By Wendy Maxwell
I recently spoke to a teacher who said “My principal is concerned about the fact that the card system is an extrinsic motivator and she prefers that the students have an intrinsic motivation to learn language.” Of course, this is unquestionably our primary goal! As language teachers, we want to ensure that students rapidly acquire the language so that they DO develop an intrinsic LOVE of the language and appreciation for the culture ! My inspiration for developing AIM was based on the fact that my students did not like learning French and I believed that this was, at least in part, because after many years they could not speak, read nor write in the target language.
Before they develop proficiency, however, students cannot imagine, nor feel intrinsic value in speaking this other language. I love Sylvia Duckworth’s Sketchnote, based on the ideas by Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey
I feel that it illustrates well the progression toward intrinsic motivation. As much as we want to help students rapidly acquire language, we also want students to move rapidly through the continuum to intrinsic motivation.
One of the AIM tools that helps to scaffold and move through this continuum is our card system. Not only does it ensure accountability and raise awareness of TL only but it has a deeper linguistic purpose to it as well.
We begin each Lesson with the commitment that we’re going to use the target language only. Whether you use the simple entry routine (open your head/take out
English, put English in your pocket etc.) or whether you use the entry routine rap or whether you simply gesture, for example, in French “On parle seulement en français auhourd’hui…’ it’s a commitment that sets up the atmosphere for the target language only used throughout the class that day. Bookending this commitment that starts at the beginning of the class with the end of class acknowledgement that we have used the target language only in the classroom …. happens very effectively with the card system. Two minutes before the end of class, you ask the students whether they spoke only in French/Spanish/Mandarin etc. today and if they did, they acknowledge that they did and say (in the TL of course) ‘I spoke only in French /Spanish etc. today” and they take a card.
There is also a linguistic purpose to this leaving routine, scaffolding to higher levels of expression…at first, students may simply say:
These are key phrases that students now have the opportunity to practise every day!
And later they will have the proficiency to be very creative, saying, just as an example:
Est-ce que je peux avoir une carte, s’il te plait, parce que j’ai parlé seulement en français aujourd’hui pendant toute la classe avec mon partenaire quand j‘ai fait mes activités et aussi avec mes amis et avec Madame/Monsieur… ! May I/Can I have a card, please because I spoke only in French today during the whole class with my partner when I did my activities and also with my friends and with you Mr./Mrs….!
So using the card system each day as a way to reflect upon and acknowledge that they used target language is a big step for students who are just beginning their language journey. We talk a lot about the importance of student self-assessment and self-reflection, assessment for learning – this is truly key in developing metacognition or awareness of one’s own learning and is essential, I believe, in the development of an intrinsic motivation …and of course, is a great tool for maintain the TL only.
Secondly, the card system gives us the opportunity to thank the students for the great effort they’re putting toward trying to express themselves in a foreign language …which we all know is not easy for a beginning language speaker.
Each day we hand a card to each student individually and can formally thank that student for putting forth this wonderful effort to use the target language only. Praise is such a huge component of the AIM and this is just one other formalized way that reminds us recognize the students for their great effort.
Thirdly, when it comes time to count the cards we want students to have the opportunity, yet again, to reflect on their use of the target language over
a longer period of time, say, 15 to 20 Lessons. When students use the target language only, we know that this is a significant indicator of their eventual ability to develop higher levels of proficiency On the day when students count the cards, they practice sociolingustic functions and high frequency expressions in the target language such as “where is… (name of student)/I am here/here is your card/thank you/your welcome’ over and over again as cards are being handed out.
This system also provides you with a lot of information regarding student participation in class and if you wish, you can use this as part of your assessment toolkit –
not all teachers want to assess participation but what participation typically tells us is that if students are participating (using the TL only in this case)… well they’re going to be speaking in the TL most likely better than others who don’t.
Some teachers and administrators who don’t know AIM well, look at the strategies and techniques used in the methodology such as this one and see only the surface … it is important to also understand the deeper purpose behind it as well.
Because using the TL only in a language classroom is one of the key indicators of to an effective language classroom, we look to whatever we can to support us.
AIM offers a variety of supports – and the card system is just one of many strategies and systems in place to help you! Not only can some types of extrinsic motivation help to accelerate student proficiency, they also may offer some specific linguistic opportunities as well!
I always know when students move from extrinsic to an intrinsic appreciation of French the first time they catch me using English and react in the following way, saying : Madame Maxwell, qu’est-ce que tu fais! Tu DOIS parler seulement en français ! you know that you have achieved your goal of TL only and intrinsic motivation…and THAT is where we all want to be!
The post Is Extrinsic Motivation in a language classroom a bad thing? Can it have a linguistic purpose in promoting a target language ONLY classroom? appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>By Wendy Maxwell
View video here
One of the most often asked questions that I receive from any second language teacher is:
How do I create an immersion environment where both my students and I use the target language only in all class activities?
Teachers tell me that they are frustrated by the fact that students don’t understand, don’t have the skills to speak or write only in the Target Language (TL) after many. They say: “I also want to be able to connect personally with my students, have great discussions, but I will need to use English sometimes for those interactions, won’t I?”. In my experience, (with the exception of sandwiching!) using our first language in the limited allotted to us in our second language class has the following effect: students end up not learning the language effectively and become frustrated, feeling that language class is a waste of time – this is just the opposite of the goals that we want to achieve!
As language teachers, we are constantly looking for ways to give the gift of language to our students – this is our passion and our ultimate goal! To me, TL only in any language classroom makes total sense – why would we speak English in a French class? Spanish in a Mandarin class? Japanese in an Italian class…in fact, I think TL only is essential in getting students up and running in the language quickly so that they experience the joy of speaking and understanding a new language as soon as possible and in my experience we connect even MORE powerfully with students when we are the unique individual with whom students share this new language.
The strategies provided in AIM, for example, such as the use of the Pared Down Language, Pleasant Repetition, deeply embedding words in context through stories and drama, music and dance, scaffolded language manipulation activities, gestures to promote extensive practice with speaking and written language activities that extend into the highest level of engagement through creative writing to books publishing are all part of a system in which each individual technique works synergistically with the others to support teachers in ensuring that students acquire the language.
HOWEVER, I feel that if we miss one important piece of this system, it will result in a significant drop in its effectiveness. What is this piece? Setting the expectation of and consistently and insistently requiring the TL only! In this video I will discuss a few strategies such as the importance of commitment and also how the PDL works to ensure TL only.
Because this is such an important topic, I will dedicate additional videos to Target Language only as well, each one focusing one or more of the strategies that AIM offers to help you maintain the TL Only.
So it all starts with a commitment on the part of the teacher and this is absolutely key to success. It is so easy to slip into the first language…easier and faster for you and so much easier for the students. However, one never achieved anything without hard work and commitment to a goal. Believe in yourself and believe in your students. What are we telling students when we use English or allow them to do so? We are saying: “I don’t believe that you can handle it, so I am going to have to speak in English”.
Please do believe in them! They CAN do it! I and many other teachers have experienced it. And once you make this commitment, now draw on strategies to support you. Consider how the PDL can help. Use the simplicity that the PDL offers you to limit your gestured communication at first to very short sentences…baby talk! That’s how we all began! Don’t worry that students might continue to use baby talk forever – we didn’t and neither will they! However, starting simply and consciously selecting those essential high-frequency words from the PDL and repeating them over and over again in different ways as I gesture is how I helped my students reached their highest potential. It is in fact very easy. Let’s get into the details as to how the Pared Down Language supports you.
You are provided with a carefully selected list of high-frequency verbs, nouns, questions, conjunctions and expressions. This one of the most important supports for the maintenance of the TL only. How? When you are only using these specific words and recycling them through your spontaneous gesturing – reviewing the story, asking and responding to questions, describing activities, explaining a game, talking about anything that is going on in class, you are providing students with pure Comprehensible Input and the opportunity for sufficient pleasant repetition for acquisition. LESS is definitely MORE in this case.
If you commit, heart and soul in every action that you take, in every sentence that you gesture and in all communication to your students, that TL only is priority for you and use the strategy of scaffolding that the notion of the PDL offers, then you are well on your way. In fact this is how AIM developed – every aspect of the methodology is there to support you. My students never know that I speak English – well, they are never sure…until they hear me quietly talking to a parent for example, who has no French… and then I get a big scolding from them! Whether it is outside at recess or lunch supervision, leading Karate Club, leading cooking club – I would not consider anything else but doing this in French. I was lucky of course, because AIM was used throughout my school.
Consider that you embody the language that you teach – for your students you ARE the language – show your passion for it and your absolute commitment to it.
I hope that you join me next week for more tips on maintaining TL only!
The post How can we create a Target Language ONLY classroom? Part 1 appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>By Wendy Maxwell
View video here
Over the years, there have been questions concerning the pacing that works best to maximize language acquisition and very recently I saw a question posted on the AIM Forum PAP Facebook Group so I thought that this would be a good subject for this week’s Tips for Success in the second language classroom! This particular tip gives examples from our methodology, but the tip applies broadly to any second language classroom as well. I know that often teachers who are beginning with AIM, for example, start off very slowly with the gestures, getting familiar with the routine where students speak while they gesture – this is understandable! What we don’t want is for teachers to become so concerned about gesturing every sentence exactly as it is in the script and repeating these same little scenarios more than is necessary, because what often happens, is that the student and teachers become bored and overwhelmed by the slow pace and learning slows or even stops. On the contrary!
We want the first exposure to the language to be engaging, exciting, and of course effective at accelerating language acquisition. So for this to happen, it is important for teachers to move as quickly as possible through activities I can assure you, that you will revisit these words and activities again many times. In a holarchical approach, like AIM you will reuse these same words MANY TIMES and in different contexts and this will make the whole learning process meaningful and engaging! This is the way the AIM is designed and why it works. Because you will also use these same words in spontaneous interactions there will be plenty of opportunity for that necessary pleasant repetition that I talk about. I have learned a lot over the years in terms of what teachers understand (and don’t understand) about pacing activities – so I am happy to say that in the new editions, we now have an 85 lesson plan stream. This Lesson Plan Overview gives you a concrete idea as to the intended flow of each class.
We start with the entry routine where
1. We commit to using the target language only – keep it short – maximum 3 to 5 minutes!
2. Get quickly to a couple of whole-class activities 5-10 minutes each
3. And then off to the important Partner/Group activities and
4. After this, end the class with the quick Leaving Routine where students reflect upon their use of the target language .
