Dream it, believe it, build it
Learner Considerations
Reality Check
The more that I thought about the
strategies used to teach students how to pick a good fit book in French, the
more I realized that I was on the wrong path. In grades 5 to 8, they can pick a
good fit book, they just don’t want to.
Observations
About a third of a classroom will
pick a French book right away. Their love for reading is obvious and do not
face any challenges.
For those without that burning love of reading in French, they will:
- Choose a book that is way too simple
- Gravitate to a book that they’ve already read
- Grab the closest French book and head for the door
- Try to sneak out without a French book
Literature
Kathleen McClellan's Master thesis exactly confirmed my observations. The literature on voluntary reading in French immersion has shown that students are reluctant to read in their second language, unless instructed to do so. Students believe that reading in French would be beneficial to their language development, but do not find this motivation enough to read more often in French. Several reasons were given for the negative view of French literature, including difficulty with vocabulary, cultural differences and idiomatic expressions and slang that render the comprehension more difficult. (MCCLELLAN, 2009)
Beliefs
So how can I motivate them?
I believe that it needs to be
visual. I decided to create a Piktochart that can be posted in all the
classrooms.
I believe that it needs to use simple,
easy to read language that is free of jargon. This is for the students after
all.
I believe that it needs to include
links to something that is living and that will be added to over time and once
the COVID rules are over, that students can add to as well. This is a very
important part of the vision of the future for me.
Literature conclusions
Kathleen McClellan offers some
thoughts on pedagogical
implications of her study. This confirmed that I was on the right track.
Pedagogical
Implications
1. Identifying
appropriately leveled French language reading materials. When identifying
appropriate French language reading materials, teachers should consider: whether
the language/vocabulary is at an appropriate level for their students; what
kind of support/strategies they need to provide to French immersion students so
that students have strategies to tackle new vocabulary in their reading; and,
identifying French books with high interest, low/controlled vocabulary.
2. French
language book selection: Teachers can develop booklists of French titles
enjoyed by their students; this list can then be used by both classroom
teachers and teacher-librarians to create their classroom and library French
materials collections.
3. Motivation
to read French books: Using what has been learned about the reading
preferences of French immersion students, have students involved in the
selection of books for the school library (particularly, if the
teacher-librarian is non-French speaking). Such choices might include French
language manga and comics. Additionally, book clubs where students recommend
French titles they have enjoyed. (MCCLELLAN, 2009)
Big Take Away
My big take
away from Kathleen McClellan’s study is that students need to be involved to be
motivated. My hope is that the Piktochart that I have created will be a first
step for students to be inspired to read in French and view it as an opportunity
and not a burden.
Bibliography
Animoto. (2020). Retrieved 20
November 2020, from https://animoto.com/projects
How to Create a QR Code | QR
Code Generator. (2020). Retrieved 13 November 2020, from https://www.qr-code-generator.com/guides/how-to-create-a-qr-code/
Create Infographics,
Presentations & Reports | Piktochart. (2020). Retrieved 20 November 2020,
from https://piktochart.com/
MCCLELLAN, K. (2009). FRENCH IMMERSION STUDENTS’
PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS READING IN FRENCH (Master of Education). University of British Columbia.
Tiny URL | Free Short URL
Redirects with Tinycc. (2020). Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://tiny.cc/
Jennifer, your observations about students choosing books made me smile. I see those exact same actions in my library every single day, no matter the first language of the students.
ReplyDeleteWill you be creating the charts solely in French or also in English? This seems like it will end up being a great resource for reading no matter the situation, though I do understand that your primary concern is for your FI students.
You also mention that this will link to a living document and that kids will eventually able to participate in the creation of the content. Do you envision creating a website in the future?
Alison.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it will be a great resource for your students. I can see it being useful in any language as well. I was wondering about the links you were going to add, since this will be posted in classrooms. Are you printing the document, or are students able to access it online?
I saw that you had a QR code how to in your references, which is a great way to make links easily accessible on a printed document.
I am excited to see what you create, your background research seems really thorough so I am sure that the final artifact will be very beneficial for your school.
This post outlines some strong considerations for your target audience. It is thoughtful and well researched. I can relate to your observations about student book sign out. I feel like these strategies are used universally by students who haven’t yet found a love for reading. Looking forward to seeing your final vision.
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