A Brief Overview of IWLA
Adam has presented at Iowa World Language Association multiple times and is on the board of IWLA. He serves as the current Assistant Conference Chair. Adam has always had a passion for language learning. He is fluent in Spanish and wants all to learn the importance of speaking another language.
"There are so many career options available for those who can communicate in another language!" Adam says. He also shared his knowledge at the Central States conference held in Columbus, Ohio during the spring of 2022. His presentation focused on creating immersion projects. is passed IWLA presentations have been about language immersion in academics, constructing appropriate cultural environments, crafting engaging games for students in a world language classroom, and the starting steps of A.I. exploration.
Torres: The Game to Build Language
Torres is a language learning activity that allows students to grow their interpretive skills within the target language. Adam created this activity by taking influence from games like Jenga and the mobile device game Clash of Clans. In Torres, students are expected to construct towers with blocks. Students are divided into groups of no more than four. Each group can interact with a store that allows them to build, defend, and attack other groups’ towers. The tallest tower built by a group wins.
The language component
Students are focusing on improving their interpersonal writing, speaking, and listening skills. There are times when students will use some interpretive reading skills too for clarification of the rules. The game host, or teacher, will be in charge of running the store. The host, teacher, only speaks in the target language by asking questions and listening to purchases made by dedicated group speakers. The host will give groups a slip of paper with descriptions of the rules, and items that can be purchased from the store. Groups will have a designated writer to answer questions for each group. Each round will pose different sets of questions that participants will need to answer within the target language. If groups get the interpersonal writing prompt correct, then groups will score points that can be used within the store. Groups are forced to work within the target language. The host will not allow groups to purchase anything unless the request is done in the target language. At the same time, the host allows groups to use their first language to discuss strategies, because once the game progresses, more strategies are needed. However, this rule is up to the host/teacher.
This is a great activity if you are an educator trying to use comprehensible input. It hits ACTFL’s goal of remaining 90% or more in the target language. As the host/teacher, you are in charge of being the merchant of the target language. You allow students to listen, speak, and respond to you in writing. The items bought within the store are all listed in the target language, so participants are always immersed within the language.
Whirl-Around Activity
The Whirl-Around is an activity that has been pulled directly from the world language department at Dowling Catholic High School. This activity allows for participants/students to activity learn about cultural themes. This ties in with ACTFL’s world-readiness standards for learning languages and allows for students to immerse themselves within the language. This activity mainly engages students in cultural reading. If you have packets-worth of information, then you may convert it into a Whirl-Around activity.
Students are divided into groups of 3 and are responsible for 10 minutes of notetaking from the packet. Students will use a separate sheet of paper to write notes/ideas. Once the 10 minutes are over, the teacher will collect all packets and leave students with only their notes. From there, each group will present a fact. If a group repeats a fact that has already been said, then the group is eliminated and will become fact checkers by receiving packets. The teacher writes all the facts on the board.
Mainly, this activity is used to allow for cultural growth. If you have academic sources about certain themes, then you may use the Whirl-Around activity to create a hive-minds of cultural facts. You will be surprised with how many facts your classmates will come up with!