Brain-based research tells us that each activity should last a maximum of 10 minutes and in most cases, could be much less – definitely the case if you teach primary classes ….and at any time where a class seems unfocussed – change it up! Have the class stand up to do a gesture review! Dance and sing a rap or song, then sit down again and do an activity with a different focus. You will see that this is the way the new Lessons are designed. Brain-based research tells us how important this is to maximize learning.
Each Lesson is designed for anywhere between 30 to 40 minutes or so and if you have much longer classes (say one hour) you just back to back a couple of lessons. And if you teach Immersion, your will transition in and out of Whole-Class and Partner/Group Activities or Centre Activities in a similar fashion.
It’s so important to move through the activities at a pace that is represented in the new Lesson Overview …this is something that will be key to your success with the methodology. For example, moving through Activities 1 to 12 in the first four classes, will ensure that you get to that important introduction of the story in Activity 13, in your 5th Lesson
The story provides you with the key context for the whole kit – it is an anchor and touch point for so many proficiency-developing activities.
The AIM is designed so that, during the first part of the first Kit you quickly flood the students learning of a great deal of essential high frequency words so that you can ”survive” in the target language only in the classroom.
In fact, by activity 30 – or Lesson 11/ a total of 85 Lessons – you should have introduced 82% of the words in your Step 1 Kit.
This is absolutely key to your success and to student success as well. We do not want you or the students to become bogged down, feel that the methodology is too slow or drags on and worst of all, to be bored with the pace! I encourage you to have a look at an authentic AIM first class found on the Portal from a Step 1 Kit.
If you watch this half hour class, where I work with this group of students with NO French experience at all, you will see
1. how I ensure that the target language only is introduced and maintained and
2. how I introduce students to the AIM technique whereby the teacher gestures and students speak!
If you don’t have a Portal, you can get a free trial on the website.
Back to the concept of pleasant repetition – I feel that this might be misinterpreted at times. If there is too much repetition of a similar type within a certain time frame, the students will definitely get bored with what is happening in the classroom – it won’t be pleasant any more!
So it is important to ensure that when introducing the words, you repeat them to a certain degree as modelled in the lessons however please
don’t spend 30 minutes on one activity! Move forward into the next activity and then next activity and the next activity – each one maximum 10 minutes …at most. What is built into the AIM itself is the systematic repetition of these words in different contexts over and over again through one kit and again in the kits that follow! The deep learning that is one of the reasons for AIM’s success will happen. And if you move at the intended pace, you will also get to the most important activity in each Kit that is the synthesis of all that has preceded it – story retelling and extension!
I hope that you will consider this tip as you work with your students! Don’t hesitate to comment or ask questions by clicking below!
The post Pacing your Lessons for Success appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>by Wendy Maxwell
View video here
Hello everyone and welcome to the first in a series of blogs in which I will share tips, primarily relating to language teaching, but ideas that also relate to good teaching practice in general. The first tip, the one that I will discuss today is very dear to me as it is what inspired me to create what is now known as the Accelerative Integrated Methodology (or AIM), a methodology that rapidly accelerates language acquisition. So this is the tip, summarized in a quote by Alfie Kohn: Consider that what counts in a classroom is not what the teacher teaches, but what the learner learns.
In order to explain why I love this quote and why I feel it is my first choice as a tip for you to consider in your teaching, I feel I should explain a bit about my background, which is also probably a good way to begin! I started my career as an immersion teacher in an inner city school in Ontario over 35 years ago…in some ways it seems like yesterday!
I really struggled through my first few years – I was not a good teacher at all – I just could not get a handle on the best way to teach and classroom management was really a challenge. However, the French language was a passion for me and I wanted so much for my students to learn to love it as much as I did AND to successfully acquire the language – that was key for me. If we can give students the gift of language, in my mind, we are among the most important teachers in a school. So after a couple of years, I started to improve my skills as a teacher, luckily and some of my primary immersion students became confident and developed a basic , beginning language proficiency. Then after 5 years as an immersion teacher, I switched to a different school… I got a job closer to home at a school that had a basic or core French program – This is how I learned French, so I was excited to work in the context in which I had l acquired French myself so well!
To my surprise, the students in this school…from the first through seventh year of instruction were no different in their language skills…imagine that that after seven years of 30 minutes of French every day, there was not one student who could speak to me, no one could read well with fluency nor with correct pronunciation, and to my dismay, no one understand when I spoke in French nor could they write a sentence …much less a paragraph. I remember being so frustrated, I didn’t know whether I should even stay in language teaching – I felt that I was failing the students. Since then, I have spoken to many teachers about the notion of teaching vs learning…I remember a few stories of teachers who describe how colleagues who receive their students come back to them, asking why the students don’t know this or that in the language and the teacher explains …but I taught it!!
So back to the quote…. what matters is not what we teach but what the students learn. Within the first year as a core French teacher, realizing that my students had really not learned any French over the course of 7 years I felt that HAD to do something! So I began my action research with my students, doing whatever worked to make sure that they learned and bit by bit, step by step over the course of 10 years I tried and tested different things and eventually I built a system/methodology that is now AIM.
The tip for this week is very close to my heart and I do hope that you might consider this in all that you do as a teacher…It became part of my day-to-day experience with my students and still does as I now work with both students and teachers…I am constantly asking myself …am I making sure that my students are learning what I teach? Am I doing everything possible to support my students and ensure that they are able to speak in the TL only in all interactions in the classroom with their peers and myself, using the words I teach them? Am I recycling words that are key to language proficiency? Do I place these words in different context so that they are acquired ? Are the students able to use the words that I teach, to be creative…for example, am I making sure that they can write stories of, say 8 to 10 pages? I can say that it is absolutely possible to create an immersion environment in all language classrooms and to have students do all these things – I have experienced it with my students and in the many classrooms that I have visited.
In future blogs I will be providing tips that will help you to achieve this success – to make sure that students acquire the language that we work so hard to teach… These tips will be taken from questions that teachers often ask me about in workshops – tips that are more concrete in nature and specific to certain AIM strategies….and others as well. Please join me again next week ! If you are interested in making comments on this week’s tip or on asking questions that we can include in future Tips for success videos, please comment below!
The post Teaching VS Learning appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>
Assessment as learning is an experience that is an essential part of every language classroom. For years, AIM teachers have ensured that students reflect on their learning – what they know well and what they would like to know better. Assessment as learning opportunities should take place at appropriate times throughout every kit. For example, begin by determining your learning outcomes for a major activity, such as the writing of a story retelling in partners. With your guidance, through total and partial questions, have students develop together the success criteria for this activity. These will be written as ‘can do’ statements… “Je peux…/Yo puedo…” and will describe exactly what students should accomplish in the activity. Expectations will increase over time with the same activity from one kit to the next. Our new AIM Kits contain these CAN DO statements to make it a bit easier for you.
Portfolio presentations: ‘Assessment as learning’ opportunities
The portfolio presentation provides the opportunity for students to reflect on their learning. There is a list of success criteria provided for you in the kit and you may, of course, change this or add to it to reflect what your students have set as their success criteria. During the portfolio presentation, not only do students reflect on their learning, but they also proudly share what they have learned with parents, family members and friends. And parents also have the opportunity to witness and celebrate the learning of their child – and to reflect upon it.
What is the Portfolio presentation? – Students take all completed written activities and any other work (such as the play or raps performed and filmed) and place it in a large envelope to take home to parents. You may use the template provided for you in the Mon Portfolio de langues section of our Language Assessment Activities Book. In the envelope students should also place both the student self-assessment sheet, the peer assessment sheet for their play presentation as well as the sheet for parents to reflect on their child’s language acquisition.
Each student makes a presentation to parents/family members and friends. Students present every aspect of their learning, including:
When does it take place? – Students present at the end of the kit, after all the activities have been completed and corrected. In many cases, students make numerous presentations to various family members and friends, thus benefitting from extensive repetition of the language and positive feedback!
Where is the presentation? – The presentation is typically made in the home of family and friends.
What are other options for portfolio presentations?
Although it is ideal for parents or other family members to give feedback and be the ‘audience’ for portfolio presentations, in some cases, this is not possible. If this situation arises for one or more students, provide them with the opportunity to present to others, such as adult volunteers at the school, members of the school administration, older students in the school or in neighbouring schools.
Why do we have a portfolio presentation?
It does not matter whether the parents speak or understand the language of instruction. Parents can still make their comments, based on the apparent learning and enthusiasm of their child toward the target language. Usually the comments are very positive – parents are thrilled and amazed that their child is speaking and writing in another language! There are many benefits to the portfolio presentation at the end of a kit. The following are just a few:
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to set goals for themselves and to complete the circle of assessment.
The post How to make the most of Student Self-Assessment and the AIM Portfolio Presentation by Wendy Maxwell appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>
The following are some tips as to how to use them:
In Class:
1. Dedicate 10 minutes for a shared reading activity. Pick a theme that relates to your current play or cultural component – or any theme that might inspire your students!
2. Project the selected reader onto your whiteboard. Read it with the students. Pause to ask simple total and partial questions with your beginner students. Bring in high-frequency vocabulary as you gesture!
3. Experienced students: Gesture questions that are more challenging! Stop at an appropriate point in the story and have students predict what they think will happen next!
4. Ask students to do an oral story retelling of the reader with a partner once you have completed your whole-class reading.
5. Before reading the story, project the title page or one page inside the story and have them describe what is happening – not only the actions, but also the setting and what the characters look like!
6. Look at page in the story and have students create questions, based on what they see in the image. You may respond to these questions if you know the story!
At home:
1. Give students their logins and have them read one book from time to time. Before students view the e-reader Portal at home, be sure to show them how to activate the read-aloud feature. At home they may ‘read’ the story, even with minimal language skills as they are supported.
2. Flipped classroom! Ask students to read a specific story in preparation for an activity the next day in class! You could play Questions et Réponses, based on the story read the night before. The better prepared each member of the group is, the more points they may win!
3. Parents can be involved! Parents often want to be involved in the learning of their children and ask how they can help when they do not have language skills. Now, they may learn alongside their children when having the stories read aloud at home.
The post Our new e-readers: Tips and tricks for using them with your students! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>I would like thank Wendy for the opportunity to share how I use AIM readers in my FSL classroom. AIM readers are written for specific age groups and language abilities.
I am going to describe how I work with the reader that I wrote for AIM recently. I work in a Christian School in BC. In this blog, I will describe how I use my readers with my own students. These same ideas may be applied to any of the AIM readers!
The reader that I wrote, Noé et le grand déluge, is targeted towards 2nd and 3rd year AIM students.
Upon teaching the pronunciation of any new words, the following list is the order in which we study it. Note that this is done over the course of several classes.
