View Content #26225

This activity focuses on personalization of learning through an articulation of learners’ current interests and how those interests can be leveraged for the development of in-the-wild language informants. The activity is designed to highlight and cultivate opportunities for strategic, autonomous learning within learners’ own sphere of interests and (potential) contacts.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• List and record basic information about their interests.
• Identify preferred social practices related to students’ everyday life.
• Identify people in their lives who may potentially serve as resources for (language) development.
• Develop mentoring relationships in support of their learning objectives.

Materials needed: Self-mapping handout

Procedure: With your students, read Part I. Then, have students fill out the handout provided. Note: It will be helpful to project these prompts while students are filling out the worksheet.

Part I. Self Mapping

A. What is important to me? (aim for 4 or more responses)

What kinds of things do you look forward to in life? Think about the days where you are excited about getting out of bed, what kinds of things are happening on those days?

B. What associated activities do I do or want to do? (aim for 3 per selected topic)

Choose 1 or 2 of the items you wrote down in circle A. Then, write down a few specific activities you enjoy doing connected to each item in circle A. For example, if art or creativity is in circle A, then B might include things like: photography, drawing, or social media. Or, if physical fitness is written in circle A, circle B might include: perfecting a trick on my skateboard or running.

C. Who do I know or want to know connected to these activities?

Is there anyone new you can imagine doing this activity with? Think of people you don’t know very well who you would like to know better, people you could participate with. Does anyone come to mind who you could practice your target language with, either individuals (e.g. your classmate “Raj," or your neighbor “Jules”)? It might be easier to think of types of people (e.g. Instagram contacts who also like to skateboard or service workers at a local ethnic market). Write down the names (or kinds) of people you could do your activity with. See if you can list more target language contacts than people who only speak English.

D. What activities might you like to do with others in the future? 

What activities could you imagine doing with your chosen (target language) contacts related to the activities you listed? How could you realistically meet and get to know these people in ways that would be fun, connected to your interests, and benefit your language development? Keep in mind, the more mutually beneficial the interaction is the more likely it is that they will be eager to participate and be interested in developing a mutually beneficial relationship. List any activities you think would be fun to use as practice for developing relationships with language informants.

Part II. Journal Reflection

Have learners record their responses to the Self-Mapping prompt in the space provided.

Bonus: Extension Activity

Students can gain motivation, exercise autonomy, cultivate language informants, and recruit adult supervision by using their self-map and journal reflection to craft a plan for in-the-wild language engagement.