Sample Letter to Parents re: Thematic Units
Here is an old letter from when I used to teach at East High School. It provides an example of how I inform the parents about the importance of listening in my class, and it also describes my homework policy in terms of the thematic units. Note that the links below are no longer active, since I am now in another school, but the material below can be cut and pasted by you as needed if you plan on using the thematic units in your fluency program this year.
Dear Parents of East High French Students:
I am happy to have the opportunity to teach French to your child this year. If your child is an auditory learner, he or she will be quite comfortable in my classroom, as the approach I have taken to meet the national foreign language standards is an auditory one. Doesn’t it make sense to learn a language as small children do, by listening to it first? We read a lot, as well, in my class. Listening and reading are passive skills, best for beginners, whereas writing and speaking, the active skills, emerge later on, although we learn to write as well in this level one class.
If your child is a visual or kinesthetic learner, they are going to therefore be required to develop their listening skills in my class. It's just that way in a language class. This is not nearly as hard as it sounds, since most students view themselves as visual learners in part because schools teach in a predominantly visual way so that is visual learning is what they know best. I will teach them in detail how to be good listeners to the French language.
What kind of work will be asked in the way of homework and work outside of class? This is a most important question. On my website:
please go to the Denver East High School link, click on “slavic”, and find the “French Thematic Units” link. Your child will be asked to take monthly word for word translation tests (French to English) on this material, which is aligned with DPS world language benchmark vocabulary. So, if you find yourself in one of those moments when you want to help your child with school work and get the vague “…nothing…” response, you can tell them, “Oh, well, then let’s just see how your French thematic unit vocabulary words for the end of year district tests are going, shall we?” and you can quiz them right there, asking them when the next big test (listed month by month on the site above). Remind your child what I have reminded them in class, that, since this test counts as a big part of their grade, they may want to do this work for five or ten minutes each night, as learning it the night before the test is probably not possible nor does it result in any real acquisition.
The rest of the grade is from in-class story quizzes, readings, dictations, etc. – primarily from the daily quizzes, which assess how well your child is listening in class that day. Any child who tries will succeed. That is my promise to your child, that I will do all I can to make myself understood in the French language during class.
After all, learning a language should be effortless, just as it was with your first language. My goal this year is that your child truly enjoy learning about the French language and culture, and to want to take French for all four possible years at East High School.
I can be reached at East at . Thank you!
Ben Slavic
World Languages
Denver East High School