Language Sensei

A Language Teacher's Journey

September 9, 2013
by leesensei
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The New First Days…(“Yo Ho Ho” )

Each year I strive to improve the way that class begins. This year, armed with my metaphoric pirate eye patch from my summer reading (“Teach Like A Pirate“) and a renewed belief in what constitutes review – my 18th start … Continue reading

August 27, 2013
by leesensei
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What Exactly Are They Reviewing?

There is a lot of talk in my professional circles at this time of year about ‘review’. With the two month holiday drawing down and the Sept.3 start of classes looming the question of whether to/how much to go over … Continue reading

June 18, 2013
by leesensei
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Keys For Using Student Self-Evaluation in Discussions…

Too often in the past a student would complete an oral, turn to me and ask “How did I do?”. Didn’t they know? Weren’t they aware of how it was going? Gradually I saw the need to change my focus … Continue reading

June 4, 2013
by leesensei
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Some ‘Real Life’ Tasks for Common MFL Units

When I began my language teaching career, I really struggled with orals. Skits? Conversations? I quickly found them overused and underwhelming for ‘authentic’ use. A conversation with an amazing French teacher sparked my interest in “tâche finale” (a summative final … Continue reading

May 28, 2013
by leesensei
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It’s an “ALN” not a “PLN”….or it should be…

There’s a lot made about the Personal Learning Network (PLN) these days. I know it isn’t a new idea. For years teachers who wish it, have taken personal time and initiative to connect, learn and expand their professional skills. In … Continue reading

May 22, 2013
by leesensei
1 Comment

Reaching A “Reluctant” Learner – What Terry Reinforced for Me..

Every year I have students who enter my Japanese 11 class out of a ‘crash’ 1 semester course called Beginner 11. While the majority of students have had 2 semesters in the language the Beg. 11’s cram it all into … Continue reading

May 14, 2013
by leesensei
3 Comments

“Taking A Risk” – What Does Risk in the MFL Class Look Like?

I use rubrics a lot in my classes as I feel they allow the student to really ‘see’ what they have achieved and where they might improve. Increasingly I have moved to self-evaluation of some of my oral activities – … Continue reading

May 8, 2013
by leesensei
2 Comments

A New “Sense” of Direction….Street View

As part of my travel unit for Japanese 12 I do a quick review of direction giving. In the Japanese 11 class we use a static map for guiding around. But bringing that same map back for the Grade 12’s … Continue reading

April 16, 2013
by leesensei
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Show Me What You Read….Comprehension in the TL…

Reading in the target language (TL) often raises questions for me. How do I know they have read it and truly understood it? How do I ensure that they pay attention and read for meaning? Frequently it’s the ‘good’ kids … Continue reading

April 9, 2013
by leesensei
1 Comment

What I Really “Teach”: Literacy, Communication and Self-Reliance

I have had the privilege of working with a student teacher for the first time in my 18 years of teaching. It has been a great journey working with a ‘new’ professional. Today as I sat  in his ‘final’ conference … Continue reading

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