INTRODUCTION
Before we begin, I teach the new vocabulary associated with it using both gestures and Quizlet through this set. Since I teach in a Christian school, students are already familiar with the story of Noah, but have not seen it written in French text until now.
TEACHER READ-ALOUD
First, I will read the entire story to the class as they follow along. As the author of this reader, I am most familiar with the text and thus I read it with as much enthusiasm as possible. This exposes the proper pronunciation, enunciation and expression to the students. I trust this is an effective method for improving my student’s fluency and comprehension. I offer a few comprehension questions as I read for the first time.
CHORAL READING
It is important that we also practice choral reading with the whole class. Everyone reads out loud together as a class. This way, shy and struggling students will not feel pressure to “perform” in front of everyone. Choral activities are a large part of AIM, and a reason why I love this curriculum so much. We read a few pages at à time.
PARTNER READING
In groups of two, students will read it aloud with a partner. This will prepare them for the next step. Students take turns reading and peer correct pronunciation if necessary.
ROUND ROBIN READING
After a few classes of exposure, they are expected to be able to read aloud in front of the entire class. I call names out and they read two to three lines each. I try to get everyone to read at least once per class, and tend to call out stronger students to read more often. If I know that a student is timid, I may have them read shorter or easier passages in the book.
BUDDY CLASSES
After a few weeks, students will have an opportunity to read the story to their “buddy” class, a younger group of students in the same school. This is an excellent chance for them to showcase their abilities, while at the same time not feel too much pressure to be “perfect”.
STORY RETELLING
As usual, as students become very familiar with the story, they have a chance to retell the story in their own words. This is an opportunity for them to use acquired knowledge to, as Wendy puts it, “develop the ability for circumlocution and an awareness of how to build out a well-known story.”
WRITTEN ACTIVITIES
For a number of their readers, AIM has created written activities very similar to those AIM students are already familiar with: Choisis le bon mot/Mets les mots en ordre/Les Questions Totales/Les Questions Partielles and others including cultural activities.
Digital Readers
I am excited about using AIMs Digital Readers in the near future. As a huge supporter of technology education, I look forward to having the ability to have my students read multiple readers at their own pace. My school in the process of acquiring the student portal for next year, and because of that, students will have access to the digital readers at home and can work on them at their convenience. In class, I plan to have students use iPads to read in groups. This can also be an activity for “fast finishers”: students are excited to use technology, and will be happy to have a chance to read new digital readers at their language level.
BIO
Steve teaches in an independent school in Richmond, British Columbia, and has been teaching with AIM for the past twelve years. He has taught French from grades 1 through 10. Currently, he is teaching grades 1 through 5.
Contact him via Twitter (@sly111) and through email at slai@myrcs.ca
The post How I Use AIM Readers appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>I first started using the AIM in 2005. At the time, I used the Histoires en action ! (HEA) curriculum kits, as the high school-level Jeunesse en action ! (JEA) kits were not yet available. Having no basis for comparison, my teens were none the wiser, and they enthusiastically enjoyed acting out and dancing to the stories of Les Trois Petits Cochons, Commeny y aller ?, and L’Arbre ungali.
Naturally, when the first AIM kits for high school students became available, I jumped at the opportunity to try them on for size. I have never regretted that decision!
Some high school language teachers may think that the AIM is not applicable at the secondary level. Perhaps this misperception is due to the enormous popularity and success of the AIM in elementary schools; perhaps it’s the use of singing and dancing, or even puppets that is off-putting to some; or maybe it’s the opinion that the AIM curriculum is not rigorous enough in its application of advanced grammar (e.g. Advanced Placement).
Having taught with a traditional textbook early in my career, and currently teaching AP French, I can fully understand these concerns. However, the language teacher who wishes to use the AIM must understand that it is a very different paradigm than the one they personally learned with, or have been comfortable teaching with, over the years.
The AIM really matches what linguist John De Mado speaks of as the Proficiency Paradigm and not the traditional Mastery Paradigm. In a Mastery Paradigm classroom, grammar is pre-eminent, the class is very teacher-centered, students assume a reactive role and the result is learners who are mere “identifiers” of language. In a Proficiency Paradigm classroom, vocabulary, not grammar, is the driver, class activities are student-centered because they are taking on a much more proactive role (i.e. speaking a lot), and the overall result is what De Mado calls “communicators.”
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) strongly influences the development and implementation of second language curriculum around the world. With its emphasis on authentic language development and proven ability to develop oral proficiency better than any other language curriculum to date, AIM aligns beautifully with the philosophy of the CEFR.
While a student teacher in Seattle some 18 years ago, my mentor Sue Pike reminded me that: “nothing motivates like student success.” While the AIM certainly fulfills that maxim, as with any curriculum it is also teacher enthusiasm that motivates and drives students to succeed. Wendy Maxwell reminds us that teachers who are unwilling to release control are not very successful with the AIM.
The brand-new or veteran teacher who is open and willing to try the AIM for the secondary level needs to bring a high level of enthusiasm for all activities in the classroom. This includes an animated face when gesturing for our beginners, constantly praising students for their efforts, singing aloud a grammar rap, singing and dancing with your students, and maintaining an encouraging smile throughout (it’s not called “pleasant repetition” for naught). All of these show discerning teens that you enjoy your job and enjoy working with them every day as they grow more and more toward becoming proficient communicators.
I sometimes get the student remark: “Vous êtes fou, Monsieur!” Personally, this is a great compliment because I know that the AIM is getting me and my students to teach, learn and perform outside the musty old Mastery Paradigm box.
The AIM is recognized as a holistic approach to language instruction because it uses extensive songs, plays, dances and creative storytelling activities. However, we language teachers need to acknowledge that holistic language instruction should continue well beyond grade six and is very effective for adolescents.
Every September I tell my beginners that the way they are going to learn French will be quite unlike any other class in their high school career: sitting in a semi-circle, gesturing, acting, singing, dancing, playing games and extensive partner and group work are all essential to their eventual language proficiency. When they ask: “What is proficiency?” I show them a video of one of my former French 1 students who holds forth in French for approximately 12 minutes. I tell them they will all be able to do the same after nine months of learning with the AIM.
Patrea Fernandez, Spanish teacher at Bonney Lake High School in the Sumner (WA) School District recently said:
“At first I was concerned about AIM because I did not know how to let go of how I was used to learning and teaching a language. I love using AIM to the best of my ability now. It actually feels more natural while I am teaching. We sing every day and are having a blast.”
Fernandez’s colleague, National Board Certified French teacher Cheryl Roper, says:
“Oh my lands! What an awesome year it’s been so far! I’m so excited about the difference the AIM has made in my teaching life. I’ve been teaching French for 12 years now and this is the first year using the AIM where nearly all my students are voluntarily speaking the target language without fear or hesitation.”
The post Using AIM in High school appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>I first started using the AIM in 2005. At the time, I used the Histoires en action ! (HEA) curriculum kits, as the high school-level Jeunesse en action ! (JEA) kits were not yet available. Having no basis for comparison, my teens were none the wiser, and they enthusiastically enjoyed acting out and dancing to the stories of Les Trois Petits Cochons, Commeny y aller ?, and L’Arbre ungali.
Naturally, when the first AIM kits for high school students became available, I jumped at the opportunity to try them on for size. I have never regretted that decision!
Some high school language teachers may think that the AIM is not applicable at the secondary level. Perhaps this misperception is due to the enormous popularity and success of the AIM in elementary schools; perhaps it’s the use of singing and dancing, or even puppets that is off-putting to some; or maybe it’s the opinion that the AIM curriculum is not rigorous enough in its application of advanced grammar (e.g. Advanced Placement).
Having taught with a traditional textbook early in my career, and currently teaching AP French, I can fully understand these concerns. However, the language teacher who wishes to use the AIM must understand that it is a very different paradigm than the one they personally learned with, or have been comfortable teaching with, over the years.
The AIM really matches what linguist John De Mado speaks of as the Proficiency Paradigm and not the traditional Mastery Paradigm. In a Mastery Paradigm classroom, grammar is pre-eminent, the class is very teacher-centered, students assume a reactive role and the result is learners who are mere “identifiers” of language. In a Proficiency Paradigm classroom, vocabulary, not grammar, is the driver, class activities are student-centered because they are taking on a much more proactive role (i.e. speaking a lot), and the overall result is what De Mado calls “communicators.”
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) strongly influences the development and implementation of second language curriculum around the world. With its emphasis on authentic language development and proven ability to develop oral proficiency better than any other language curriculum to date, AIM aligns beautifully with the philosophy of the CEFR.
While a student teacher in Seattle some 18 years ago, my mentor Sue Pike reminded me that: “nothing motivates like student success.” While the AIM certainly fulfills that maxim, as with any curriculum it is also teacher enthusiasm that motivates and drives students to succeed. Wendy Maxwell reminds us that teachers who are unwilling to release control are not very successful with the AIM.
The brand-new or veteran teacher who is open and willing to try the AIM for the secondary level needs to bring a high level of enthusiasm for all activities in the classroom. This includes an animated face when gesturing for our beginners, constantly praising students for their efforts, singing aloud a grammar rap, singing and dancing with your students, and maintaining an encouraging smile throughout (it’s not called “pleasant repetition” for naught). All of these show discerning teens that you enjoy your job and enjoy working with them every day as they grow more and more toward becoming proficient communicators.
I sometimes get the student remark: “Vous êtes fou, Monsieur!” Personally, this is a great compliment because I know that the AIM is getting me and my students to teach, learn and perform outside the musty old Mastery Paradigm box.
The AIM is recognized as a holistic approach to language instruction because it uses extensive songs, plays, dances and creative storytelling activities. However, we language teachers need to acknowledge that holistic language instruction should continue well beyond grade six and is very effective for adolescents.
Every September I tell my beginners that the way they are going to learn French will be quite unlike any other class in their high school career: sitting in a semi-circle, gesturing, acting, singing, dancing, playing games and extensive partner and group work are all essential to their eventual language proficiency. When they ask: “What is proficiency?” I show them a video of one of my former French 1 students who holds forth in French for approximately 12 minutes. I tell them they will all be able to do the same after nine months of learning with the AIM.
Patrea Fernandez, Spanish teacher at Bonney Lake High School in the Sumner (WA) School District recently said:
“At first I was concerned about AIM because I did not know how to let go of how I was used to learning and teaching a language. I love using AIM to the best of my ability now. It actually feels more natural while I am teaching. We sing every day and are having a blast.”
Fernandez’s colleague, National Board Certified French teacher Cheryl Roper, says:
“Oh my lands! What an awesome year it’s been so far! I’m so excited about the difference the AIM has made in my teaching life. I’ve been teaching French for 12 years now and this is the first year using the AIM where nearly all my students are voluntarily speaking the target language without fear or hesitation.”
