RLRA Principle #2 : Give them the tools
As Denise and I have reflected on our teaching and resource creation, we have distilled our approach to language teaching into four guiding principles. We hope you were able to read about RLRA Principle #1, and please stay tuned for two more important principles in upcoming blog posts.
RLRA Principle #2 is…Give them the tools.
This may not be as obvious as Principle #1, so let me explain. At the beginning of my French teaching career, the text book I was using presented a very traditional grammar progression. I would introduce a new verb or grammatical concept, students would complete some exercises, and I would do my best to have them use the language in a meaningful way.
I found the result frustrating, as they had such difficulty putting their sentences together, and by the time they had done all of the mental gymnastics necessary to put together their thought, the moment had passed. They were trying to convey meaning by connecting little bits of language that they really didn’t own, and it was an arduous process for them and for me. They lacked the vocabulary they wanted to be able to access easily. They were stuck; they had little to work from in expressing themselves. I remember one particular 8th grader who would often answer a question about weekend activities with “J’ai mangé le chien.” (I ate the dog.) She was trying to be funny, but I believe she used it because it was one of the few phrases that she was able to come up with automatically.
As we saw our students struggling to come up with their own meaningful language, our motto became “Just give it to them.” This means that we gave them ready-to-go chunks of language that they could play with, and they were not asked to “figure out” a conjugation on the spot or remember if something was masculine or feminine from the start. The Partner Conversation was born. We decided that we should not withhold anything that would help the students understand and communicate.
As you can see in this example from our French Level 1 curriculum, all of the language is introduced in the meaningful context of a dialogue. Students are given questions to ask, options for responses, visuals, and English translations. We reinforce the language with modeling, chanting, and gestures.
Another way that we “give them the tools” on a daily basis is through our classroom decor. We created Target Language Posters with useful expressions that help them to function in the TL during class. They are very helpful to the students!
It is important to note that the Partner Conversation is the STARTING POINT, but the goal is that the students truly own the vocabulary and structures we present, so that they can transfer them to other situations. We give them the tools, and then we let them PLAY with the language and make it their own. How do we do this? Stay tuned for RLRA Principle #3. 🙂
