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TitleUsing Backward Design to Contextualize Target Language
SourceCASLS Activity of the Week
Body

The activity accompanies this week’s Topic of the Week and showcases how one might explore a variety of contexts for a given language function in an already highly communicative textbook. The textbook featured in the example handout is Contraseña, an e-textbook for foundational Spanish that will be released in Fall of 2018.

Objectives: Teachers will be able to:

  • Use micro-level backwards design to increase the contextualization of a target language function in their classrooms.
  • Conceptualize a series of activities in which learners will analyze, learn, and practice the target language function.

Modes: Any

Materials: Textbook, Micro-Level Backwards Design Handout, Example Micro-Level Backwards Design Handout

Procedure:

  1. Identify a chapter from your textbook for which you want to refresh your approach for teaching.
  2. Complete the 30,000-foot view of the Micro-Level Backwards Design Handout. You will consider the context/situations in which you want your learners to use language and the final assessment towards which they are preparing throughout the course of the chapter.
  3. Complete the 15,000-foot view of the Micro-Level Backwards Design Handout. In this step, you will identify a language function and the grammar, vocabulary, and strategic/pragmatic knowledge needed to engage in that function. In our example handout, we identified our target language function as, “I can make plans to hang out with a friend.” The grammar needed includes the phrases to say “going to do something,” “to have to,” and stating what times events happen. The vocabulary includes common activities for students and words associated with telling time. All of these content points are already included in the textbook. The identified strategic/pragmatic knowledge that we chose to emphasize with students was texting conventions in Spanish, something that will require the use of outside resources.
  4. Complete the 0-foot view of the Micro-Level Backwards Design Handout. In this step, you will craft activities in which learners will observe the target language function in practice, analyze it to elicit understanding of the targeted structures and strategic/pragmatic skills, practice their new-found knowledge, evaluate their work, and reflect upon it. It is important to note that this component of the handout is not intended to represent one day of classroom activities, but rather a series of activities in which learners will gain a deep understanding of the language function in question. While it is possible that these activities will be completed in one day, it is likely that they will be completed over a series of classes.
  5. Reflect on your document by asking yourself the following questions:
    1. Does my targeted language function fit within the 30,000-foot view of the chapter in the book?
    2. Did I identify grammar, vocabulary, and strategic/pragmatic skills that reflect the way that language is actually used?  Is there anything else I need to augment or change from the way my textbook presents targeted knowledge to more accurately capture the target language function in practice?
    3. Did I consider the various contexts in which my language function might be relevant and provide activities to adapt language to a variety of contexts when necessary?
    4. Is there a way to synthesize the information presented by the book to more accurately reflect the function in practice? For example, do I only need first person verbs with this function, or do I need to teach all conjugations?
    5. Do my activities sufficiently scaffold the learning process for students?
    6. Did I give the students a concrete activity for reflection that will meaningfully prepare them for their summative assessment?
    7. Do I have a plan to revisit the function in class (when necessary) that is achievable?
Publishdate2018-06-25 02:15:01