The post Using AIM in High school appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>The deep learning that students experience when working in-depth with the central theme of the Kit – the play and extended activities – has many benefits. It is the context that ‘anchors’ the program and provides students with structure and predictability and the necessary pleasant repetition needed for acquisition. Threaded throughout this common theme, you should constantly intersperse with spontaneous (or planned) opportunities for taking discussions outside of the play. AIM is all about seizing the moment for teaching what is relevant to students.
Throughout the year, there will be times when important celebrations, events and holidays occur! Be sure to use these as a ways to motivate students, add variety, improve proficiency, learn about culture and associated context-specific words…and you can do this effectively by drawing upon your familiar AIM strategies!
Some suggestions that we have found work well are the following. They are found in the order of complexity, based on student proficiency levels.
A1-A2 proficiency level (Kits Step 1 and up)
For example:
(a) Sing Happy Birthday every time is a student’s birthday
(b) Find a great Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, song in the target language and introduce it three weeks before the holiday, making sure that you sing it every few days so that when the holiday arrives, the students sing it loudly and with confidence on that day! Matt Maxwell’s songs, C’est l’Halloween and La St. Valentin are possibly the most well-known French ‘holiday songs’ used in FSL classes! If there is no published song available in the target language for a specific holiday, make one up yourself using the Pared-Down Language and simply ‘sing’ it as a rap to a nice beat, or sing to the tune of a well-known song!
(c) Make a Big Book with the words to a holiday song.
On appropriate pages, wherever new vocabulary appears, be sure to illustrate/find illustrations for new, context-specific words to provide contextual cues.
A1-A2 proficiency level (Kits Step One and Two)
A2+ Proficiency Level (Kits Step Two and up)
A2/3 + proficiency level (Kits Step Three and up)
The post Holidays and Celebrations in an AIM Classroom! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>By: Holli Wilkes
I have been teaching Spanish in an International Baccalaureate school in South Carolina for thirteen years. As is probably true with most elementary foreign language teachers, I began my language teaching career consumed with creating my own curriculum since at the time there were very few “programs” available. I used a “thematic” approach for many years, and then my school district adopted a long-distance delivered gesture based program. This approach worked very well, however the emphasis was on gesturing isolated vocabulary words, many of which were not in the AIM pared down language list. My students were learning the vocabulary and had some success speaking and writing, but I was not happy with their speaking and writing proficiency over time. And then I heard about AIM.
I attended the US Summer Institute in Jacksonville, Florida and took the plunge to become an AIM pilot teacher. As so many other AIM teachers have testified, the students were speaking and understanding from the very first day! I see enthusiasm on their faces (well most of them, anyway!) Over the past few weeks I have noticed how much more language the students can produce. As we meet in the hall to begin class, I have had students say “Spanish is so much fun this year!” and “I did the opening rap for my parents last night.” I had a walk through observation by one of the administrators, and she commented on how engaged the students were and how much they could say from just watching the gestures. I also notice that my older students are really trying to express what they want in Spanish, which I love!
It is not easy. I spend a lot of time watching the gesture videos. I need to review each lesson over and over until I think I can do it without looking at the teacher’s guide. (I found that note cards reminding me of what to do next are very helpful!) It is also somewhat exhausting to keep up the pace for six classes a day! However, as I learned in the Foundations Class, it is important to just keep on going through the lessons. The students will learn through the constant repetition in different contexts. I am six weeks into the program and I am excited to get to the end of the year to see what my students will be able to accomplish.
The post My First Few Weeks as a Novice AIM Teacher appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>So, you work with your Teacher DVD at least 15 minutes every night. You’ve memorized the gestures for every word from Section A to Z for your kit. You’ve practiced gesturing whole sentences, partial question, and total questions. You can even gesture the entire play at normal speaking pace and your colleagues say you’re as fluid in motion as a maestro conducting a symphony orchestra. You know that gestures are the key to bringing fluency to your students without using their first language. You know that gestures keep your students engaged physically and mentally in the classroom. You know that, by using gestures, you are giving your students the capacity to story language in two separate parts of their brains. But, are you truly a Gesture Guru? Take this simple quiz and read on to find out.
TRUE or FALSE (answers and explanations found below)
• All students must gesture along with the teacher at all times.
• Students must memorize all gestures and should be tested on them periodically.
• Once students reach critical fluency, the teacher should stop gesturing.
• Teachers should always gesture when they are addressing the class as a whole.
• Gestures are only used during whole group activities.
• Teachers should always gesture, even when speaking to students one-on-one.
#1 – All students must gesture along with the teacher at all times. FALSE! While some students will naturally gesture, others will not; either is acceptable. Students should only be required to gesture when a word is initially introduced or during gesture reviews.
#2 – Students must memorize all gestures and should be tested on them periodically. FALSE! Gestures are a tool used to help build and accelerate fluency. While students do need to recognize gestures so they are able to speak when the teacher gestures, they should NEVER be tested on gestures.
#3 – Once students reach critical fluency, the teacher should stop gesturing. FALSE! The more your students speak, the more fluent they will become, even if they are experienced AIM students. Gesturing, especially when telling personal stories and sharing information, helps students stay engaged with you and in turn, with their learning. Additionally, gesturing allows even your lowest students to understand what is being said.
#4 – Teachers should always gesture when they are addressing the class as a whole. TRUE! Whether it is discussing weekend events, modeling a partner/group activity, or dealing with an ordinary classroom procedure, when you address your class, you should be gesturing for the students to speak with you. In addition to aiding in comprehension, gestures serve as a self-check to teachers. If you don’t know the gesture for a word you want to say, neither do your students. Gesturing keeps you at the same pared-down language level of your students.
#5 – Gestures are only used during whole group activities. FALSE! Gestures are used for so much more. They can be used to assist students in keeping the Target Language Only rule through gestural mirroring. (Example: A student asks for a pencil in the target language and you gesture his sentence so he can ask the question in the target language). They are used to extend student’s language production. (Example: Teachers can change simple statements such as, “I’m looking for my coat.” into “I’m looking for my coat because I can’t find it and I’d like to go outside but it’s very cold today.) They are also used to teach grammar concepts such as gender, verb conjugation, verb tenses, and adjective agreement.
#6 – Teachers should always gesture, even when speaking to students one-on-one. FALSE! When speaking to students individually, in pairs, or in small groups, there is no need to gesture. As long as you stay within the pared-down language and your students understand you, you should NOT be gesturing. The end goal is for students to be able to function outside of the classroom and carry on conversations in the target language without the use of gestures. So, yet, there are times when you do not gesture.
So, did you pass the test? Are you a Gesture Guru? If you’re not quite there yet, that’s okay. We are teachers and we are learners. Continue working towards the goal and have fun conducting your student symphonies, you may get a little bit of a workout in the process!
The post Are you a Gesture Guru? appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>Another summer has gone and a new school year has begun. Once again, I am faced with a group of 20 adorable (most of the time) 4 and 5 years olds who have no knowledge of French. As I observed them on the first day of class, I couldn’t help wondering what I had gotten myself into. The blank stares, the requests for me to speak in English, the repeated exclamations that they do not understand a word I am saying, made me question my choice of teaching full-day French immersion kindergarten for the umpteenth time. I mean seriously! Am I nuts, some kind of masochist or a sucker for punishment? And then I sat down to do my first AIM lesson and as I enthusiastically gestured “Bonjour, tout le monde, tout le monde dit bonjour”, the magic began. Suddenly, one little voice joined in, and then another, and another, and another until all 20 little unilingual creatures were speaking chorally with me in French. And this was happening on the first day of school! This helped me remember that though the beginning of the school year is challenging in the immersion classroom, it is also very rewarding. With AIM, the students begin producing language on day 1 and the look on their faces when I gesture (and they speak) “très très bien, tout le monde”, is priceless. It is worth the sweat, the effort and the energy it takes because it allows students to be successful in their second language from the very start. I would be lying if I were to say that spending a full day in French with kindergarten students is an easy task. It isn’t easy. But it is doable. By AIMifying regular classroom routines, by using AIM strategies such as entry routines, rhythm, singing, dancing, total questions and by leading students with gesture, the immersion class quickly develops its fluency, but most importantly, the immersion students learn to love French. So no matter how challenging it gets in the immersion classroom, I will not give up because I know that the AIM will continue to work its magic and my students will reap the rewards..en français!!
The post Another New Beginning in my Immersion Classroom appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>AIM is not just about good teaching practice – although we do come together to share ideas and develop as teachers! what AIM Summer Institutes offer is the opportunity for language teachers to come together to celebrate successes, to laugh, sing, dance, learn and be creative!
It is a fantastic way to kick off the summer holidays. As you relax and enjoy time with your families, you also have time to reflect on what you have learned at the Summer Institute. Re-charged and ready to begin a new school year in September, you can take your memories of the fun and learning you experienced with you into the classroom!
I hope to see you there!
The post AIM Summer Institute! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>By Wendy Maxwell
The goal of the Accelerative Integrative Methodology is:
To engage students in rapid development of language proficiency, promote a love of language acquisition, leading to awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity
As the school year comes to a close, many of us turn our attention to assessment!
In order to assess student progress in any subject, learning of the subject must have taken place. In the case of languages, the challenge is that students often do not develop sufficient skills – despite several years of instruction in the subject – to allow them to engage in meaningful conversations or to write lengthy pieces of writing. As a result, the current push around the world has been to ensure that language classes are meaningful – that students DO develop oral and written language proficiency. Hence, we see the CEFR/ACTFL’s:
– 90+ target language only requirement
– identification language proficiency levels as well as
– targets to meet these levels.
The primary goal and unique success of AIM is that students develop language proficiency – both oral and written – and they do so very early in their exposure to the methodology. Hundreds of anecdotal reports from teachers say that they have never seen such high levels of proficiency development in all their years of teaching!
Finally, as teachers, we have something to assess!
Assessment for learning
Assessment with AIM is very easy because the production on the part of the students is extensive. Assessment for learning is a key element of the methodology – the teacher constantly ensures that s/he aware of what students know, what they are still learning and what they will learn next. Constant oral feedback is available to teachers because students speak for almost 100% if class time. This ensures a level of opportunity for assessment that does not exist in any other type of language programming.
Formative or ongoing assessment is part of the teacher’s daily plan as s/he observes students daily – the constant and extensive oral and written output will provide teachers with daily opportunities for formative assessment in the following ways:
– As the teacher gestures, the students speak together, thus providing immediate feedback as to comprehension of words, accent, understanding of grammar concepts etc.
