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Technology is significantly transforming world language classes, revolutionizing the teaching and learning processes in the following ways:
Global Connectivity: Technology facilitates real-time communication with native speakers and other learners worldwide. Language classes can leverage video conferencing, online forums, and social media platforms to engage in authentic conversations, fostering a global perspective and cultural exchange.
Digital Language Resources: Online dictionaries, language learning apps, and interactive multimedia resources provide students with a wealth of digital tools for language acquisition. These resources offer dynamic and diverse content, enhancing vocabulary, grammar, and cultural understanding.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): Immersive technologies like VR and AR create virtual language environments, allowing students to experience simulated real-world situations. This provides a unique and interactive way to practice language skills, such as navigating a foreign city or participating in realistic conversations.
Adaptive Learning Platforms: Technology-driven adaptive learning systems use artificial intelligence to tailor lessons based on individual student progress. This personalized approach helps address specific language learning needs, ensuring that students receive targeted support and practice where it is most beneficial.
…How can membership in a professional organization expand your teaching strategies and resources to benefit your students?
Membership in a professional organization can broaden teaching strategies and resources by providing access to a network of educators who share innovative practices. Collaborating with peers through conferences, workshops, and online forums facilitates the exchange of ideas, materials, and pedagogical approaches. This enrichment enhances the quality of teaching and ultimately benefits students through a more diverse and effective learning experience.
In what ways do you believe professional organizations can shape the path of your career?- In considering your long-term career goals, how can active involvement in a professional organization propel you towards achieving them?
Professional organizations play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of a career by offering opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and networking. Engaging with like-minded professionals exposes educators to current trends, research, and best practices, contributing to continuous growth. Additionally, active involvement can lead to leadership roles within the organization, which can significantly influence one’s career path and provide avenues for recognition and advancement.
Active participation in professional organizations aligns with long-term career goals by offering ongoing support, mentorship, and resources. These organizations often provide avenues for professional growth through leadership positions, committee involvement, and specialized training. By contributing to and leading initiatives within the organization, educators can develop leadership skills, broaden their professional network, and gain visibility, ultimately advancing their careers.
How do professional organizations provide platforms for advocacy and influence in shaping educational policies?
Professional organizations serve as influential platforms for advocacy and shaping educational policies. Through collective efforts, members can voice concerns, share insights, and contribute to discussions that influence local, regional, and national educational policies. By actively engaging with policymakers, educators within professional organizations contribute to positive changes in curriculum, assessment, and overall educational practices, ensuring their voices are heard and considered in the decision-making processes.3.2.1
Why is assessment critical in world language education?
Assessment is critical in world language education for several important reasons:
Measuring Learning Progress
Providing Feedback for Improvement to both teachers and students
Assessment results can inform the development and refinement of language curricula
Assessment can be a motivating factor for students. Setting clear goals and regularly assessing progress towards those goals can inspire students to stay engaged and committed to their language learning.
Differentiated Instruction: Through assessment, teachers can identify the diverse needs and learning styles of their students. This information enables them to tailor their instruction to address individual or group-specific challenges and strengths effectively.How do performance-based assessments offer insights into a student’s language proficiency?
Performance-based assessments present tasks or scenarios that mimic real-world language use. This allows students to demonstrate their language skills in situations they might encounter in daily life, such as ordering food at a restaurant, giving directions, or participating in a job interview.
These assessments focus on a student’s ability to communicate effectively in the target language. They assess listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in an integrated manner, emphasizing the practical use of language for communication rather than isolated language components.
Performance-based assessments encourage students to use authentic language, including vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances. This reflects their ability to apply their language knowledge in real, culturally relevant contexts.
These assessments often require higher-order thinking skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. This helps evaluate a student’s ability to adapt their language skills to unfamiliar situations.
Performance-based assessments often use detailed scoring rubrics that assess various aspects of language proficiency, including pronunciation, vocabulary usage, grammatical accuracy, fluency, coherence, and cultural appropriateness. This allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of a student’s performance.
