ILTLP CLASSROOM-BASED INVESTIGATION REPORT
Name
Cathy Winston / School
KeiraHigh School
(Wollongong, NSW) / Language
Japanese / YearLevel
Year 8 (Girls)
Investigation Context
Teacher background:
- Japanese/History
- Interest in cross-curriculartasks and activities
- At current school for 2 years; with the NSW DET for 5 years
- Current classes: Japanese Y8 (1 boys’ & 1 girls’ class), Y9/10, Y12; History Y9, Y10; English Y7
- Co-ed comprehensive state high school in Wollongong, NSW
- PSP school (Priority Schools Funding Program – students from low socio- economic community background)
- Junior school (Year 7 & 8) is separated into girls’ and boys’ classes.
- Class size in Year 8 is about 20 students (5 classes – 3 boys’ and 2 girls’ classes).
- Japanese is the only language taught at the school.
- Mandatory 100 hours in Year 8
- School executive and staff are supportive of languages.
- Year 8 Girls’ class. Many speak or hear a language other than English at home. A few have literacy and numeracy difficulties.
- 21 students
- Topic studied: Japanese schools, classroom objects
- Why this class? Year 8 does not have electives, so the students stay with the same group for all classes except Design and Technology. The girls are generally very easy to work with, reliable and receptive to most tasks when compared to the boys’ class. I can usually get through more work with them than with the boys. There are fewer ‘disruptive elements’ in this class. Also the girls’ timetable was easier to work with in structuring this task. My elective class is a composite class and it would have been too complicated to work with effectively. I did not want to interrupt Year 12 in their preparation for the HSC.
Area of Investigation (What I planned)
How does one assess the intercultural?
For the purpose of this investigation I decided to focus on assessment. In particular, I was interested in not only assessment of the intercultural but also in assessment of Moving Between Cultures(MBC) in the NSW K-10 syllabus. I was motivated to investigate this area, as I was not satisfied with my own understanding of assessment, and have been unable to find any tangible guidelines or criteria for assessing this relatively subjective aspect of language and culture learning. Two questions evolved: how does one accurately assess intercultural learning and MBC, and is it possible to createa marking guideline (‘concrete’ measurements) of intercultural learning in students?
When planning the tasks, I thought I would complete two tasks: one informal (formative) assessment and the other a formal (summative) assessment. I then found that I had to continually review the intercultural principles and re-evaluate my understanding of assessment.
Development of the tasks was not difficult, however, trying to devise a way to accurately assess the intercultural elements of both formative and summative assessments proved to be challenging. Although relying on reflection statements and journals gives a good indication of student progress, I am still not sure how to develop marking criteria for this (or if marking criteria is actually necessary).
This differed from my regular assessment practice, as I have now realized that I focus too much on summative assessment and have not acknowledged or documented formative tasks effectively to gauge student progress.
Classroom Practice (What I did)
Due to time constraints I was only able to focus on one task – the speaking challenge. The students were working on a unit about Japanese schools. As a part of this unit, the students look at classroom objects. As this can bean uninspiring topic, I wanted to make it more relevant by incorporating language that could be replicated in different situations such as phrases for giving and receiving (ie. ~kudasai, douzo, arigatougozaimasu, etc.). Also, as students are always asking to borrow something in class, I thought I would encourage students to do this in Japanese.
Inspiration for this task emerged from my experience withmy history classes. Since several of my Year 9 and 10 elective students were also in myhistory classes, I noticed that I would often use Japanese with them in this ‘non-Japanese’ environment.
Intercultural Task: The Speaking Challenge
Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning in Practice (ILTLP) focus:
Active Construction and Reflection (formative assessment)
NSW Syllabus focus: Speaking and Moving Between Cultures
Outcomes assessed
- initiates an interaction with a classmate or teacher using appropriate language, eg すみませんsumimasen、えんぴつをenpitsuo くださいkudasai. (4.UL.3a)
- recognises how culturally appropriate language and behaviour are used when speaking to a teacher or to a classmate, egありがとうございますarigatougozaimasu vs ありがとうarigatou. (4.MBC.1b)
- uses and reflects upon use of Japanese with classmates and teacher outside of the language classroom.
