[ola] Re: Teaching words/phrases for circumlocution and for staying in spanish.
- From: Ashley Uyaguari <auyaguari@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2013 22:19:43 -0500
So, I honestly haven't done it for 90 minutes yet. But, I truly believe
it's possible. I want to try it to get a feel for how difficult it is,
because I don't like sharing advice when I haven't been in your shoes.
A few quick ideas are:
Silent Activities (Comprehensible input with students communicating through
actions)
1. Make sure to have lots of activities for first year students that don't
require them to speak. Do things like ask questions where they stand up
when they agree and sit down when the disagree. Be sure that this is
silent. If some Spanish starts popping up, that's GREAT! But, no English
should be allowed.
I've done this with description, biographical info, opinions. If you need
more specifics, I can share.
2. You could also have certain things on the walls that they move to, like
me gusta mucho, me gusta un poco, no me gusta, no tengo opinion. Then using
pictures or something visual and the Spanish, cue them to choose a wall.
Again, silence is acceptable but English is not! (You can have them repeat
your Spanish and repeat the wall they chose in Spanish too)
Repetition-
You can't have enough repetition with first years. If you need a
transition, repeat the vocab and the actions at random times and this gets
them in Spanish and gives you time to think of the next activity too.
You can also have students say words and the class repeats after them. Go
around the circle a few times like that.
Community Building
There are LOTS of community building things you can do without speaking.
Passing a sound or a clap, the wave, the different handshakes that were on
this listserve. So many things! Rock paper scissors- other competitions.
I believe, that the more you build these things into your class and give
them breaks from the tough language, chances to respond with their body
instead of Spanish, and opportunities to use the Spanish they know
successfully, the less room your class will have for any English.
Also, if kids are breaking into English, think about whether you are asking
them to do something that they are not ready to do. Novices are listing.
They should be listing for most of the class. Lots and lots of vocabulary
and memorized phrases and lots of repetition.
Another thing is use drawing. Have them list the vocab and draw the vocab
during class (this gives you a bit of a break too). Silence is ok here, but
English should not be accepted.
I hope some of this is helpful. I can write again but figured that any
response at this point was better than none. I'll check into trying out a
90 minute class so I can have a better feel for how hard it is (I can
imagine, but experience is even better).
I know Darcy used to have 90 minute classes, so I hope she'll chime in.
-Ashley
On Sun, Nov 3, 2013 at 9:41 PM, Herr Grobey <herr.grobey@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Andrew, I fight this also. I see the kids for 90 mins every other day. I
> like to use the stop sign-police analogy, that some folks will always stop
> at a stop sign as part of the social contract, but some won't unless
> threatened with a ticket from the police. So I dock points when they
> persist after polite and jovial reminders.
> But count it up and they get 3-4.5 hours of Spanish in one week. Compare
> that to what a child gets before 1st grade. 100% is essential. But I try
> to break it up some, and most of the English occurs on transitions to
> writing or other activities.
> Keep the faith. I am starting to see kids adhere to the expectations
> without as much pressure from me, and they are beginning to realize that
> they can do it.
> Tod
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 3, 2013 at 5:23 AM, Stel Schmalz <
> sschmalz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Dan- That was awsome. I still have a few kids who tell me that they
>> can't circumlocute and are shy about participating. This will really help
>> them.
>>
>> Andrew- Last year, someone on on the listserve created a list of useful
>> circumlocution starters. I made them bigger, printed them out on colorful
>> cardstock, and have put them around my room. I teach different levels, so
>> some are a little more advanced, but you could easily sort out the more
>> advanced ones only post the simple ones for now, then add others as the
>> year goes on. If I were to do it again, I would use different colors for
>> easy, med and adv ones. You could also do a lesson with one, where they
>> practice it first, then add it to the wall.
>>
>> Not all of the kids use these yet, but I have seen many kids looking
>> around and using some of them when they are stuck.
>>
>> I have attached the document
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 3, 2013 at 12:07 AM, Call Daniel <dcall@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Drew,
>>>
>>> I taught circumlocution strategies to my students a couple of weeks ago,
>>> and it went fairly well. I put together this prezi that you’d be welcome
>>> to use. It sets them up with some basic categories for circumlocution, and
>>> then gives them the chance to practice, first with a script, then without.
>>> Hope this helps out.
>>>
>>> http://prezi.com/c9sz0hgigl0e/la-circunlocucion/#<http://prezi.com/c9sz0hgigl0e/la-circunlocucion/>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dan Call
>>>
>>> Franklin Pierce High School
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On
>>> Behalf Of *Andrew Van Wagenen
>>> *Sent:* Saturday, November 02, 2013 1:53 PM
>>> *To:* ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> *Subject:* [ola] Teaching words/phrases for circumlocution and for
>>> staying in spanish.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> As a first year teacher and also my first year implementing OLA I'm
>>> fighting an uphill battle of having the expectation that my Span 1 and Span
>>> 2 classes stay in Spanish for 90 minutes. I want to give them some more
>>> tools/strategies to help them stay in Spanish. Does anyone have any
>>> positive ways to support kids speaking spanish or any phrases or ways of
>>> teaching circumlocution so they just don't blurt out things in Spanish.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Is requiring 90 minutes of Spanish from YR 1 students too much? What has
>>> been other's experiences. With participation and language use being 40% of
>>> their grade I feel like i'm constantly having negative interaction with
>>> kids because i'm docking them points for using english in class.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Responses can be sent to andrew.vanwagenen@xxxxxxxxx Thanks everyone!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Drew
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>> *Andrew Van Wagenen *
>>> Profesor de Español
>>>
>>> Department of World Languages
>>>
>>> Corner Canyon High School
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> andrew.vanwagenen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>> andrewvanwagenen.blogspot.com
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> T. Grobey
> Franklin HS <http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/franklin/1078.htm>
> call/text: 971-266-3055
>
--
Ashley Uyaguari
Spanish Teacher 6/7/8
Team Curriculum Coordinator
Innovation Academy Charter School
Tyngsboro, MA 01879
978-649-0432 x3301
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