Get your Students to talk NOW

Today's post is about teaching foreign language. Specifically, I want to propose an answer and a solution to this question:

Why is it that practically everybody has to study a foreign language, yet so few people actually speak the language they are trying to learn?

Normally I address the student because we all have to take personal responsability for our language learning. This time, however, I address the foreign language teacher.

What students want: To speak the language so they can use it in practical situations (especially while traveling around the world on a mega yacht sipping mohitos with the movers and shakers). I know this because I have asked every student I have ever had. 

What teachers teach: Grammar, which is more often than not taught in the native language and NOT in the target language.

Why do teachers get so hung up on grammar? There are several reasons.

1. It's easy to put a grade on because it is either right or wrong.
2. It's comfortable and familiar.
3. It is a teacher-centered activity (I teach, you take notes, then you do the exercises at home) and therefore easy to control and not noisy.
4. The pressure to follow "a Program"
5. So kids will do well on standardized tests.

Why do teachers teach in their language and not in the target language?

1. Because the students won't understand if I teach in the target language.
2. Because the grammar is so technical, they will lose something if I do it in the target language.
3. I don't feel comfortable teaching in the language because I am not a native speaker.

The problem with the grammar-based approach.

1. It encourages perfectionism, which is the enemy of language acquisition.
2. It is discouraging (see above).
3. It is difficult to apply to real life because the focus is on rules rather than usage.
5. It assumes there is a uniform "ideal" way of speaking (which does not exist) and therefore leads to impossible expectations and fear of judgement.

How many people do you know learned their native language by studying grammar? Just saying. 

I feel that our job as foreign language teachers is to provide as much contact with the target language as possible (you can never get to the point of understanding a language if you never hear it. Simple). The LEAST we can do is use it as our teaching language. Will our students understand absolutely every word? Of course not. Each student will get something out of the lesson based on their experience with the language. The more experience I have, the more I will understand. That being said, I am the teacher, so I will use my entire bag of tricks to MAKE SURE my students understand what is really important in the lesson (that's what tone of voice, body language and cognates are for).

Anybody who teaches teens will know that you get the same blank look from students no matter what language you use. Try it, I am not kidding. So if this is the case, you have nothing to lose by teaching in the target language. It may even keep them a little more alert.

Our second job is to prepare our students to use the language in practical situations. This means setting into motion rehearsed conversations that we repeat a gazillion times until they become so automatic we don't have to think to use them, and we can bend them to fit our real life needs.

Here is one you can start using today in the first five to seven minutes of class. We call this beginning part of the lesson "circle time" because when children are little (pre school- elementary) we sit in a circle on the floor and go through the same information each time (How are you? How's the weather? etc) with flashcards and get them used to asking and answering basic questions. That repetition is comforting and gets them speaking immediately (with no worries about grammar).

Circle time from Middle School to adults looks a little different. I like to go around the room and shake each person's hand and have this individual conversation (I print up a copy and distribute it on day one. I write it on the board when I add a new piece, which is usually once every two to three weeks).

Phase one.

Teacher: How are you?
Student: Fine thanks and you?
Teacher: Fine thanks. Nice to see you.
Student: Nice to see you, too.

Phase one  + Phase two.

Teacher: How are you?
Student: Fine thanks and you?
Teacher: Fine thanks. Nice to see you.
Student: Nice to see you, too.
Teacher: How was your day yesterday? (on Monday you can say WEEKEND)
Student: It was fine.
Teacher: What did you do?
Student: (choose one) I went out with my friends. I went to school. I stayed home.
Teacher: Great. Have a good day!
Student: Have a good day!

Phase one + Phase two + Phase three.

Teacher: How are you?
Student: Fine thanks and you?
Teacher: Fine thanks. Nice to see you.
Student: Nice to see you, too.
Teacher: How was your day yesterday? (on Monday you can say WEEKEND)
Student: It was fine.
Teacher: What did you do?
Student: (choose one) I went out with my friends. I went to school. I stayed home.
Teacher: What are you doing today after school?
Student: (choose one) I'm having lunch. I'm going home. I'm going out with my friends.
Teacher: If I were you, I would do the same! Have a good day!
Student: Have a good day!

FAQs:

Is it repetitive? You bet!

Is it a rigid conversation? Oh yes. No creativity required or desired. I make it clear that this is a formal conversation accompanied by a firm handshake and eye contact. Yes, even if it's the worst day of my life, everything is "fine". This is the rule of grooming talk in English.

Do I do this with every student at the beginning of every class? Yes, I do.

Isn't that a waste of time? No. Here's why.

1. I shake their hand and look them in the eye and we talk to each other. This creates rapport and the human connection that is so important for learning.
2. It is a clear signal that class is starting, yet gives them a moment to transition from their native language.
3. It becomes automatic for them, so it is a positive way to begin. If I don't do it, the students are disappointed!
4. I always remind myself that even if my students learn NOTHING from me, this conversation will be part of them for the rest of their lives. They can use it anywhere in the world and make friends immediately.
5. There is about three years of grammar in that little conversation!
6. I teach many types of students including students who have had bad experiences in the foreign language classroom. This conversation increases confidence, especially when they use it on a real foreign person and they are able to have a real conversation.

