Teaching in the Target Language 90% or More of the Time Antonia Schleicher Center for Language Excellence, IU

ACFTL Position on the Use of Target Language In 2010, ACTFL issued the following position statement on target language usage in the foreign language classroom:

ACTFL’s Position Research indicates that effective language instruction must provide significant levels of meaningful communication and interactive feedback in the target language in order for students to develop language and cultural proficiency.

ACTFL’s Position Contd The pivotal role of target-language interaction in language learning is also emphasized in the K-16 World- Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.

ACTFL’s Position Contd ACTFL therefore recommends that language educators and their students use the target language as exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instruction during instructional time and, when feasible, beyond the classroom.

Strategies for Maintaining Maximum Comprehension Teacher uses a variety of strategies to make language comprehensible. Teacher elicits talk that gradually evolves into increased fluency, accuracy, and complexity

Strategies for Maintaining Maximum Comprehension Teacher monitors students and makes adjustments as necessary. Teacher avoids the use of translation by using verbal and non-verbal strategies. “Life doesn’t come with subtitles.” (Middlebury College)

Strategies for Maintaining Maximum Comprehension Teacher avoids eliciting translation from students. Teacher models authentic language a step beyond student proficiency (Krashen’s notion of Input + 1) Teacher uses authentic materials Supports transition from performance to proficiency

A Lesson on Greetings Among Peers A Yoruba Language Demo A Lesson on Greetings Among Peers Switch to the Demo Power Point here

Your Beliefs and Practice What do you think about teaching in the target language 90+% of instructional time? How often do you realize this goal? What factors keep/prevent you from meeting this goal? What would help you to move closer to this goal?

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development Program Participants’ Reflections During the Program Backward curriculum makes teaching very effective because the instructors are able to see the end results before teaching. Today, I learned that teaching in the target language is doable. I think it is even possible to use 100% of the target language at the beginning level.

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development program Participants’ reflections during the program This was a wonderful day. I experienced first-hand use of the target language (Yoruba). I did watch the videos yesterday but practicing it in class made it more real. Again communication is the main goal and I will think about it and other 5Cs as I come up with my first lesson plan. Thanks to my wonderful teachers.

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development program Participants’ reflections during the program Backward Curriculum Development (CBD) is now in my head. As I reflected in class today, I grateful I learnt this before I designed the syllabus for my elementary and advanced classes that I will teach in the Fall. The demo, by Dr. Antonia, was very demonstrative and it gave me an exemplary teaching style. The difficult idea, probably for most language teachers, using target language in classroom instructions was well demonstrated and I am happy I saw a few strategies of avoiding using students' first language even in assisting them to grasp concepts which may be difficult to them when provided in the target language.

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development program Participants’ reflections during the program Seeing is believing. Many are the times I had heard of teaching a foreign language using the target language, but still believed it was not possible. The Yoruba lesson today proved me wrong. Target language and the use of backward curriculum is the way to go. With these tools, one can never go wrong. E'she! to our professors.

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development program Participants’ reflections during the program It is possible to teach foreign language without using any translation, and allow students to attain a level of proficiency. Today's class increased my belief in using target language more than 90%.

STARTALK NCOLCTL Swahili Teacher Development program Participants’ reflections during the program Today’s class on standards for effective teaching and learning focusing on backward curriculum development enhanced my understanding of the use of communicative approach to teaching. It reinforced my evolving understanding that goal oriented curriculum planning that targets learner proficiency in using the target language is different from the traditional curriculum planning that focuses on grammar. Communicative proficiency oriented curriculum focuses on more vocabulary and less grammar. Grammar is taught and learnt in context.

Participants’ reflections after the program After the program, participants were asked to send us comments on how the teacher development workshop has changed their way of teaching. Next slides are examples from 3 participants

Participants’ reflections after the program I am now teaching an intermediate class at X University right after training with STARTALK this last summer and I am very confident with work. I just got rewarded recently when one of the students said “my best part of the class is when we get to communicate to each other. Every day on my way to class, I think of the conversations I will have with my classmates.” I used backward curriculum design to plan for the semester and make my lessons plans every day. I use target language and students actually like it every time I announce that we speak Swahili for the entire time.

Participants’ reflections after the program I am still getting fascinated every time I use target language in class as the most viable way of teaching Swahili. This new paradigm, use of target language, as opposed to the old translation from English to Swahili style seems to be more practical because students not only learn a list of vocabulary but they get to learn how to communicate with native speakers of the given foreign language, especially, when students end up being able to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied. With the current technological advancement, it becomes easier to bring Swahili language and culture into the classroom in immediate and authentic ways.

Participants’ reflections after the program When I started teaching the language by using the target language (L2), some students seemed to be scared that they would not understand anything. It looked like they never saw anything like that in their former language classrooms. After three lessons, some students started to complain that they do not understand well the grammar aspects. Some wanted me to shift to the traditional approach, and at first I almost moved to that but I swore to myself to not go back to what I understood and believed to be a bad approach.

Participants’ reflections after the program This is week eight and students seem to have been used to this approach and about 95% of them are happy with it. The remaining 5% is trying to catch up and I have seen them adopting and getting used to the new approach. I hope that by week ten all of them will have forgotten about the traditional approach.

Participants’ reflections after the program Finally, I have realized that before the Startalk workshop I was unknowingly suffering from the lack of appropriate teaching skills. I feel like I need to go back to my former students and apologize to them, ask for forgiveness for not giving them what they should have gotten. I now feel that I am just like a patient that has been injected with a lifetime medicine that have cured me of all the teaching diseases from which I was suffering, and I can proudly say that I am a healthy Swahili teacher.

Participants’ reflections after the program Given that the training focused on use of target language for at least 90%, practicing it with volunteer students really helped to have instructors and workshops to give feedback to one another and that really helped not only myself but also the other participants improve their lesson planning skills.

Participants’ reflections after the program The workshop makes you to practically see why everyone has the right to feel safe in a classroom or learning environment. Often traditional language teaching methods aren’t equipped to accommodate all students to effectively participate in the classrooms. With communicative approach, students are encouraged to work in groups hence making it possible for the use of the target language from day one of the class.

CLE Summer Professional Development Workshop If you want to experience this yourself, come to the one week intensive CLE Professional Development Workshop on May 8-12, 2017.

Any Questions You can contact me at anyschle@indiana.edu or 812-856-4191