4 Back to School Tips for World Language Teachers
As Back to School season approaches, many of us are returning to the classroom feeling refreshed and revitalized, ready to welcome enthusiastic language learners to our World Language classroom. Some of us are super excited to be back, while others (like myself!) could use a couple extra weeks of summer vacation! Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, it is no secret that back to school season can be super stressful and overwhelming, even for the most seasoned teachers. In this blog entry, I’m sharing four nuggets of wisdom that I have picked up over the years which have helped me to reduce some of the stress and overwhelm that can accompany the back to school season.
World Language Back to School Tip #1: Think about what students will do when they enter your room on Day 1.
The first day of school is chaotic, regardless of what level you teach. Your students will be frantically locating and entering your room while feeling a whole array of emotions: excitement, nervousness, apprehension, and the good ol’ back to school blues, to name just a few! It’s important to provide your students with clear instructions as well as a quick task to complete during the first few minutes of class while you are setting up. Consider the following questions as you begin lesson planning:
Where will my students sit? How will students know where to go once they enter my room?
Mini-Tip: Do NOT let students sit wherever they would like on the first day of school!
What will my students do once they find their seat? Will I have a Mini Questionnaire for them to fill out, or maybe a Student Interests Survey? Will they create a name tag to put on their desk, or perhaps write their preferred name on a sticker that they adhere to their shirt?
What supplies will my students need to complete these tasks, and will I have some extra supplies in my room for students who may need them?
I always have pre-printed name cards that I arrange on student desks in alphabetical order. When students enter the room, they find their name card and have a seat at that desk. Alphabetical order seating helps me learn their names during the first few weeks of school. Then, they work on creating a name tag with a sheet of construction paper and marker that I provide, and then finally they fill out their Mini Questionnaire and Student Interests Survey while we wait for students to enter the room and find their seat, and while I take attendance and make sure everyone is in the right seat!
World Language Back to School Tip #2: Use target language from the start
It doesn’t matter if you teach students how to say “Hello, my name is…” or have them do a quick self-introductory monologue in the target language (i.e. “Hello, my name is ___. I am ___ years old, and I live in ____. This summer, I… etc.), or something else entirely! You need to establish from the very beginning that this is a World Language course, and as such, we will be speaking in the target language!
Now, you do need to be judicious about the language you are providing to students. You cannot speak to a Spanish 1 class the same way you would speak to a Spanish 3 class! Remember, language that is not comprehensible to students is noise - we need to be intentional about the language we expose students to, especially during the first few days and weeks of school.
Think about a target language activity that gets students in language-learning mode from Day 1. You can even do this with complete beginners! In my 7th grade French class, students are complete novices with no background in French at all. On the first day of school, I tell them a brief story in French about a boy and a girl, while I project a slideshow as a visual and linguistic support to aid in comprehension. My Google Slides contain images, one or two sentences written out on each slide, translations in the margin to facilitate comprehension, and I make sure to speak slowly and repetitively. Students feel uncomfortable at the beginning of this activity - you’ll most likely get some nervous smiles, or perhaps completely blank stares! - but as you move through the story, students realize that they can actually understand quite a bit, even on the first day of class!
I’ll talk more about this activity and specific questioning techniques I use in a later blog post.
World Language Back to School Tip #3: Get students to reflect on the importance of language learning
All good teachers know that they need to build student interest in their subject area from the very beginning of the school year in order to capture students’ attention and help them to see the value in learning their content. We need to do the same thing in our World Language classroom. Why is it important for students to learn French? What skills and possibilities will students unlock by learning Spanish? How will Italian help students in their personal and professional lives? Give students time to reflect on these questions–they already have some great insights into the benefits of language learning, but there are definitely things you can do to help fill in potential knowledge gaps.
Last year I created a resource called the Benefits of Language Learning Game. Students were given an Answer Sheet, and I projected a Google Slides presentation in the front of the room, which contained questions about language learning. Students had to use their best judgment and intuition when selecting their answer. I then showed the correct answer, and students assigned themselves a point if they got it right. At the end, I gave a small prize to the students with the highest score. A quick and simple activity like this could make a world of difference in terms of motivating your reluctant language learners at the beginning of the year. Students respond well to a clear explanation of why whatever it is that they’re learning is important.
World Language Back to School Tip #4: Show them who you are!
Students want to know that their teachers are relatable human beings, too! They want to know what your likes and dislikes are. You don’t have to overshare–I personally tend to be quite reserved with what I share with my students–but keep it simple and light. What is your favorite food? Are you a coffee or tea person? Do you have any pets? Favorite books, TV shows, music? Things like that!
I like to play a quick little “Qui est Monsieur M ?!” game with my French students. I ask questions about myself, some of which have clues hidden around my classroom, and students try to guess the answer. A sample question might be…
This is a perfect activity to do in the target language if your students are at a proficiency level where they are able to understand you! You could also distribute prizes to students who guess correctly. I have back-to-school pencils that I give out whenever a student raises their hand, guesses correctly, and explains why they chose the answer that they did. “Monsieur, I know you have two cats because I saw a picture of your two cats hanging up on the bulletin board!”
I hope you have found these tips to be helpful, and that you’re able to take away at least one actionable item that will help you start the school year off on the right foot!
Resources mentioned in this blog post:
Looking for a Mini Questionnaire or Student Interests Survey, in addition to other helpful activities for the first few days of class?
Benefits of Language Learning Game (Note: This game is also included in the above Icebreakers resources.)
Need some help planning for the First Month of your World Language Class? My First Month of French, Spanish, and Italian resources have you covered!
