February 10, 2016 - Nonlinguistic Representation is using symbols or manipulatives to teach students content. Below are some of the ways these are used in the foreign language classroom as well as ideas I'd like to try.
At the end of our last meeting, after going through the video and discussing all that, we were to look at our department data and answer a few questions:
.2. If we are to set a goal regarding the percentage of the time we’re using nonlinguistic representation, what would that percentage be? We feel that our goal would be at least 50% of our time should be non-linguistic, but in reality, I think we are already there, and could possibly raise it higher, as the students seem to retain better when they are actively involved, rather than just listening.
3. As a department what type of non-linguistic representations do we use most? It seems pictures and visual representations are used the most (student created or teacher-provided). Students can draw on paper, make posters, or illustrate on the board various activities and vocabulary items. And we believe that physically writing (not typing on the iPad) also is a non-linguistic activity, as it cements words in the brain like the other activities.We use a lot of hand-held items, like clock faces, plastic vocabulary items, and hand-held “posters” of the different colors, etc. We also said that we use a lot of kinesthetic activity in the classroom – moving around, sharing with others, contests, etc. We had students all over the school in pairs, one directing the other to give and follow directions to a location in the building, while one is “blind”. Other kinesthetic activities might be creation of a café to be waiter or customer; playing games throwing food replicas to learn the vocabulary; etc.
- As a department, what type of nonlinguistic representation do we think we use most often? t would some of the other types look like in our content area? Realia plays an important role, as it is in our standards.We use youtube, online research, creation of things like menus based on actual menus found online.Mental imaging – imagine you are in Paris (Madrid, Mexico City, etc).Imagine you are meeting someone on the street – how would you greet them, etc.Graphic organizers might work as well – in discussion of foods, of clothing, and when different items are used; timelines of history; timelines of verb tenses;posters of relationship of tenses, etc
.2. If we are to set a goal regarding the percentage of the time we’re using nonlinguistic representation, what would that percentage be? We feel that our goal would be at least 50% of our time should be non-linguistic, but in reality, I think we are already there, and could possibly raise it higher, as the students seem to retain better when they are actively involved, rather than just listening.
3. As a department what type of non-linguistic representations do we use most? It seems pictures and visual representations are used the most (student created or teacher-provided). Students can draw on paper, make posters, or illustrate on the board various activities and vocabulary items. And we believe that physically writing (not typing on the iPad) also is a non-linguistic activity, as it cements words in the brain like the other activities.We use a lot of hand-held items, like clock faces, plastic vocabulary items, and hand-held “posters” of the different colors, etc. We also said that we use a lot of kinesthetic activity in the classroom – moving around, sharing with others, contests, etc. We had students all over the school in pairs, one directing the other to give and follow directions to a location in the building, while one is “blind”. Other kinesthetic activities might be creation of a café to be waiter or customer; playing games throwing food replicas to learn the vocabulary; etc.