Is it noisy?

Yes, because students do not typically go silent the moment the teacher's back is to them and they are not in the spotlight. I don't mind this, as long as I can hear the person I am talking to. If the volume gets too loud, I stop and remind the class to be respectful.

The payoff.

Your students will use it on you even when they see you around town and hearing "Nice to see you" from your students is it's own reward.

We teachers need as many personal victories as we can get.

Ask the Diavolo

A very stupid question I ask people when I get to know them is what their favorite pizza is. This is because I am almost always hungry and asking it gives me a good excuse to think about food.

In Italy you get a menu of about 80 varieties (give or take), which is a lot more choice than we normally have in the States, mainly because we order one big pizza and we share it. You only have so much freedom of choice when you have to negotiate with four or five different people (who almost always have strong opinions on the matter).

So this weekend I asked my students one by one what their favorite pizza was. Along with thinking about food, I am also interested in how people make decisions when there are lots of choices. I ask, and then I immediately judge them.

1. Do they decide by not deciding and always get the same?

If it's a Margarita, they are:
a. Under 10,
b. Picky eaters,
c. always on a diet,
d. risk averse
e. all the above

If it's a 4 formaggi they are:
a. Over 30
b. Like strong flavors
c. Have taken risks in the past but are finished with that now
d. are completely aware that their pizza is disastrous for their health but they "deserve" it because they work so hard.

2. Do they get the same pizza for a certain period of time and then move on to a different one?
This person also probably:

a. Reads every book by the same author before moving on to a new one
b. Is a fan of concept albums
c. Wears team colors the day their team plays
d. Is not afraid of commitment, but appreciates variety.


3. Do they purposefully get a different pizza each time?
That could mean he/she is:

a. a Risk taker
b. Respects processes
c. Loves food.
d. Gets bored easily.

4. Do they have the Pizzaiolo decide?
This person is:

a. adventurous
b. a show off
c. non-judgemental
d. has low expectations and therefore is always happy

So that's what I've got on my mind when this one girl says:

"I just love a pepperoni pizza!"

and I am like, "You would love America then, because that is one of the three pizzas that people can normally agree on."

1. Cheese pizza


2. Cheese & Sausage pizza


3. Cheese & Pepperoni pizza


But then the ex-pat in me kicked into gear and I got suspicious.

See, this girl didn't REALLY like pepperoni pizza, because, if she did, she would have said something like:

"I really love, but I don't know how you say in English, the DIAVOLA pizza. How you say... Devil Pizza?"

Because a Diavola is a cheese and pepperoni pizza (they call the pepperoni Piccante, but if that is hot for you, then, well, I probably won't invite you to my house for dinner, like ever).

So I'm like "You mean a PEPPERONI PIZZA?" and I google up an image of a DIAVOLA pizza and she's like:

NO NO NO!! NOT THAT! I MEAN THAT I REALLY LOVE PEPPERONI!

So then I have to come up with a good Equivalent in English. But there isn't one because who the hell likes Bell Peppers on their pizza?! Nobody!! Except for maybe some kook who gets the veggie pizza and they happen to throw some Green Peppers on it (which is the nastiest of the triplets, as sweet-tasting Red and Yellow Bell Peppers are nummy but completely out of place on a pizza).

Then she clarifies. "Yes, I love this pizza because the Peppers are FRIED."

And I think about it, and I want to be empathic and so I say, "Yeah, I guess I can see that, just about EVERYTHING tastes good FRIED."

And I do believe that when I say it. But then the conversation opens up and another guy (orders same pizza for 2-3 months then moves on to the next pizza) says

"If Pepperoni is Pepper, and Salamino piccante is Pepperoni, then how you say Salame?

which opens up a conundrum

Because then I'm like well there's a word called Salami, but I don't know if that is specific or if it's more like Summer Sausage.

Wait, says he. Summer sausage? You mean your cold cuts have seasons?

No, say I. I think Summer Sausage is more like you Friulani slice up and eat with polenta, and I google a picture of Summer Sausage and the class looks at me confused before Margarita girl says:

Let's just say Summer Sausage is meats in general, shall we?

What the hell do I care? I'm a vegetarian. If it's okay with the Italians, it's ok with me.

Living the Elementary Green Dream!

I have to say I am quite impressed with what kids learn in school in Trieste from an early age. Earth day is not really a THING here like it is in the States, but there is an emphasis on living the green life every day.

My sweetie is in first grade and here is how she's learning to live the green dream.

1. Kids wear a smock over their clothes.

In her school the girls and the boys wear the same color: dark blue. The kids know that when they put them on they are in SCHOOL and not at Home, or at Grandma's house, and they act accordingly. On a green level, they are protecting their clothes and therefore less washing needs to go on at home (and thank God for that, as most of us here have no dryer, also green, even if I still miss having one sometimes).

