PLC Research Report
Participants: Donna Kahn, Jennifer Kenny, Ilene Fox, and Penni Winters / Building and/or Department: World Languages
PLC Subject: Increasing interpersonal communication in the World Language classroom.
Describe the focus of your PLC:
To increase interpersonal communication in levels 1, 2, 2H, 3H and 4.
  1. Briefly describe the findings from your review of the literature and research base.
The main goal of learning a foreign language is to communicate. Research states that teaching communication strategies is very valuable in a world language classroom. These strategies are important because they help students increase conversational skills. Teaching prefabricated patterns is one of these communication strategies. Prefabricated patterns are memorized stock phrases,(i.e., Where is the bathroom?) (see attached article and list of expressions)
  1. Briefly describe the pre-test data or measures which you used to gauge your students’ prior levels.
  1. We gave the students a situational prompt and recorded the number and types of utterances they produced.
  1. Instead of administering a language learning strategy survey, we created a survey to determine their current level of comfort speaking in a world language (affective filter) prior to teaching students several prefabricated patterns.

  1. Briefly describe the type of intervention, program, unit of study, and/or lessons which you designed and implemented to address research/learning focus.
Each teacher created a situational prompt relevant to the current topic of study. We created a list of prefabricated patterns to help increase our students’ ability to expand their conversation. Students practiced these expressions in classroom activities and for homework. Teachers then administered a second situational prompt and recorded the number and types of utterances the students produced as well as the number of prefabricated patterns they used. Lastly, the teachers re-administered the survey to the students and analyzed the data.
  1. Briefly describe the post-test data or measures which you used to gauge your students’ progressor post-levels.
Three different types of data were measured.
1. We, individually, averaged the number and types of utterances produced during the first and second spontaneous conversations. We then compared our individual findings with the findings of the other members of our PLC.
2. We, individually, averaged the responses of both surveys and compared them with the findings of the other members of our PLC.
3. Each teacher documented the number of pre-fabricated patterns produced during the second conversation.
PLC Follow-Up
(due upon completion of the PLC)
Participants: / Building and/or Department:
Findings – What was accomplished (ideas, insights, implications gained)?
  1. There were no statistically significant changes in the number, type, and frequency of utterances
Observations:
  1. The topic played a significant role in the number of utterances.
  2. The amount of prior practice time with the topic played a significant role in the number of utterances.
  1. There was no change in how much they enjoyed or felt prepared for this activity the second time.
Observations:
  1. The topic played a role in how much they enjoyed and felt comfortable speaking. If the topic was more difficult, they enjoyed it slightly less.
  2. According to the survey, the students’ attitudes towards this type of activity generally remained the same. However, they usually seem quite happy to do a spontaneous speaking activity and, therefore, perhaps they are not answering the survey completely honestly.
C. Pre-Fabricated Expressions
Observations
  1. Only a few students per class used these pre-fabricated expressions during the second spontaneous speaking activity.
  2. Although the students did complete several practice exercises with these pre-fabricated expressions prior to this second spontaneous speaking activity, perhaps they needed more practice with these phrases before they became a natural part of their speech.
  3. An unintended positive consequence of teaching several pre-fabricated expressions is that many of the students have included these phrases in subsequent writing prompts and everyday classroom activities.

Next Steps – What do you plan to do with the information you gained?
Future
  1. Teach several pre-fabricated expressions, per level, throughout the year during units where different phrases would naturally fit.
  2. Provide more practice with these expressions so that all students naturally incorporate them into their speech and writing.
  3. Revise some of the spontaneous speaking prompts to ensure that the students will feel very comfortable with the topic and thus be able to speak spontaneously for as long as possible.
  4. Increase the amount of spontaneous speaking practice throughout the year so that the students become even more comfortable with this format.
  5. Create a list of suggestions for all members of the department to use based on our experiences and observations.
General Observation
This PLC focused our attention on how to effectively incorporate more spontaneous speaking activities in our classes. We now feel even more comfortable creating and including these activities in our classes. We now have several specific things we can do in order to help our students feel more comfortable in this format next year.
Documentation (upon completion of the PLC project) – Please attach any documents, assessments, data sets, rubrics etc.
PLC Members:
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