EM Activity Design 1

Dishmon
EM Activity Design 1 MAFLT
Activity Design: What is proficiency?
Name: Molly Dishmon
Communicative Mode
Presentational Writing
Intercultural Elements: Interpreting & relating:
Overview:
Description:
Context:
Students learn what proficiency is, as well as the ACTFL proficiency
levels and sub-levels.
Novice-High, Spanish 3 students
Objectives:
• Students will be able to…
• Explain to someone what the American Council on the Teaching of a Foreign
Language guidelines (levels) are.
• Create an answer to a writing prompt using an assigned proficiency level (in English).
• Identify elements that determine what proficiency level a speaker/write is at.
Plan:
Class Time:
One and a half class periods
Materials /
-Whiteboard
Preparation:
-Whiteboard Markers
-Poster board
-Markers
-8 Magnets
-Document Camera
-Writing prompt
-Proficiency level guidelines
-Oral proficiency levels in the workplace document
Procedure:
1. (2 mins) The T greets the class “Hola, chicos, Buenos días”
“¿Cómo están ustedes?” The T begins class by saying “Chicos,
hoy vamos a hablar sobre la competencia (proficiency). Tenemos
dos frases de “yo puedo” hoy. Son “Yo puedo identificar la
competencia de personas que aprenden inglés y yo puedo crear
una escritura para un nivel de la competencia en español.”
2. (5 mins) “Chicos, quiero preguntarles “¿Cómo mejoran personas
cuando montan a bicicleta?” The T writes the question on the
board “¿Cómo mejoran personas cuando montan a bicicleta?”
The T asks students to turn to their shoulder partner and answer
the question (in English). The T waits two minutes and then
popsicle sticks students to respond to the question. The T calls on
six students to answer the question. She writes the S answers on
the board as they say them.
Dishmon
EM Activity Design 1 MAFLT
3. (5 mins) The T asks students to ponder the questions “¿Cómo es
similar la experiencia de aprender español a montar en bicicleta?”
The T asks students to think about the question for one minute.
After the one minute, the T asks students to turn to their shoulder
partner to share their thoughts. The T asks for volunteers to share
their thoughts on how the experience of learning to ride a bike and
learning Spanish are similar.
4. (5 mins) T then asks students to turn to their shoulder partner to
discuss the question “¿Qué dificultades experimentamos cuando
hablamos y aprendemos español?” The T writes the question on
the board “¿Qué dificultades experimentamos cuando hablamos y
aprendemos español?” The T asks students to turn to their
shoulder partner and answer the question (in English). The T
waits two minutes and then popsicle sticks students to respond to
the question. The T calls on six students to answer the question.
She writes the S answers on the board as they say them.
5. (3 mins) The T then tells students that they are going to receive a
writing prompt (same for all students) and proficiency guidelines
(different for each group) for responding to that prompt (in
English). The T asks students to get into groups of four and asks
each group of four to number off 1-4. The T assigns each student
a job. Student 1 is the time keeper, student 2 is the recorder
(writer), student 3 is the material retriever, and student 4 is the
collaborator/question asker. The T asks each group to put their
group number on the poster board.
6. (2 mins) The T asks student 3 to come up to her to grab the
materials necessary for the activity. The student receives the
prompt, the proficiency guidelines, a poster board, and a marker.
7. (7 mins) The T tells students that they have seven minutes to read
the prompt, answer the prompt (following the guidelines) and
speak with any other groups/ask the T questions.
8. The T circulates the room and asks students “¿Preguntas?” as she
circulates.
9. (2 mins) When the 7 minutes it up, the T asks student 3 to please
return the materials to her, and then sit with your group.
10. (12 mins) The T then calls up the groups in a random order to
share their poster board that contains a response to the prompt that
they were given. Once each group has shared, they magnetize
their poster board on the whiteboard.
Dishmon
EM Activity Design 1 MAFLT
11. (2 mins) each group has shared, the T then shows students this
ACTFL proficiency scale on the document camera.
12. (1 min) The T explains (in English) that these are the American
Council of the Teaching of Foreign Language proficiency levels.
This is the scale that was used to rate their T’s proficiency. The T
explains that in order to receive her teaching certificate, she had to
be rated as “Advanced Low” on the proficiency scale for an oral
(speaking) proficiency test
13. (5 mins) Class period 2- The T greets students and says “Vale
chicos, contiuamos con la lección que empezamos ayer” The T
has the poster boards created the day prior on the whiteboard in
the classroom. The T asks students to write the number from the
poster board that they believe to be an example of novice-low
writing. The T asks the students to do the same for all proficiency
levels (novice-low thru intermediate-high). After two minutes,
the T reveals which poster board is an example for which
proficiency level.
14. (5 mins) The T then asks students to share with their group
members the differences that they notice between the novice
levels and the intermediate levels. The T writes the following
questions on the board: “What elements do you notice when you
read the novice level responses?”, “What elements do you notice
when you read the intermediate level responses?” “What are
some noticeable differences between the novice and intermediate
responses?”
Dishmon
EM Activity Design 1 MAFLT
15. (3 mins) The T creates a “Novice” and “Intermediate” column on
the whiteboard. The T then calls on volunteers and writes the
differences on the board.
16. (3 mins) The T then asks students “¿Quién en la clase quiere usar
español en su profesión?” The T waits for a raise of hands and
then calls on S that would like to use Spanish in their profession.
The T asks students “¿Cuál profesión?” As she calls on them. The
T calls on all S that raise their hands.
17. (1 min) The T then shows students the “Oral Proficiency Levels in
the Workplace” chart on the document camera.
18. (2 mins) The T asks students to look at the chart to see what
proficiency they would need to achieve in order to be a Spanish
speaker at their desired profession.
19. (4 mins) The T then asks students “How will we get there?” I
would like you to please, in your notebooks write three specific
goals that you have for yourself to improve your proficiencyspecifically how will you move from novice to intermediate?
Recommendations At the end of the lesson, or the following day, students will receive a
/ Variations:
short quiz with writing samples (from ACTFL). There will be one
writing sample from each proficiency level. The objective of the quiz is
that students will be able to determine what proficiency level each writing
sample is.
I chose to create this lesson after attending a workshop at the Michigan World
Language Associate conference titled “Assessment to inform instruction”. What was
very much stressed at the workshop was that students need to be aware of their
proficiency. In order for students to be aware of how to improve their proficiency, I
wanted them to be able to identify the differences between novice and intermediate
proficiency levels. From doing this, students are conscious of what they can add to
their speaking and writing for them to improve their proficiency and ability in the TL.
At the end of the lesson, students will write a specific goal, using what they learned
during the activity, on how they will move from novice to intermediate.
Dishmon
EM Activity Design 1 MAFLT