Reflect on your experiences as a language teacher and learning in this latest speed-dating workshop. What difficulties did you encounter?
I did not encounter many difficulties teaching the language since I was prepared with a presentation. However, if I had to do what my language partner does, I would find it difficult to explain concepts or slang words that I am so used to saying.
How did you successfully relay concepts that were foreign to your classmates as your students?
I think I clearly relayed concepts to my classmates and hopefully they understood it. I talked about different forms of Indian dance and hopefully they learned something they didn't know before. I showed an example video of Bollywood dance performed by my dance team on campus so they could understand what it looked like. Maybe if I showed a video of what Garba and Bhangra looked like too then they could observe the differences in dance forms.
If you were eventually granted the opportunity to teach a full semester-long course on the target language, what strategies would you adopt?
I would create a structured lesson plan for the semester that starts out with basic grammar and then moves our way up to more complex topics. I would incorporate interactive activities and field trips for better understanding of the language. I would encourage speaking because that is something I struggle with and wish I focused on more in the beginning of the semester.
Replies
I really like how you were able to personalize your presentation by showing a performance by your own dance group, the Bollywood Jhatkas. I think incorporating something personal, like the way you did, really makes a presentation stand out. Also, I completely agree with you about the need to encourage speaking in language courses. That is something that I have also struggled with throughout the semester, particularly because I have focused my attention more on written Korean than on speaking. While speaking was something I would covered during my lessons, I, too, wish it could have been more heavily addressed.