i + 1 + 100% = I 'heart' Krashen!

This week has been a great success for my beginners.  They astound me with the rate at which they acquire new language.  They motivate me with their eagerness to be heard and understood.  They stimulate me to learn more, to do more and to grow more as a teacher.  It is an honor to be a contributor to their English language accomplishments. 

When I first read about Stephen Krashen's comprehensible i + 1, I immediately thought of my first and second grade beginners.  Four weeks ago, in an attempt to create more order at the beginning of class, I introduced by students to the word "prepared".  I taught them what was expected in being prepared and sweetened the deal with a point incentive.  By the second week, most of the students had learned the target language, "I have my book. I have my pencil case. I have my homework. I am sitting."  I probably would have continued reinforcing this same language for months if it had not been for the simple yet brilliant comprehensible i + 1.

Last week, I added '1'  when I changed my questions from first person to second person inquiry.  Initially, when I asked one student if another was ready, the subject of the question would answer, "Yes, I am."  After a few days of modeling the language and letting students practice the language, they acquired the language and now they use it correctly.  So, this week I added another '1' and this was a big '1'!  It was time for them to tell me just how prepared they were.  Everyday, I drew a simple pie graph on the board and divided it into four sections for each of the four preparation expectations.  I taught them percentages: 25%, 50%, 75%,100%.  I then wrote on the board, "How prepared are you?"  They were taught to respond using the percentages.  For example, if a student had fulfilled all of the requirements the response would be, "I'm 100% prepared."  I was apprehensive before I taught them this new language.  Was I pushing them to much?  Would they become discouraged if they were unable to construct meaning from the new lesson?  To my great relief, I was able to present the language in a way that resulted in understanding.  Today was a great day.  Everyone was 100% prepared for class and 100% prepared to use their newly acquired language!

Reflections, A Week of New Strategies in the Classroom

So this week presented some challenges and successes as I began to incorporate in my classes what I have learned from STG.  I decided that I would concentrate on planning and leading lessons that were more dialogic than in the past.  This came with the obvious challenges a teacher expects to face in a content based class where the syllabus requires that student be passive receivers of information.  If I were to rely on the curriculum created by my school, I would have classes of purely monologic discourse as described by Xie.  I changed things up a bit in order to create a new classroom environment in which students are expected and encouraged to speak. I worked on my own patience and allowed for longer response time.  I asked more open-ended questions that required student elaboration.  I tried not to be obstructive, but constructive in my teacher talk, as suggested by Walsh.  Overall, I tried to allow the students to use their English with the hopes that they will better understand the language.

In one content based class, the students had to read a passage on the winter season.  Having taught the pre-requisite of this book, I was not impressed by the reading passage.  The language was far below their level and offered no challenge for the students.  This worked to my advantage, however.  The students and I quickly went through the compulsory routine of the book lesson before I introduced my own activity.  After drawing a Venn diagram on the board, I asked students to tell me what they knew about American Christmas and how it differed from Korean Christmas.  Student participation was great; students were interested in sharing their culture and inquisitive about my own.  The lesson ended with a white board full of information that was almost entirely produced by student statements or as a result of student questions.

In another class, I concentrated on turn taking and voice.  I have a really shy female student in a lower level class.  I'll call her R.  Often her best friend in the class attempts to speak for R.  I always discourage this and seek information from R when she has been addressed.  I noticed that R's best friend was not in the class on Friday.  So, when I asked R how she was feeling, she replied that she was sad.  Although, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was sad because her friend wasn't there, I resisted the desire to express this assumption.  I asked R to explain why she was sad and her response was not at all what I expected.  Friday was the birthday holiday for the school that both R and her best friend attend.  R was upset because while her best friend was at Lotte World, R's mother had forced her to attend all of her academy classes.  I was happy for myself and for R.  By giving R more response time and scaffolding when necessary R was able to express her full thought and I got to hear a much better story than what I'd hastily assumed.

What Cat?!, Week 4 SLA Video HW

This was such an enjoyable activity for me as well as my subject, Lucy.  She and I have worked together for 18 months and everyday we find something (or ten things) to laugh about.  Lucy's interpretation of the story was fun and insightful.  She noticed things in the pictures that I had overlooked.  I paid little attention to the cat.  Lucy impressed me when she concluded that the girl (Maria) thought that she could do as the cat did, and walk the ledge to her neighbor's home.  I look forward to seeing the other videos.  Was Lucy very observant or was I just oblivious?

                                         

Q1:
I do not notice a pattern, but a tendency to be inconsistent in verb usage.

Q2:
 My subject uses third person singular -s on present tense verbs ten times.  Her usage is correct on the two copulas as well as the two auxiliaries.  Of the remaining six verbs, Luci has three errors.  She tends to use -s correctly on copulas and auxiliaries, but is inconsistent on verbs.

Q3:
In the beginning of her story, she uses the word 'feels' correctly.  However, at the end of her story she fails to add -s on the same verb (feel) on two occasions.  I think that in the beginning of her story, Lucy is very aware that she is being recorded and therefore careful in her language usage.  As she gets to the end of the story, she seems more comfortable with the task and less conscious of her language usage.  There is no clear pattern in the telling of the story.

