Bakken, Stefanie

There is a difference between learning a language and acquiring a language.  Language learning involves a heavier emphasis on textbooks and grammar activities and often requires extensive memorization. Language acquisition, on the other hand, is a more subconscious and natural process. It mirrors the way in which children learn their first language. The hope is that our middle school students acquire Spanish in such a way that they go on to become life-long language enthusiasts.

Using the Organic World Language (OWL) teaching method, our goal is to speak Spanish 100% of the time and communicate understanding through both actions and words. Our Spanish classes feel and sound much like a   homestay in a Spanish-speaking country in that everyone is doing whatever they can to understand and be understood.

Classes will be focused on these 6 OWL goals:

1. Speak Spanish

2. Learn to not be afraid of a 100% Spanish environment

3. Take risks and make mistakes

4. Learn to infer (make sense of words we don’t know) and use circumlocution (use what we know to get our meaning across).\

5. Participate and be part of the classroom community

6. Take ownership of ourselves and our own learning

Students will understand and communicate in Spanish on a variety of topics.  

The students are  the curriculum and the driving force of the instruction; textbooks will not be used. Instead, we will use authentic Spanish media (articles, commercials, advertisements, poetry, songs, etc.) to drive our conversations. Some topics from previous years include: the refugee crisis and refugees in the Olympics, things that contribute to your emotional well-being, arguments for and against being a vegan, animal rights, sexism in fairytales, generational characteristics, the upcoming election, the ideal school day, school uniforms… If it’s interesting to the students, we will talk about it!  

Student progress is measured according to the proficiency guidelines provided by the American Council for Teachers of Foreign Language (ACTFL).

By the end of 6th grade, students will be able to communicate in the Novice Low to Novice Mid (NL-NM) range. This includes:

• Lists
• Memorized phrases
• Short recombinations of words
• Emerging sentences 

By the end of 7th grade, students will be able to communicate in the Novice Mid to Novice High (NM-NH) range. This includes: 

• Lists
• Memorized phrases
• Simple sentences
• Ability to start creating with the language
• Beginning to extend sentences with more vocabulary and variety in structure. 

For example, if a student were talking about “tacos”, here’s what that might look like:

Novice low: Corn, crunchy, meat, cheese, delicious, food, eat, salsa

Novice Mid: Crunchy corn, meat inside, meat delicious, cheese inside, salsa hot, eat a lot, I tacos delicious.

Novice high: I like tacos. Tacos, tacos with beef I like. I put cheese and salsa. The salsa is very hot. My friend John doesn’t like beef. He likes chicken.

Intermediate low: My family eats tacos a lot because my mom makes best tacos. She makes tacos, amazing, with different ingredients. My favorite tacos is beef and corn tortilla and salsa. You want eat tacos at my mom’s place soon?

This means that after 3 years of an immersion class, most students will be able to carry on conversations, using language like the novice high and intermediate low examples above, about sports, food, politics, movies, travel….whatever interests them!

How does this translate to grades?

Frequently asked questions about Organic World Language (OWL)

Is it true that students rarely use desks?

Yes. Desks create a physical barrier that get in the way of communication. We conduct class in a circle to create an environment conducive to building a community, moving around, and having conversations.

Is it true that students stand during the majority of the lesson?

Yes. Because the emphasis is on communication,  this often results in acting out our messages, moving around the room, and interacting with a variety of people in class.

What’s the purpose of all the silly games and movements?

In order for students to take risks in the language, they need to feel safe. They have to know they won’t be laughed at for making mistakes. The team building games are designed to build trust within our community. They also provide great opportunities for new, relevant vocabulary. The movements and transitions are specifically built in to give students some brain breaks. An immersion environment can be mentally exhausting, and we want to make certain not to push the students to the point where they feel mentally overloaded.

What about grammar?  Will there be traditional grammar tests?

No. Reflect on how you learned your first language. You learned to say things because they “sounded right,” not because you memorized the rule. However, this doesn’t mean grammar isn’t present in everything we do. As students acquire the language, they will naturally start to notice patterns. We will identify and label them as they come up.

Are other schools in the area using this methodology?

Yes, several other independent schools are using parts of or all of this methodology. Immersion environments are also becoming more popular in public schools. Because this methodology provides a framework for teaching, rather than a curriculum, it can be adapted and used at any grade level, depending on the needs of the program.

How will this methodology affect my child’s placement in a more traditional high school program?

This is a highly individualized question that depends on the student as well as the specific high school program. In general, research continues to show that students in immersion-based programs are consistently able to speak and write more comfortably, more fluently, and more creatively because they’re focused on communication rather than language conventions.

What kind of homework can my child expect?