Student-Led Classes as a Technique for Teaching and Assessing Foreign Languages

1. Student-Led Classes as a Technique for Teaching and Assessing Foreign Languages Elena P. Clark UNC-Chapel Hill

2. “Why exactly are we here?”

3. Sometimes Class Feels Like This

4. ''The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors.''

5. “Congratulations. You're all we've come to expect from years of government training.”

6. How does student teaching combat these problems?

7. How does student teaching combat these problems? • Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Positive Feedback Loop

12. Results

13. Motivation

14. Knowledge

15. Confidence

16. Yet More Student Engagement

17. Potential Pitfalls

18. Potential Pitfalls • Poor quality teaching/use of target language • Students overwhelmed with terror • Is it “fair”?

19. The Process—Part 1

20. The Process—Part 1 • Choose dates

21. The Process—Part 1 • Choose dates • In-class brainstorming for topic ideas

22. The Process—Part 1 • Choose dates • In-class brainstorming for topic ideas • Encourages discussion in target language of potential topics

23. 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

24. 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

25. The Process—Part 2

26. The Process—Part 2 • Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans

27. The Process—Part 2 • Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans • Review of materials and lesson plan

28. The Process—Part 3

29. The Process—Part 3 • Students teach class

30. The Process—Part 3 • Students teach class • I grade their efforts with grading rubric posted on class website

31. The Process—Part 4

32. The Process—Part 4 • Students write reflection essay in target language

33. The Process—Part 4 • Students write reflection essay in target language • I grade reflection essay with grading rubric posted on class website

34. 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