Performance-based assessments recognize that language proficiency can vary among students. They allow for individualized evaluation, considering both the strengths and areas for improvement of each student.
Performance-based assessments can be part of a language portfolio, showcasing a student’s progress and proficiency over time. This longitudinal view of language development provides insights into the student’s growth and areas of consistent strength or weakness.
In summary, performance-based assessments provide a holistic and practical measure of a student’s language proficiency by assessing their ability to use the language in authentic, real-world situations. They offer insights into communication skills, interactivity, problem-solving, and other essential aspects of language proficiency, making them a valuable tool for language educators and learners.What are the advantages of incorporating self-assessment and peer assessment in the language classroom?
Self-assessment often involves self-feedback, which helps students understand the criteria for success and how to achieve it. It helps them develop self-awareness about their strengths and weaknesses, fostering a sense of responsibility for their own learning.
Peer assessment provides students with diverse perspectives on their language abilities. Peers can offer valuable insights and different viewpoints, which can be especially helpful in language learning. In real-life situations, language learners often interact with peers and colleagues. Peer assessment helps prepare students for real-world communication and collaboration in the target language. What’s more, Incorporating peer assessment can help reduce the teacher’s workload, especially in larger classes. Teachers can focus on providing more personalized feedback and support.
Incorporating self-assessment and peer assessment in the language classroom, when used effectively, can empower students, foster a sense of community, promote reflective learning, and provide a more holistic view of language proficiency. These assessment methods align with student-centered approaches to education and support the development of lifelong language learning skills.What are your top three goals for this academic year?
Support students read more non-fiction
Develop more interpersonal communication activities.
Apply the IMAGE model to teach Chinese culture.
What’s a new teaching method or strategy you’d like to try this year? Briefly explain why.
I will adapt “ A Day In History” to support my Chinese 2 students who read and write non-fiction. I use ChatGPT to search about important events happening in each month in history. We picked around 5 events to create grade-level reading materials. In this way, students can expand their vocabulary quickly.
What strategies do you have in place for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
I set up the timer for working, for going to bed, for getting up, ect. I also focus on the moment and get one thing done at one time. I am ok if everything is just okay.
What’s one professional development opportunity you’d like to pursue this year?
I will create some online curriculums.1.What are the most significant lessons you have learned during Phase 2 training? How do you plan to apply them in your future teaching practice?
I have learned how to use the IMAGE model to teach culture-related contents in Chinese 1 classes.
I really enjoy using Canva and I created a yard sale poster with Canva!
I will keep applying what I have learned to polish my lesson plans to help my students to be more successful!2. What are your plans for continued professional growth and development? How will you stay updated on best practices, educational research, and advancements in your subject area?
I will keep in contact with colleagues. Reading more books related to world language instruction. I will join various webinars to keep myself updated. Keep in contact! Thank you all!Hi Lai Laoshi,
It’s very interesting that in Mainland China assessment definitely encourage motivation. Here some of my students will ask me: ” Laoshi, will this task be graded?” They care for their grades, which is good!
Thanks for sharing,
Sulan(Assignment 2.2.2-1) (PR 4, 5, 6)
Discussion boardStep 1: First of all, let the audience know which video you watched.
– Creating Meaningful Performance Assessment Tasks – Laura Terrill (27’30”)Step 2: Choose 2 questions below and write a thorough reflection. Make sure to include a detailed explanation to support your thoughts and ideas.
What was the purpose of the assessment?
The purpose of the assessment is to check what students can do with the target language.
How can the assessment process be improved to enhance student learning and achievement?
If the assessment is integrated with three modes ( interpretive/interpersonal/ presentational communication), students will be prepared for language (the vocabulary, sentences) and knowledge. Then after enough reading, discussion with groups, students can produce a qualified product with enough time.Hi Xiao Laoshi,
–
I agree that the great tasks inspire new interpretations and spark discussions and these tasks must contains the cultural-related elements ( products/practice/perspective).Thanks, Sulan
Hi Feng Laoshi, thanks for your sharing. I also like this activity.
