Monday, December 08, 2003
Allison Gillen
EDIS 548
10.5.03
Strategy Sharing #1
Allons au march?! (Let?s go the market!)
?Allons au march?? is an activity that would work on many different aspects of one?s learning a second language. This is an interactive game to learn vocabulary, how to ask questions, and to learn more about the culture of Montmartre and the marketplace.
First, it would be important to describe the marketplace in Montmartre to one?s students, through pictures, verbal descriptions, or video. Then the teacher would want to imitate a scene from the marketplace with a customer asking the price of an item and the merchant telling the customer the price. After demonstrating, the teacher would hand out different items that one could buy in a marketplace to every two students and go over this vocabulary, as well as how one would ask for a price and respond with the answer. When the students know the vocabulary, they could work in pairs and pretend that they are in the market selling and buying items. The students could rotate the items throughout the classroom so that each pair gets to know the names of all the items and practice. When each pair has gotten a chance to practice with the different items, the teacher would bring the class back together and call on random students to ask them how much this hat cost or tell them that this book is 20 francs.
Rationale:
? Instead of the students playing a passive, ?banking,? role, the students follow a libertarian (transformational) approach where they are actively interacting with the teacher and classmates to learn instead of the information being ?deposited? into their brains.
? Research has shown that direct error connection does not necessarily help one?s ability to learn the language, so in this activity where students are working together, there is not a teacher there to constantly correct them and they are able work together and figure out their mistakes, working as a group.
? Students are able to better grasp the language if they know some of the content before they jump into the grammar rules, especially is the students are not yet in middle or high school. With this lesson, it would be possible to lead into a lesson about the concept of conjugating verbs and agreement afterwards, but before that, it is important for the students to know the vocabulary and content.
? It has been researched that there is a willingness to want to participate in class activities.
EDIS 548
10.5.03
Strategy Sharing #1
Allons au march?! (Let?s go the market!)
?Allons au march?? is an activity that would work on many different aspects of one?s learning a second language. This is an interactive game to learn vocabulary, how to ask questions, and to learn more about the culture of Montmartre and the marketplace.
First, it would be important to describe the marketplace in Montmartre to one?s students, through pictures, verbal descriptions, or video. Then the teacher would want to imitate a scene from the marketplace with a customer asking the price of an item and the merchant telling the customer the price. After demonstrating, the teacher would hand out different items that one could buy in a marketplace to every two students and go over this vocabulary, as well as how one would ask for a price and respond with the answer. When the students know the vocabulary, they could work in pairs and pretend that they are in the market selling and buying items. The students could rotate the items throughout the classroom so that each pair gets to know the names of all the items and practice. When each pair has gotten a chance to practice with the different items, the teacher would bring the class back together and call on random students to ask them how much this hat cost or tell them that this book is 20 francs.
Rationale:
? Instead of the students playing a passive, ?banking,? role, the students follow a libertarian (transformational) approach where they are actively interacting with the teacher and classmates to learn instead of the information being ?deposited? into their brains.
? Research has shown that direct error connection does not necessarily help one?s ability to learn the language, so in this activity where students are working together, there is not a teacher there to constantly correct them and they are able work together and figure out their mistakes, working as a group.
? Students are able to better grasp the language if they know some of the content before they jump into the grammar rules, especially is the students are not yet in middle or high school. With this lesson, it would be possible to lead into a lesson about the concept of conjugating verbs and agreement afterwards, but before that, it is important for the students to know the vocabulary and content.
? It has been researched that there is a willingness to want to participate in class activities.
Allison Gillen
EDIS 548
10.26.03
Strategy Sharing #2
Mystery Box
Mystery Box is an interactive game where students who are just starting to learn a language can use their conversation skills, as well as descriptive language to have a conversation with a partner about the unknown objects in the Mystery Box.
First, the teacher needs to determine what the Mystery Box is going to be made of; it could be an empty tissue box, a dark, cloth bag (Mystery Bag), or any empty boxes that may be in the classroom. As to what goes in the Mystery Box, it would be good to start with objects that each have their own distinct texture, but the teacher could change the objects when doing this activity multiple times.
Pre-game Activity:
Before playing the Mystery Box game, the teacher and their students should make a list of possible adjectives that the students could use to describe an object, ex. rough, soft, scratchy, etc in the second language.
To carry out this activity, the students should be in groups of two or three, depending on how many Mystery Boxes there are. Each student should take a turn feeling the one object in the Mystery Box and when they are done, write down adjectives in the second language that describe that object while another group member takes a turn with the Mystery Box. Then, speaking in the second language, the students can discuss the object and how it felt to them. After discussing the first Mystery Box object, the boxes can rotate between groups so that each group gets a chance to experience all of the different objects.
Rationale:
This activity allows for content to be learned as opposed to teaching strictly grammar. Yet at the same time in accordance with the Universal Hypothesis, this activity will make use of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which has the ?core grammar? skills, when grasping the concept of an adjective and listing them. Also, the Mystery Box game is very applicable to the first of the five hypotheses of the Monitor Model in that having a conversation about the adjectives that describe the object is acquisition and learning is when the teacher is going over the adjectives in the second language in a more formal setting.
