Content+and+Methodology


 * __ Vision __**

The vision of our school as a whole is “Excellence for everyone”. What I believe this means is that each student who puts forth effort on a daily basis will receive the best possible grade they can earn. I don’t believe that everyone who puts all their effort into a class will receive the “A”.

Knowledge Base
Based on what we have know in our curriculum (that is always changing), I am going to want to make sure that the students are able to synthesize and evaluate a variety of readings in Spanish 4. In addition to the readings, the students will be able to communicate with 85% efficiency using the indicative, subjunctive and the imperative tenses.

Effective Teaching:
In the classroom, it is important not to implement only one type of instruction in the classroom. There are five types of instruction that can be done in class. Mastery learning, cooperative learning, theory into practice, behavior modification and non-directive teaching (Parway, Hass, & Anctil, 2010). The mastery learning (or direct instruction) is probably the most common and there is a place for this instruction when rules need to be taught. I believe that we need to bring in non-directive teaching (or indirect instruction) into class as we are preparing for the students for higher level learning and thinking. According to Piaget, the students at the high school level are at post-conventional thinking so they are able to do more abstract thinking. In addition to this, they can work in cooperatively in groups to come up with a final product as in project based learning. With having more indirect instruction/cooperating learning going on in the classroom, the teacher has to take on a facilitator role in the classroom and help to scaffold the material to the students.

Experts in the Field
Stephen Krashen who focused his theories on Second Language Acquisition looks at to acquire a second language, as teachers, we need to do the following: The following is taken from Shrum and Glisan,
 * the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,--Information of the second language needs to be meaningful for the students.


 * the Monitor hypothesis--due to this, the students become better writers before speakers because of this approach. The students monitor unconsciously their errors and auto correct them.


 * the Natural Order hypothesis, -- You can’t teach a baby to walk before it crawls. In the same sense, you need to go in a progression when teaching a language. You wouldn’t be able to teach hypothetical situations from the very beginning.


 * the Input hypothesis--This is to say i+1. You can not go to far above the understanding of the students you are teaching. If they become lost, you need to go back to their level until they are comfortable again

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 * the Affective Filter hypothesis--Many times, the students are very nervous about learning a language. When being put on the spot, the student may freeze. This is just making sure the students are as little nervous as possible.

In addition to Stephen Krashen, Norm Chomsky was also an expert in the field of language. Chomsky focused more on the "communicative competence" notion of communication. Chomsky would say that this is the ability to function in a communicative setting by using not only grammatical knowledge but also gestures and intonation, strategies for making oneself understood, and risk-taking in attempting communication (Shrum & Glisan, 2000).

Vygotsky focused on language development in first language learning. His theories are widely accepted as well in second language acquisition as well. The students will sometimes use "private speech". This is what adults would do when they are in essence "whispering" to themselves to solve a problem. By using this method unconsciously, the students are using the zone of proximal development to walk themselves through a problem (Shrum & Glisan, 2000).

Merrill Swain added to Krashen's idea of second language acquisition and Chomsky's "communicative competence" by advising that the "output" has to be comprehensible. While it is important to have as little grammatical problems as possible when one is speaking, what Swain is looking for is that the students are comprehensible (Curtain & Pesola, 1994).

When planning the variety of objectives and activities that the students will be creating, it is imperative that the classroom teacher keep in mind those who have studied and researched second acquisition learning.

Commercial Materials
In World Language classrooms, we have to consistently look at language and culture in respects to its Products, Practices and Perspectives. Products are realia that is used in different cultures. Practices can be tangible or intangible based on the activities. Perspectives are looking the views from inside the culture.

Next: Objectives and Assessments
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