– Students speak constantly during Partner/Group Activities as they work on written activities, ensuring opportunities for teachers to document their ability to engage in authentic interactions
– Students demonstrate developing writing skills in scaffolded daily oral and written language manipulation activities
– The best indicator of proficiency is found in the creative writing samples. In these important AIM activities, teachers assess student ability to demonstrate synthesis of skills:
o higher order thinking (creative and critical),
o acquisition of grammar concepts,
o spelling and
o others.
The teacher uses these activities to highlights areas of strengths and weakness in individuals and to look for trends in understanding. Based the information that these activities provide with respect to knowledge of grammar, the teacher develops specific error analysis activities – customizing activities based on student feedback – assessment for learning.
Assessment of Learning
For each AIM Kit there is a separate Assessment Activities Book.
In these book, teachers will find a series of both formative and summative assessment activities. Depending on the book, these may include:
– short vocabulary tests
– a mid-kit and and end-of–kit final assessment package that includes a sight passage and comprehension questions – always in the target language only, of course
– a series of standards-based proficiency assessments that are also scaffolded and that may be used at different points along the implementation of the kits. These tests contain sight passages and tests that assess ACTFL’s/CEFR’s four skill areas:
Autonomous learning and student self-assessment is an integral component of current thinking in language education.
Student self-assessment and metacognitive development and understanding of language progression is also embedded in the AIM kits.
Portfolio assessment is a key element of each kit in which students reflection their own progress in the target language only. Opportunities for student self-assessment occur both throughout the kit and also at the end, when students:
– create a portfolio of work samples from the kit;
– complete, in the target language only, self-reflection sheets and
– outline learning goals for the next phase of their language acquisition experience.
Parent involvement
Once students reflect on their own progress, they are invited to demonstrate what they have learned to parents or other adults, in a ‘portfolio presentation’. The student portfolios may also be shared in a student-led conference. Students are asked to gather work samples form the current Kit and present to parents (or another adult) aspects of each area of the above four language skills, as identified in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines/CEFR’s Portfolio Assessment. The parent (or other adult) provides feedback to the student and teacher on a form provided in the kit.
The post AIM and Assessment appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>
I often get the question from teachers: “How can I combine AIM methodology and technology?”
I have several answers:
1. Singing AIM songs with Powerpoint presentations.
I find that presenting the vocabulary visually is the best way to introduce a song, and to sing along with the music while manually advancing the slides.
Click here for some AIM songs on PP (no music).
Click here for other songs (no music).
Click here for many PP songs on YouTube.
2. SMARTboard files.
Click here to purchase SMARTboard resources that go with AIM plays.
3. Using technology to do play readings and story retells/extensions.
a. Voicethread is an online platform that allows you to upload pictures and record your voice on individual slides. It also has a collaborative element because other people can record comments on your slideshow. Click here for an example of my two gr. 3 classes reciting “Le chat et la lune”.
b. Various iPad apps: Some of my students’ favourites are:
iMovie, SockPuppets, PuppetPals2, PuppetPalsHD, Yakit Kids, Tellagami, Haiku Deck, Explain Everything, Book Creator, DoInk Greenscreen.
Click here for an example of Louis la grenouille made with PuppetPalsHD.
c) Google Apps for Education
Students can create stories in Google Slides, then screencast their voice with Screencastify Chrome Extension, and edit and add music with WeVideo. Click here for an example.
I sometimes give students a Google doc of the script with some words highlighted in red. Students need to replace the words with their own words to create their own script. Then they decide what kind of technology to use to create a video of their script.
d) Flipsnack is a wonderful, free site, where students can create flipbooks. Click here for many examples of story retells of Louis la grenouille.
e) Storybird is a free site that allows you to create beautiful flipbooks using professional artists’ drawings. Click here for an example of a Hallowe’en version of “Louis la grenouille”.
4. Blogging
Blogging is a wonderful way to get your students writing en français with an authentic task and audience. There are many blogging platforms you can use. Kidblog is probably the easiest one to set up and manage. Click here for my grade 5 Core French blogs from a couple of years ago (to view blog, click on “Log in”, scroll down to “Guest”; password: guest).
Conclusion
As you can see, the possibilities are endless for combining AIM and technology. Click here for a presentation I created with more ideas, examples and tutorials. Also, be sure to follow the hashtag #aimlang on Twitter for other ideas from AIMazing teachers! On Facebook, (in addition to AIM Language Learning), there are two groups that have many AIM teachers with brilliant tech ideas: Ontario Core French Teachers, and Parlez Avec Pauline.
Amusez-vous bien avec la technologie!
Sylvia Duckworth
The post AIM Methodology and Technology appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>By Wim Gombert
In the past two decades, the position of the French language in Dutch secondary schools has grown weaker and weaker. Fewer students choose the language after the first three compulsory years and schools have also reduced the amount of time available. Pupils cannot communicate well in French anymore and French seems to disappear from Dutch schools.
However, in some schools, more students choose French. For example, in my own school, where I teach English immersion classes French, the number of Dutch students choosing French as a second language has increased substantially.
Figure 1: Number and percentage of students who chose French after three years of compulsory French at the Gomarus College. The students from 2014 on have had the AIM-method.
I believe these French classes are popular because of the accelerative integrative method (AIM), which focuses on meaningful use and repetition without explicit grammar lessons and is in line with a usage based perspective on language. This method is quite the opposite of the traditional methods used in the Netherlands, which are usually structure based and include a great deal of explicit grammar. Most of my colleagues who participate in the network of AIM-teachers report that French has become one of the favourite subjects among their students.
AIM has already proven to be more effective in the first two years of high school (Rousse-Malpat & Verspoor, 2012). The AIM children are more fluent in both oral and writing skills and after two years they are just as accurate as their traditional counterparts. Also AIM schools report higher grades for French on the central exams. The first school using the AIM method at the lowest level (CSG Prins Maurits Middelharnis – 4 year VMBO) reported a significant increase of the proficiency level as measured by the final exam (compared to the national average) which was 8.2 (6.2) in 2011, 7.9 (6.4) in 2012 and 7.3 (6.4) in 2013. The first school using the AIM method at the highest level (Cygnus gymnasium Amsterdam – 6 year Gymnasium) reported having an average on the final exam in 2013 which was 2 points higher than the national average with a 100% percentile score, which means there is no school in the Netherlands with a higher score.
However, most of the detailed, empirical AIM research has been concentrated on younger children in the first three years of high school as the method was developed for elementary school originally, but now several schools have continued teaching with AIM inspired materials in the higher classes. The purpose of the current project is to provide empirical evidence that AIM is more effective than traditional programs in the last three years of VWO. The ultimate goal though is to get French back in Dutch schools and have pupils communicate in French effectively!
The post Testing Effectiveness of AIM in the Upper Classes of Dutch High School (VWO 4-6) appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>by Beth Poulin
The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2.ca) defines Critical thinking as:
The thinking through of a problematic situation about what to believe or how to act where the thinker makes a reasoned judgment that reflects competent use of the intellectual tools for quality thinking.
As teachers we ask questions all the time. These questions can be broken down into three categories:
1) Factual ex. Where does your mother live?
2) Personal preference ex. What is your favourite kind of ice cream?
3) Critical inquiry ex. What would be the best action for the character to take next?
So why would it be a good idea to use critical thinking strategies in a second language learning situation?
1) We shape thinkers out of those who struggle with the language and challenge them to grow.
2) Students who are asked to think critically are more engaged in their learning.
3) Critical thinking gives students a chance to interact while using the language (Pair/share is a critical thinking strategy!)
4) Students are more likely to remember something as they are more invested in the task and it has more meaning to them.
Very often in assigning tasks to students, we miss an opportunity to stretch their thinking and ask simply for things that are required. They are either there or they are not and can be assessed with a checklist. This definitely makes marking 200 projects easier but doesn’t challenge or engage the students enough. Yes, there will be some necessary requirements, you don’t want 200 projects with no names, but can we stretch them and not overwhelm ourselves with marking?
Teaching that criteria are the factors or attributes that help us recognize whether something is what we say it is, we can then use criteria to make reasoned judgements about the quality of student’s work. We can teach students to create a list of criteria and share those criteria before and during an assignment so that the thinking is extended as well as the learning.
Students can work in pairs to create criteria then work as a small group to choose the better or best to suit the project, then as a class the list can be pared down to a reasonable number.
Essentially there are 6 types of critical thinking tasks.
1) Critique the piece…based on set criteria, how does the piece measure up
2) Judge the better or the best…based on criteria, which is the better/best
3) Rework the piece…using criteria, how can you make the piece better and/or different.
4) Decode the image…what is happening? Where? When? Why? Who? And how do you know this?
5) Design to specs… what it says, design something to specifications/criteria
6) Perform to specs…as above only performance based
Within any second language learning but particularly with AIM, we see these tasks in the following areas:
1. Critique the piece – assessment of the play performances,
2. Rework the piece – story retelling, mets les mots en ordre,
3. Design to Specs – story extension, creative improvisational storytelling,
4. Perform to Specs – actual play performance.
With the above tasks we hit 4 of the 6 types. We can include all types by adding challenging activities or questions to the basic tasks as set out in the teacher guide. (Let’s face it, you use the guide as a GUIDE once you are familiar with it and can expand to limitless horizons.)
Take a look at the play you are using currently and ask yourself:
· How you can I extend the thinking and add that critical element?
· Do I do it frequently?
· How can I increase the thinking as well as the language production?
If you are at the very beginning of a play or working at the beginning of the year with students who have no previous language, you will do more vocabulary learning and less critical thinking. As the year progresses though, you should be able to include the thinking pieces even with limited vocabulary.
This week, add a goal of noticing when you are encouraging the extra thinking and start to incorporate it into the Teacher led self- expression and spontaneous talk in your classes. These are the key areas where language blossoms and is owned by AIM students. Making them think adds icing to the cake!
Check in to the next blog post for specific ideas on how to use judging better or best tasks in large and small activities with your AIM class!
The post Critical Thinking, Second (World) Language Learning, and AIM appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>AIM uses a three-step system that scaffolds and builds the understanding of grammar in a natural way – one that reflects the way that we learned our own first language and blends this with specific strategies to accelerate the learning of second language students. Once a student begins to write extensively, the teacher takes sentences containing common errors made by students and helps them analyse these errors. What results is an in-depth understanding of how the language works.
What does ‘inductive’ mean?
Self-correction
Error Correction
Self-correction Cues
Correction slots/Error analysis
Take ‘time out’ of an activity and look at mistakes as a group:
Written error analysis
The following are the three levels of understanding in language functioning:
Level one (knowledge of error) The student is able to simply identify that there is an error, but is not necessarily able to correct it.
