World Language Teachers’ New Year’s Resolution

Judy McCombs, The Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy, Chair- Early Language Learning

It’s 2014!  A new year!  Time to make “New Year” resolutions.   So many of us will resolve to lose weight, exercise more, save money, cut down on clutter,  or to eat more veggies!  While those are all valid commitments I would like to challenge all world language teachers to resolve the following…..(repeat after me):

“I, (insert your name), resolve to use the language I am teaching my students 99% of the time in my classroom. Additionally, I will expect my students to respond in L2 during our time together!”

Our students come to us to learn a second language.  If we expect that in order for them to understand their new language we need to “douse” our lessons with English, then what’s the point? The “children,” no matter how big or how small, come to us to learn a second language.  And we can do that (teach them L2) without filling our lessons with English!

Whose Child is This?
Author Unknown

“Whose child is this?” I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play
“Mine”, said the parent with a tender smile
“Mine to keep a little while
To bathe his hands and comb his hair
To tell him what he is to wear
To prepare him that he may always be good
And each day do the things he should”

“Whose child is this?” I asked again
As the door opened and someone came in
“Mine”, said the teacher with the same tender smile
“Mine, to keep just for a little while
To teach him how to be gentle and kind
To train and direct his dear little mind
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school”

“Whose child is this?” I ask once more
Just as the little one entered the door
“Ours” said the parent and the teacher as they smiled
And each took the hand of the little child
“Ours to love and train together
Ours this blessed task forever.”