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Content Type: 1
Title: Spanish meets STEAM: World Language, Culture and Coding
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From http://www.kentuckyteacher.org
Jennifer Kennedy, an elementary Spanish teacher in Kentucky, describes how her students learned to code while learning Spanish in this recent article: http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/subjects/global-competency-world-languages/2017/11/spanish-meets-steam-world-language-culture-and-coding/
Source: Kentucky Teacher
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Title: DIVIS: Support for Using Video Production in Language Teaching
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From https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/latest/practices/different-faces-of-language-le.htm
The DIVIS project (Digital video streaming and multilingualism), funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme between 2008 and 2010 collected, designed and developed helpful teaching materials and at the same time aimed to develop an awareness and enthusiasm regarding the usability of video production as a teaching tool for teacher trainers and teachers. The project website includes an online manual about sharing videos.
Access the 28-page manual here: http://mediaeducation.net/eu-projects/divis-project
Source: DIVIS
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Title: Lead with Languages Tool: Video Guidelines for Smartphones
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Last March we noted the Lead with Languages national campaign highlighting the importance of language skills (http://caslsintercom.uoregon.edu/content/22738). The campaign website includes many tools for advocacy, including a set of tips for making quality video with a smartphone: http://www.leadwithlanguages.org/video-guidelines-smartphones/. Not only are the tips helpful for this advocacy campaign, but they may help you and your students to produce better videos for language learning purposes.
Source: ACTFL
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Title: Pop Check-In/Pop Coaching: Timely Formative Feedback
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From http://www.path2proficiency.com/
Colleen Lee-Hayes writes, “‘They know it for the quiz and then 15 minutes later they can’t use it properly.’ How could they score so well on a scheduled quiz and then not use it correctly in a spontaneous classroom interaction? How could I make a more accurate appraisal of where they really are in acquiring a concept? How could I offer formative assessment on what they truly understand/know?
“And so this year I began the ‘Pop Check-In.’
“Students tell me that they like this approach. That it really shows them what they know and some are surprised that they didn’t really understand the concept as well as they thought they did. They also say that it is a way to check in on their learning without a fear of it reflecting on their mark (their concern as always). For others it gives the confidence to know that they are expressing themselves appropriately and correctly. And I’m finding the quick coaching moments to be more effective because they occur right away.”
Read the full blog post at http://www.path2proficiency.com/pop-check-inpop-coaching-timely-formative-feedback/
Source: path to proficiency
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Title: Just Released: 2017 NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements
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From https://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/ncssfl-actfl-can-do-statements
Last January Ruta Couet and Jacqueline Van Houten discussed upcoming revision of the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements, an immensely valuable tool for goal-setting and self-assessment in language learning (http://caslsintercom.uoregon.edu/content/22433). Last week the new 2017 version was released. This document (or collection of documents formatted for different uses) is the result of collaboration between the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). It serves to help language learners identify and set language learning goals and chart their progress towards language and intercultural proficiency, to help educators write communication learning targets for curriculum, unit and lesson plans, and to help stakeholders clarify how well learners at different stages can communicate.
The new version reduces the number of modes from five to three, groups performance indicators into broad categories under each proficiency benchmark in a given mode, provides representative but diverse examples of Can-Do statements for each performance indicator, and introduces intercultural communication benchmarks.
Learn more and access the new Can-Do Statements at https://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/ncssfl-actfl-can-do-statements
Source: ACTFL
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Content Type: 5
Title: STARTALK 2017: Encouraging Global Awareness and International Mindedness
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The Fall 2017 STARTALK Conference this past weekend served to spark collaboration and discussions regarding the critical need to develop globally competent students. Dr. Anthony Jackson, from the Asia Society Center for Global Education, served as the keynote speaker for the conference. During the talk, he offered the Center’s definition for global competence as “the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.” Conference sessions focused on embedding proficiency-based assessment, culture, differentiation, and effective unit and lesson design in STARTALK summer programs served as practical tools to increase student motivation, engagement, and as a result, global competence.
The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) at the University of Oregon supports STARTALK through its creation and ongoing support of LinguaFolio Online (LFO), an online language proficiency portfolio. STARTALK LinguaFolio Online involves mechanisms to encourage learners to engage in deep levels of reflection regarding their growth toward the learning targets (matched to the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements) embedded within each STARTALK program. CASLS representatives were at the conference to present about successful integration of LinguaFolio Online in STARTALK programs and regarding the integration of technology in the STARTALK classroom. CASLS would like to extend a special thank you to our co-presenters, Dr. Gay Rawson and Dr. Mary Thrond from the Fargo Public Schools summer program.
