Classroom Activities
Since the main goal of my classroom is to facilitate the acquisition of language through a communicative approach, students will spend a minimal amount of time as “receptacle” of information and instead use language to examine concepts in a meaningful way and engage their critical thinking skills to process ideas being presented in the second language (L2). The activities will incorporate all four domains of language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) to ensure that students develop all aspects of their language proficiency throughout the unit.
Coloriage par Code
The method of using a Coloriage par Code incorporates the theory of Total Physical Response as well using use of visual cues to convey meaning. A 2009 study at the University of Kansas concluded that learners of German who used color-coding to discern the patterns of morphological endings in noun/adjective agreement had an enhanced understanding of the target language as well as a higher likelihood of effectively applying the skill communicatively.
Of course, eighth graders still secretly love coloring, despite their attempts to hide it; By evaluating and categorizing noun/adjective phrases with high frequency vocabulary that they have already learned such as des femmes noires, un pomme rouge, un poule blanche, etc. using different shades of highlighter, they can then articulate the rules for the agreement of regular color adjectives based upon whether they are masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine singular, or feminine plural.
Je remarque, Je me demande
As the second part of the unit continues, students will move on to studying paintings from different areas of the Francophone world. Although students will likely have no background on art history from this area of the world, this is a very low-stakes activity which encourages risk-taking and L2 use. As an opening activity, students will view a photograph of a painting by a French-speaking artist. They will view the pictures before being given any information about the historical context or background we are studying. As they do so, they will complete notes for each picture on an “Je remarque, Je me demande” (“I notice, I wonder”) graphic organizer. This worksheet requires students to record their individual observations, as well as any questions they have. The exercise enables students to think critically about the input and utilize inductive reasoning skills, versus traditional deductive instruction. Students will then discuss their responses as a class before the teacher moves into a more direct lesson about the painting.
Small Group Painting Analysis
Utilizing group work in the World Language classroom encourages more student-centered learning which is more likely to produce organic language use rather than teacher-initiated use of the target language. Zhang (2010) discussed the benefits of collaborative work, stating that it, “places responsibility for action and progress on each of the members of the group somewhat equally. Positive role and goal interdependence help students become less dependent upon outside authority.”
Students split into heterogeneous groups to and conduct a round robin to discuss each painting in English using the “je remarque, je me demande” activity where they took notes individually. As they share ideas, they will make a list of any familiar French vocabulary noted in the painting, as well as any words they may need to look up later. They also note any metaphors or ideas they feel that the artist may be trying to convey. The class then reconvenes as a whole group to review what they have said and receive background information from the teacher on the artist, Francophone country of origin, time period, etc.
Color Word Art
Bomgaars et al (2020) studied the effect of VTS on students in the world language classroom. Using the VTS protocol, the teacher presents an image (in this case, a painting) and poses the following three questions to students: What is going on in this picture?, Why do you say that?, What more can we find? The use of VTS has been shown to “be considered an impactful strategy in enhancing students’ language production” in both speaking and writing.
By considering these prompts and then using them to render their own version of the artwork using the color word in place of the actual color in the original, students are applying familiar vocabulary, interpreting new vocabulary used by their peers, and producing output in the L2 to describe their own recreations. The flexibility of color word art also gives students the opportunity to convey their understanding about the art history components of the unit.
Gallery Walk
One of the simplest strategies utilized in this unit is called a gallery walk. Bowman refers to this strategy as, “One of the most versatile learner-centered activities” The students simply circulate through some type of content provided by the teacher, which could be anything from writing, to pictures, to the work of other students. After they have the input, students can interact with it in a variety of ways, for example, completing a graphic organizer (as they will do in my unit), having a class or partner discussion, or adding something to the content of their own creation. Gallery walks encourage students to think critically about the topics being presented to them. They also give second language learners the opportunity to process input receptively before having to respond to it, as they might in other types of strategies such as a socratic seminar. In addition, a gallery walk can be used to introduce new topics as well as review what has been previously learned.
This part of the unit would also address the interpersonal reading standard which must be met by French I students as per the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Interpersonal language use requiring collaborative dialogue necessitates that learners negotiate for meaning, particularly for students at lower levels of proficiency, which according to research naturally results in self-reflection of language use as well as utilizing peers to help provide unknown vocabulary.
EPortfolio
I consider EPortfolios to be an invaluable tool in my classroom because they allow students to consider to evaluate their own perspectives and learning on their own time, without having to share them publicly. Rothe (2023) describes the use of EPortfolios as, “a flexible and versatile pedagogical learning and assessment tool for language educators”. As the teacher, I can see what they learner’s understanding of different topics is and how their view their own learning. The EPortfolio also serves as a way to measure growth of language proficiency over the course of a unit and, ultimately, the school year.
An EPortfolio’s format is at the discretion of the teacher, but can include reflection questions for students to answer, independent activities such as finding and submitting photos of something in their daily life, or noting and explaining new vocabulary they encounter. Each piece of the EPortfolio is completed individually with a certain due date, and further sections are added after each deadline to keep students working in real time, as opposed to completing the entire thing at once. They are typically digital, to allow the teacher ease in offering feedback and comments in one central location, although they could also be done in notebooks depending on the needs of the class.
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