This document discusses principles for teaching less commonly taught languages endorsed by STARTALK (Strategic Language Training and Research Training). It emphasizes using the target language for at least 90% of instruction time and making the language, culture and content comprehensible to students. To do so, teachers should paraphrase in simpler terms, use familiar structures and repeat key words and phrases. They should also use gestures, visual aids and meaningful contexts to aid understanding. Formative assessments and integrated performance tasks are recommended to evaluate students' knowledge and language skills. The goal is for students to interpret authentic materials and use the language for daily communication and knowledge acquisition.
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Teaching in the Target Language - Brandon Zaslow
1. Teaching in the Target Language: The Key to Linguistic and Cultural Proficiency
Maggie Chen
ImanHashem
Brandon Zaslow
Mandarin in Schools Conference
Los Angeles, November 1, 2014
California World Language Project
3. STARTALK Endorsed Principles
☐Implementing a Standards-Based and
Thematically Organized Curriculum
• Essential Questions, Knowledge and Skills
• Backward Design
• Integrated Performance Tasks
• Stage-and Age-Appropriate Themes
4. STARTALK Endorsed Principles
☐Adaptation and Use of Authentic Materials
Rich in Language, Culture and Content
• Range of Stage-and Age-Appropriate
Authentic Materials (Print/Non-Print/Variety
of Technological Formats)
• Cultural Products, Practices and Perspectives
• Common Core Content
• Language as a Tool for Communication
5. STARTALK Endorsed Principles
☐Use of the Target Language, Making
Language, Culture, and Content
Comprehensible to Students
• Use of the Target Language 90% of Time
• Use of Strategies to Make Language, Culture,
and Content Comprehensible to Students
• Monitoring Comprehension, Adjusting
Instruction as Necessary
• Avoiding Translation by Teachers and Students
6. STARTALK Endorsed Principles
☐Facilitating a Learner-Centered Classroom
• Frequent, varied opportunities for
interpretation of authentic materials
• Daily opportunities for use ofcontent
knowledge, cultural and communicative skills
• Individual, paired, small group activities with
opportunities for meaningful communication,
acquisition of knowledge, self direction
7. STARTALK Endorsed Principles
☐Conducting Performance Based
Assessment
• Formative Assessments, Feedback to Inform
Learning and Teaching
• Assessment of Knowledge, Cultural and
Communicative Skills
• Integrative Performance Tasks
8. Use of the Target Language
“To acquire a new language, learners need to do more than hear the teacher speak about the foreign language. They need to hear the teacher speak in the language.” Krashen
“Input is to language acquisition as gas is to a car. An engine needs gas to run; without gas, the car would not move an inch. Likewise, comprehensible input in language learning is what gets the ‘engine’ of acquisition going. Without it, acquisition simply does not happen.” Lee and VanPatten
9. Use of the Target Language
Donato
•Not all gas is good for your car.
•Refined gas is better than crude oil.
•Similarly, not all input is good for language learning.
•Input beneficial to language learning is a kind of ‘refined language,’ modified and simplified in ways that make it comprehensible to learners.
10. Use of the Target Language
Create Comprehensible LANGUAGE by:
•Paraphrasing(or saying it in an easier way)
•Slowing down the rate of delivery
•Defining words by example, not translation
•Using structuresstudents arefamiliar with and building on them over time
•Using key words and phrases more than once
•Using toneof voice to emphasize key parts of the message
11. Use of the Target Language
Create a CONTEXT for increasing comprehension by:
•Making sure students have knowledge of the topic and the objective of the lesson
•Providing a meaningful and purposeful context
•Using gesturesto make meanings clear
•Using visualsand props
12. Use of the Target Language
Create Comprehensible Interactions with Learners
• Using active comprehension-checking prompts.
Not “Do you understand?” but rather
“Show me you understand.”
•Using questioning sequences in sufficient quantity. yes/no > forced-choice > open ended
•Providing students with ways to clarify and confirm their understanding. (Can you say it again? More slowly please. Do you mean X? )
