Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

Flipped Learning in the World-Language Classroom

March 31, 2015 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For most teachers, classroom time is precious. This is as true or even more so, in a Chinese language classroom where students are learning not just how to speak, but how to write with characters. Heather Clydesdale, former assistant director of curriculum development at Asia Society, explores how some Chinese language teachers are using flipped learning to make the most of limited classroom time. These principles, however, can be applied to any language classroom.

By guest blogger Heather Clydesdale

Ask teachers of world languages to name a resource they lack, and chances are they will answer: “time.” Flipped learning, which uses online sessions to build and drill basic knowledge and skills, frees up time in class. Teachers can leverage this and create opportunities for students to apply language as they practice higher-order thinking.

Redesigning the Classroom Experience

Helen Yung, vice president of academics at Better Chinese, advocates using backward design when planning a flipped learning curricular unit. Teachers should start with the standards to identify objectives, gauge students’ current abilities and knowledge by analyzing pre-assessments, and then craft a performance-based summative assessment. Next, as teachers develop instruction and learning activities, they determine which will be best suited to online components (introducing new vocabulary and sentence patterns), and which should be highlighted in class (performance-based tasks), to seamlessly integrate technology and learning.

“I want to use all my class time to do things they [students] can’t do at home,” remarks Hilda Leung, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade Chinese at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California. She contends that since adopting flipped learning her students come to class and “are speaking right away, doing skits right away, and they are writing right away.”

Leung makes her own five-minute videos for her students to watch at home or in the library. She likes that students can take their time without worrying about judgment from their peers. Previously, writing and explaining new characters easily exhausted 20 minutes of valuable class time. Now, students watch a short clip introducing characters and phrases at their convenience. The next day, Leung begins class with a quick check, gives immediate feedback, and then dives into activities.

Interactive Stations and Assessments
To make the most of flipped learning, Yung and Leung both suggest creating stations in the classroom. This approach can be adapted to any size class or space, and can emphasize areas in which students need practice. Yung suggests keeping the three modes of communication (interpersonal, interpretative, and presentational) in mind when forming stations and encourages teachers to “create the type of classroom you want your students to have.”

Leung designs stations for students to practice pinyin and tone combinations, use language in authentic contexts, polish stroke order, write short responses, and describe pictures. As they work, Leung circulates through the room, monitoring progress and providing feedback.

Flipped learning works for younger students too. Julia Lee teaches Chinese to middle and high school students at the Dwight School in New York, New York, and tailors her instruction to the school’s inquiry-based International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Lee, finds that the flipped classroom helps her respond to students’ needs in ways that are both discreet and effective. She can easily ask students who needs more help to spend additional time at a mini-lesson or station activity. The elasticity of flipped learning is also apparent when it comes to assessments.

“Every single performance task we do in flipped learning is an assessment,” asserts Yung. Teachers can track students’ progress through online applications, by recording students pre- and post-assessment, or by simply adding projects to students’ portfolios.

Advice on Getting Started
Some teachers remain nervous about “making the flip.” One obvious challenge is unequal access to technology. Yung suggests setting a tablet station in the classroom—even a temporary one—if students do not have computers at home. Lee also uses this strategy, particularly if a student is unable to log on for a session because of a family event.

Chief among teachers’ questions about flipped learning is how to keep students focused. Leung advises setting clear expectations and, online, she asks students to take notes or answer questions during the course of her pre-recorded video. Keeping the videos short and using angles that appeal to the age group also help. Leung finds that classroom stations dovetail with her students’ energy levels. “My students are really active,” she says. “They like to do things hands-on.”

Yung thinks that management is easier in a flipped classroom: “Because they have performance tasks, the teacher maintains control.” Lee agrees that students respond well to the model. “The classroom is boisterous, but it is because they [students] are engaged in their lesson,” she explains in Chinese. “They are not fooling around . . . they are engaged in analyzing their study.”

Follow Heather Singmaster and Asia Society on Twitter.

Image courtesy: iStock.

The opinions expressed in Global Learning are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Teaching Students to Use Artificial Intelligence Ethically
Ready to embrace AI in your classroom? Join our master class to learn how to use AI as a tool for learning, not a replacement.
Content provided by Solution Tree
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar
Empowering Students Using Computational Thinking Skills
Empower your students with computational thinking. Learn how to integrate these skills into your teaching and boost student engagement.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
IT Infrastructure & Management Webinar
The Reality of Change: How Embracing and Planning for Change Can Shape Your Edtech Strategy
Promethean edtech experts delve into the reality of tech change and explore how embracing and planning for it can be your most powerful strategy for maximizing ROI.
Content provided by Promethean

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion I Invited Students to Help Hire a New Assistant Principal. Here’s What Happened
What began as an opportunity for the students turned into a gift for our administrative team.
3 min read
Centering students in the school community.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion 5 Education Leadership Lessons From Chef Ina Garten
"Less is more," "quality is everything," and more tips inspired by the art of cooking to build trust, connection in your school community.
4 min read
Screen Shot 2024 11 29 at 1.11.40 PM
Canva
School & District Management Elon Musk Is Opening a School for Young Students. Here’s What We Know About It
The tech billionaire has claimed that the current Education Department is "basically paying people to hate America."
4 min read
Elon Musk listens as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference on Nov. 13 in Washington.
Elon Musk listens as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington.
Allison Robbert/AP
School & District Management A Principal Was Put on Leave for Her Election Message. What Leaders Need to Know
Principals have to tread a fine line to avoid getting too political in their role as public school leaders.
7 min read
Illustration of two people confined within red and blue circles.
iStock