Learn a foreign language independently with a group of students. Become your own teachers.
Overview
- Essential Question: Can I learn a foreign language and understand another culture on my own?
- Areas of study: Foreign Language or elective credit
- Type and amount of credit earned: ½ credit
- Community partner: A fluent speaker of the language. (For example at ConVal we partnered with a woman who speaks fluent French and owns a local crepe restaurant.)
Competencies
- Curiosity. Through exposure to and practice with French, students develop a curiosity for how others live and communicate.
- Cultural sensitivity. Exposure to the language leads to an awareness of cultural diversity and promotes an appreciation and respect for cultural differences.
- Communication. Communicate in French, both oral and written. Learning French or any other language leads students to understand the larger concepts of language including one’s own.
- Leadership. Students will be expected to design and lead warm-up activities, icebreakers, vocabulary games etc. They will also be in charge of making meetings, scheduling and presentations assessments.
- Connections. Use French to connect with other disciplines and expand knowledge.
See the detailed ELO description for the full text of these competencies.
Student activities
- Organize a time/date to meet. (At ConVal we utilize a 42 minute enrichment block during the day).
- Students will assign days so that each student is responsible for creating activities/warm games/vocabulary practice etc. on that day.
- Students will work/speak only in French during the meetings.
- Students will design a capstone project. This will be a video (at least 40 minutes long). The video will be entirely in French. The video should take place during a significantly historic time for the French. The video/play should be designed as if it would be used for as a video tourism. Students should research leaders, religion, economy, climate, and culture. Students will be required to write a script. There is plenty of room for creativity within this project – for example students may choose to make commercials these should be historically accurate and relevant to the time as well.
- Students will meet with their community partner once a month to show progress, ask questions, etc.
- Students will present video/play. The audience should include the community partner, faculty, staff, and other students.
- Students will write a reflection paper and address their experience working on the ELO – what they learned, what worked and didn’t, as well as reflecting on the competencies of curiosity, cultural sensitivity, leadership and communication, after they have shown their capstone project.
Assessment
Students will design listening and comprehension activities, speaking activities, role play and vocabulary games.
The final assessment will be the capstone project – video or play – that the students perform/show to a live audience. Students will also be required to hand in the script with both French and English translations (this can be done as a group), as well as writing their own individual reflection papers, which should include what the students learned about culture, communication, and leadership. During the final presentation they need to be prepared to discuss with the audience what they learned from the ELO and how it helped them develop their communication, cultural diversity, curiosity and leadership skills.
More information
This ELO was created when students approached this teacher for options when French was no longer going to be offered as a class at ConVal. As of summer 2016, they had not yet run this ELO, but had the support of the ELO coordinator and a motivated group of students committed to learning French.
This ELO was submitted by Amanda Bastoni, CTE Photo/Video teacher at ConVal Regional High School. Email teacher for more information
