Using Aut h entic - PowerPoint Presentation

Using Authentic Materials in an Elementary Language Class Simon Holo w atz, M.Ed. Eleme n ta r y Spa n i s h t e a c h er at You n g Sch o l a rs of Cen t r a l Pen n s y l v a n ia Char t er Scho o l

OverviewSession goals:To discuss what authent i c ma t eri a ls are To expl a in why th e y a re ef f ective a n d m o tivat i ng f o r stud e nts To pr o vide g u id e li n es in sel e cting a n d usi n g t h em To pr o vide sug g esti o ns on acq u iri n g a u t h e n tic m a t e ri a ls

How do we tend to teach?Teachers like to break d o wn l e a r n i ng g o a l s i n to sma l ler ob j e c ti v es – E x ample: Sk i l l s are is o l a ted f r om new voca b ul a ry This l e a d s to fo c u s ed a c ti v it i es a n d h i gh re p et i ti o n o f spe c ific ta s ks This is h o w mo s t n o n - n a ti v e s p e a k e r s l e a r n a l a n g u a ge u n l e ss t h ey a r e i mmer s ed Mo s t t e a c h i ng ma t e r i a ls a r e s et up t h is way This ma k es s e n se a n d i t is s o u nd Language activities are m echanical, abstract and a r ti f i c i a l

Language teaching materialsMany teaching materials tend t o f ocus on voca b u l ary in isola t i o n Textb o ok activiti e s b ui l d o n p ast lessons – Met h o d i c a l , b u i l d s c o nf i d e n c e, p r e d i c ta b l e , user - fr i e n d l y Fre q u e nt l y avoid h i g h -fre q u e ncy la n g u a g e b e cause it is sla n g or d o es n o t f o l l o w t h e b o ok’s rul e s You can use n o n-a u t h e n tic m a t e ri a ls in creat i ve ways, b u t it does n o t h a ve the same m e a n ing f o r stud e nts

Changing how we do businessThis is not how we learn ou r n a tive l a n g u a geThe goal is to use and build confidence with AM

Fútbol metaphorImagine you want to play but don’t g e t to u n til you have had years and years of just trapping an d passing the b a ll This is n o t moti v at i ng a n d d o e s n ’ t se e m to ma k e s e n se You mig h t be g o od at th o se s k i lls b u t not go o d a t p u tti n g them to g et h er

Authentic materialsAuthentic materials are m a t e ri a ls t h at have been produced to fulfill some social purpose in the lan gua g e co m m u ni t y T h e i r p u rp o se is n o t t o e d uca t e n o n -n a tive spe a kers

Quiz: Authentic Materials?An online “salsa radio channel” A m e n u fr o m a Chinese restaurant in yourtownA child ren’s book in Ger m an The Guardian (a London newspaper)A postcard of La Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Challenges with using AMAcquiring materialsSelecting m at e ria l s Prese n ti ng materialsDeciding what students should do with th e AM

1. Acquiring AMIdeally: travelGet photos of you in t h e target environmentEncourage students to s ee y ou as a gu i de/intermediary to the language and cultureYou can frame ima g es to d r aw a c o n n e c t i o n “Packag e d cult u ral m a ter i als” Col l e c ti o ns of a u th e nt i c st o ri e s can be b o u g ht Fi n d i m m igr a nt comm u ni t ies

Online authentic materialshttp://www.unh.edu/span i s h /li n a/ r e s ources.html free online reso urc e s , a c t ivities for teachers of Spanish (and a few other langua g e s ) Mus i c -ea s y t o find but l y ri c s are ha r der YouTu b e – p r e v i e w, a v o i d a d s , be c a r ef u l a b o ut c a ll i ng r e p r e s e n ta t i v e

Using a photo, versus video, versus a live dance

Do photos count as anAM?How would Powe r Point c o mpare with a poster?

