Transcript Slide 1
What is the objective for your travel immersion program abroad? Explore culture while maintaining target language commitment. “Successful (programs) abroad don’t just happen. They require careful preparation, onsite follow-up, and ongoing critical reflection.” ~Wendy Allen, Professor of French , St. Olaf College P The ACTFL “Cultures” goal area for language learners includes 2 standards: Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives f of the culture studied. Standard 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied. P P Hold your traveling students to the standards through meaningful reflection: BEFORE DURING and AFTER your program abroad. Reflection may be done in a group discussion or through journaling. By all means, ask students to reflect in the target language however, in order to help students gain a richer understanding of cultural perspectives, teachers may want to consider allowing some English so students can more deeply reflect on cultural information they learn abroad. 1. Pre – program reflection Perspectives: •What am I thinking now? •We are taking this trip because: •My thoughts before I leave: •I am most excited about: •I am most worried about: Products and Practices: •By the end of the program, I think I will know new things like: •One talent I want to share with my host family (or classmates if no FS): •As a result of my preparation for this program, I know this about the country: 2. In Country Daily Reflection Perspectives: •Today I can’t believe… •Today I’m learning… • How is the 2nd (3rd, 4th, …) day different than the first? •Please share highlights and lowlights (what could have been done differently to turn around the lowlight?) •What observation about the culture did you make today? Products and Practices: •The people are: •The plants are: •The animals are: •The weather is: •The name of a new person I met today: •The buildings look: •Use your five senses (hearing, touch, sight, taste, smell) to describe your day. •Use of Target Language List an accomplishment in the target language. What would you like to know or do better? Do you have any new vocabulary words to share? 4. End of program reflection •The 3 things that… surprised me most: were the most difficult for me: I will miss the most: I won’t miss at all: I missed most from home: I now feel differently about: I’m taking home with me: I wish we did in my town like they do here: I’ll never forget: I want to learn more about: I learned that I would share with next year’s travelers: •The 3 people I met that I liked best: •New ideas I got from my new friends: •Today I feel… •Today I miss… Ask students to identify the products, practices and perspectives in their end of program reflections. Resources: “Maximizing Study Abroad: An Instructional Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use” CARLA www.carla.umn.edu Intercultural Student Experiences Family Stay Journals www.isemn.org ISE website “Beyond the Experience” resources: http://www.isemn.org/assets/documents/resources/takeoffdocument-students.pdf ISE “Beyond the Classroom” Wiki site: http://isebeyondtheclassroom.wikispaces.com/Home+Page Experienced educators traveling on ISE programs abroad who have kindly shared their own reflection exercises over the years. Final Thought “Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way." Ralph Crawshaw (US sociologist, 1864 - 1929)