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In elementary & middle school. Need for, benefits, techniques, team approach, curriculum, testing, teacher evaluation.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
In elementary & middle school. Need for, benefits, techniques, team approach, curriculum, testing, teacher evaluation.
Paper Introduction:
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to address the need for and importance of teaching foreign language to elementary level and middle school children. The paper emphasizes the use of team teaching methods as a particularly effective approach to foreign language learning.
Several specific instructional team teaching approaches are described and delineated. Further, the paper addresses some of the requirements and needs associated with the use of team teaching for foreign language learning at the elementary and middle school level.
Foreign Language Learning at the Elementary and Middle School
There are several reasons to offer foreign language learning to elementary and middle level students; this because foreign
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In addition, every day the class included a game or other funactivities with course content being easy enough that every student couldexperience some success. (1991). The workshop should also beused to provide assistants with an overview of course materials. Foreign Languages in the MiddleSchool: Exploration, Enrollment, Excellence. Stones, V. The fourth nine weeks were spent in a reading course not taughtby the foreign language teachers. (1983). References Benya, R.A. Medley (eds.), Perspectives andHorizons. Also, classes were observed as was a teacherworkshop. Thisinquiry/discovery process relates both to the language structures beinglearned by the students and to other concepts being developed in othersubject areas. Ernest, K.F. (1991). Lee, K.B. In addition, the school needs to develop methods and strategies forthe effective evaluation of teaching assistant performance in the class.Regarding this evaluation, it is noted that classroom observation by aprogram coordinator or other faculty can be useful. Thus, an evaluative method and materials are part of what is neededfor foreign language learning. Further, McCullough attended a district Foreign Language TaskForce meeting. Language and content-area staffcontinuity was maintained and the administration was supportive, both ofwhich contributed to increasing enrollments and overall program success. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Student Attitude Measurewere used to measure academic achievement and attitudes, respectively. The quality of textbooks, instructional aids, standard tests, andclassroom instruction would also be investigated. Further, the paper addresses some of the requirements andneeds associated with the use of team teaching for foreign languagelearning at the elementary and middle school level. Findings of the studyrevealed a significant School x Group interaction in the areas of reading,language skills, and workstudy skills indicating that the effect of theteam organization was not consistent across schools. Report of Souther Conference onLanguage Teaching. Fleak and Hansen (1989) recommend that an intensive preserviceworkshop be developed to acquaint teaching assistants with the mechanics oflesson planning, instruction, and evaluation. (1993). Dissertation Abstracts International,52( 7-A), p. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to address the need for and importanceof teaching foreign language to elementary level and middle schoolchildren. 3978. Theseareas include: selection of concepts, long-term goals for concepts andlanguage proficiency, relationships of concepts to children's world,development of minimal objectives for language proficiency and conceptdevelopment, utilization of resources and materials, evaluation techniques,and sequencing and articulation. In B.T. Lee (1982) states thatconcerning these evaluations all evaluators may employ the followingmethods and instruments: opinion surveys, interviews, direct observations,review of records, discussion and analysis, andsummarization/findings/recommendations. Vocabulary was learnedthrough games, with active participation earning students extra points. Dimension: Languages 89. Foreign language learning programs need to be evaluated not only forteaching assistant performance but also in terms of whether they aremeeting the goals set for them. With respect to the foregoing, Benya and Myer (1983) have stated thata logical approach to foreign language teaching at the elementary level isone that integrates foreign language learning, concept development, andcross-cultural understanding. Requirements/Needs For Using The Team Teaching Approach To Foreign Language Learning at Elementary and Middle School Use of the team teaching approach, as noted by Fleak and Hansen(1989), most commonly involves the use of one or more teaching assistants.Fleak and Hansen (1989) report that in order for assistants to workeffectively with teachers, there is a need for both the supervision andtraining of teaching assistants in classroom methods and materials used inforeign language classes. Adding to effectiveness is the use ofa team teaching approach. There were no significant differences in the remaining areas. Curriculum planning in FLAG involves decisions in seven areas. Transforming the elementary school foreignlanguage program: A case study of one South Carolina School District.Dissertation Abstracts International, 54(11/A), p. ED 336 947).