2. Selecting materialsWhat is the goal? Just the wow fact o r? How typic a l is it of the country/region/culture that speak the langu age? What m a ter i als will your school pay for?Is it attractive and engaging for students?Can stude nts use it f or i t’s i n te n d e d p u rp o se or i s it t o o f ra g il e ? How m u ch d o es it lo o k l ike “t h e US version ? ”

How flexible is the AM? Can it:be used with multiple la n g u a ge l e v els?be used as a cultural artifact? be eng a g i ng a n d useful for different lessons?reflect history? r e fl e ct p o p c u l tu r e? be u s ed as a d e c o r at i on in y o u r c l a s s r o om? be u s ed for hi g he r -or d er th i n k in g ? r e i n fo r ce v a l u e s / b e li e fs y o u w a nt s t u d e n ts to th i nk a b o u t?

Things to considerNo AM is perfect Dis t r a c t i n g Not typical/authenticAuthentic, but not rep r e s e nt a ti veDon’t over-use any one activity type, trick,materialWhat does it say ab o u t the p e o p le ’ s val u es, exp erience or how they see the world?

Is the AM age-appropriate?Cultural expectations are d if f er e nt in thetarget cultureYou will need to carefully help stud ents conte xtualize a n d u n p ack the symbols and meaning of the AM

Is the AM age appropriate? Cont.Can students:place the AL in the c ontext of theculture/time/country?commu nicate the me a n i ng a nd purpose of theAL in their own words?use critical th i n k i n g a nd t h e i r e xperience toavoid ster e ot y pi n g people based on a photo?

Appropriate? Consider maturity a n d l e sson g o als

An altar for Day of theDead in Pu e b l a in 2 001Would this be ok for students in Calif orni a ? Aust r al i a? In 2020? A discussion about 9/11?

3. Presenting materialsHow materials are presented is just as i m p o rt a nt as the materials themselvesBe enthusiasticPla ce it in cont e xt L o ok for the hidden meanings and lessonsBe knowledgeable abo u t t he AM – How c a n i t sp e ak for a culture/peopl e? Stu d e n ts can research the materials, but th i s is a l e s s on on d o ing rese a rch a n d takes a l o n g t ime

Presenting materials, cont.Consider if you want them to figu re i t o ut An t icip a te interruptions by studentsAnticipate pus h-ba ck ba sed on stu d e nts’own values/beliefsBe careful of cultural relativismBe self aware of what you say a n d val u e ju d g m e n ts “It seems kind of strange …” “Th e y were stronger than t h e n at i v e s . ” “Th a t was n o t a v e ry Chr i s t i a n th i ng to d o .”

Time-sensitivityDoes time effect the material ’ s u sefu l n e s s ?Is a newspaper engaging even if it is old?Is a tee n mag azine in t er e sting even if it is old?Do you have time to prepare the lesson andthe m a ter i als? – Do y o u know e v er y th ing you need to know?

When was this photo tak e n? W h at is she referring to?

EElections tomorrow; Nov 7 AM are m ea n i n g-rich Posters or ads are very carefully crafted: background pictures, numbers, symbols,

Overwhelming studentsAn overwhelmed student i s fr u s t r ated andunmotivatedAM is designed for na tive s p e a k e r s so the level may be difficultSlang can be a stumbling bl o ck for y o u and st u de n ts if it is too regional– B u t it can be interesting and motivating if it comes up often

Materials don’t fall into neat littlelessonsAM mat e ri a ls i n tr o duce new vocabulary, useunfamiliar formats and have unfa m il i ar t o p icsPresenting materials might need to be broken down into parts or differ e nt lessons AM a s s u m es the user h a s neededbackground inform a ti o n and experience– It takes tim e /e f fo r t to un p a c k the ma n y me a n i n g s

4. Decide what students should dowith the AMIs the pu rp o se t o : i n terest or motivate students to travel? Le arn the l a n g u a ge?personalize people who speak the language?show how vocabulary/g r amm a r is u s ed or h o w u s ef ul it is?introduce a d i s c u ssion topic?

How could this palm frond a nimal be used in class? H o w would you discuss the boys who make them?

ConclusionCommon teaching materials are usefuland effective but are no t e n o u g h AM a re necessary to motivate and prepare studentsAM need to be selected carefullyThoughtfully present AM

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