Student-Led Classes as a Technique for Teaching and Assessing Foreign Languages
Elena P. ClarkUNC-Chapel Hill
“Why exactly are we here?”
Sometimes Class Feels Like This
''The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors.''
“Congratulations. You're all we've come to expect from years of government
training.”
How does student teaching combat these problems?
How does student teaching combat these problems?
• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process
How does student teaching combat these problems?
• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process
• Allows students to research areas of personal interest
How does student teaching combat these problems?
• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process
• Allows students to research areas of personal interest
• Breaks down student/teacher divide
How does student teaching combat these problems?
• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process
• Allows students to research areas of personal interest
• Breaks down student/teacher divide• Causes students to think about process of
language/knowledge acquisition
Positive Feedback Loop
Results
Motivation
Knowledge
Confidence
Yet More Student Engagement
Potential Pitfalls
Potential Pitfalls
• Poor quality teaching/use of target language• Students overwhelmed with terror• Is it “fair”?
The Process—Part 1
The Process—Part 1
• Choose dates
The Process—Part 1
• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas
The Process—Part 1
• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of
potential topics
The Process—Part 1
• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of
potential topics• In-class discussion of what makes good
teachers and good students
The Process—Part 1
• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of
potential topics• In-class discussion of what makes good
teachers and good students– Encourages students to play their part when
others are teaching
The Process—Part 2
The Process—Part 2
• Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans
The Process—Part 2
• Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans
• Review of materials and lesson plan
The Process—Part 3
The Process—Part 3
• Students teach class
The Process—Part 3
• Students teach class• I grade their efforts with grading rubric posted
on class website
The Process—Part 4
The Process—Part 4
• Students write reflection essay in target language
The Process—Part 4
• Students write reflection essay in target language
• I grade reflection essay with grading rubric posted on class website
Discussion
• Group 1: Discuss potential lesson topics • Group 2: Discuss potential materials and
exercises • Group 3: Discuss potential pitfalls and how to
avoid them• Group 4: Discuss how to utilize student
teaching in the beginning or low-intermediate language classroom