ACTFL and staying in the target language 90% of the time

At CFB our mission is to create competent and confident communicators in the languages we teach. We know that students learn to communicate by hearing and reading the language they are acquiring. ACTFL's guideline is that 90%+ of the communication in a language class should be in the target language.

In order to get there requires planning and scaffolding of vocabulary and careful monitoring of our students to check for understanding.

Comprehensible input as described by Dr. Krashen is language used that is just above what the student is easily able to understand: L +1. An added challenge is that to acquire language it not only needs to be comprehensible but interesting to the listener or reader.

Adapting instruction, 'chunking' language to show/teach words in context and using visual support, actions and context can help to make certain the language used is understood.

• Caleb Zimmer's approach. (very interesting!)

• Paris Granville: starting the year in the language

• Douglas Crouse: a great read about staying in the language

• Laura Terrill's presentation AND her VERY rich resource page (this page has great links to French, Spanish and German resources!)

Calico Spanish also offers some suggestions for staying in the target language

The Ohio Department of Education suggests: (read their entire list of suggestions here)