2
Products
Products are the ways in which students demonstrate what they
learn. Because young students often understand more language
than they can produce, it is important to provide them with the
opportunity to point or physically demonstrate their learning.
Teachers should also use rubrics that match students’ skill
levels. Self-assessment is useful even in the elementary grades.
The junior version of LinguaFolio, a self-assessment system for
foreign language students developed by the National Council
of State Supervisors for Languages, is one instrument that can
assist students in monitoring their own development.
Environment
Finally, the learning environment, which is the way the
classroom looks and feels, is important to FLES students.
As the Spanish teachers move from class to class, they need
to look for creative ways to make each classroom reflective
of the target culture. They also need to ensure that all students
feel comfortable and willing to participate, regardless of their
abilities or backgrounds.
FLES programs provide the foundation for communicative
competence in a second language. Differentiated instruction
can enable all students to feel success and can encourage them
to continue studying other languages in middle school, high
school, and beyond.
Bibliography
Blaz, Deborah.
Differentiated Instruction: A Guide for Foreign
Language Instruction
.
New York: Eye on Education, 2006.
Tomlinson, Carol A. “Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary
Grades
,”
Eric Digest
, 2001.
———.
The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All
Learners
.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development: 1999.
For information on Linguafolio, go to
www.NCSSFL.org
and click
on the “Linguafolio” link.
The “Characteristics of Effective Elementary School Foreign Language
Programs” is available at
www.actfl.org
. It is based on work begun at
the 1989 ACTFL Priorities Conference and continued at the 1990 ACTFL
Annual Meeting.
Dr. Frances S. Hoch
Raleigh, North Carolina
The FLES (Foreign Languages in the Elementary Schools)
program model is designed to provide a sequential language-
learning experience to all students. Access and equity lead the
list of characteristics that the American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has designated for effective
elementary school programs. ACTFL states: “All students,
regardless of learning styles, achievement levels, race/ethnic
origin, socioeconomic status, home language or future academic
goals, have opportunities for language study.”
The Different Challenges
The challenges are numerous for FLES teachers committed to
teaching all students. Spanish is the language of choice for
many FLES programs, and the Spanish teacher must search for
ways to address the needs of all children from many different
ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who represent the total
spectrum from struggling to gifted. In addition, the FLES teacher
often sees students for limited class time, usually as a visitor
to their regular classrooms. As the teacher moves from class to
class, seeing hundreds of students each week, it is difficult
to meet the individual needs of every child.
How Do We Differentiate Instruction?
Differentiated instruction describes a variety of ways in which
teachers respond to the needs of their students. Carol Ann
Tomlinson suggests that elementary teachers can differentiate
at least four classroom elements: content, process, products,
and learning environment. Let’s look at her model in the
Spanish FLES classroom.
Content
Differentiating content can be accomplished by choosing unit
themes and vocabulary that activate prior knowledge. Students
relate to what they already know or are being taught in the
regular classroom. Moreover, the ideas need to be presented
through both auditory and visual means. Finally, students can
benefit by developing language buddies who can help them
access the content.
Process
Process refers to the variety of activities in which students
engage to access the content. When possible, tiered activities,
which allow students to work on the same content but with
different levels of support, can help all students learn the
language. The use of manipulatives and other hands-on means
of support should be made available. Once written language is
introduced, means of support such as word walls and personal
dictionaries should be provided.
Meeting the Needs of All Students in FLES Classrooms:
A Call for Differentiated Instruction