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Strategies for teaching multi-level language classes

Multi-level classes, sometimes called mixed ability or combined classes, refer to groups of students who are enrolled in different courses and are combined into one class or section. For example, both German 3 and German 4 students may be combined into one class.

Multi-level classes tend to occur in scheduling situations where there are too few students signed up for a particular course. The choice on the part of the school scheduler is to either cancel the course altogether or to combine the students into a class of a different level course.

Strategies for teaching multi-level classes

I would argue that every world language class is a group of mixed levels even though it may have a label like “level 2.” In a proficiency-based classroom, the teacher is offering both support and challenge to a wide range of learners with the goal of providing learning experiences to students that allow them to advance along the proficiency continuum. Language teachers are accustomed to differentiating instruction for their classes on a daily basis. Many of the suggested strategies within this post for multi-level classes are applicable to all language classes.

One approach to multi-level classes is where the teacher selects high interest unit themes for a Year A course and other themes for Year B. The students of both levels experience the same content themes and direct instruction (Year A) aimed at the proficiency targets for both levels. Students who continue the following year in the multi-level classroom will have a new set of unit themes (Year B). Through classroom tasks, the expectations for student performance will differ based on their level. Some small group instruction may occur for specific skill building based on the students’ proficiency expectations per level.

Here is an example of Year A and Year B curriculum themes:

Some additional strategies and approaches for multi-level classes are:

1.Open-ended tasks: The teacher designs communicative tasks that allow students to demonstrate their language proficiency in the communicative modes. Using real world prompts, open-ended tasks

  • have multiple valid answers
  • encourage creativity and deeper thinking
  • and allow for personal responses.

Here’s an example of an open-ended task prompt for presentational writing:

You can find resources and guidance for designing performance task prompts here: https://www.grahnforlang.com/designing-performance-tasks.html

2. Flexible grouping: Students are given multiple opportunities to work with a variety of partners and small groups, including those of the same level, different levels, or similar interests. Students learn from and support one another through collaborative work. Processes and protocols for flexible groups include cooperative learning strategies.

3. Student self-assessment and goal setting: Students are given frequent opportunities to self-assess and set goals for their growth in language proficiency using rubrics and checklists. They are also provided specific, meaningful feedback on a regular basis on how they can advance in their proficiency.

Below is a sample list of feedback for students in the interpersonal mode from which teachers might choose:

4. Learning centers/station rotation: Students practice speaking, listening, viewing, reading, and writing skills through a variety of open-ended tasks that allow them to demonstrate their language proficiency. The learning stations may include a teacher-guided center where the teacher does mini lessons with a strategically chosen group of students. For more details on learning centers, here are links to previous blog posts on the topic: Post #1, Post #2, Post #3

5. Tiered texts and tasks: The teacher provides students with authentic texts and tasks of a variety of difficulty levels that allow for differentiation of support and challenge to students. For more details on tiering texts, check out this blog post. For more information on tiering tasks, see this blog post.

Here is an example of three authentic texts in German on the topic of family pets of a variety of difficulty levels. Note that one chart can be used by all students while interpreting the differentiated texts.

6. Student choice and voice: Students are given agency over their learning by having choices in the tasks they complete. The teacher also solicits input from students on the language they want and need to express themselves. Choices may be provided through choice boards, free voluntary reading, and through project-based learning.

This is an example of a This or That choice board on the topic of food waste for French students:

To do a deeper dive into the topic of multi-level classes, here are some resources for you:

Teaching Mixed Level Classes (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4BUSfhZta0: A video from Klett World Languages

Teaching Mixed Proficiency levels: https://ioannanifli.wordpress.com/2021/08/17/teaching-mixed-proficiency-levels/: ESL focus, has helpful visuals

Multilevel World Language Classes: Teacher Perspectives and Practical Solutions: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1390096.pdf: A research article

Supporting Mixed-Ability Classrooms: Research in Language Education Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/902405863258202/posts/3376695779162519/: Helpful strategies visual

Increasing student confidence and comfort with interpersonal speaking

In her TED Talk entitled “Can Gen Z reclaim the art of conversation?,” Dr. Michelle Burke shares her insights from twenty years of classroom experience on the decline of the ability of Gen Z students to converse and build social connections. They lack skills such as making eye contact, reading facial expressions, and interacting authentically.

