Key+Implications+for+21st+Century+Schools



=Key Implications for 21st Century Schools=

The application of Krashen's hypotheses in the second or foreign language classroom marry well with the implementation of guided inquiry. To meet the needs of the acquisition-learning hypothesis, a language teacher should create situations where authentic communication in the target language can be achieved. In this way, the language is 'acquired' rather than just 'learned.' An effective monitor will create a balance between accuracy and fluency that takes place in a safe and encouraging environment to meet the objectives of both the monitor and affective filter hypothesis. Students must feel comfortable to take the risks that learning a new language entails.

Language instruction should begin by laying the foundation and making connections between the target language and the speaker's native tongue. This scaffolding of incremental knowledge creation follows Krashen's natural order hypothesis and acknowledges the fact that all students learn at different rates and that differentiated instruction is encouraged. Teachers should also strive to provide as much comprehensible input as possible, both within and outside the classroom. If the level of exposure to the target language is increased, a predictable benefit will be more successful acquisition meeting the parameters of the input hypothesis.

[|Getting It/Using It Activities from Olenka Bilash]

Guided Inquiry Ideas

 * Travel Brochure Task** - You are a travel agent trying to attract North American tourists to your city. Create a travel brochure with relevant and appealing visuals that are orgainized with captions in the target language. You will pitch your travel brochure to your tourism board (group of teachers). Brochures will be evaluated based on presentation, grammar, quality of language (oral and written), relevance of images, organization and creativity (adapted from Bilash, 2002). For a web 2.0 version, these could be done using other presentation software.
 * Crossword Puzzle Creation** - with clues in one language and the answers in another (adapted from Nunan, []). Puzzles could be created with freeware programs online (such as [|http://puzzlemaker.com]) and then be exchanged with other classmates, either at the same or lower language proficiency for completion/evaluation.
 * Game Creation** - working in groups, students recreate popular board games (Monopoly, Life, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?) in the target language. Students would design game boards, pieces, cards, etc., in the target language and then participate in playing them with their classmates.
 * Cookbook for a Foreign Country** - students will find a collection of recipes that are native to a particular country. The ingredients for these recipes will be translated into the target language. Students will find or make accompanying illustrations or photographs of the dishes. This cookbook could also have either a print or digital format. As a culminating event, students will prepare these dishes for a class 'celebration of learning' and have teachers/peers vote for their favorite.
 * Perfomance of a Daily Life Activity/Interview** - students could write a short play or skit in the target language about an activity of daily life. Examples might be going to the store to buy groceries, a bank transaction, or ordering a meal at a restaurant. An alternative would be to interview a person in a particular vocation. Interviews/skits could be performed live or recorded digitally to be viewed later.

All of these tasks are authentic, engaging and require comprehensible input on both the part of the teacher and the learner. Student interest would be encouraged at both the initiation and selection stages as they would be able to choose the topic (within the parameters of the project i.e. country, game). Student interaction with both the teacher and the SLMS would be key as they move throughout the ISP and acquire knowledge not only in the target language, but in the use of research pathfinders, ways to narrow down and focus their ideas, and the wide variety of ways in which their presentations could be made. A variety of rubrics could be developed to evaluate these authentic assessments ([|http:////rubistar.4teachers.org//], [|http:////www.**rubrics**4teachers.com//])