Foreign Language Pillar
By Carmen Dial, Emily Ferguson, Rebecca Mills, and Cinda Newlon
Foreign language pillar podcast.wma
Definition
• the teaching of languages, native and foreign, in the classroom
Importance
• Activates cognitive problem centers in the brain
• Higher SAT scores in verbal and math portions• Can achieve near native pronunciation and
intonation• Enhances curiosity about other cultures
Importance
• Improves memory, multitasking, and understanding of primary language
• Staves off dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease• Never too late to reap benefits-can start as an
adult
Utilization
• Immerse the students in the culture a. introduce the students to interesting slang or phrases -split students into groups and have them use slang in conversations in a discussion board -have students create a blog using the language they are learning
Utilization
b. play popular music -have the students find music from the country and present it to the class -download several songs from iTunes and have group projects where the students research the band, where it is from, and find and interesting fact, then present it to the class -have the students research a popular band and present in a podcast as if they were interviewing the band
Utilization
c. Watch movies or soap operas -post videos on a Facebook page for the class and have students watch and comment on them -watch the videos in class and create a discussion board for the class with specific questions -split the class into groups and have each group create a movie or soap opera all in the foreign language
Utilization
d. Introduce them to popular fashions -have the students dress in traditional or popular clothing that they discovered online through research -split the class into groups of traditional and current fashion trends, have them research these fashions and present to the class with posters
Utilization
e. study menus or recipes from the country -bring in samples of food -have a class cooking day
Example podcast.mp3
ReferencesAbbott, M., Caccavale, T., & Stewart, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-languages/for-parents/cognitiveMerritt, A., , , & (2013, June 19). Why learn a foreign language? benefits of
bilingualism. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10126883/Why-learn-a-foreign-language-Benefits-of-bilingualism.html
Retrieved from
http://www.cal.org/resources/pubs/whyhowwhen_brochure.pdf
Retrieved from
http://www.wahm.com/articles/how-to-introduce-children
ReferencesRetrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet
Retrieved from
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-advice-introducting-second-language