Language educators are experiencing the same phenomena in their classrooms. Students feel reluctant and unsure about participating in interpersonal interactions in the target language.

How can will help our language learners increase their confidence and comfort to communicate interpersonally?

Design supported, low stress interpersonal tasks that ensure success

In order for our novice learners to confidently interact and negotiate meaning in the target language, they need interpersonal practice every class meeting, in short spurts, and in low stress, low risk, and low stakes situations.

Let’s begin with the following strategies:

  1. One way to build student confidence in participating in interpersonal speaking is to begin every lesson with a “turn and talk” task as part of the opening routine. Provide students with a prompt such as a “question of the day” which they use as a conversation starter with a classmate.

Similarly, students may conduct an interpersonal exchange through a daily Social Emotional Learning (SEL) check-in.

Looking for ideas for SEL check-ins? Check out this Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/grahnforlang/social-and-emotional-learning/check-ins-on-a-scale-of-this-or-that-would-you-rat/

2. Another way to build confidence, is to show students lots of models of interpersonal exchanges, through live or recorded interactions. Some examples of sources for such exchanges include:

Audio Lingua (in 14 different languages)Dialogues in Spanish with audio
French Speaking Practice on TikTokItalian Conversations YouTube
ASL Conversations (YouTube)Chinese Conversation Clips (YouTube)

As students listen to interpersonal conversations in the target language, they can use organizers like this one from Kylie’s Corner on TPT which is FREE! (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/EDITABLE-Speech-Bubbles-4860879)

Students record what they hear either by scripting the entire conversation or by listing questions, responses, reaction phrases, etc. Students can also critique the interaction by suggesting ways the interlocutors could have improved the exchange. If the interpersonal models are via video, teachers may lead a class discussion about cultural products, practices, and/or perspectives that are evident.

3. Designing scaffolded interpersonal tasks is an additional confidence-building tactic. Expression lists, sentence starters, charts, and graphic organizers can be added as scaffolds to tasks. Here is an example of a scaffolded interpersonal task from a unit on free time activities and hobbies using the inside-outside circle strategy.

On the front of the card, students have a series of images that relate to categories of their favorite things. As they move from talk partner to talk partner, they ask and answer the question: “What’s your favorite _____?” (ex. music, movie, book, game, food).

On the back of the card, there are sentence starters and communicative fillers to support students in their interactions. In addition, there is a T-chart where students record their classmates’ responses.

4. Finally, implement game-like, informal tasks for students to practice having interpersonal conversations. Strategies like Find Someone Who/Human Bingo, Speed Friending, Conversation Jenga, and Chat Stations can build student comfort in the interpersonal mode.

You can find lots of examples of those and similar strategies on this Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/grahnforlang/speaking-and-writing-in-world-languages/speaking-and-writing-games/

Which strategy/strategies work for you? Which strategy will you try?

Welcoming students back from winter break

fortcollinspreschool.com

As Winter Break is winding down, language teachers are planning learning experiences for their students as they reenter the classroom later this week- renewing relationships they have built with students and being purposeful about continuing to build classroom community.

We know that it is unlikely that most students engaged in language practice during break. Where do we begin?

I. Rethink asking students about what they did during winter break.

I started with this tip because I know it will be the most controversial. Not all students traveled to exotic places and participated in exciting activities during winter break. Breaks from school routine can be stressful and anxiety-producing for some students. We also do not want students to feel marginalized during these discussions. If the purpose of these types of conversations is to reactivate their use of the target language, what are some alternative conversation topics?

One suggestion is to have students reflect on their favorite memories from 2022 and set goals or make new year’s resolutions for 2023. I’ve collected lots of target language resources for you on my Pinterest board for multiple languages that can serve as whole class discussion topics, the basis for pair and small group tasks, and tools for individual reflection. It includes infographics, social media posts, games, videos and more in the target language.

For more information on this topic, check out these online articles:

Don’t Assume That Every Student Had a Fun or Warm Winter Break

Reduce Winter Break Stress for Students

II. Welcome students back with positive, encouraging messages in the target language.

From the very beginning of class on the first day back, reestablish routines such as beginning every lesson with a positive, encouraging message in the target language. It reactivates students’ thinking in the language and reminds them that they are welcome in the language classroom.