STARTALK works to increase the teaching and learning of critical need world languages in the United States. For more information about STARTALK, please click here. For more information about LinguaFolio Online, please click here.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 4
Title: Acquiring Colloquial Vocabulary through Social Media and Synchronous Messaging: A Multimodal Activity for the Modern Student
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By Isabelle Sackville-West
Description: This activity targets intermediate language learners and challenges them to use social media to find and incorporate colloquialisms into their personal lexicon so that they may emulate the day-to-day language use patterns of expert speakers. Using social media as a language learning device not only has the potential to improve learner autonomy, but it also gives students an improved understanding of the intersection between language and culture and the dynamism of language.
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to…
- Navigate a social media site in the target language
- Identify and acquire new colloquialisms
- Utilize newly acquired colloquialisms in synchronous chat with a classmate
- Reflect, in either one’s native or target language, on the effectiveness of social media and text messaging for language acquisition.
Modes: Presentational, Interpretive, Interpersonal Communication
Materials Needed: Access to a social media site, a synchronous chat application or text messenger, handout.
Procedure:
- Explain that students will be exploring a social media site with the purpose of identifying, understanding, and learning colloquialisms.
- If necessary, provide students with time to create an account for a selected social media site and messaging app.
- Potential social media sights include Twitter, Facebook, Weibo (微博). Ideally the site should be primarily text-based. Image-based social media sites such as Instagram may not provide enough text.
- Messaging apps include Facebook Messenger, Slack, WeChat, and Google Hangouts.
- Following the handout, students will first access the selected social media site and explore, reading the feed that is automatically provided (this is usually filled with either the most recent or most popular posts).
- If using a site from another country, such as Weibo, posts will automatically be written in the target language.
- If using a site, like Twitter, which is primarily based in English, then students will need to go to settings and select the target language from the drop-down menu.
- On the worksheet, have students write down any unfamiliar words or phrases they come across that they find interesting.
- Then, have students specifically go to the profiles of several political figures, actors, and other iconic individuals. These names should be written on the worksheet or otherwise provided beforehand.
- Once again, have them write down any interesting words or phrases that are new or unfamiliar.
- Once a list of unfamiliar words and phrases have been compiled, instruct students to decipher the meaning based on context. Afterwards, discuss in groups or as a class in order to improve the negotiation of meaning. Use dictionaries to support this conversation as a last resort. Additionally, the message boards on sites like wordreference.com may provide additional support.
- Once students are familiar with the new terms, instruct them to conduct a synchronous chat (via Slack, G-Chat, or some other platform) with another student in which they focus on incorporating the new phrases and terms. Instructors may want provide a topic for students to discuss that is related to classroom topics.
- This conversation should be recorded either via copying and pasting the chat into a word document, taking screen shots, or some other means.
- Teachers should collect the conversations and worksheets and verify that the new terms were understood and implemented correctly. This evaluation should inform ongoing feedback to the class.
- The following class period, teachers may want to engage learners in a live discussion or debate about the use of social media as a language learning strategy.
- Finally, after the activity, allow students to write a brief reflection about the effectiveness of social media for finding and deciphering new vocabulary.
Notes:
- If one were to deliver this activity in Chinese, they might have students surf Weibo(微博) to find posts made by famous or political figures and then use WeChat(微信), the most popular Chinese messaging App, to talk to another classmate (or native speaker if they are available).
- Given the time constraints of the classroom, teachers may want to have students engage in certain steps, such as the exploration of the social media site and vocabulary collection, at home and then complete the negotiation of meaning and discussion in class.
- Many school districts have filters that block access to certain social media sites. Check your district’s policy and seek to gather the necessary technology permissions before implementation. If you are unable to get these permissions, you could still implement the activity by providing students with a series of screen shots from the sites.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 5
Title: See You in Nashville!
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The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention culminates the fall conference season, and we look forward to meeting you at this year’s convention in Nashville!
This year, all of the sixteen Language Resource Centers (LRCs) will be hosting one large pavilion in booth 1333 by the food court. We hope you’ll stop by to find free or low-cost teaching materials, professional development opportunities, assessment and evaluation services, and more from the LRCs!
