Chapter 6

In my foreign language classroom, it is essential that students are able to learn and perform in a few different ways.  Learning a language is unique in that we read, write, listen and speak to comprehensively cover the content area.  How students learn and process material cognitively has a profound impact on how they tackle the information and at which areas they excel or struggle.

Some students make mental connections about vocabulary or grammar with visual aides, others with rhymes or songs and still others with repetition and verbal practice.  Although I want them all to be proficient in every area, I recognize and accept that this is not reality.  They may demonstrate proficiency in one area and not another, focusing their attention on an area in which they are confident. This makes the process easier to learn even if it is not the most ideal situation.  Learning a foreign language can be intimidating and frustrating (in much the same way that the "language" of Math is to some of us).  Students in my class are given ample time for practice, process and application in real-world ways.

As a Spanish I instructor, I want my students to gain foundational language skills and process grammar rules and the learning of vocabulary in much the same way that we did as young humans as we all learned our native languages.  I want them to be able to take many different bits of information (that have been delivered in a variety of fun and interesting ways) and process them into clear (and hopefully correct) sentence structure, clear pronunciation and appreciation of the Hispanic world.  They should be able to take the information and make their own meaning and understanding out of it.

In my case study, a few seniors are being increasingly disruptive in the class with little regard for others' presentations and for teacher reprimand.  The students have failed to process the previous verbal reprimands.  They do not recognize the impact that their actions are having on classroom productivity and on their instructor and peers.  Assisting them in the development of a meaningful learning set of proper classroom behavior would prove that they have a true understanding of their disruptive behavior, rather than just knowing that they were wrong.  The WHY questions always provoke more meaningful responses.  Asking thought-provoking questions about their behavior and the impact they had on others makes it real for the few at fault.  They are better able to "put themselves in someone else's shoes" and change their behavior.  Lastly, students should be able to "practice" their skills.  They should be given an opportunity for change and better behavior, whether or not it is incentivized would of course be up to the teacher.