#LangChat is dedicated to the discussion of topics associated with issues and trends in world language instruction and learning. Educators, administrators, learners, and aficionados of world languages are encouraged to participate and share their experiences and input on various topics such as new ways to teach vocabulary, using music in the language classroom, and making standards-based grading valid. This chat is also unique in that it brings together language educators worldwide and from different contexts (elementary, secondary, higher education, etc.) and languages.
Welcome to #langchat! Tonight we're putting our heads together and pumping up a current unit to make it even more amazing! Tell us who you are, where you're from, and how has your week back to school been?
Hey #langchat! Julia, HS French in northern NJ here. Getting over The Plague that had me down for the count during most of break, so a bit of a rocky start to 2019 :/
Hi #langchat !! I'm Pamela from upstate NY. I teach #middleschool Spanish. My week back has been pretty nice...we had a delay Tuesday and a snow day today! Fabulous way to start the year.
#langchat Stephanie. MS French teacher, So. Coastal ME. Too many tabs open means I'm running 1/2 speed. Two two hour delays and hubby knee surgery type of week...
#langchat Susan, MS Spanish, Maine. One two hr delay and a snow day so far in 2019! Every snow day = one less beach day. Not a snow day fan, prefer ☀️🌻😎
I want to revamp ALL of my units. I've just started incorporating CI into my practice along with IPAs. I just started the school unit this week. #langchat
A1: I would like to find a way to work in family more organically to a theme. I also really want some new authentic resources for family and school themes. #langchat
#langchat We have been proficiency based for over 5 years now so they have been evolving anyway. Now, just being more intentional and solidifying. Analyzing what we have and do to be sure it is what we intend!
A1: I think the thing I always want is more authentic resources - current and accessible. I always run out of time to find good ones or as many as I would like! #langchat
Themselves and others, like friends and family. Not sure how to make self better yet. Last year at the end of describing others I used Black M le plus fort du monde and then had them describe their plus fort du monde. Will probably use that as a focus again? #langchat
How well people get along, and what families do together or not are other angles I and my department have explored too in order to open up the topic. #langchat
Yup! We are putting everything through scrutiny using great protocols. We are looking at essential Qs, I cans, the assessments, the activities/tasks, the assignments etc. It is amazing work. Loving it. Inspired, but drained too. #langchat
This is exactly what our current textbook does. So many times I struggle to see the connection between the theme and grammar in a textbook. This is a reason why I don’t rely on it anymore. #langchat
A2: I ask myself when I start pulling together essential language structures - What would someone really need or want to say about this theme? - and start there. Then add as students come up with new things they want to say. #langchat
I found that if I started by writing my Can-Dos (by customizing the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Dos), that I could then identify the structures the students would need based on their prof. level. #justathought#langchat
#langchat A2 I'm running new curricula in all three of my levels this year--I don't even know enough about what's coming to know what I don't have. #overwhelmed
(2) My students vote on which 3-4 they want to focus on most, and I develop my lessons, vocabulary and structure focus, and #authres around that. #langchat
Seconded! I've used UN Sustainability Goals for that unit to set a basis for the class, which helps guide everything else. The goals come in MANY languages, and there's already some teaching ideas around them.
I found that if I started by writing my Can-Dos (by customizing the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Dos), that I could then identify the structures the students would need based on their prof. level. #justathought#langchat
2. L2 teaching at secondary-school level is changing tremendously towards a strong communicative approach, where conjugation charts & drills are a thing of the past. This is a key age for our HL Ss to start approaching their cultural & linguistic resources. #langchat#edchat
Global Challenges is such a GIANT can of worms if you plan to cover everything. And, personally, some aspects are hard for me to teach bc I'm not terribly interested (see: politics and econ). Student voice and choice has made for a lot more interesting topics #langchat
A3 3k Ts of World in many Languages for Mystery Skype/hangouts, penpals, blogs etc Started a World list of 4k Ts for cultural, Language & Science Coop https://t.co/EaqGvDQxEV … #langchat#mschat#langchat
If you get some sub-focuses narrowed down, hit me up again and I may already have a handful of resources developed for them. Even if they're not the UN goals exactly, those cover a lot of territory and I've done most over the past couple years. #langchat
A3 I think the resources and images will help us infuse culture. But it is sometimeshard to find French resources from a variety of francophone countries #langchat
A3: This is where @senoraCMT 's unit "Medicina o cura" really shines for this. And BBC's Mi Vida Loca has some great episodes to help out on the differences in health systems. #langchat
True facts. We have district I can statements already developed for the unit. Ss goal is IL, but I cans vary from filling out basic med forms (very novice) to describing what happened when you were injured (moving into advanced). I struggle w the alignment. #langchat
3. As a SHL educator, I meet HL Ss whose insecurities deal with both languages bc they are linked to the hardships of being bicultural and bilingual. Ts & communities perpetuate some HL Ss' sense of lack of belonging to either world. #langchat
Where do you find your stories? I am not creative in the sense of story writing and just wouldn't know where to start. Do you have any advice? #langchat
#A3 CI is another struggle. My colleagues who have observed me have written that I should have CI as a suggestion. I'm not too sure exactly what it looks like because even with visuals, my kids seem lost/confused #Langchat
I pulled some news articles about a real life mysterious death and modified it for my French 2 kids as a review mini-unit. I try and buy mystery stories for little kids when I'm in France.#langchat
Remember to not overload them with too many structures at one time. The CI can build as you're able to add in more structures. Have you checked out the plethora of Ts posting their classes online? #langchat
A6: We're excited to see all the Buncees created by language learners this year! To spark new ideas, check out this list of 10 Ways To Use Buncee To Enhance Language Lessons https://t.co/hr4YsVykQo#Bunceechat#langchat
I'm assuming this Global Challenges unit is level 3/4/AP? "La guerra sucia" and "La hija de sastre" are both readers that lend to CI and also hit on several major global challenges within cultual context. Lots of materials out there too. #langchat
A5: my main concern is that I want students to be able to communicate in the real world and interpret necessary information to survive in another country. #langchat
A5: My kids wrote and published stories to send to Haiti to an orphanage that has connections to our school system. Kids loved it, had an authentic audience, and the orphanage has books for the kids. Definitely want to do this again! #langchat
Sorry for missing most of #langchat tonight! I am getting back from an Academic Team meet with my students. Looking forward to reading the everyone’s amazing ideas!
TA: @SraWilliams3 thanks for a great #langchat ! I think this was by far my favorite! I need to keep topic vs theme in mind; create vocab lists after I choose the #authres and work on incorporating stories!
TA: I'm most grateful for @mmeshep 's reminder to go back to the official Can Dos and figure it out from there. Level is about the Ss, and it all goes back to proficiency. #langchat
A5 #langchat World Wise Schools. Have participated for 20+yrs. Partner w/ PC volunteer in SP country.(request L2) Have had great successes! Super Authres https://t.co/y19zFFdMJ5
