I'm pausing to celebrate because this is actually my 150th blog post!
It is by far my longest post yet but that is because I link to SO much helpful information that I wanted all in one place. So please enjoy this deep dive into Proficiency...
My Review of PPN:
After attending the Practical & Comprehensible Conference (read my take-aways here) I won a 2 week free trial to the Practical Proficiency Network. And as as a homeschool mom raising bilingual daughters I did a survey of the PPN (watched around 18 hour-long classes, out of the 100+ available, and went over the powerpoint/handouts for most of the rest). I was expecting it to just apply to classroom teachers but a lot more of it was relevant to me than I thought. I found the teaching both helpful and encouraging. For me, the best part of the PPN was the Teacher Treasure Chest with lots of FREE resources for both French & Spanish.
Conclusion: If I was a World Language Classroom teacher I would 100% do the PPN! However my recommendation for homeschoolers is to make use of her FREE materials instead of the paid PPN subscription (and support her by purchasing a resource from her TPT store). Since the best way to master a new concept is to teach others, I want to share some of my favorite insights about teaching with a proficiency mindset. And as much as I can I'll link to La Libre's FREE material so you can find more information.
What is PROFICIENCY?
* Proficiency: fancy way of saying that class is the communicative event
Myth: Key to language progress is consistent practice.
Truth: Key to language progress is input. Period. The role of practice is to solidify input and help transfer it from short to long-term memory
* 720 hours of exposure is necessary for adults to achieve 2nd language fluency; hence the need for LOTS of comprehensible input
Traditional: Give game instructions in English because its faster
Proficiency: Give instructions in French because it's a meaningful opportunity to use French, which is actually the best use of your time!
Don't correct all mistakes because every mistake isn’t equal; certain types of errors line up with certain proficiency levels
What about GRAMMAR?
“Grammar is an important element of communication, but research shows that explicit teaching of grammar has little effect on people’s language acquisition, comprehension, or writing abilities.” ACTFL Guiding Principles (emphasis mine)
* Inductive Grammar: Present several sentences and students come up with the grammar rule (ie. self-discovery)!
* Pop-Up Grammar: teach short grammar lessons in context when relevant
* Grammar Boot Camp: do 2-3 weeks of traditional grammar focus when necessary
How to be PRACTICAL:
* Choose 1-3 activities you love and use them all the time
* Know the ACTFL Proficiency Levels and use them to assess student's progress
* Prioritize High Frequency Verbs/Vocabulary ie. Super 7 & Sweet 16
* Golden Rule: any time you do input-heavy activity, tack on simple output activity to reinforce & consolidate acquisition
* Use each new vocab word 3 different ways & must have a visual (only do 10-15 words/session for 20 minutes max)
* Reading helps students acquire new vocab 90% faster than simple instruction
* Asking questions is one of the least-work but jam-packed ways to both deliver quality input and direct interaction
* Try co-creating a resource with students so they’re part of learning process
* Put a timer on your research/resource searching so you can only spend so much time on it and then your goal is to actually use it
* Positive Psychology & The Happiness Advantage: be realistic about the present while maximizing potential for future
World Language Teaching BASICS:
3 Modes of Communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal & Presentational
4 Strands: Speaking, Listening, Reading & Writing
My NEXT STEP:
* Maximize Comprehensible Input by continuing to use more FRENCH DAILY with my daughters!
My Favorite PAID Resources:
My Favorite FREE Resources:
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