DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR INCLUSIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS

Wade Edwards, PhDModern Languages Program Coordinator, Longwood U

Sally Scott, PhDDirector of Disability Resources, U of Mary Washington

Better Learning by Design Conference ° Burlington, VT ° 2 June 2011

Overview

• Welcome and Introductions

• The Perfect Storm: Disabilities and Language

Acquisition

• Project LINC: Learning in Inclusive Classrooms

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The Perfect Storm

Trends in College Foreign Language Instruction/Learning

• An era of multiculturalism and global outreach

• Report from the Modern Language Association (2007)

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Standards: 5Cs (2008)

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Incidence of College Students with Disabilities

All Disabilities LD

1978 2.3% no data

1984 4% 1.2%

1998 9.8% 3.5%

2004 11.3% 7%U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, Profile of Undergraduates in U.S.

Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003–04, table 6.1.

2010 national data 11%National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (2010)

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Areas of LD that impact Foreign Language Learning• Difficulty encoding and decoding in the

native language • Phonological processing• Syntax• Auditory processing• Working memory• Leons, E. & Hebert, C. (2002) World languages and the student

with learning disabilities: Best practices. In L Shea and S. Strothman (Eds.), Teaching in the disciplines: Classroom instruction for students with learning disabilities. Putney, VT: Landmark College.

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Other Disabilities with Possible Impacts on L2 Learning• ADHD• Asperger’s• Articulation Difficulties• Hearing Impairment• Other Disabilities from Instructor

Experience?

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Transition Issues (for All Students)• Placement testing• Dual enrollment (high school and

college)• Gap in time since high school language

classes• Different academic expectations• Instructor background and preparation

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Barriers Reported by Students with Disabilities• Instruction in the target language• Group work• “High stakes” oral assessment• Inflated expectations for fluency • Overall anxiety and lack of confidence• Other ideas?

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Baseline Data10

Foreign language grades (fall 06-fall 08)

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

A-C D F W

Disability 63% 12% 7% 18%

No Disability 76% 12% 7% 5%

Learning in Inclusive Classrooms

www.longwood.edu/projectlinc

Project LINC

Project LINC• A 3-year grant funded by the US

Department of Education

See http://www2.ed.gov/programs/disabilities/index.html

• PURPOSE: To develop a portable training curriculum to support new, part-time, and temporary foreign language instructors in inclusive classroom techniques.

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Initial Challenges• Finding common ground: Modern

Languages Program and Disability Resources

• How do we support adjuncts/lecturers?

• Shifting models of disability: Moving from medical model to social model

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Two-pronged Approach• Support for addressing legal mandates

o University procedureso Traditional accommodations plus

• Encouraging more inclusive instructiono Universal Design for Instruction o ACTFL Standards for Foreign

Language Learning

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Accommodation and Communication Strategies

• Foundation Workshop Overviewo The Power of Designo Importance of Teaching All Students

• Sample Communication Toolso Expanded Accommodationso Early Warning Formo Tracking Chart

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Inclusive Instruction

• Topical Workshops Overview• Sample Instructional Productso First Week of Classo Foreign Language Autobiographyo Target Language Aids

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For me, foreign language is like…• Some positive reactions:

o …a new start. It adds a new dimension to your character.

o …a doorway to another world.o …the key to living a successful life.o …an exciting experience that allows me

to communicate with other people.o …a great chance to expose myself to

others.

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For me, foreign language is like…• Some challenging reactions:

o …being stuck on a deserted island where nobody can hear you scream.

o …pulling out my teeth, one by one and very slowly.

o …getting a shot; I dread it, but it must be done.

o …a bad little brother or a scary movie.

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For me, foreign language is like… • Some creative reactions:

o …a first grade band with a lot of strange sounds.

o …holding a hot cup of coffee and realizing that you have to sneeze.

o …riding with someone who is driving and texting at the same time.

o …high-heeled shoes: both painful and sexy.

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Emerging Outcomes

• LINC website for foreign language instructors

o General disability informationo Statistics on foreign language learning

and disabilitieso Modular training materials for

individual or group workwww.longwood.edu/projectlinc

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Module Topics

• Foreign Language Pedagogyo Use of the Target Languageo Group worko Assessmento Error correction

• Links to information on general inclusive practices

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Data Update22

Fall 06-Fall 08

Spring 09-Fall 10

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

A-C D F W

Disability 63% 12% 7% 18%

No Disability 76% 12% 7% 5%

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

FINAL GRADE

A-C D F WDisability 75% 14% 5% 5%No Disability 74% 13% 7% 5%

Wrap Up

• Thanks for completing our project evaluation form

• Contact uso Sally Scott sscott2@umw.eduo Wade Edwards edwardswa@longwood.edu o www.longwood.edu/projectlinc

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