Organic Language Acquisition Kinesthetic Immersion

Darcy Rogers

TAUGHT

LEARNED / ACQUIRED

vs

How did we learn our first language?

Copied it speaking it hearing it all the time hearing it repitition DOING IT being shown it

Watching it listening to it

songs, televisión, libros, practicing writing

Environment is focused on: Kinesthetic

CommunicativePositive

Immersion

**simulating How we actually ACQUIRED a language

THE COMPREHENSION HYPOTHESIS:The centerpiece of the theory

We acquire a language when we understand messages.

TWO AMAZING FACTS about language acquisition:

Effortless: no energy, no workInvoluntary: given comprehensible input you

must acquire, you have no choice.

Making meaning

S -> E -> M

S -> M

Complaints about comprehensible input

methodsStudents make a lot of mistakes • -You can hear, because they’re talking• -Obligatory errors!!

CI leads to a lowering of standards • -Actually, more continue to higher levels• -Depth over Breadth, better foundation

Not enough ‘academic language’ • -True

Errors = Progress

Output hypothesis Merrill Swain

What is The Output Hypothesis?

• The output hypothesis claims that the act of producing language (speaking or writing) constitutes……part of the process of second language learning.

• This means that the dialogue learners engage in takes on new significance. In it, we can observe learners operating on linguistic data –– operations that move inward to become part of the participants own mental activity. In dialogue with others, we see learning taking place.

(Donato & Lantolf 1990; Lantolf 2000a; Swain 2001).

Traditional progression

Acquisition progression

Change the STRUCTURE

PHySicAL SpAce

Tools needed to communicate:-expressions-key phrases

M

At beginning levels

Making the environment safe and fun!!!

Allowing students to have the forum to make mistakes

Learning from their mistakes

Leading topics of discussion

Advanced levels (III/IV)

• Pose essential questions that students have to attempt to answer, and have evidence to prove their position.

• Students do: – research – share findings– prove their opinions

• Some questions, such as ‘what is the solution to poverty?’ may not have an answer, but students must discuss:

– poverty cycles– show statistics – talk about causes – discuss economic and weather influences to

poverty, both locally and internationally.

TEACHER AS COACH

STUDENTS AS WORKERS

*Teachers are merely guides who lead students down the path of language learning, and enable them to become teachers of others.

*Teachers provide the environment where true

language acquisition happens.

Levels achieved through proficiency based

teaching

(kinesthetic, communicative, immersion model)

Spanish I – NMSpanish II – NHSpanish III – ILSpanish IV – IM

ACTFL Level Expected OLA Students

• Spanish I NM NM / NH• Spanish II NH NH / IL• Spanish III IL IL / IM• Spanish IV IM IM / IH

ACTFL levels by Method

Communicative (Interactive activities, textbook english by teacher)

ACTFL levels by Method

Method (immersion, interactive, Spanish by teacher and students)

Crossing thresholds

Novice to Intermediate

Intermediate to Advanced

Success is dependent on 2 factors:

FULL PARTICIPATION

SPANISH IMMERSION

Responsibility of learner

• BE accountable to the whole class • Be positive and helpful • Participate fully • Be prepared every day • Stay in Spanish • Be interested and passionate

NOTE:NOTE:

Culture

Academic Benefits

‘Foreign language lessons…particularly immersion…improve academic performance later on..and can help students…prepare for a more globalized economy’

-Morton

Academic Benefits

Skills gained during language acquisition transfer to all languages a person will learn

-Chen

Advantages

By 1st and 2nd grade, children who entered as preschoolers can understand academic language and read and write in both languages as well.

Direct quote

(Soderman)

Advantages

In Immersion programs children develop literacy in the Immersion language, then develop a complete understanding of the language.

Chen