EDIS 548
10.26.03
Strategy Sharing #2
Mystery Box
Mystery Box is an interactive game where students who are just starting to learn a language can use their conversation skills, as well as descriptive language to have a conversation with a partner about the unknown objects in the Mystery Box.
First, the teacher needs to determine what the Mystery Box is going to be made of; it could be an empty tissue box, a dark, cloth bag (Mystery Bag), or any empty boxes that may be in the classroom. As to what goes in the Mystery Box, it would be good to start with objects that each have their own distinct texture, but the teacher could change the objects when doing this activity multiple times.
Pre-game Activity:
Before playing the Mystery Box game, the teacher and their students should make a list of possible adjectives that the students could use to describe an object, ex. rough, soft, scratchy, etc in the second language.
To carry out this activity, the students should be in groups of two or three, depending on how many Mystery Boxes there are. Each student should take a turn feeling the one object in the Mystery Box and when they are done, write down adjectives in the second language that describe that object while another group member takes a turn with the Mystery Box. Then, speaking in the second language, the students can discuss the object and how it felt to them. After discussing the first Mystery Box object, the boxes can rotate between groups so that each group gets a chance to experience all of the different objects.
Rationale:
This activity allows for content to be learned as opposed to teaching strictly grammar. Yet at the same time in accordance with the Universal Hypothesis, this activity will make use of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which has the ?core grammar? skills, when grasping the concept of an adjective and listing them. Also, the Mystery Box game is very applicable to the first of the five hypotheses of the Monitor Model in that having a conversation about the adjectives that describe the object is acquisition and learning is when the teacher is going over the adjectives in the second language in a more formal setting.
Allison Gillen
EDIS 548
11.16.03
Voyageons ? Paris!
Voyageons ? Paris! is a great project for students taking French because it is a compilation of practicing one?s French, learning about French culture, searching on the internet, and learning new vocabulary. Each student will get a chance to do some research and plan their own all-expense paid trip to Paris!
Pre-game Activity:
The teacher should lead his or her students in a discussion about taking a trip, including such things as what one needs to take on a trip, what is on the itinerary, who is going, and what are the lodging arrangements.
After going over the necessary information about taking a trip, the students will get a chance to plan their own all-expense paid trip! The teacher should reserve the school?s computer lab for one or two class periods, depending on the time availability, so that the students can do their research about the trip. The teacher should do their research prior and suggest that the students use a few particular websites to get the project started. The student?s research entails looking up accommodations information, things to do, the weather, and if necessary, transportation from these websites. Once their research is complete, the students will create a presentation about their vacation that they will show to the class. The presentations will be about three minutes long and each student should have at least one prop to support their information in the presentation. There is a lot of room for creativity in this project, but for those who choose not to go the creative route, this project can be quite structured.
Rationale:
There exists a ?communal zone of proximal development? which provides support to the students as they do their research and present their information to the class.
This project gives them a chance to learn new vocabulary in the target language, in addition to the introduction of a new culture. As a result of the students being older and at the high school age, they have a general understanding of taking a trip concept, what one needs to take, etc. According to the Variable Competence Model, one?s ability to acquire a second language is based on the quality and quantity of the experiences that each student has in the target language. Krashen?s idea of being an ?optimal user? ties into way of thinking that where the monitor is being applied correctly in preparing the planned presentation is the idea of an ?optimal user.? Lastly, having students use their creativity and giving them choices tends to be an incredibly worthwhile experience for both the teachers and the students.
EDIS 548
11.16.03
Voyageons ? Paris!
Voyageons ? Paris! is a great project for students taking French because it is a compilation of practicing one?s French, learning about French culture, searching on the internet, and learning new vocabulary. Each student will get a chance to do some research and plan their own all-expense paid trip to Paris!
Pre-game Activity:
The teacher should lead his or her students in a discussion about taking a trip, including such things as what one needs to take on a trip, what is on the itinerary, who is going, and what are the lodging arrangements.
After going over the necessary information about taking a trip, the students will get a chance to plan their own all-expense paid trip! The teacher should reserve the school?s computer lab for one or two class periods, depending on the time availability, so that the students can do their research about the trip. The teacher should do their research prior and suggest that the students use a few particular websites to get the project started. The student?s research entails looking up accommodations information, things to do, the weather, and if necessary, transportation from these websites. Once their research is complete, the students will create a presentation about their vacation that they will show to the class. The presentations will be about three minutes long and each student should have at least one prop to support their information in the presentation. There is a lot of room for creativity in this project, but for those who choose not to go the creative route, this project can be quite structured.
Rationale:
There exists a ?communal zone of proximal development? which provides support to the students as they do their research and present their information to the class.
This project gives them a chance to learn new vocabulary in the target language, in addition to the introduction of a new culture. As a result of the students being older and at the high school age, they have a general understanding of taking a trip concept, what one needs to take, etc. According to the Variable Competence Model, one?s ability to acquire a second language is based on the quality and quantity of the experiences that each student has in the target language. Krashen?s idea of being an ?optimal user? ties into way of thinking that where the monitor is being applied correctly in preparing the planned presentation is the idea of an ?optimal user.? Lastly, having students use their creativity and giving them choices tends to be an incredibly worthwhile experience for both the teachers and the students.
