Mixed level languages classes at Year 8

Language learning in transition

What are our students saying?

Anne Jacques 2009

Overview

Background to the study; the current position of languages in NZ

Outline of the case-studyData from the surveySummary of themes from the interviews

Introducing the best educated man of his time

Sir Thomas Tom of Appledore

http://www.wordle.net/.

Impetus for research

New Zealand’s new curriculum 2010 establishes Learning Languages as a new learning area.

Contestable Government funding to support initiatives in languages at Primary school.

Hill, K. & Ward, S. (2003). "Passing the baton: the transition from primary to secondary language programs." New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics 9(2): 19 - 36.

Riccarton High School

Christchurch, New ZealandCo-educational, 950 students 32 nationalitiesDecile 7Languages: French, Japanese, MāoriAll Year 9s (Year 8s) must choose a

language for the year.

Pūtaringamotu – taku turangawaewae

Survey of whole cohort

Languages previously studied

JapaneseGerman

Spanish

Māori

Chinese OtherFrench

French

Japanese

German

Spanish

Māori

Chinese

Other

A typical class

Themes

Experiences and motivationAn environment of diversityCollaborationMixed-level classes

Experiences and motivation

The importance of relationships:“so I wouldn’t be a nif”“to connect with family”“’cos Māori words are similar to Samoan”“I have relatives and stuff that speak Japanese”

Teachers, travel

Activities – songs, “real stuff”

An environment of diversity

DiversityMulti-levelRisk-taking

scary, less confident, embarrassed, shy, gets on everyone’s nerves, jealous

Tensions

The “expert” role: “but I don’t so much like showing off as such, ‘cos then people just – they get jealous or they just get sick of you showing off and – sometimes you can get away with it if you know when to stop showing off, but … a lot of people don’t know when to stop.”

Frustrations at slower/faster studentsAn academic hierarchy

Collaboration - ako

Working togetherComprehensible input; input + 1

In the mixed class, if you haven’t done it before, you can pick up things from people that have.

I think it’s a better idea to, like, just leave it as it is with the mixed thing, so…because then the people that know things can…help the people that don’t, yeah, that know…that don’t know as much and don’t understand.

I think I’ve gotten better. I think it’s a lot…Not better as in learning more words, or more things to do, but better in, like, pronunciation, understanding.

…it only takes a couple more minutes, and they’ll get it, and it’s like, yeaaahh, yeah, ok. It doesn’t feel as if it’s holding the learning back, or anything else.

It’s just taking a little bit longer, and you get the result for everybody knowing it instead of just half the people.

Mixed-level classes

Mixed groupsOccasionally separatedChoice of activities

“like there were three different levels, like, three piles of sheets, and some of them were, like, hard, medium and easy, for you to, like, choose one…”

“ It’s just…it’s good…helping people is kinda cool, ‘cos you know that…you’re not just helping yourself, like, not like…you know what I mean?...Like, doing something else so that other people can have a good chance and that…that makes it better”

You learn stuff easier, easier, when you’re like, enjoying it more.

See you inQUEENSTOWN

NZ Association of Language Teachers:Biennial International Conference

Scaling remarkable linguistic heightsCULTURE CURRICULUM CREATIVITY

Sunday 4th July – Wednesday 7th July 2010