Level two (knowledge of correct form) The student is able to identify that there is an error and make the correction accurately.
Level three (knowledge of form and rule) The student is able to identify that there is an error, make the correction accurately, and describe the rule that applies.
The post Inductive Teaching and Error Analysis appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>This activity:
➸ is an opportunity for students learn to put a story they know well into their own words
➸ develops the ability for circumlocution to find alternate words/ways to communicate the same idea.
➸ teaches students to realize there is a variety of options available in self-expression – translation being the least desirable option
➸ has, as its goal for students, to use very few words from the original story, embellish, add details, descriptions, explanations while remaining true to events and characters.
Students must not repeat any sentence word for word from the play that they are retelling.
Tips for success:
☛ Model to the class. Choose a strong student to model with you as your partner or have two strong students do this. Guide students as needed, release responsibility as much as possible!
☛ You may show photos of the play, placing them in a location where students may refer to them during the story retelling.
☛ Initially, the first student may simply say two sentences at a time, then the second student says/you say two sentences.
☛ You may use a story stick that is passed from one student to another as they speak. Some teachers call it ‘le microphone imaginaire/el micrófono imaginario’!
☛ Do several modeling sessions for the class, taking approximately five minutes each over several classes.
☛ Once students are ready, place them in partners and ask them to begin their oral story retellings.
☛ Have students engage in this activity with different partners every few classes for the remainder of the kit!
☛ This activity provides outstanding preparation for written story retelling and allows students to gain experience with sustained speech.
The post Fun, Creativity, Cooperative Learning, Thinking Skills and Oral Proficiency Development! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>When the revised FSL Curriculum was (finally!) released in Ontario in 2013, I remember pouring through it – both anxious and excited to see the extent to which it was revamped, and how these changes would affect my program as an AIM teacher. The more I read it, the more energized I was about the new focus on authentic communication and interaction in French, cultural awareness, and reflection. I had always felt somewhat constrained and boxed in by the old curriculum. With the revised curriculum, I was able to envision so many possibilities for teaching and learning with my Core French classes. But during that period of uncertainty with the new curriculum, while attending various workshops, meetings and conferences, and reading some FSL teacher forum posts, I would hear/read comments such as “I’m not using AIM anymore. It doesn’t work with the new curriculum.” Depending on the situation, there were times when I would politely bite my tongue, but there were other times when I felt compelled to challenge the statement right then and there.
There came a point where, I hate to admit this, but I found myself starting to doubt whether or not AIM actually integrated with the revised curriculum. I even reached out to some of my very experienced AIM colleagues such as Kimberly Peters, DDSB, who, ironically enough, I ended up co-presenting with on this very topic a year or so later. Once I received reassurance from her, as well as other AIM teachers that AIM *does* actually support the new curriculum, I started to do my own more in-depth research (researching is one of my compulsive habits…some people love to eat chocolate, some love to knit, I love to research!) That’s when I came across the AIM/CEFR document highlights the integration of AIM principles with the expectations of the revised FSL curriculum for each grade. (You may contact AIM Language Learning directly to obtain a copy). That certainly helped to put my mind at ease. As well, I did a lot of research on CEFR (the framework on which the revised curriculum is based), read the numerous “Guides to Reflective Practices for Core French Teachers” by the Ministry of Ontario, and various books that have been recently published that discuss best practices for FSL teachers (e.g., “Let’s Talk: Lifelong Language Learning” by Michael Green, Pamela Marshall Gray, and Sonia C. Remiglo)).
My colleague, Kimberly, and I co-presented the session “AIMing for the New FSL Curriculum” at the Fall OMLTA Conference in Alliston, Ontario a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to start debunking some of the rumours and myths that we’ve heard swirling around about the validity of AIM in the context of CEFR and the revised curriculum. As well, we shared a number of action-oriented tasks and units that we’ve developed based on the plays/readers that we’ve used in the past or plan to use this upcoming year. <>
MYTH #1: AIM doesn’t really work with the new curriculum.
TRUTH: This is absolutely false. Anyone who says this with full conviction either hasn’t fully grasped the visions, goals and expectations outlined in the new curriculum or they don’t truly understand or use the AIM program, or even both. There are so many overlaps between the expectations of the four strands (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) of the revised curriculum and the principles of AIM. For example, if you look closely at the overall curriculum expectations “Listening to Understand”, “ “Listening to Interact”, “Speaking to Understand” and “Speaking to Understand”, it is evident that these are all core principles of the AIM program — listening and speaking exclusively in French, independent partner-group work, guided and spoken interaction, role-playing, etc.
Myth #2: AIM doesn’t offer any opportunities for covering the cultural expectations in the new curriculum.
TRUTH: The cultural expectations were something I paid close attention to when the revised FSL curriculum was released. I looked at the “Intercultural Understanding” overall expectations for each of the four strands in each grade for Core French and identified its unique geographical scope. Then I researched to see what AIM resources (e.g., plays, readers) could be used as either springboards or the main resources for covering those expectations. I was indeed pleased to see that regardless of the geographical area, I could find at least one AIM resource to cover the cultural expectations. For example, this year, I’m teaching Core French to grade 4, and plan to use the Cultural Literacy Pack, “Mathieu et Cassandra, deux francophones en Ontario”, to cover the expectations for francophones in Ontario, and for grade 7 (Americas outside Canada) last year, I used the AIM readers “Jean-Michel – Acrobate” and “Je m’appelle Christian: Ma vie et mon art”, both set in Haiti.
MYTH #3: The AIM program is just about teaching plays. When are students ever going to need to talk about pigs in real life???
FACT: As an AIM teacher, I’ve come to realize that the high-frequency vocabulary on which the AIM plays (e.g., Les trois petits cochons”) are based can be applied to many real-life situations. Yes, in real life, you might talk about houses, ordinal numbers (first, second, third), action verbs (e.g., running, yelling, climbing, falling), etc. And as I delved deeper into CEFR and looked at various resources (e.g., “The CEFR in Action: Scenarios for an Action-Oriented Classroom” by Geoff Collins and Danielle Hunter), I discovered so many opportunities to develop relevant, authentic, action-oriented tasks based on the AIM plays and readers that I use in the classroom. The key is to identify the theme(s) in the play/reader that you can use as a springboard for an action-oriented task and then develop a relevant scenario for your students that fits the true definition of “an action-oriented task” that ideally covers expectations in many or all of the four strands of the curriculum.
For example, with my grade 5s and grade 6s, we explored the play, “Comment y aller?”, about a girl’s adventures with various modes of transportation, trying to get from Quebec to Paris. It was clear that geography and modes of transportation were key themes in the story. This soon led me to the idea for a culminating task in which students needed to design a map. I proposed the (fake!) scenario that AIM Language Learning is planning to publish a new edition of the play and wants to include a map of Marie’s adventures as an appendix of the play, and AIM is looking for map submissions from students. The map would need to include the learned characteristics of a map (e.g., une légende, les symboles, l’échelle, le rose de vents, les étiquettes, un titre) and a path showing the various stages in her voyage. As part of the “backwards” unit planning approach, I identified the culminating task, then the various pre-tasks that students would need to accomplish that task.
For my grade 7s, I used the AIM readers “Jean Michel – Acrobate” and “Je m’appelle Christian, ma vie et mon art” as springboards to explore the unique and amazing geography and culture of Haiti, as well as the tragic devastation to the island as a result of the earthquake in 2010, and its continued need for reconstruction. From this cultural awareness, I proposed to students an action-oriented task scenario: They had just learned about Haiti’s need for reconstruction, so they, as a class, want to host a yard sale to raise money towards the reconstruction. In order to advertise the sale, they would need to create an online Kijiji ad for household items that would want to sell. They would then need to actually bring in the three items to the classroom and have a mock garage sale, role-playing as both the customer and seller, and using the learned vocabulary for shopping and money, as well as grammatical structures for adjectives.
My journey towards discovering and confirming the alignment of AIM with the guiding principles of the revised FSL curriculum, as well as towards creating a classroom reflective of the CEFR approach of relevant and action-oriented tasks has been a challenging and exciting one. As an AIM teacher, I’ve become not only more self-aware of my teaching practices and professional growth, but I’ve also discovered a renewed passion for AIM and all that it brings to my Core French classrooms.
The post AIM-ing Towards the CEFR and the Revised Ontario FSL Curriculum appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>Another summer has gone and a new school year has begun. Once again, I am faced with a group of 20 adorable (most of the time) 4 and 5 years olds who have no knowledge of French. As I observed them on the first day of class, I couldn’t help wondering what I had gotten myself into. The blank stares, the requests for me to speak in English, the repeated exclamations that they do not understand a word I am saying, made me question my choice of teaching full-day French immersion kindergarten for the umpteenth time. I mean seriously! Am I nuts, some kind of masochist or a sucker for punishment? And then I sat down to do my first AIM lesson and as I enthusiastically gestured “Bonjour, tout le monde, tout le monde dit bonjour”, the magic began. Suddenly, one little voice joined in, and then another, and another, and another until all 20 little unilingual creatures were speaking chorally with me in French. And this was happening on the first day of school! This helped me remember that though the beginning of the school year is challenging in the immersion classroom, it is also very rewarding. With AIM, the students begin producing language on day 1 and the look on their faces when I gesture (and they speak) “très très bien, tout le monde”, is priceless. It is worth the sweat, the effort and the energy it takes because it allows students to be successful in their second language from the very start. I would be lying if I were to say that spending a full day in French with kindergarten students is an easy task. It isn’t easy. But it is doable. By AIMifying regular classroom routines, by using AIM strategies such as entry routines, rhythm, singing, dancing, total questions and by leading students with gesture, the immersion class quickly develops its fluency, but most importantly, the immersion students learn to love French. So no matter how challenging it gets in the immersion classroom, I will not give up because I know that the AIM will continue to work its magic and my students will reap the rewards..en français!!
The post Another New Beginning in my Immersion Classroom appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>“You want to be a French teacher? I took 5 years of French and I can’t speak a word!”
I’m sure this sounds familiar to you, my colleagues. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to do something different to change this generally-accepted attitude. Why are students studying language and not retaining it? Why did so many have a classroom experience where little to no French was used? Why did so many learn about the language through grammar rules and not learn to speak French?
With a formation in TPRS and communicative teaching practices, after years of teaching I was still curious about how many people used immersion techniques in beginning language classes. How do you not intimidate or completely lose the interest of your students? How can you speak only French in the classroom from day one and actually manage to get through to those young minds?
