flta workshop: teaching less commonly taught langauges tuesday 8/16/11 syracuse university professor...
TRANSCRIPT
FLTA Workshop: Teaching Less Commonly
Taught Langauges
Tuesday 8/16/11Syracuse University
Professor Erika Haber
Learning Outcomes
To understand the concept of LCTL
To identify your target audience and its needs
To learn how to choose suitable pedagogical practices
To learn to prepare a lesson plan with appropriate content and pacing
To discuss the use of technology
To explore useful websites for teaching Russian & Turkish
“Approximately 91% of Americans who study foreign languages in our schools, colleges, and universities choose French, German, Italian, or Spanish; while only 9% choose languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Swahili and the other languages spoken by the overwhelming majority of people around the world.”
(*National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL): http://www.councilnet.org/)
Less Commonly Taught Languages
Less well-known both linguistically and culturally
Dispelling the myths/stereotypes/prejudices
Generally smaller enrollments; few study in high school
First contact with the language, alphabet, etc.
Goals of Teaching LCTL
Remember your audience! Two-year programs vs. majors
Fluency often not a possibility
Not a career path, but often a needed skill set
Adults in the role of children
Heritage speakers
Pedagogical Approaches
Grammar-based approaches
-Cyclical teaching/learning
Communicative approach
-Using Photographs in the LCTL class
Task-based learning
-Using Menus in the LCTL class
Creating Daily Lesson Plans
Understanding your particular students & group dynamic of the class
Creating conducive atmosphere: seating, visual access, emotional comfort
Choosing names and identities
Small talk
The “difficult” alphabet
Creating Daily Lesson Plans, cont.
Brief grammar explanations & Exercises
Readings, videos, music, websites, cartoons, YouTube
Cultural topics (big and small C)
Specifically communicative tasks
Allow time for questions/discussion/student input
The Use of Technology & Space
Blackboard https://bbgroupa.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
SCOLA http://www.scola.org/Scola/Default.aspx
PowerPoint
YouTube, itunes U podcasts, blogs, Skype
Prepare and test everything ahead of time!
Always have a Plan B
Seating and Walking
Interacting and board work
Websites for Resources and Ideas
Cyrillic with pronunciation: http://www.friends-partners.org/oldfriends/language/russian-alphabet.html
How to write Cyrillic and more pronunciation help: http://masterrussian.com/blalphabet.shtml
Russian Names: http://knigaimen.narod.ru/imena/all/a.html
Russian Word of the Day: http://shininghappypeople.net/rwotd/
Russian Language Learning Resources: http://www.sras.org/library_russian_language
Russian grammar, dictionaries and games: http://www.gramota.ru/
Resources, continued
Beard's Interactive Russian grammar: http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/index.html
Teacher Resource Center: http://www.teachrussian.org/
Why study Russian: http://modules.russnet.org/why/
Interactive Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian: http://www.jargon.ru/
School of Russian and Asian Studies Resources: http://www.sras.org/projects and http://www.sras.org/library
Duke Univ. Slavic and East European Language Resource Center: SEELRC/Russian: http://www.seelrc.org/webliography/russian.ptml
Resources, continued II
UCLA Language Materials Project: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Search.aspx?doBasicSearch=true
(Provides language profiles and information on teaching materials for most less commonly taught languages as well as lessons on how to use authentic materials in the classroom.)
Center for Applied Linguistics page for Less Commonly Taught Languages:http://www.cal.org/resources/archive/RGOs/lctl.html (Resources for journals, books and websites)
Turkish Resources Princeton Turkish Language resources:
http://www.princeton.edu/~turkish/
Columbia’s Turkish language sites: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/cuvlm/Turkey.html
University of Oregon Turkish lessons: http://babel.uoregon.edu/ylc/selfstudy/turkish/lessons/
About Turkish: http://www.turkishlanguage.co.uk/about.htm
UCLA Language Materials Project: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Search.aspx?doBasicSearch=true