Please also join us for the following sessions:
- Social Justice and Language Learning: Exploration via Digital Technologies
- Friday, November 17 11:00-12:00
- Music City Center Room 207D
- Lead with NCSSFL: I CanDo It-A mini Workshop on LinguaFolio
- Friday, November 17 5:00-6:00
- Music City Center Room 208A
- Improving University Students’ Experience Through Program-wide Assessment
- Saturday, November 18 8:00-9:00
- Music City Center Room 106B
- Infinite Language: Using Digital Games for Cross-Curricular Learning
- Saturday, November 18 11:15-12:15
- Music City Center Room 207D
- Lost in Translation? LingroToGo
- Saturday, November 18 12:45-12:55
- Exhibit Hall Booth 1333
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 5
Title: Watch videos. Play games. Learn Spanish. On your Android.
Body:
Designed by gamers and linguists, LingroToGo utilizes game-based play to inspire users to learn Spanish on their mobile device. The Android version of LingroToGo was released earlier this month and is now available in the Google Play store.
Game-based play teaches learners to tolerate the ambiguity needed for language learning and rewards them for time on task, accuracy, speed, and problem-solving abilities. The more time learners spend with language, the more they learn! LingroToGo is designed to make that time as productive and enjoyable as possible.
Each topic gives learners the skills they need to carry out a specific communicative task in Spanish, and deep thinking helps create the automaticity needed for greater fluency in the language. Learning Spanish in context helps users understand how meaning is constructed and conveyed based on much more than word choice.
Co-created with LingroLearning, LingroToGo is based on the latest learning science and inspires learners to master the second most spoken language in the world.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 3
Title: Learning and Memory Strategies
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By Linda Forrest, CASLS Research Director
Learning hundreds of new words is one of the challenges of learning a new language. Students adopt multiple strategies to solve this problem, but unfortunately, the strategies they choose often do not lead to deep learning and long term retention of new materials. Cramming, reading and reading materials, and highlighting the textbook and class notes cause the material to feel familiar, but actually promote learning that is short-term and superficial. Different strategies are required to promote deep, long-term learning of new words and concepts.
Three strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective for deep learning are spaced learning (Sobel et al., 2011), retrieval practice (Morris et al., 2005), and elaborative semantic processing (Bugg et al., 2008). Understanding these effective strategies can help teachers plan curriculum; teaching the strategies explicitly to students can help them learn how to learn, as the strategies are equally applicable beyond vocabulary learning and in any content area.
Spaced (or distributed) learning is the opposite of cramming. Study sessions are distributed across time instead of being crammed into a single session. Students can do this on their own by using brief, but frequent, study sessions. Teachers can encourage this type of study by recycling vocabulary and giving frequent cumulative low-stakes quizzes or practice exercises that focus on the most recent materials but include items from all materials studied so far. Research has shown that re-studying material after about one week produces superior long-term retention as compared to cramming.
Retrieval practice gives students the chance to repeatedly retrieve information from memory—exactly the skill they need to communicate in real life. Retrieval exercises involve providing students with a cue, such as a picture or a definition, and asking them to recall the word. Such exercises can be presented as simple worksheets or elaborated into whole class activities, such as games.
Elaborative semantic processing techniques help students build connections between the new material and what they already know. One simple way to do this is to ask students yes/no questions that require them to think about and understand the meaning of the new word. For example, students can study the words while answering questions like, “Does this item fit in a backpack?”, "Do you have this item at home?”, or “Would you like to get this item for your birthday?” More elaborative techniques include having students draw a semantic map of a group of words, asking them to explain the new word in their own words, or asking them to compare and contrast a new word to one that they already know.
Although these strategies may make learning seem slower and more difficult, they lead to deep and long-term retention of the material.
References
Bugg, J. M., DeLosh, E. L., and Mark A. McDaniel, M. A. (2008). Improving students' study habits by demonstrating the mnemonic benefits of semantic processing. Teaching of Psychology, 35, 96 – 98.
Morris, P. E., Fritz, C. O., Jackson, L., Nichol, E. and Roberts, E. (2005). Strategies for learning proper names: expanding retrieval practice, meaning and imagery. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19, 779–798.
Sobel, H. S., Cepeda, N. J. and Kapler, I. V. (2011). Spacing effects in real-world classroom vocabulary learning. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 763–767.
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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