Foreign Languages Online: Yes! It can work!

Bobby Hobgood, Ed.D. Director of Research and Development in Online C & I

LEARN NC - School of Education The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill bhobgood@learnnc.org

Presenta(onOverview

•  Describedevelopmentofanonline,foreignlanguagecourse

•  Takeaninsidelook

•  Discussar(cula(onplan

•  Sharedataandevalua(on

Coursefeatures

CourseThemesI:Meandmyimmediatesurroundings

II:Meandmycommunity

III:Thinkgloballyandlivelocally

IV:Iftheworldwereavillage…

AdvancedPlacement

Ar(cula(onPlan

The North Carolina Virtual Public School also offers Levels I-AP in French, German, Latin and Spanish

2007-2008 Fall 2008 Spring 2009

Fall 2009 Spring 2010

Pilot Chinese I Chinese II Chinese III Chinese IV AP Chinese

Arabic I Arabic II

NCVPS Chinese I Chinese I & II

Chinese I, II, III

Arabic I Chinese I, II, III, IV

Fall2007–LevelIPilotA

9studentsin5publicschooldistricts

Spring2008–LevelIPilotB

•  24studentsin11publicschooldistricts•  1DepartmentofDefensehighschool

Fall2008–LevelI&II

LevelI:45studentsin16publicdistricts

+2independentschoolsLevelII:13studentsin7publicdistricts

Spring2009–LevelsI,II,IIILevelI:38studentsin23publicdistricts +2independentschools

LevelII:32studentsin12publicdistricts +2independentschools

LevelIII:8studentsin8publicdistricts

Evalua(onDatafromStudents,Instructors,&Coaches

•  Speaking&Listening–  Conversa(oncoaches–  Videowithaudio–  Vocabularyandassignments

•  Culture–  Authen(cresourcesonline

•  Reading&Wri5ng–  Videoscripts–  Audiowithvocabulary–  Conversa(oncoaches–  Assignmentsandinstructorfeedback

–  Vocabularylesson–  Projects

StudentCharacteris(cs

• More“talka(ve”online•  Curious,clever,hardworking

•  Prefersimplifiedcharacters

•  3rdor4thlanguageforlearners

•  EnjoychallengeanduniquenessoflearningChinese