDENTS, too!

Reflections

Estimate the percentage of time you and your students use the TL in your classes.

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What are the top 3 challenges for

using the TL 90% of the time?

Creating Comprehensible Language

• The teacher paraphrases new words and expressions.
• The teacher slows down the rate of speech for the level of the students.
• The teacher defines new words with examples rather than translation.
• The teacher uses vocabulary and structures that the students know and builds on them over time.
• The teacher uses new words and expressions more than once to twice and enters and re-enters these language elements frequently in the input.
• The teacher signals new words and structures using tone of voice.

Creating Contexts for Comprehension

• The teacher uses gestures to make new language clear.
• The teacher uses visuals and objects to support comprehension.
• The teacher focuses student attention on the input by making sure students know the topic and objective of the lesson in advance of presentations and discussions.
• The teacher creates a lesson with a meaningful and purposeful context that is relevant to the students.

**Donato, original material, 2011

Creating Comprehensible Interactions with Students

• The teacher involves the students in presenting new material in several ways and does not just lecture to the class.
• The teacher uses question sequences that begin with yes/no questions, move to forced-choice questions, and end with open-ended, WH-questions
• The teacher provides useful phrases to help students negotiate meaning, such as asking for repetition, asking for clarification, and confirming their understanding

But how do I get students to use the TL?

• Scaffolding- giving them tools
• vocabulary and expressions
• rejoinders and strategies for conversations
• incentives
• Errors are OKAY-- they help!
• Encouragement
• Immediate feedback

90% TL...and the other 10%?

• 90% is the goal. If you don’t reach it, try again!
• BUT for the 10%, plan intentionally. Know exactly what you will use it for. It will help you stay on track!
• When to plan for 10%:
• checking for comprehension
• some grammar instruction
• emergencies

What do I do in my practice?

This year, the 90% is my Personal Professional Goal.

• Start small
• Track my use of TL
• Track student use of TL
• Video lessons
• Celebrate small victories

Core Practice 2

Guide Learners through Interpreting Authentic Resources

Guide Learners through Interpreting

Authentic Resources

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Present interactive reading and listening comprehension tasks using authentic cultural texts with appropriate scaffolding while promoting interpretation.

IPA-style progressive reading promotes this!

**The Keys to Assessing Language Performance Assessment, Paul Sandrock, ACTFL, 2014

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This was last year’s PPG!

I used 100% authentic

resources last year

and continue to do

it this year. How?

Core Practice 3

Design Oral Interpersonal Communication Tasks

Design Oral Interpersonal Communication Tasks

Teachers design and carry out interpersonal communication tasks for pairs, small groups, and whole class instruction.

What is Interpersonal Communication?

• Between the teacher-student or student-student
• It’s not:
• scripted speaking- unrehearsed!
• not turn-taking- interactive, give and take conversation
• textbook activities- real-life purpose and supported

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How do I do it?

Give students

• something to talk about!
• a framework, structure
• support
• low-stress environment
• something to do with the results of the activity

**Quasimodo as a building block

Core Practice 4

Plan with Backward

Design Model

Plan with Backward Design Model

Instructors identify desired results THEN determine acceptable evidence THEN plan learning experiences and instruction.

Know the brain!

Marcia Tate

Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites

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WL teachers are great at these!

Core Practice 5

Teach Grammar as Concept and Use in Context

Teach Grammar as Concept and Use in Context

Teach grammar as concept and use in context. Students focus on meaning BEFORE form.

Traditional vs. Proficiency

• Grammar point of the day
• Textbook drive with explanations and generic tasks

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• They can use it and it sticks with them!
• Students discover for themselves, they have ownership
• Meaningful

What do I do?

• Plan for essential functions in backward planning
• Be ready for “pop-up” grammar
• Plan ahead and introduce ideas early
• Let students make mistakes

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PACE model: Presentation of the language, Attention to form, Co-construction, Extension

Core Practice 6

Provide Appropriate

Oral Feedback

Provide Appropriate Oral Feedback

Oral corrective feedback is a tool for mediating learning and language development.

But I know how to give feedback….

How would you correct this:

Last night for dinner I ated pizza.

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What to make it stick with the student 100% of the time?

IT REALLY WORKS!

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How do I do it?

In my classroom:

• everyone speaks everyday
• everyone gets feedback
• I spend time with each student
• students listen to each other
• we learn together
• no one judges anyone else

Andrea Behn, NBCT

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Email: abehn@janesville.k12.wi.us

Website: teacherbehn.weebly.com

Twitter: @teacherbehn

Pinterest: teacherbehn