TA Handbook-Chapter 3b

FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES

The goals of language programs differ depending on the nature of the language and the department’s pedagogical emphasis. Foreign language departments at the University of Pittsburgh have developed extensive training and support programs for their teaching assistants.

Because language courses, especially introductory ones, require the mastery of lessons in a set sequence, the course outline is often determined beforehand and is shared by all the instructors teaching that course. Work closely with your department supervisor and your colleagues to make sure that what you are teaching is compatible with the department’s approach.

Learning a new language? a new vocabulary, grammar and syntax? can be intimidating. Experts believe that the most important factor in teaching a new language is to create a comfortable and supportive classroom environment. Students must feel they can publicly use the language and that mistakes are a normal part of the learning.[8]

TECHNIQUES

The following guide, prepared by the Center for Instructional Development and Research at the University of Washington, may help you to create an open and exciting classroom:

Assure students at the beginning of the course that it is normal to make errors and that they should not be afraid to respond in class.
Provide plenty of positive feedback. Even when responses are incorrect, look for ways to comment positively before making a correction.
Correct selectively and carefully so as not to intimidate students.
Use pair work, group work or quick writing tasks to provide students with "thinking time" before conducting whole class activities.
Arrange for students to meet with you during your office hours for short, individual conferences. Some students find this one-to-one situation less stressful than speaking in front of a group. It can also increase student-instructor rapport, which may increase students' comfort with participating in class.
Encourage equal participation by all students so those more advanced students don't dominate or intimidate weaker students.
First year students report that they prefer instructors to teach primarily in the target language? but not exclusively. They ask that English be used sparingly at crucial points (e.g., explanations of difficult grammar points or homework assignments). This does not apply, of course, to courses on languages that are no longer spoken.

In addition, language instructors may want to use props and electronic media to spark students’ interest. Slides, films, videos and computer presentations as well as less traditional props such as cartoons, posters, food, advertisements and games may help to enliven the classroom. Instructional media also offers an opportunity to explore cultural aspects of the language you are teaching. The modern language classroom is a site for investigation into international culture, and it is this exploration that often makes the language exciting for students.

DRILLS/CONVERSATION

Drills are an essential part of every introductory language class, but they offer perhaps the greatest challenge to the teacher. Nothing is duller than a rote drill. The teaching assistant who can make this part of the class interesting and lively has accomplished much. Be imaginative. If possible, use visuals and props during the drills. Try to personalize drills, using students' names and relating the drills to their individual interests. This evidence of your interest in them as individuals will make your students feel more comfortable and you will be rewarded with more intense student involvement in the class. [9]

It is often useful to have students talk about their lives outside the classroom or to role-play in order to practice conversation in various everyday situations. In addressing "personal" questions to students or assigning roles for conversation practice, instructors should take care to avoid embarrassing the students. Avoid overly personal questions. Be careful about gender stereotyping and sensitive to matters of sexual orientation. For example, it should not be assumed that all students date members of the opposite sex. Such assumptions might embarrass, offend, or anger students and may serve to distract these students from their efforts to learn the language.

COMMON PITFALLS

If you recognize yourself in any of the items listed below, don't panic and give up. Most of them are unconscious habits and reflexes which can be broken by cultivating an awareness of how YOU act in the classroom and by monitoring the effect your behavior has on that of your students. [10] RESCUING STUDENTS is a common reflex of beginning teaching assistants who think that being as helpful as possible is not only a hallmark of good teaching but also earns their students' respect and admiration. Unfortunately, neither of the above is likely to be true. A teacher who consistently "bails out" students does not help them learn to think for themselves; students unconsciously come to expect the TA to do all their work for them.

TALKING TOO MUCH is another common problem for teaching assistants. The TA should not be the one doing most of the talking.

REVERTING TO ENGLISH when the going gets rough. Many teaching assistants give up after an initial attempt to get their point across in a foreign tongue. Meeting twenty or thirty blank stares is frequently misinterpreted as a signal to retreat to the safety of English. Rephrasing, trying another tack, or finding just one student who understands and asking that student to translate are better alternatives than giving up entirely. If you revert to English, it implies that students can do the same.

GETTING STUCK IN A "QUESTION RUT" can easily happen. If the teaching assistant only asks questions, then students learn only how to respond. A more balanced format can be achieved by having students engage each other in conversational dyads and triads, asking and responding among themselves.

LOSING YOUR PATIENCE is a guaranteed way to end student participation and create an intimidating atmosphere in the classroom. Praise the efforts of slower students, and also encourage them to come for additional language lab practice or office visits.

USING THE LANGUAGE LAB

Teaching assistants supervising language labs should make sure they are familiar with the equipment and tapes, CDs, multimedia equipment and videos available and should also use their time in the lab conscientiously. Many students will need help in making the most of the exercises, but they might be too timid to approach a self-absorbed teaching assistant seated at one end of the room. Try to contribute to the students’ learning experience personally and positively, and stay alert for those who may be about to fall by the wayside.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE

Although teaching a language course poses some unique challenges, instructors face many of the same issues that discussion section leaders face. Review the section on leading a discussion recitation for additional suggestions.

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