Students had already learnt the relevant vocabulary and practised using the relevant structures in class activities. The focus was on giving and receiving in Japanese - in particular with pencil case vocabulary, kashite kudasai, douzo, and arigatou. They would hopefully also be more aware of the differences in language used when speaking to a teacher (~sensei) or a classmate (~san or ~chan), such as the difference between arigatou gozaimasu and arigatou.
When I explained the task in the previous lesson, the girls were initially reluctant, some were very skeptical andone voiced outright refusal. However, on the day of the challenge, the girls were nervous but were willing to try (including the one who initially refused to participate).
This approach was different because it involved other teachers and classes. It required coordination with other subject areas:it required other teachers to be willing to let the students use a language the teachers were not familiar with and to allow me to visit their classes throughout the day to check on the progress of the task. It also needed time during the day to monitor the students’ progress. By taking it out of the classroom, I had to relinquish control over the task and the language situations.
Over the course of the day, my native Japanese-speaking intern and I observed the other classes to see how the girls were progressing. At the end of the day, in class, I spent a few minutes debriefing the girls on their thoughts of the day, then, I had them complete the reflection statement. I also discussed with my intern her observations.
Data or Information Gathered (What happened)
The data gathered from the students was the speaking challenge worksheet. This worksheet had a Japanese usage log so students could keep track of how many times they usedJapanese throughout the day and with whom they spoke. At the bottom of the usage log was a space for a reflection statement. This statement was completed in my class at the end of the day. The reflection statement was the main source of data. This statement also provided information on what specific words they used throughout the day. The usage log was a way to keep the students focused on the task throughout the day. I was not sure how reliable this information would be as it depended on student diligence and honesty. In retrospect, I do not think this was an issue for this class. The log seemed to be an accurate reflection of their language use throughout the day. As mentioned previously, the girls’ progress was observed in their various classes throughout the day.
Initially I did not think it was a successful task. I had hoped they would use more of the Japanese vocabulary we had just learnt (pencil case items, giving and receiving); however, they were not as adventurous with the language. The girls chose words and phrases they were most comfortable with using, such as greetings. It also seemed that the stimulus for most language exchanges came from either my intern, who accompanied them to various classes, or me when I visited the class. Whenever I visited a class, it was interesting to see how many of them actually greeted me in Japanese and then excitedly noted the exchange on their usage log.
I analysed the data mainly by reading the reflection statements and gleaning similar comments and themes. Discussion with the girls at the end of the day supported these statements. I was not sure how to tackle the usage log. I looked at the different types of interactions and how often they used Japanese, but my main focus was on the reflection statements.
Findings (What I learned)
Reading the reflection statements I discovered that although the language used was relatively limited, it was overall a positive experience for the girls. The girls were forced to think about and use Japanese outside of the language classroom without their teacher. Even though they thought it was ‘weird’ and ‘different’, many felt that their confidence in using Japanese had improved. Several enjoyed the challenge.
It seemed evident that new words and phrases or ones not often used in class were the words that the students did not feel confident enough to use in situations outside of class. The words most used by all students were greetings (ohayougozaimasu, konnichi wa, sayonara), salutations (~sensei, ~san, ~chan) and some giving and receiving words (douzo, arigatou, arigatou gozaimasu). These are all phrases that have been used in class since the beginning of the year. Through reading their reflection statements and by observing subsequent classes, I have noticedthat they have continued to use appropriate language when addressing a teacher as opposed to another classmate.
The students also made some interesting observations about using Japanese with those outside of class, in particular teachers. During our class discussion, the girls reported that they were mortified to find out that one of their teachers actually thought that konnichi wa meant goodbye! They happily taught some Japanese to the other teachers throughout the day.
