Guided Practice: A Proficient Approach to Teaching Oral Communication Ms. Haning Z. Hughes – Assistant Professor of Chinese Lt Col Barry L. Savage – Assistant Professor of Chinese United States Air Force Academy

Guided Practice: Background United States Air Force Academy Chinese programs –Textbooks for 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd year Chinese courses: Integrated Chinese by Yuehua Liu and Tao-chung Yao –Chinese Courses and Class Sections Beginning Chinese: Chinese 131, Chinese 132 Intermediate Chinese: Chinese 221, Chinese 222 Advanced Chinese: Chinese 321, Chinese 322 Advanced Chinese – Special Topics –Chinese 365: Chinese Culture and Civilizations –Chinese 376: Chinese Literature Introduction –Chinese 491: Chinese Idioms; Learning Chinese Through Daily Newspaper Reading –Chinese 495: Chinese Military Studies –Chinese 499: Independent Study –Total Student Enrollment: 225 –Total Class contact hours: 160 for 1 st year, 80 for subsequent years Chinese Immersion Programs –Spring Break Military Academy Exchange Program –Summer Language Immersion Program –Cultural Immersion Program –Semester Study Abroad Program

Guided Practice: Conceptual Framework Cognitive Theory –Second-language learning: acquisition of a complex cognitive skill Proficiency results from practiced, automatized, integrated, and organized rule systems that are constantly restructured as language develops Automatization: making a skill routine through practice –Automatic processing built through consistent practice so that it becomes a learned response over time (McLaughlin, 1987) Controlled processing: response has not yet been automatized –Skilled automatic performance can be interpreted as a sequence of transitions from controlled to automatic processing (Shiffrin and Schneider, 1977) Automatized and controlled processes: viewed as ends of a continuum –Complex information-processing skills involve a shift with practice, from controlled to automatic processing (Schmidt, 1992) Organizational structure imposed on new information –As new information is learned, existing organization must be restructured (Anderson, 1995)

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice Oral Proficiency A need for guided practice –Break out of comfort zone –Avoid repetition of familiar words and grammar –Encourage use of newly learned words and sentence structures New Input

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice Automatized, communication-focused practice –Monologue impromptu speeches –Real life experiences –News at the academy and around the world –Dialogue Student to student –Discussion on any suggested subjects Student to teacher –Discussions on questions raised by the teacher –Content-aimed communication practice Review textbook material contents via questions and answers Review theme-specific contents via questions and answers

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice Controlled, guided oral communication practice –Monologue Prepared speeches –Previously prepared /written passages –Designated vocabulary, grammar and sentence structures »Emphasizes new learning –Dialogue Student to student –Previously prepared / written passages –Designated vocabulary, grammar and sentence structures »Emphasizes new learning »Encourages collaboration and mutual learning through group work Student to teacher –Focused questions generated by teacher to enhance guided practice –Examines and assesses newly learned materials –Maintains focus on the targeted subjects –Synthesizes authentic and classroom learning experiences

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice Controlled, guided oral communication practice –Specific guidance given at the beginning of each new chapter –Guided practice only on lessons three and four of each chapter 53 minutes lesson total every other day Oral communication practice takes place at the beginning of each lesson, approx min. –Students choose their own dialogue partners –Clear, precise instruction provided Specific topic Minimum number of new vocabulary must be used Minimum number of specific grammar points/sentence structures/useful phrases must be employed

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice An Example of Guided Practice Chinese 322 (Third Year, Second Semester Chinese) Chinese 222 (Second Year, Second Semester Chinese) 第二十课：运动 Monologue: at least 5 sentences Scenario: talk about your workout routines or your favorite sports include 10 new words of your choice from the vocab list choose 5 of the following sentence structures/grammar usage – 当然 – 简单 – 多 … 哪 / 啊 – 愿意 – 那么 – 被 – 担心 Dialogue: at least 5 sentence per person Scenario: discuss what types of exercise will help the most with one’s health include a total of 12 new words of your choice from the vocab list choose 5 of the following sentence structures/grammar usage – 没 … 了 – 最 – 应该 – 看 / 想 / 猜不出 – 说 / 胖 / 吃下去 – 为了 – 跑 / 说 / 起来 （打起球来）

Guided Practice: From Theory to Practice -- 4 th year (Senior) -- Semester Study aboard -- Previous Chinese experience -- 4 th year (Senior) -- Semester Study aboard -- Previous Chinese experience -- 2 nd year (Senior) -- summer immersion -- 2 nd year (Senior) -- summer immersion -- 2 nd year (Sophomore) -- 3rd year (Freshman) -- high school -- 3rd year (Freshman) -- high school

Guided Practice: Discussion Advantages Comfort zone breakthrough Utilization of new vocabulary and grammar –From controlled processing to automatized processing Improvement in other language skills –Listening, reading, and writing Improvement in presentation skills Thoughtful choice of word usage Enhanced collaboration and mutual learning among students On-the-spot error correction –Immediate feed back –Enhances memory on correct usage of terms –Reduces mistake reoccurrence –Learning opportunities for others in class Assessment/evaluation –Oral proficiency continuously assessed vs. once or twice per semester Extremely positive student feedback Points to ponder Connections between chapter themes Better oral assessment tools Students hand in guided practice written scripts Appropriate time distribution for speaking practice in classroom Further research on this approach

Guided Practice: Questions ? Contact info: (719) (719)