General Thoughts on CI - 8

We cannot be successful in teaching a language by trying to “get” our kids to focus on how the language works. Rather, we must first just be present with our students, using the whole language - and not merely parts it - as a vehicle to reach them, knowing that they and their interests, not mere isolated words, are the real drivers of any good CI class.

When the students’ real time interests are the actual subject of the class (vs. memorizing words out of context in a list), then the linguistic exchanges that occur between students and teacher align with the Communication Standard and the research, which states that languages are only acquired when the learner is focused on the message, without analysis and especially without memorization. It’s whole brain learning, not left-brain dominant learning as occurs in most other subjects in schools.

So our goal is not to teach the words of the language to our students, but to communicate with them in the language. To do this we must connect with them, with their hearts, where language sleeps, and we do that by cleverly getting them focused on interesting things that they play a part in creating: one word images, tableaux vivants and stories.

When we do this, language awakens in our students’ hearts and takes on life as the vehicle to create meaning, and the Standard is reached and surpassed. Upliftment occurs.