experiential Module

This presentation summarizes what we did in our 4-day summer program as well as presents a concise pedagogical framework for learners for ~4 to 8 years of age and keys to promote motivation and self-competence in them.  

Each of the four 180-minute lesson plans aim to teach both the language and the culture. Each lesson is thematic based. My lesson plan consists of basic components of language games that bring together previously and newly learned vocabulary, craft, and food-making activities to explore cultural products and practices. By using the Can-Do Statements (ACTFL, 2017), observable language and intercultural communication (ICC) learning outcomes under a unified theme were set. While the language activities developed around the cultural context in which they occur, culture-oriented activities were designed to explicitly introduce communication and language use in authentic contexts that are relatable to young students’ socio-cultural experiences.

The main goal for this program was to promote young students’ intrinsic motivation by encouraging their interest and self-competence. We focused to create a fun and comfortable environment to maximize students’ learning by capitalizing on their experience and prior knowledge. The overall program goal was first defined, followed by the sub-goals and student learning outcomes (SLO) for each of the four lessons.