Interpreting the Information (How I understood the data)
I found the results very encouraging, despite my initial disappointment. Even though I was not entirely sure what to expect, I had hoped they would use more Japanese with each other, in terms of asking to borrow things, etc. Nevertheless, they did try to use Japanese – even with the other teachers and during recess and lunch.
In reviewing the outcomes I set out for this task, I have discovered that they did indeed fulfill the requirements. Each student initiated an interaction in Japanese at least once during the day (at least according to their logs), in their reflections they discussed how they spoke differently to their teachers and they used and reflected upon the experience of speaking Japanese outside of the language lesson. The degree to which this was accomplished was not as clear for some.
I would like to explore some areas more deeply with the class, especially the comments that were made concerning confidence in speaking and ways to increase the amount of Japanese they feel comfortable using.
This investigation was very valuable in terms of practising intercultural language teaching and learning in my classroom. I know that I need to improve my understanding of the intercultural and assessment, but I have also learned that I have not been tapping into aspects of learning that are already occurring in my class.
Materials and Exemplars (the evidence of my investigation)
The task given to the students and the stimulus questions used to guide their reflection statements:
The KeiraHigh School Japanese Challenge
Friday, September 2007
In this challenge, you will be required to keep a log of how often you use Japanese with your classmates and teachers throughout the day.
Reflection:
Write at least one paragraph reflecting on your experience of using Japanese in your classes today. How did you feel about using Japanese today? What Japanese words did you use? Has your confidence in using Japanese improved? Did you speak to your teacher differently than your classmates? How did others react to you? Will you continue to use Japanese with your classmates? Why or why not?
In general, I was quite happy with the layout of the task. I may consider tweaking the questions a little, but I think they yielded some very interesting data. I was fortunate to have an intern to help me with the observations and the fact that my timetable on the day enabled me to visit most of the classes. It did take up most of my free periods on the day. It would have to be structured differently in the future. I would also like to develop a short questionnaire for the participating teachers to find out their observations and impressions of the day. I did speak to them afterwards and the response was positive. I think they were more concerned with someone observing their lesson than the students speaking Japanese.
I would have ideally liked to have had an additional two lessons to better prepare the girls to use the new Japanese vocabulary and structures. I would also articulate my expectations for the task better. Nevertheless, I think this task has created a foundation on which to build. The students responded positively to the task.
Student reflection statements:
“Using Japanese in other environments other than ‘Japanese class’ was a different experience but a good fun experience for me and the people around me. I used hai, other people’s Japanese names, arigatou gozaimasu, sianara, inu and douso, and konnichi wa mostly when I was talking along with English words. I spoke differently towards my teachers than my friends because you have to give more respect to your teachers and people you don’t know than people you know like your friends. Other people reacted differently and just looked at me as if to say “are you okay?” In some ways I will keep talking in Japanese to my friends just depending on what we’re talking about, but I don’t think I will talk as much Japanese as I have today because you feel different talking Japanese in an English speaking environment.” (I like the fact that she was mixing English and Japanese together. She didn’t seem to be restricted by her limited vocabulary. I would also like to know why this ‘different’ feeling would prevent her from using Japanese in the future.)
“It felt strange using Japanese today because it was a new experience and some people didn’t understand what I was saying. The Japanese words that I used were inu, konnichi wa, ohayou gozaimasu, hai, I only used simple words because I was not very confident. My confidence in using Japanese increased because I was using it in different settings and in new situations. I did speak to my teachers differently because they do not understand much Japanese. Some people reacted strongly because they did not understand me. I may continue to use Japanese with my classmates because I find it fun and challenging.” (I liked the fact that she felt more confident by using Japanese in different settings and situations – is this true active construction?)
“It felt strange using Japanese because I haven’t really used it so much…It has improved my confidence using Japanese a lot. I didn’t use much Japanese with the teachers as my friends because I know that my friends understand and won’t laugh if I screw up. Some people at lunch looked at me weird. I won’t keep using Japanese until I know more and I’m more comfortable with it.”