2. Kids bring slippers to school.

They have their outside shoes and their inside shoes. This keeps their classrooms and common areas cleaner, therefore less need for heavy-duty harsh chemicals.

3. Kids grow a garden with their teachers.

They have a little plot of land about a 5 minute walking distance from their school. They plant all kinds of goodies and get to see them grow. They also see where their food comes from and have the opportunity to see a project through its entire cycle. This week they are beginning their "Fruits and Vegetables" project. There is a dietician coming to meet with parents and explain how parents can support it at home. For now, we got a note reminding us to have lots of fruits and veggies on hand and talk about them with our kids.

4. Kids leave a cloth napkin at school.

They use it all week for their snack and lunch and then bring it home for washing on weekends.

5. Kids leave a hand towel at school.

They use it to dry their hands after they wash them. They each have their own hook in the bathroom. When the weekend comes we do a load with the smock, the napkin, and the towel so we are ready to send them with her again on Monday.

6. The kids leave their own water bottle at school.

They fill up their bottles as they need them. Plastic disposable bottles are discouraged.

Yes, this is public school, but it's not just her school. I think most of the elementary schools in Trieste have similar routines.

These green details may be small gestures, but put them together and you create routines that can last a lifetime and make a real difference. Well done, School!

Italian Birthday Parties

Here is what you need to know if your kid is in Pre-School (I will update you next year for the rules on Elementary).

1. Once your kid enters Scuola Materna, it is all over for you you have officially entered the "Party Circuit."
2. You are expected to go to your kid's birthday parties and stay the entire time.
3. There are a lot of parties.
4. Normally the entire class is invited.
5. Yes, your time will come!

Survival Guide

If you are new in town or at the school, we suggest you go to the parties your kid is invited to. This will help your kid integrate and you can meet other parents, who may actually be nice people. The first year this is especially important. Making friends with other parents means you can occasionally help each other out (you are on a business trip, need a playdate until daddy gets there, that kind of thing). These can be very valuable relationships, particularly if you do not speak the language, or need some help navigating "The System."

Italians are social animals, and they are a high-context culture, which means they read into EVERYTHING and actually find MEANING in things that we can't even begin to understand. Imagine a whole country that sees the world and interprets it like (I was as) a teenage girl. Not going to parties can send a message that you are too good for them or snobby. (The same goes for that morning coffee at work with your colleagues. Don't skip it!!).

Every class has a handful of people who love organizing a group gift. This is great for you! Let someone else buy the present. You can pay them at the party.

The Best Part about Italian Birthday Parties:

You may luck out like we did! Since we put my daughter in a Slovenian school (in Italy), many of the birthday parties we go to are at Osmizzas (woo hoo! The Parents make wine!!) and there is a party within the party-- the kids run around like wild hellions in the courtyard, and the parents sip on terrano wine and chow down on homemade cold cuts and cheese while looking the other way. This is great for those of us whose party wings have been clipped since entering into parenthood!

Last week we went to a party in Repen and there were HORSES for the kids to ride. Not only that, at some point an elderly couple walked by with a couple of the biggest cows I had ever seen. The kids acted as if it were planned by the birthday girl's parents and followed the cows down the street until they realized they were just neighbors walking home after letting their cows hang out on some pasture in the area. Where were the parents, you ask? What kind of traffic can there be with two cows in the street anyway? Back to the wine!


When it is YOUR turn to host:

You may want to find a kid with a birthday around the same time and double up. Other parents will thank you and you can share the expenses. The more the merrier. Hopefully the person you are sharing with has already thought of everything.

Here is what is on the menu, just so you know.

Food
Potato Chips
Cocktail weenies wrapped in some kind of puffed pastry
Baked Ham or cured prosciutto, Cheese, bread
Pizza that someone's mom made or mini round pizzas from the bakery
Open-faced Nutella sandwiches

Drinks
Wine & Beer for the parents
Water
Coke (which all kids will take and then complain that it is too spicy and parents will add water to it)
Orange soda
Juice (that no one will drink)

The Cake
No simple sheet cakes here, no Siree! The cake here is a creamy affair with pudding and whipped something or other, a shot of rum, and a small layer of actual cake. And it is SHOCKINGLY EXPENSIVE and sold by weight. The bakery will recommend you feed each kid a minimum of 5 kilos each and make you feel like the worst parent in the world if you don't (the kids will take one half bite and give the other 4.9999999999 kilos to you and you will finish it because you know how much it cost).

There is one cake per (birthday) kid (you are responsible for ordering the one for your kid and getting it to the venue responsibly). The insulated styrofoam box you transport it in is going to set you back 50 euros as a deposit that you will get back as soon as you return it back to the bakery.

Your party should be after lunch and will last until about dinner time. So put the start time.
3pm, but no need to put the end time, because everyone knows the party is over when the cake comes out...

...unless the party is in an osmizza, in which case the party is over when the Red wine is all gone and the pitcher stops getting filled up.

Then it is time to go.