5) Integrating Culures into Middle School SLA Flashcards
Explain the difference between a middle school “exploratory” program and a “sequential” program.
EXPLORATORY: intro that usually explores more than one language, survival skills/basics, culture usually in English, rote mem.
SEQUENTIAL: usually goes beyond rote memorization, more in target language, feeds into the high school program
How are middle school children different from elementary and high school children?
- many physical, cognitive, and emotional changes in short span
- more unlike each other due to these changes at uneven rates
- periods of high energy / listlessness; need movement
- aware of changes, concerned about self-image
- “romantic” stage of development: enjoy knowledge for its own sake, curious, sense of identity in big picture, need security, views are right/wrong, like extremes, like groupwork and peer acceptance, need to connect school to their real lives, less accepting of differences (be careful w/culture lessons)
What does an effective middle school program look like?
- develops Ss ability to communicate effectively in real-life situations
- broadens Ss ed background thru lang devel/cross-cult. awareness
- fosters healthy attitudes ab ppl of other cultures thru interdisciplinary study of lang and culture
- motivates continued lang study w/goal of higher lang proficiency
In a nutshell, what should middle school curriculum be?
- lively activities that vitalize ideas through doing, creating, building, and dramatizing
ex: drawing/sketching/painting to TL instructions or to show main ideas; creating poems/plays; acting out play peers wrote; cultural dances/songs/games; music to set mood/productivity; class surveys/interviews….
Explain the basics of “differentiated instruction.”
systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for academically diverse learners, keeping in mind:
1) READINESS: what Ss know, understand, and can do today in light of what the teacher is planning to teach today (ZPD)
2) INTEREST: what Ss enjoy learning and doing
3) LEARNING PROFILE: how Ss prefers to learn: learning style, intelligence, gender, culture…
* *content, process, products, affect and learning environment**
Explain the differentiated instruction strategy called “tiering.”
- develop activities at different levels of difficulty but focused on same key learning goals
- provide guided practice in tiers, using color coding to distinguish activities appropriate for students performing below, on, or above the expectation level
How would middle school teachers describe their Ss?
- want to know ab “stories from real life, real ppl”
- want to know the “weirdities” in own culture and others
- love to compare/contrast
- more concerned ab getting point across (although accuracy is beginning to develop)
- want to explore beyond their “safe” world
- need to feel ‘grown up’ but still need structure!
What are 6 premises of brain-based classroom management?
1) disruptions = normal: accept them positively and productively
2) learning environment requires moderate stress to motivate, novelty to inspire curiosity, & challenge to achieve more
3) Ss are inherently good and not plotting to make you miserable; show how to appropriately show need for control/expression/love
4) best discipline=kind no one notices; focus on learning not control
5) discipline prob = feedback to you; handle by redirecting activity
6) prevention solves 95% of probs: engage in interesting topics, minimize transitional times, work w/needy Ss behind scenes
What are 5 tips middle school teachers find useful?
1) plan lesson thoroughly to engage learners every moment
2) clear procedures: observable, enforceable, in the TL, non-judgmental, important to you for teaching effectively
3) establish connections b/n behavior and consequences
4) routines for opening, ending, regularly occurring events
5) involve parents and community
In teaching culture, what are the “Three P’s”?
1) PRACTICES: patterns of behavior accepted by a society (knowledge of “what to do when and where” ex: meal etiquette)
2) PRODUCTS: (in)tangibly created by culture (ex: house, dance)
3) PERSPECTIVES: traditional ideas, attitudes, meanings, values
Relate ‘sociofact,’ ‘artifact’ and ‘mentifact’ to the three P’s of culture.
SOCIOFACT: how ppl come 2gther & for what purpose (practices)
ARTIFACT: things people make (products)
MENTIFACT: what ppl think/believe (perspective)
Explain the difference between the ‘constructivist approach’ to teaching culture and the ‘information-acquisition approach’ to teaching culture.
C: learners construct view of culture through social interaction and interpersonal communication (using 1) three P’s and their interrelatedness & 2) connections b/n new and existing knowledge)
I-A: Ss learn info/facts about target culture thru teacher
Explain the “Kluckhohn Values Orientation Method” to teach culture. What are the 5 basic concerns common to all human beings?
1) assessment of innate human nature (perception of self/others)
2) relation to nature (world view)
3) temporal focus on life (temporal orientation)
4) principal model/forms of activity for person/group belongs to
5) modality of person/group’s relationship w/others (social relations)
What are four strategies learners can use to initiate and sustain contact with people from other cultures? (Savignon & Sysoyev, 2005)
1) initiate and maintain intercultural contact to learn about values, norms, spiritual heritage
2) anticipate sociocultural gaps that can result in false stereotypes or misunderstandings
3) avoid misunderstandings by communicating about differences
4) use diplomacy to redirect conversation to more neutral topics or to dissimulate personal views and thus avoid conflict
What are four strategies learners can use to create accurate portraits of another culture?
1) compare facts and realities between cultures using analogies, oppositions and generalizations
2) identify and interpret unfamiliar features of another culture
3) classify, compile and generalize sociocultural information from mass media, the Internet and other sources of information
4) review authentic cultural material