Around this time, my department was also approached by our administration. Our school was adding a 7th grade language program (we previously began language instruction in 8th grade, which is the minimum required in New York State) and our administrators wanted our language classes to be engaging, fun and approachable. I jumped on this idea as a way to gain the support to explore something new.
So I started researching AIM and asked my colleague, Richard Ernst, to attend the AIM Summer Institute with me in Barrie, Ontario. In the car on our way, we discussed our hope of finding some engaging techniques to incorporate in our classes. We were also willing to embrace something completely new. After the first day of the Institute, Richard said to me, “We really need to do this, and we need to be all in!” I was thrilled. Our training, networking and researching in Barrie led us to contact our administration immediately upon our return. We asked to order our kits and revise our curriculum. When this was approved, we knew that we had the support we needed!
Once our kits arrived in August, we unpacked them with the eagerness of children on Christmas morning and jumped in! We used the Online Teacher Training modules to get started and dove into gesturing. Once September came around, I was preparing nightly for my AIM lesson for the next morning. It was grueling. Preparing my AIM class and my upper-level courses in addition to my other professional responsibilities was difficult, but I was impassioned. After just a few short weeks, I was thoroughly impressed by the language my students were producing. They had excellent accents, could recall vocabulary with ease and were stringing together things they had learned to make their own sentences. One day in class, my students even started translating Beyoncé songs to sing during group work! My students were having fun and learning tons! I found myself wanting to gesture in upper-level classes to help students find a word and felt frustrated because my first-year students could recall words that upper-level students were struggling to use in their spontaneous speech.
This past September, I was again very impressed when I entered the school year with the intention of spending the first week reviewing vocabulary, verbs and gestures that they had learned the year before and quickly discovered I was wasting instructional time. The “summer slide” seemed non-existent. It was as if we had a one-week vacation rather than two months. It was time to move on!
The students have reaped the benefits of AIM. The evidence is clear in standardized test results: Students scored incredibly well on the National French Contest and on their final exams.
Now, after two years of AIM, our students will be transitioning seamlessly into thematic immersion courses in the high school in accordance with the New York State syllabus. I have never been so proud of their progress or confident of the success these students will achieve in these courses and beyond.
The post An AIM-azing Journey! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>When it was suggested to me that I consider completing the AIM Teacher Certification process, my first thought was, I’m not ready for certification! In my mind, AIM certified teachers were shining stars like Sylvia Duckworth, Richard Smith or Lisa Shurtz. I considered the 50 certified teachers listed on AIM’s site to be an exclusive list that I would dream of joining in 4 or 5 years. I was certain that I was unprepared to become certified and that a year would not be long enough to complete the process.
However, with encouragement from Wendy, I decided to take the plunge. Since I’m always preaching to my Study Skills students about ‘Failing Forward’, this seemed like a good time to practice what I preached. As it turned out, this attitude was perfect for certification. I decided that I had much to learn, that I would probably make many mistakes and I should engage in the process with a student’s hungry desire to learn.
I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to move through the modules. The video clips of teachers and students made for entertaining learning. In the evenings, I could relax in my living room and watch a panel discussion from a module. Then I could go to work the next day and implement what I learned. I found myself eager to see what was in the next module and how I could apply it to my classes. At times, I’d watch a video from one module and then peek into another topic I was interested in as well. I was free to watch and re-watch items I was struggling with. This flexibility helped me customize my learning to the areas that were relevant to my classes.
Eventually, my wonderful mentor, Karen Oraas, suggested that I start videotaping my classes for her to see. This is when the ‘failing’ began. I can honestly tell you that I deleted the first few videos I made almost as soon as I began to watch them. It was terribly difficult to watch myself teach. Do I really sound like that? Do I really gesture like that? Do I really look like that? But in the spirit of ‘Failing Forward’, I set up my iPad on the tripod again and made a few more videos.
This time I pretended that I was not watching myself but instead I was watching a video from a module. I brought an objective eye to the teacher in the video and asked questions about her performance. What can she improve? What is she doing well? What does she need to learn more about? This dialogue that I began with myself was one of the most important aspects of the certification process. I began to critique myself regularly, not only when I watched my videos, but as I was teaching. If I had learned something interesting from Wendy’s ‘background’ video the night before, then I attempted to implement it in class the next day. At the end of the day, I’d watch myself and see if I’d succeeded. At first, most days… well, I failed. But in time I had more and more successes. I even became brave enough to send Karen some of my better videos.
Instead of just critiquing myself, now I had feedback from a master teacher. Karen was far nicer to me than I was to myself. She gave me so much positive feedback and helped me feel confident about my teaching. She gently pointed out areas I needed to improve and encouraged me to build my skills. Instead of dreading her feedback, I found that I was looking forward to it. I not only filmed myself, but I had my students make videos of their story retellings. Then we were able to see how well they were progressing. Karen was able to look over my students’ written work as well. She gave me advice on what areas were weak and how I should encourage them to improve their performance.
It is hard to express how helpful it is to have someone observe you as an AIM teacher. My middle school head or my department chair can observe me in a general way, but sharing parts of my class with my mentor was completely different. Her whole attitude is about helping you become a great AIM teacher. She uses her many years of experience to specifically improve your AIM skill set. For me, this was priceless. I do not have an AIM expert in my area that I can call on for help. Even though Karen was nearly 3,000 miles away from me, I felt like I had a co-pilot in my class. Even on days when I was not filming myself, I still brought Karen to the room with me mentally. How would Karen say that class went? Was I making sure all the students were speaking? Did I vary my questions to require critical thinking skills and elicit complete sentence responses? My class looked different through these new eyes and I reflected more on my successes and failures on a daily basis.
Now, as I draw near the end of my certification, I am savoring my final opportunities to share my classes with Karen. We have created a short list of final submissions that focuses on areas both of us think are critical for my skill mastery. I look forward to returning to my classroom in a few weeks with a critical eye on implementing all that I’ve studied and reviewed over the summer break. I dream that my students will notice a marked difference in the teacher that is beginning this year, compared to the teacher that walked into the room a year ago. As Karen has pushed me to strive for more, I have also pushed my students to reach new heights. My students speak and write with a confidence that I’ve never experienced in my classes before. I am so proud of all we have already accomplished together last year, and I look forward to the many triumphs that lie ahead.
In the end, it turns out that being ready for certification is not as important as being open to certification. If I had waited until I was ready for certification, I may have never gotten there. It is the certification process that is making me ready to be a stronger and more critical teacher. On my own, I would not have grown in that way professionally as quickly as I did with my mentor.
If you are eager to learn more and to hone your methodology as an AIM teacher, then you should put certification in your sights. Look over the certification page on the site and move toward the basic requirements. The time you will invest during your year of certification is certainly time well spent. You will thank yourself later for taking up the challenge. Sometimes in life it is best to close your eyes, count to 10 and then say, “Ready or not, here I come!”
The post “Ready or Not for AIM Teacher Certification?” appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>The ‘Pared-Down Language’ (PDL) is comprised of approximately 2,000 of the most frequently used words and 1,000 of these words are taught in the first 120 hours of instruction.
Not only are these words taught, but the teacher is provided with strategies for the students to successfully acquire and eventually reproduce in meaningful, spontaneous interactions early in their language development.
The design of this methodology is holarchical, meaning that once we teach something we systematically ensure that each word or concept we teach is repeated with a certain frequency from then on in the program. Words with highest frequency are repeated most often, to ensure that students fully acquire them and use them early in their spontaneous communication. Because high-frequency words are so necessary to basic communication, the students must have access to them in their earliest vocabulary. It is only when this is happens that students can begin to build a foundation of communication skills and it is only once a foundation begins to develop and basic sentences can be expressed that the possibility of proficiency-building exits. This is Krashen’s notion of Comprehensible input + 1, or Vygotsky’s ZPD Zone of Proximal Development. The design of AIM ensures that the teacher is constantly aware of the language level of the students, and we provide strategies to constantly push your students gently toward the next level.
How was the PDL developed?
Initially, I conducted action research in my classroom to see what words the students needed most often when they communicated with me in class. I documented these words over a long period of time. The list continued to develop once the program was implemented at the beginning stages and as students needed to expand upon the initial vocabulary that I introduced. I also researched high-frequency language studies such as Le Français Fondamental and The Threshold Level. The Threshold level emphasizes not only frequency but also the importance of the functionality of words. More recently, I have compared the PDL to the recommended second language vocabulary in the – European Common Framework.
Frequency as a deciding factor in the selection of vocabulary.
There have been numerous researchers who have supported the notion that frequency should play an important role in the selection of vocabulary for beginning language learners. For example, in Nation (2001) stated that students:
“should be learning high-frequency words before low-frequency words, except where personal need and interest give importance to what would be low-frequency words,”
This certainly rings true with the design of the PDL, which contains a limited number of words as fantastique and toilettes. Neither of these words would be considered of very high frequency and they do not appear in Le Français Fondamental, but they are useful for the beginning second language learner in an AIM classroom situation so they are included. The fact that a word is of high-frequency is not the sole criterion for its placement in the PDL. We also We select vocabulary that is functional, as supported by the Threshold Level studies and Krashen’s Natural Approach. The emphasis is on the authentic use of vocabulary in spontaneous interacations.
By combining high-frequency and functional vocabulary we strive to provide vocabulary that both in theory and practice, is most essential for beginning fluency of second language learners.
Another researcher named Hulstijn (1995) stated that the selection of vocabulary in a second language teaching program should be based not only on frequency and functionality but also on scope and reliability.
Scope
Words with the widest scope of applicability are presented first in the PDL, so that students have at least one noun referent for any object. A young baby will naturally and by necessity do this. An example of this can be seen when a baby says: “I want that” or “Regarde ça”, Me gusta (me/aime) esto. The noun referent with the widest scope of applicability is this, that, ça esto and eso. ‘Chose’, ‘thing’ or ‘cosa’ are also words with wide scope and introduced early and that allow students to use the second language without reverting to the first when they don’t have the specific word. Of course, there are also some more specific nouns that have a wide scope of applicability that we introduce initially in the AIM program. For example, we teach. – ‘eau in French before ‘lac, fleuve, océan, mer, rivière’ ou ‘étang’, in English we teach water before ‘lake, river, ocean, sea, river’ and so on. This is so that students have at their disposal one word to refer to any body of water as well as the substance that we drink. As the students move through the program, context specific words such as the ones just mentioned are added one by one as needed.
Reliability is another important factor in the selection of vocabulary.