----------------------- 13 First, Lee (1982) notes that evaluation of the program by the teacheris largely a self-evaluation process to reexamine the course objectives andstudent achievement based on specific criteria. The eighth-grade language courses were identical to the high schoolcourses, enabling the students to begin serious study immediately and studylanguages continuously until graduation. Fleak, K. McCullough (1993) states that if you examine those schools consideredexemplary by the educational system, you find that in every case the schoolor school district contained foreign language curriculum at the elementaryschool level. Foreign Language Learning at the Elementary and Middle School There are several reasons to offer foreign language learning toelementary and middle level students; this because foreign languagelearning offers middle and elementary school level students not only theopportunity to learn another language but several additional benefits. Areas to be covered by the audit team would includepolicy, regulations, directives, scheduling, cost-effectiveness, studentattrition, and teacher-student ratio. Therefore, a test of the maineffect due to group was appropriate. Given that these programs appear to be a part of almostevery good school or school district, McCullough (1993) elected to examinethe program features that characterized one of the best elementary levelforeign language programs in a selected South Carolina school district. A "Hands On" Elementary Foreign Language Program.(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. According to Lee (1982), the supervisor's evaluation may be based onobservation of instruction, as well as periodic selfevaluation (i.e.,whether sufficient guidelines and materials were provided to the teachers).On the other hand, the school district or county education office may forman audit team with several professional members in the field of foreignlanguage teaching. & Myer, B.L. Foreign Language Arts in theGrades: A Conceptual Approach (F.L.A.G.). New Approach toward Foreign LanguageTA Supervision. Several specific instructional team teaching approaches are describedand delineated. & Biemel, J.S. In the program implemented by Stones, all language activities wereconducted in French, while cultural content was presented in English.Student learning was assessed using a point system. Findings indicated that the controlgroup scored significantly higher than the team-taught group in socialstudies. Seventh-grade students in three middle schools within the samedistrict participated in the study. Sherer, V.E. The team-taught group from one school and the control group from asecond school scored significantly higher than the teamtaught group fromthe second school in all three areas. A random cluster sampling procedurewas used to determine composition of the experimental team-taught group andthe traditionally-taught control group, although some students werereassigned to the group in which a needed accelerated or basic class wasoffered. Also, parents were enthusiastic and sixth-graders showedeagerness to participate in the course when they reached the seventh grade. Onesuch benefit, according to Stones (1991) is that, if offered in a properinstructional format, foreign language learning can help studentsunderstand others' culture. Only in this way, can a school or schooldistrict be sure that they are accomplishing what educators desire them toaccomplish. These requirements were said to include: inservice training ofteaching assistants to facilitate the use of a team approach and thedevelopment and implementation of evaluative criteria for programassessment. Analyses of covariance using pretest scores as covariates were usedto identify statistically significant differences. Team teachers taught five periods each school day and were scheduledfor an individual and a team planning period, whereas non-team teacherstaught six periods and were scheduled for one planning period. Each team was composed of two language artsteachers and one teacher from each of the disciplines of mathematics,social studies, and science. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 285 423. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the AmericanCouncil on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (New York, NY, November). In this regard, the authors claim that aparticularly effective program for foreign language learning is the ForeignLanguage Arts in the Grades or FLAG program. Although the study didnot examine foreign language learning in particular, it can be easily seenfrom inspection of its research objectives that it relates to team taughtforeign language classes. Specifically,the authors report that a team effort between the classroom teacher andforeign language teacher can result in a richer overall program. Moreover, evaluative data indicated thatstudents systematically learned about significant events in French andmedieval history from Roman Gaul to 1945, and good success was found forlinking all events to activities associated with American culture, therebyproviding students with feelings of identification for the French cultureas well as increasing their understanding of it. Student evaluations of the course were found tobe very positive. An effort wasmade to focus on material and learning that bridged the curriculum methodsto those used in later grades. Regarding the proper instructional format, Stones (1991) states thata particularly effective instructional method for teaching a foreignlanguage to elementary level students is one that combines the use of boththe student's first language and the use of the language he/she is learningwith learning activities centering around games, the use of worksheets, andthe development of student projects. This program was designedwith concept development as a primary goal. In the areas of social studies,vocabulary, mathematics, science, and student attitudes toward school,there were no significant interactions. As noted in the foregoing research, foreign language programsprovided at the elementary and middle school level often use the