“It felt different using Japanese because I wasn’t used to it. I used words such as konnichi wa and hai. I used the simple words because I didn’t feel too confident about speaking Japanese. I also used easier words because I don’t know of much words. My confidence in using Japanese did not improve much because I mostly said Japanese to people I was very familiar with. I spoke to the teacher differently because they wouldn’t understand as much as my classmates, because they were not learning this language…I find this language very complicated…In a good way.” (I found this student’s response interesting as I would consider her to be one of the stronger students in the class. Why is confidence linked to using Japanese with people she is not familiar with?)
“It was different and weird, because I wasn’t good with Japanese as a language. I didn’t use Japanese very much, only in Japanese class. I was more confident in using words I understood…because I’ve used them quite a few times….”
“Using Japanese today was a bit difficult in many ways. I would get tongue tied a lot or forget what I was gonna say. I’m still working on my confidence with speaking Japanese. I would remember to speak to the teachers more then my classmates….”
“Using Japanese felt different. It was different because I was not used to using it…My confidence has improved only a little bit because I’m starting to pronounce the words better…I won’t [continue to] use Japanese because its hard and annoying and it is easier to speak normal.” (This from the student who initially refused to do the challenge. The fact that she feels more confident about her pronunciation is a positive step – even if she finds it annoying!)
“Japanese is fun but I have to say difficult to speak because I’m not used to it and I can’t speak it very well. It was also weird because I was with my English teacher doing Japanese so it was different…My confidence has stayed the same I’d have to say but it was good fun….”
Evaluation (analysis and making plans for future practice and continuing investigations)
The main issues for me during the investigation were:
- time – not enough of it
- going too big – I was a bit ambitious. Smaller was definitely better.
- struggling to develop clear ideas about assessment and intercultural principles
- moving away from traditional view of learning and assessment
- finding a way to create an effective marking guideline for the intercultural.
It has been a valuable experience. It has not only helped me to re-evaluate my concepts of formative assessment, but also to look at how I structure tasks and questions for my students. I feel it was valuable for my students. They had to focus on using the language and how they felt about using the language. I also found it was a good way for the students to be more proactive in their learning. I have noticed that they have been using more Japanese in class (not sure about out of the lesson) since completing this task.
First, I would like to try this task with the boys’ class and compare the results. I would like to try this task again with the girls perhaps later in the year. It seemed to be a worthwhile exercise. Next time I would try to coordinate across the year so that some of the odd responses the girls received using their Japanese would be reduced. Also, I would have more direction and discussion in the debrief lesson. I was unsure of what questions to ask and as a result did not probe too deeply. Possible questions might include: how often did you start a conversation with Japanese, was it easier to speak compared to the first challenge, what language goals do you have now? Perhaps if this became a regular event, the entire school could become more involved (and supportive?) of the use of languages other than English outside of the classroom.
This time I only focussed on assessment. Although still interested in this area, I would like to start looking at developing more long-term units and programs for all classes. I would also like to start experimenting with higher level classes and trying to incorporate more language into the cultural tasks.
Reflection (how I felt about the investigation and my findings)
The initial process of the investigation I found to be overwhelming and confusing. I was not sure if I was going to be able to emulate the sample tasks. My understanding of the intercultural was constantly changing. Just when I thought I understood, I would read something that would confuse me. It was not until I started my task and had discussions with the project team about it that I started to get my head around it. It still needs to process in my brain a bit longer before I can be more confident in applying ILTLP to my current teaching practice. I also found analysing the data difficult because I was not sure what I was looking for in the information I gathered.
I enjoyed the challenge of the investigation and I enjoyed discussing ILTLP with the other participants. The difficulty was trying to fit it into the current program and work around the other activities of the school. It is clear that my program will need to be revised to include more intercultural elements. I was also becoming frustrated, as it was easier to try intercultural applications in my history classes, than in my language classes! I now feel that I am approaching my teaching from a different perspective, and this will benefit my students in the future. Definitely more learning to be done!
KeiraHigh School