Reliability, or rather the lack of reliability when it comes to verb forms, has always been a difficult issue for second language teachers. We know students should learn certain verbs, but if they are morphologically complex, many Ministry guidelines recommend that we delay the introduction of these verbs and teach only regular verb forms at first. Unfortunately, some of the most essential high-frequency verbs are irregular and if we don’t teach them within the first few hours of instruction, we are depriving students of the ability to develop language skills in a way that a first language acquirer does. In fact, without these essential verbs, we prevent the possibility of fluency development – the very reason why we are teaching a language!
Reliability when it comes to verbs is a notion particular to the AIM’s PDL and is what allowed me to introduce all those important high-frequency yet morphologically complex verbs during the first few hours of instruction. In French, AIM introduces one verb form initially to the students for reliability – the third person singular form which which, orally, is identical in sound for the subjects je/tu/il/elle/on and also often the plural ils and elles and therefore has the widest scope of applicability. as well. In order To avoid the nous and vous forms, use on, tout le monde and la classe, all of which use that same third person singular regularized stem. Of course, the Nous/vous endings are taught formally after 50 to 100 hours of instruction for older students and this is somewhat delayed for younger students to maintain this reliability and simplification of the language over a longer period of time for the young learner. Once students have developed a fluency, we find that they can much more easily slip these different forms correctly and without confusion into their spontaneous. communication
Basing the initial teaching of verbs on the regularized stem allows us to teach across verbs rather than through verbs. so instead of teaching or reviewing nine different written verb forms, all with the same meaning, which typically French teachers tend to do:
Je sais, tu sais, il sait, elle sait, nous savons, vous savez, ils savent, elles savent, in the same time period, I Teach or review nine different words representing nine different word meanings:
peut, doit, veut, va, aime, prend, sait, écoute and met, which, in comparison, opens up possibilities for communication by a factor of nine!
It also allows me to teach any verb regardless of its morphological complexity.
Research shows that the regularization of the stem in this way, although new to second language teaching practices, is common among both young and experienced francophones. In their study conducted in 1991, O’Connor and Di Vito showed that Native French speakers naturally use most often the third person singular form as it simplifies communication.
In ESL, the regularization of the verb stem is not such an issue for the present tense as verbs are naturally much more reliable. Modal verbs such as must, can, might, could and should don’t change at all depending on the subject and for most English verbs The only change to the stem, which is identical to the infinitive is the third person singular form where we add an s. For example I want, you want, she wants he wants we want they want.
Spanish is somewhat more complex than French, even in the simple present form, but the with the support of gestures, I have created an an identical gesture represents both the subject and the ending, thus regularizing somewhat the verb and also providing an inherent which allows for repetition and reinforcement. Since the subject and verb endings are represented by the same gesture, for example yo, hablo, tu comes (little s with R index finger), nosotros (two right fingers down and around at the front) escribimos, once we drop the subjects, all the students have to remember is the stem, for example habla and then the subject and verb-ending gesture remain identical hablo, hablas, hablamos, hablan. Like in French, therefore, we Simply add a sound to the regularized stem. It’s just that it appears at the end of the verb as an ending rather than before the verb as in English and French, as a subject.
Another way that the French language is regularized and made reliable in this program is by using Use qu-fronted interrogative forms and Est-ce que…? as opposed to questions with inversion. This is in order to maintain consistency so that the subject, verb and object always appear in that order in both questions, and in affirmative and negative sentences. Questions with inversion, where the subject and verb are reversed, are introduced a little later.
With the limited time available in a typical second language program we must maximize the possibilities for the richest vocabulary possible at the earliest stages of language acquisition. In order to do this, we introduce Establish one word per meaning, avoiding synonyms until a critical level of fluency has been reached.
This is supported by Waring’s (2001) proposal that We should teach vocabulary
occurring “most frequently in spontaneous communicative situations [containing] the minimum components necessary to create basic fluency.”
Cognates, where possible, are the words of choice. Students have the natural tendency to transfer features of the first language to the second language and as a result Stern: argued that It is helpful to identify structures and vocabulary most closely resembling those of the first language and include them in a second language curriculum.
High frequency opposites are also taught together in AIM. Words and gestures such as – en haut/en bas, open/close, da/toma, met/enlève, and here/over there. It appears that students often remember a word better when the opposite is taught and reviewed in conjunction with it.
Teaching and reviewing words by association with other words is an AIM strategy to ensure that students have at the tip of their tongue words that appear together. Word associations begin with a verb as the base. We teach and review expressions and short phrases that often appear with this verb. For example:
met… met le chapeau, met le manteau, la robe, le chandail etc.
These are thematically related nouns associated with met and then of course its opposite enlève and allow us to review clothing vocabulary in a meaningful way. Although clothing is one category of vocabulary that is naturally associated with the verbs met and enlève, many other words may also be included in this review such as met le crayon dans la boîte, met la feuille de papier dans le pupitre, met le livre sur la table and so on.
It is important to consider the fact that AIM floods the students learning from the beginning and gets them excited about the fact that within a short amount of time, it is possible for them to acquire a large quantity of words. What many beginner second programs tend to do is to restrict target vocabulary especially in the first year, believing this will make things easier for learners. In fact, according to Meara (1995) this is not the case. He proposes that the result of restricting vocabulary is that students are often “unable to cope” outside the confines of the classroom context where the “lexical environment is very limited and predictable.” The PDL is a selected vocabulary, rather than a restricted vocabulary.
In 2008, Mardi Michels conducted a study of AIM and non-AIM students, where she compared the lexical features targeted for presentation in the very first AIM elementary unit with the words contained in what was considered a “communicative” programme published following the NCFS. The first AIM unit is intended for 50 hours of instruction. The comparative, thematic approach is intended for 120 hours of instruction. Comparing the two syllabi, Michels noticed that in less than 1/3 the hours of intended instruction the AIM unit targets a little over 2.5 times more lexical items for presentation in total than the thematic ’communicative’ approach. In our first AIM unit, we teach twice as many nouns as the other program and nearly ten times the amount of verbs, adjectives and adverbials.
In her research report, Michels states :
“The lack of verbs in the thematic approach leads us to wonder just how communicative this programme really is. We can “get by” in a foreign language without nouns by pointing, gesturing etc… but without verbs, it is very difficult to communicate.”
The selection of vocabulary and the way in which it is presented in a second language classroom is essential to ensuring that language develops rapidly. It allows the teacher to maximize the use of every minute of class time for the purposes of language acquisition. No time is wasted on low-frequency vocabulary that students can’t use and the way it is presented allows for easy access to the language so that the ability to apply it in spontaneous interactions is immediate. The initial and ongoing focus of the AIM is on the ability of students to use the language in meaningful interactions.
The post Why is the ‘Pared-Down Language’ So Important? appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>
Some of the major aspects of the AIM that ensure the language development of both the teacher and students are:
The AIM is a highly scaffolded approach, providing ample modeling for the teacher to learn the strategies and techniques. As the teacher learns to gradually introduce the language to the students, those who are less proficient benefit from the same gradual, supported introduction to the language to develop their own proficiency.
The post AIM supports teachers with limited skills in the target language appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>AIM is not just about good teaching practice – although we do come together to share ideas and develop as teachers! what AIM Summer Institutes offer is the opportunity for language teachers to come together to celebrate successes, to laugh, sing, dance, learn and be creative!
It is a fantastic way to kick off the summer holidays. As you relax and enjoy time with your families, you also have time to reflect on what you have learned at the Summer Institute. Re-charged and ready to begin a new school year in September, you can take your memories of the fun and learning you experienced with you into the classroom!
I hope to see you there!
The post AIM Summer Institute! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>If you travel from class to class with your supplies and are looking for ideas to help you ensure that not a moment of precious language learning time is wasted, here are a few ideas that have been successfully used by AIM teachers!
Organization of resources:
Organize your cart! If your school has the funds, purchase a rolling cart on which one side hangs chart paper for your whole-class stories, with a flat storage area for markers, a CD player and box for ‘les cartes’
Below that, you store the pocket folders in bins labeled by class. Each class should have folders of a different colour, so that they are easily grouped and identified by colour.
Organization of time:
While you take a few minutes set up, make sure that students are involved and active in language production from the moment you arrive.
Due to AIM’s linguistic routines, the daily lesson template and the holarchical nature of the program, AIM students become intimately aware of what should happen each class. Even in the first kit, they come to know and easily predict how each day flows, the possible types of whole-class activities and exactly what they have done and what they still need to do in their partner/group work. Over time, from kit-to-kit, this knowledge allows you to effectively and gradually release responsibility to the students. Many teachers realize how wonderful this is when they discover how students guide the substitute teacher when they are not there!
The post AIM and teachers who don’t have a classroom appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>Through this blog, I hope to provide you with important teaching tips and new ideas to enhance your implementation of AIM. I am dedicated to helping teachers reach their maximum potential so that their students benefit for the best implementation possible of the methodology.
I do hope that you will find this an informative resource and opportunity for discussion among colleagues! From the very beginning, AIM has attracted wonderful, passionate teachers who are open to learning and who want to connect and share with others.
One important time for AIM teachers to connect with each other is at our annual Summer Institute in Barrie. I hope to see many of you there!
Wendy
The post Welcome to our Blog! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>In this first blog, I am going to talk about two key AIM activities: story retelling and story extension. As AIM teachers, what we strive to do is to help students – as quickly as possible- develop proficiency so that they may use the language in meaningful, authentic, spontaneous and creative ways. Our goal should always be to spend a significant portion of the kits on story retelling (Kit step one) and story retelling and extension (Kits step two and above). Without these activities, students do not benefit from the full AIM experience. In fact, they are missing what I consider the most important activities for the development of proficiency!
These activities are the key, culminating activities for each kit for several reasons:
1. They allow students to apply all that they learn through the structured, basic language manipulation activities and teacher-led whole-class activities – building on and improving with each kit!
2. AIM storytelling activities are carefully scaffolded as they are based on the original story – a safe, known context, characters and plot.
3. For the beginner AIM student, story retelling develops the ability for circumlocution – an essential skills for those new to a language
4. For the more experienced AIM student, story retelling develops an awareness of how to ‘build -out’ a story – involving critical thinking and analysis – Important literacy skills that transfer to other subject areas!
AIM creative storying activities are the most important for assessment tools, providing a true snapshot of student proficiency – what they can do!
5. The products produced by students – published or not – are the most beautiful, concrete testimonials of student achievement to include in the student portfolio!
Have a look at the video below. They have worked on a story retelling with teacher modelling and are now writing in partners. Notice how students develop oral language in tandem with written, how they support each other, working collaboratively, sharing ideas and how they learn to refine skills through peer correction. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Wendy
The post AIM and Creative Story Writing! appeared first on AIM Language Learning.
]]>