teamteaching approach. Findings of the study indicated that, in addition to other factors,very good foreign language programs tend to be team taught, to incorporatea good deal of cultural learning, to often use parents as part of the teameffort, and to use a variety of high-interest games and activities as partof instructional efforts. What makes this benefit especially importantis the fact that learning about another culture is an especially importantgoal of multicultural instruction which is one of the primary philosophicaland curricular foundations of the contemporary American educational system. An example of the many benefits of teaching foreign language at themiddle school level can be seen in Sherer and Biemel's (1987) discussion ofthe foreign language program developed by the Upper Arlington, Ohio SchoolDistrict. In other words, it can foster improvement instudents' abstract thinking abilities. Summary This paper examined research related to the need for foreign languagelearning at the elementary school level. Paper presented at the annualCentral States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (15th, St.Louis, MO). Several benefits were said to beassociated with providing foreign language programs to elementary andmiddle level school children. The approach developed and discussed by Stones (1991) is based on herexperiences in teaching French to mixed-ability fourth- and fifth-graders.Specifically the teaching approach involves two-thirds of instructionaltime being devoted to language learning and one-third of instructional timebeing devoted to culture. (1982). Regarding this need, Lee (1982) hasdiscussed the evaluation of urban foreign language programs by the teacher,supervisor, and school district, county, or other agency. These benefits included: learning a newlanguage; learning about another culture; parents feel positive about suchprograms; and the fact that students like these programs provided theproper instructional format is used. In planning games using Stones approach, attention must be paid toproviding a variety of competitive, collaborative, sitting, running,individual, partner, and group opportunities in each lesson. Thus, this studysupports the use of the team teaching approach so often utilized in foreignlanguage learning. Fryer and F.W. 2492. McCullough, S.H. The interdisciplinary team organization used in this study involvedteams of five teachers. The paper emphasizes the use of team teaching methods as aparticularly effective approach to foreign language learning. Another reason why foreign language learning is important at thelower grade levels is because it can be used to facilitate the learning ofconcepts and constructs. Based on findings it was concluded that the interdisciplinary teamorganization is as effective as the traditional organization in promotingachievement and positive attitudes toward school. The authors state that in 1983, the district reorganized and onecurricular addition was the inclusion of a middle school program for aseventh-grade foreign language exploration course. The course provided nine weeks each of French, German, and Spanish,and related the languages to content areas using an interdisciplinaryapproach. According to Benya and Myer (1983) concept development can be roughlydefined as the process of generalizing or creating abstract categories. Inthe foreign language learning context, the teacher helps thisgeneralization process through carefully constructed questions in thenative language, leading the children through a discovery process. Birckbichler (ed.),Proficiency, policy, and professionalism in foreign language education.Florida: Central State Conference. (1989). (1987). Team-taughtclasses averaged five students more than traditionally-taught classes. Effectiveness of an interdisciplinary teamteaching organization on student achievement and student attitudes towardschool in selected middle schools. Criteria may includeteacher-produced tests, standard language proficiency tests, and studentquestionnaire responses. Further, it is noted by Benya and Myer (1983) that maximal programsuccess has been associated with the team teaching approach. Four academic areas (social studies, science, English, andmathematics) were team-taught, and the teachers related their individualdisciplines to the target language and culture. Stones (1991) found that creating games was relatively easy, whiledeveloping activities to emphasize particular grammatical points wassomewhat more difficult. In order to gather information for the study, state officials,district administrators, principals, and elementary school foreign languageteachers were interviewed. Relevant to this fact is a study conducted by Ernest(1991) who investigated the problem of determining whether aninterdisciplinary team teaching organization was as effective as atraditional organization in promoting student achievement and positiveattitudes toward school for middle school students. In D.W. & Hansen, C. In Stone's program, students recorded all newmaterial in a graded notebook for reference, and oral tests using materialsused in class were observed to be useful for evaluation. The course emphasized oralcommunication with vocabulary limited to high-frequency expressions,grammar limited to basic concepts, and culture being a significant portionof the content. Evaluation of a Foreign Language Program in UrbanCommunity. She statesthat it is important that all planned activities must incorporate speech. In addition to a discussion of program benefits, the paper alsoexamined the various needs or requirements of foreign language learningprograms. One of the added benefits of focusing on the culture of the languagebeing learned was that the culture-course content was found to be verypopular with students' parents.
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