III. Restart classroom routines

It can be very reassuring to students that the classroom routines continue. Using the same slide templates and the same opening protocols assist students in reentering the classroom after break. Your opening routine might include: calendar talk, social-emotional check ins, the expression or question of the day, etc. Here is an editable slide deck you can use for your opening routine.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19kk02ZzbDggd6-plHVYFBgBikKTa8xwn8c-gWR0KRMg/copy?usp=sharing

IV. Continue to conduct social-emotional check ins with your students

When you do check ins, make the experience communicative. Give students sentence starters and sentence frames to support them. Here’s the link to my Pinterest board with lots of check in ideas, some of which are winter-themed.

V. Give students lots of opportunities to reactivate their language skills

Here’s the link to my Pinterest board with lots of prompts and games to get students back in the habit of speaking and writing in the target language:

Wishing you a great restart to your school year and I hope some of these ideas are both thought-provoking and practical for you.

Additional resources for you:

6 Things to Do the Week After Winter Break

Independent Reading: Building students’ confidence in interpreting authentic texts

 

The thought of having novice language learners confidently interpreting authentic text is far-fetched for some.  With their limited vocabulary and facility with the language, unlocking an authentic text can feel daunting to beginning language learners.

It is magical to walk into a classroom and see students sitting in chairs and lying on the floor, fully engaged in reading books in the target language, both fiction and non-fiction, that they chose based on their interests.

How do we build students’ confidence with interpreting authentic texts?

One strategy is to provide students with regular opportunities to read independently in the target language.

What are the benefits of providing independent reading time to students?

  • It builds confidence with reading in target language
  • The texts are sources of comprehensible input and add to students’ vocabulary and understanding of structure and syntax
  • Choice is motivating and engaging
  • The experience increases fluency
  • Reading texts of choice adds to cultural knowledge
  • It allows students to read text at their challenge level

Here are some basic steps to start independent reading time in your language classroom:

  1. Provide access to students to target language books.

 

Many language teachers have a library of children’s books that they have collected over time from purveyors such as Amazon, book stores, and speciality foreign language book sellers.

In addition to buying hard copy books, many target language readers can be found online.  Click the image below to access a page on my website where you will find links to multiple sources for online books:

Screen Shot 2018-04-30 at 3.38.58 PM

On that same webpage, you will find a list of online target language magazines:

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2. Decide how independent reading will figure into your planning

Students will benefit the most from recurring opportunities to read a book of choice in the target language.  Will you provide class time every other week or on a weekly basis for students to read independently?

Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 10.20.27 PM copy

Image credit: Heather Sherrow (hsherrow@hcpss.org)

One approach would be to have a designated day of the week for independent reading.  It may be the first or last fifteen minutes of a class.  Independent reading may also be an option for students who complete tasks early.

3. Hold students accountable during independent reading while keeping it low stress

Screen Shot 2018-04-30 at 6.21.02 PM

Because the purposes, among others, for independent reading time are for students to read freely in the target language and to maintain a low affective filter where students take risks during independent reading time, it is not advised that students are assessed on what they read.   The intent of independent reading time is not to check comprehension and have students complete worksheets.  Some examples of student accountability during independent reading time include: keeping reading logs, recording new words they learned through their reading in their personal dictionaries, and creating a short journal entry that summarizes what they read.

4. Ensure students, especially novices, feel confident enough to read in the target language independently

As shared in an earlier post, How do I build my students’ skills to prepare them to interpret authentic text?, I shared the poster below:

Screen Shot 2018-04-30 at 6.34.02 PM

This poster gives students a protocol to follow when they encounter a word they do not know while they are reading.  It is also important to make sure learners understand what a language learner at their current proficiency level is expected to be able to do with text.  Finally, learners need to be reassured that they do not need to understand every word they read and that they can use text features such as visuals, titles, and captions to unlock the meaning of the text.

5. Get started!

My first foray into the blogosphere

3-2-1- Lift off!  Creating a blog is something I’ve been thinking about for a very long time.  I consider myself somewhat of a “resource specialist”… I love to find and use or adapt new strategies, ideas, and tools.  I’ve mentored many young, novice teachers and have a passion for creating meaningful, strategy-rich professional learning experiences.  I’m a modern day hunter-gatherer, as are many of my colleagues.  Through this blog, I hope to share my passion for everything relating to education, teaching, and learning and hear from you about what keeps your love of teaching and learning alive.