3 things fascinating about the post:
1. Let students have a brainstorm time by talking about where to go in a group.
2. Students need to tell why they want to travel to these places.
3. Students have to talk about the details of traveling.2 ideas you can adapt: 1. Brainstorm time first. 2. Focus on the details..
Question: What if we use the activity for level 1 students, what can we do?Hi Ranran, thanks for your sharing.
3 things fascinating about the post:
1. Personal events are a more engaging topic for young students.
2. Students feel easier to describe familiar events.
3. Thank you for thinking about building up students’ confidence.2 ideas you can adapt: 1. Use familiar events. 2. Use personal events.
Question: None.
Assignment 2.1.5-1 (PR 2, 4, 5, 6)
1) Write an activity summary and include the following:
– Name of the activity: A Letter to myself
– Activity steps:
– Distribute paper and envelopes to students where they have to write their name
– Explain that you will give them time to write a personal letter to themselves when they are abroad: They should write about their hopes, motivations, concerns and fears today, all the questions they have now, everything they would like to share.
– The facilitator keeps the letter in a safe place and will not open it. ( Students get their own letters back later.)– What modifications or changes do you want to make, and why?
I will change the topic for my level 1 students to be: Write a letter to myself who is learning Chinese II. Students will write the letter at the end of the school year.They can make a summary about what they have studied and what they like, etc.
I will provide essential word banks, sentence frames, graphics, or example letters to novice learners since their vocabulary is limited for this topic.
I will let students share their letter with their group members by asking and answering related questions.
Students will select the best three letters they like and tell why they are the best letters, ect.Assignment 2.1.5-1 (PR 2, 4, 5, 6)
1) Write an activity summary and include the following:
– Name of the activity: A Letter to myself
– Activity steps:
– Distribute paper and envelopes to students where they have to write their name
– Explain that you will give them time to write a personal letter to themselves when they are abroad: They should write about their hopes, motivations, concerns and fears today, all the questions they have now, everything they would like to share.
– The facilitator keeps the letter in a safe place and will not open it. ( Students get their own letters back later.)– What modifications or changes do you want to make, and why?
I will change the topic for my level 1 students to be: Write a letter to myself who is learning Chinese II. Students will write the letter at the end of the school year.They can make a summary about what they have studied and what they like, etc.
I will provide essential word banks, sentence frames, graphics, or example letters to novice learners since their vocabulary is limited for this topic.
I will let students share their letter with their group members by asking and answering related questions.
Students will select the best three letters they like and tell why they are the best letters, ect.Hi Thana,
Maybe Startalk can train our world language teachers to understand the ACTFL Assessments in the future. Just like the backward designs, teachers need to understand the assessments first, and then design effective learning to help students pass the assessments. Winning a seal of biliteracy will be an honor and a goal for each student who is working hard in a world language class!
Best,
SulanHi Yi Wang,
I agree with you. With the development of Artificial Intelligence (such as ChatGPT), OPI will be more popular. Some friends are ABC. They told me that they just want their children to chat with their grandparents， uncles and aunts in Chinese. With technology, reading and writing in target languages will be easier. Students will have more fun learning Chinese if they don’t have to read and write a lot in Chinese characters… I wonder how technology will gradually change our language learning！
I wish I could recommend the OPI to my district.
Thanks,
Sulan
I will recommend AAPPL for our high school students. None of my students are native speakers. AAPPL is both performance and proficiency -based. My district is using AAPPL scores to decide if a student can receive a seal of biliteracy.
The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) is an assessment of standards-based language learning across the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Presentational, and Interpretive) as defined by the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. The AAPPL assesses Interpersonal Listening/Speaking, Presentational Writing, Interpretive Reading, and Interpretive Listening, and ratings are assigned according to the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.
Students can have the Interpretive Reading, and Interpretive Listening assessments at the end of the third year of learning Chinese. They can take the Interpersonal Listening/Speaking, Presentational Writing assessments at the end of the fourth year of learning Chinese.
Some teachers mentioned AAPPL isn’t an easy assessment for students. That’s why we have to train students to meet the requirements.
AAPPL doesn’t require special training for people who will administer this specific assessment platform.
