FLTA Workshop: Teaching Less Commonly

Taught Langauges

Tuesday 8/16/11Syracuse University

Professor Erika Haber

Learning Outcomes

To understand the concept of LCTL

To identify your target audience and its needs

To learn how to choose suitable pedagogical practices

To learn to prepare a lesson plan with appropriate content and pacing

To discuss the use of technology

To explore useful websites for teaching Russian & Turkish

“Approximately 91% of Americans who study foreign languages in our schools, colleges, and universities choose French, German, Italian, or Spanish; while only 9% choose languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Swahili and the other languages spoken by the overwhelming majority of people around the world.”

(*National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL): http://www.councilnet.org/)

Less Commonly Taught Languages

Less well-known both linguistically and culturally

Dispelling the myths/stereotypes/prejudices

Generally smaller enrollments; few study in high school

First contact with the language, alphabet, etc.

Goals of Teaching LCTL

Remember your audience! Two-year programs vs. majors

Fluency often not a possibility

Not a career path, but often a needed skill set

Adults in the role of children

Heritage speakers

Pedagogical Approaches

Grammar-based approaches

-Cyclical teaching/learning

Communicative approach

-Using Photographs in the LCTL class

Task-based learning

-Using Menus in the LCTL class

Creating Daily Lesson Plans

Understanding your particular students & group dynamic of the class

Creating conducive atmosphere: seating, visual access, emotional comfort

Choosing names and identities

Small talk

The “difficult” alphabet

Creating Daily Lesson Plans, cont.

Brief grammar explanations & Exercises

Readings, videos, music, websites, cartoons, YouTube

Cultural topics (big and small C)

Specifically communicative tasks

Allow time for questions/discussion/student input

The Use of Technology & Space

Blackboard https://bbgroupa.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

SCOLA http://www.scola.org/Scola/Default.aspx

PowerPoint

YouTube, itunes U podcasts, blogs, Skype

Prepare and test everything ahead of time!

Always have a Plan B

Seating and Walking

Interacting and board work

Websites for Resources and Ideas

Cyrillic with pronunciation: http://www.friends-partners.org/oldfriends/language/russian-alphabet.html

How to write Cyrillic and more pronunciation help: http://masterrussian.com/blalphabet.shtml

Russian Names: http://knigaimen.narod.ru/imena/all/a.html

Russian Word of the Day: http://shininghappypeople.net/rwotd/

Russian Language Learning Resources: http://www.sras.org/library_russian_language

Russian grammar, dictionaries and games: http://www.gramota.ru/

Resources, continued

Beard's Interactive Russian grammar: http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/index.html

Teacher Resource Center: http://www.teachrussian.org/

Why study Russian: http://modules.russnet.org/why/

Interactive Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian: http://www.jargon.ru/

School of Russian and Asian Studies Resources: http://www.sras.org/projects and http://www.sras.org/library

Duke Univ. Slavic and East European Language Resource Center: SEELRC/Russian: http://www.seelrc.org/webliography/russian.ptml

Resources, continued II

UCLA Language Materials Project: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Search.aspx?doBasicSearch=true

(Provides language profiles and information on teaching materials for most less commonly taught languages as well as lessons on how to use authentic materials in the classroom.)

Center for Applied Linguistics page for Less Commonly Taught Languages:http://www.cal.org/resources/archive/RGOs/lctl.html (Resources for journals, books and websites)

Turkish Resources Princeton Turkish Language resources:

http://www.princeton.edu/~turkish/

Columbia’s Turkish language sites: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/cuvlm/Turkey.html

University of Oregon Turkish lessons: http://babel.uoregon.edu/ylc/selfstudy/turkish/lessons/

About Turkish: http://www.turkishlanguage.co.uk/about.htm

UCLA Language Materials Project: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Search.aspx?doBasicSearch=true