Student-Led Classes as a Technique for Teaching and Assessing Foreign Languages

Elena P. ClarkUNC-Chapel Hill

“Why exactly are we here?”

Sometimes Class Feels Like This

''The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors.''

“Congratulations. You're all we've come to expect from years of government

training.”

How does student teaching combat these problems?

How does student teaching combat these problems?

• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process

How does student teaching combat these problems?

• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process

• Allows students to research areas of personal interest

How does student teaching combat these problems?

• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process

• Allows students to research areas of personal interest

• Breaks down student/teacher divide

How does student teaching combat these problems?

• Gives students sovereignty over and responsibility for the learning process

• Allows students to research areas of personal interest

• Breaks down student/teacher divide• Causes students to think about process of

language/knowledge acquisition

Positive Feedback Loop

Results

Motivation

Knowledge

Confidence

Yet More Student Engagement

Potential Pitfalls

Potential Pitfalls

• Poor quality teaching/use of target language• Students overwhelmed with terror• Is it “fair”?

The Process—Part 1

The Process—Part 1

• Choose dates

The Process—Part 1

• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas

The Process—Part 1

• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of

potential topics

The Process—Part 1

• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of

potential topics• In-class discussion of what makes good

teachers and good students

The Process—Part 1

• Choose dates• In-class brainstorming for topic ideas– Encourages discussion in target language of

potential topics• In-class discussion of what makes good

teachers and good students– Encourages students to play their part when

others are teaching

The Process—Part 2

The Process—Part 2

• Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans

The Process—Part 2

• Individual meeting with students to discuss topic ideas, potential materials, and lesson plans

• Review of materials and lesson plan

The Process—Part 3

The Process—Part 3

• Students teach class

The Process—Part 3

• Students teach class• I grade their efforts with grading rubric posted

on class website

The Process—Part 4

The Process—Part 4

• Students write reflection essay in target language

The Process—Part 4

• Students write reflection essay in target language

• I grade reflection essay with grading rubric posted on class website

Discussion

• Group 1: Discuss potential lesson topics • Group 2: Discuss potential materials and

exercises • Group 3: Discuss potential pitfalls and how to

avoid them• Group 4: Discuss how to utilize student

teaching in the beginning or low-intermediate language classroom