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Emily Minelli teaches French Ab Initio, SL, and HL in the International Baccalaureate Programme at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tennessee.  This activity was created in order to motivate students to use applicable vocabulary in a spontaneous speaking activity, to learn self-evaluation methods, and to become reflective learners. The activity is intended to embody academic risk-taking and reflection, two central characteristics of any International Baccalaureate language classroom.

The aim of this activity is to strengthen vocabulary connections while engaging students in empathy and encouraging authentic language synthesis. Student choice and personal relevance increase engagement while offering autonomy within academic boundaries. An anchor activity allows for differentiation among native, heritage, and advanced students. Students are able to self-evaluate and move toward mastery at a pace appropriate to their personal linguistic abilities.

Mode(s): Interpersonal Speaking, Presentational Writing, and Presentational Speaking

Objectives:

• Students will produce spoken and written reactions to a stimulus.
• Students will engage in metacognition.
• Students will reflect on how well they have learned given content.

Resources: Vocabulary, RAFT Menu, Recording device (Smart phones with Google app when possible)

Procedure:

1. Review the vocabulary to be used in the activity.
2. Explain the RAFT activity and present student with RAFT menu.
3. Students choose an option from each column. Set a timer for 15 minutes and allow students to make notes to be used when they record their presentation. Notes should be limited to 10 bullet points. Encourage students to include an idiom from the vocabulary list!
4. After the 15 minute preparation period, students record their presentations (goal: 2 minutes) and upload to LinguaFolio Online or a personal Google folder that has been shared with the teacher. Students will evaluate whether or not they ‘Can-do with help’ or ‘Can –do’ when they upload.
5. Next, students will listen to their recordings and write a transcription of what they recorded. This should include errors, English words, long pauses, etc. They should mark their transcription using the included key in order to easily identify areas for improvement.
6. Students should then write their presentation out as they would have said it if they could redo the recording, paying special mind to their common errors. If they did not reach the 2 minute goal, they should include additional information.
7. Students should complete the reflection portion of the activity.
8. Students at higher proficiency levels must complete a written reaction to the activity.
9. Review student samples before the next class period to determine whether or not you agree with the students’ self-assessments. Use what you review to focus the following day’s lesson plans.

An additional support for struggling students is to let them use a vocabulary list or a sheet of key words while preparing for their presentation. While needing the sheet means that their capacity for spontaneous oral output is lower than that of some of their peers, it is a worthwhile support given that students are using information that they created in order to communicate. Some students may complete the entire activity while others may need to complete the transcription and rewrite for homework or with addition help at a later time. Allow students to work at a rigorous yet comfortable pace.