Q4:
Students at Luci's level may be more likely to correctly use -s when they are in formal or academic settings, but become lax when under less formal conditions.  I would share this inference with the student and implement activities that would provide him or her a greater awareness of the inconsistency.  A good way to do this would be to record a lesson and let the student see how and when errors occur.  I could also have a lesson that involved a pair of students having a conversation while other students observed how -s was used in the conversation.  The follow-up discussion could be a good reflective exercise.  This would have to be done with students that are accustomed to peer analysis/criticism.  Hopefully by becoming more self-aware, the student will begin to use third person singular -s correctly in both formal and informal settings.  In this way, the student's awareness could be a tool towards better language usage.

No Losers in This Game, Our First ICC Class

This activity was a fun vivid representation of some challenges of intercultural communication.  It wasn't until the last hand of the second round that I realized the rules of each group differed.  Going into the third round, I tried to use my limited drawing skills to express to a new player that we were playing according to different rules.  I drew two rectangles (paper).  In one was drawn a heart, in the other a star.  She must have thought I was an idiot.  She used her hands to outline the shape of paper.  I realized that she was referring to Corrine's rules.  Just as she believed that I did not understand the rules, I too thought that the players in my second group had been misinformed.  I ignored Jason's confusion when he tried to pick up the trick that I had won.  What I find most interesting about the activity is what I am realizing right now as I write.  I didn't even read the rules.  Justin read them and then taught Shelley and I how to play.  Yet, I STILL believed that our group's rules were true and accurate.  It says a lot about how one's beliefs are shaped.  I am looking forward to this class and seeing what it teaches me about myself.  I have already learned a bit tonight.  Just when I thought I was losing the game, I realized I'd actually won.

The Power of Points in Altering Classroom Discourse

This week I was determined to get my youngest group of students to be more attentive at the start of class.  Normally they would enter the room, say hello, drop their bags in their chairs and leave the classroom for water.  When they did return to class they'd either converse among themselves, begin to tease each other or attempt to tell me about their day at school.  I had expressed my expectations many times, but they continued to do as they pleased.  So when this week's homework assignment gave the option of altering classroom discourse, I decided I'd use the opportunity to alter some classroom behavior.

My students love market day, the two days out of the year when they are able to use all of their hard-earned points on school supplies, trinkets and junk food.  I love the point system because it encourages students to be productive and well behaved in the classroom.  On Monday, I decided that I would teach my students discourse related to preparing for the lesson.  I first taught my class, the word prepare.  I wrote the English word and its Korean meaning on the white board.  I then wrote two short sentences, "Come to class. Get prepared."  The students repeated the sentences a few times.  I then drew a simple graph on the board.  The graph showed how the students could earn four points before class even began.  The graph listed the students names.  On the top horizontal line was a sentence for each step in getting prepared.  On the day following this strategy, the new discourse was taking root in the classroom.  When the students came in only a third of my ten students followed the Get Prepared guidelines completely.  Others met one or two of the requirements.  While others met none.   Some students had simply forgotten Monday's discussion.  So I had to review the expectations along with the new discourse.  By, Thursday I could see that all of my students understood the concept of being prepared.  If someone did not immediately take out their homework and materials I'd ask, "Are you getting prepared for class?"  The student would quickly start to prepare for class.  After I filled in the points on the graph students would often make a comment, like, "Jerry not sitting."  I'd correct there sentences and cue them to repeat.

While it was evident by Friday (today) that my students understood new discourse related to preparing for class, the discourse was too teacher dominated.  Next week I will spend more time teaching students the correct responses to my questions.  Now that they are attentive at the start of class they will be more receptive to learning new language, especially if their is a chance to earn point.  I love the power of points!

Week 2-Presentations, Kudos To Us!

I must say that as a group we had quite a successful day!  I was impressed by the effort everyone obviously put into their presentations.  It has been some time since I have been in an academic setting as a learner and I appreciate the sharing of knowledge, skills and advice that exist in our group.  In regards to the presentations,  I want to give a special thanks to the students who incorporated technology in their presentations.  Through your presentations, I saw the possiblitiy of my own growth.  

It is only week 2 and I am already experiencing a sense of impowerment.  During one of the presentations (I apologize, but I can't remember which one.) it was stated that some people are predisposed to having anxiety attacks.  I don't exactly fall into that category.  However, I have experienced such attacks in the past when I first began teaching.  I had a very slight panic attack last week, just before the first STG class.  I know it was old anxiety creeping up on me because out of nowhere I had an urge to cry.  I pushed back the tears and took my seat in orientation. 

I would like to reflect on something Professor Randolph said today regarding the possibilities of success that we each own.  He said we must have "self-respect."  I am very grateful for these words.  The context in which they were spoken, caused me to immediately reflect on my past lack of self-respect.  I am capable, intelligent and determined.  We are all the owners of our own teacher development and I intend on respecting myself enough to challenge my self in my professional growth. 

I'm thankful for the contributions of my fellow STG students in my personal development.  I hope that I am also able to contribute to yours.  See you all next time!