Talia Block
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To review or not to review

8/25/2015

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For many of us, the start of school is just days away. The room is (almost) ready and the excitement is building, but what are you actually going to teach on the first day? Do you dive right in, or do you spend time reviewing and warming up your students’ brains? I’m always torn on how much time I should spend reviewing. While it seems to help ease the students back in, I’m not sure that it actually elevates their learning in any way. Every year, I feel like I go back and forth on how and what to review and how much time to spend.

In years past, I feel like I’ve tried everything. Some years, students create Facebook pages or write short books all about themselves. These activities pull in vocabulary, such as colors and activities, which we’ve learned the previous year. (See some samples below.) Other years, I skip the projects and do more interactive getting-to-know-you activities like human bingo. There is NOTHING wrong with these activities! It eases students back into school while allowing them to share about themselves and learn from others. (Truthfully, I think it also eases me back into the school year.)


Facebook Review.pdf
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Human Bingo.doc
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Keeping it in the target language from day 1 to 180

8/10/2015

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As a language teacher, I know my students need large amounts of input in order to be successful. I am also aware that the only place they truly receive that input is the 30 minutes a day they are in my classroom. With such a small window of opportunity, it is essential I use every minute to the fullest and fill their nimble minds with as much target language (TL) as possible. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL, 2015) recommends “language educators and their students use the target language as exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instruction.” Our goal is to set up them for success in travel and interaction with speakers of the TL, so it only makes sense to surround them with language in the classroom.

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If you are new to the 90/10 model, it can be daunting at first. I couldn’t imagine how teaching elementary school students in the TL from day one; they would have a melt down! Our students, however, are extremely receptive if you approach the use of language in context and with plenty of support. Here are a few ideas for getting your year started off right at any level:

Use classroom decorations that double as input
While we don’t want to overwhelm our students, there are plenty of decorations that do double duty. Signs with essential phrases, such as “Can I go to the bathroom?” or “I have a question.” are a must! If you post classroom rules, make them bilingual so you don’t have to translate as you go. By mid-year, the first language side can be removed and you can continue to refer to the rules in the TL only. Keep the rules simple and easy to understand. 

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As presented by Moeller, A.J. & Roberts, A. at Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Language, 2014.

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