When the word ‘school’ comes into our mind, we immediately start imagining a classroom set-up where students sit down with their textbooks or course material and the teacher provides guidance to the students while they are practicing that material.
Thereafter, the teacher gives out some assignments on the lesson learned in the class to be completed by the students at home and subsequent class begins by reviewing the assignment. But such a learning process is a thing of the ‘PAST’.
In order to fulfill the idea of new form of education or what is commonly termed as 21’st learning Process, today what is taking a front seat in education is the concept of ‘Flipped Classes’. Flipped learning is a continuously growing procedure changing traditional pedagogy and transforming education. In the flipped classroom, sequence of educational process where classroom activities and homework assignments are reversed.
Check out the glimpse of what ‘Flipped Classroom’ is all about and how activities are carried out in such a classroom set-up in a completely flipped school.
Useful Tips to Flip the Language Learning Classes
The emphasis in language learning classes is to promote the expression, interpretation and understanding the meaning of words within a language class.
1. Planning out lesson goals and gradually modifying it
Without working on a lesson plan, it would simply imply that the educator is shooting in the air aimlessly. Hence, planning out the lesson goals and including them in the video/presentation to be handed out to the students as an introductory to the lesson.
When it comes to lower order target, course instructors must focus more on the meaning of any concept while when it is for the higher order targets aim should be on deeper exploration and so emphasis should be more on the process/technique of the concept and why one must follow the process of that concept.
When the language instructor is working on to deliver flipped learning, they must not just think of the immediate motive but keep the end in mind. The students must also understand, the practical usage of the language in real life situation.
2. Making Use of Visual Medium
Educating students with the help of visual medium is always beneficial as it helps in imparting direct message that retains for a longer time. Once the core objectives are known, creating a detailed presentation that explains what students want to achieve, sketch a virtual collage of images, diagrams or charts add great impact when students go through the presentation. Writing short scripts for the narrative and include cues when there is a seamless transition about to take place from one shot to the next. However, educators need to make it a point to avoid bombastic and flowery language or long-winded monologues.
3. Conducting interactive activities in the classroom
At most cases, students hardly make use of a second language frequently outside the classroom while they are conversing, therefore the classroom time must be used for verbal dialogues and usage of the direct language inside the classroom. The interactive activities in the class must consists in them interactive elements that help in the exchange of meaningful information as well. And it is such interaction that would help to reach the communicative goal of language learning. To help learners grab a command over the written aspect of the language, activities that contain overt grammar drills, syntax and sentence framing in them must be carried out widely in the classroom.
Thus, in a flipped classroom efforts of the educators should be do less of talking and more of listening activities to help the students get an in-depth understanding of the subject. This concept of flipped pedagogy does not alter when it comes to language learning classroom. So, if you have applied the same technique of blended learning process in your classroom, please let us know your personal experience on the same.
