Language Perfect success in the classroom from a teacher’s perspective

Lisa Cumberland

Pakuranga College

About Me

HOD Japanese at Pakuranga College

Teach at a large school – about 2200 students

My interest is finding technology based tools that help to aid student learning outside the classroom

Languages set up at Pakuranga College

Languages available from Years 9-13

Students have 3 languages to choose from: Japanese, Maori, German

Y9 students have to study one language for half a year (every day for one hour)

From years 10-13 languages are optional and run for a whole year

How we started using Language Perfect

In 2009 we trialled the programme with two senior Japanese classes to see how it worked

After our trial period was finished the students made the decision on whether to continue using Language Perfect

Development over the years

2010 - Optional for senior students to purchase

2011 – opened it up to year 10 students also & trialled in Maori

2012 – compulsory for students in years 10-13

2013 – compulsory for all year levels in Japanese and Maori & optional for German

World Championships

competition

Language Perfect World Championships

Using the Language Perfect programme, to date our biggest successes have been in the LPWCTop school in NZ 2010 – 2013Top school in the world for

Japanese (4 years)2nd school in NZ for Maori (2013)2nd student in Maori (2013)Top student in the world (2013)

How our school runs the LPWCStudents are expected to learn words in the

language they are studying before doing other languages

Each class has a maximum of 2 periods in the computer room a week over the fortnight of the competition

Students are kept up-to-date with progress through class teachers

The whole staff is also kept up-to-date so that they can encourage students

Possibility of prizes for students who reach a achievement levels

Presentation of top awards in school assembly

Language Perfect World ChampionshipsAgain, we built up numbers

throughout the yearsEvery year gets harder2013 has been our most

successful for student engagement across the languages

The first year the Maori students have competed and achieved really well (2nd student in Maori & 2nd school in NZ for Maori)

Language Perfect World Championships

Language Perfect World Championships

Using Language Perfect

with students

Using language perfect with my students – the early years

Originally Language Perfect was a homework tool. We would have only one or two lessons in a term in the computer rooms. Use was very much student driven

In the early years, students mainly used LP when the LPWC were on or when they had exams approaching

How I use language perfect with my students – now

Still very homework based

At the start of the school year I have classes in the computer room once every couple of weeks to get them started

Set goals for students to reach

Senior students set their own goals

How I use language perfect with my students – challenges

Computer access

Unmotivated students particularly at junior level

Unmotivated students at senior level – overuse of programme

Using Language Perfect with students

Other

teachers’ ideas

Using LP with studentsMichelle Lodge (Botany Downs Secondary College)

Sets goals for students to reach in a set time

Mostly considered homework

Emails students in the middle of the set goal to let them know their progress

The student with the most points at the end of the period of time becomes the King/Queen of the class and they get to decide the punishment for any student that does not reach the goals, eg: push ups, a funny skit in class, etc..

Using LP with students

Motivating Students

Competition within classes

Competition between classes

Monthly goals – any students that do not reach the goal must stay at lunchtimes using LP until they reach the goal

Food / Rewards

Using the control panel

to monitor

student progress

Language Perfect tools that I like

Being able to view students that are online at any one time

Viewing student progress through both graphs and individual scores

Customising content to suit my students’ needs

Monitoring student progressgraphs

Monitoring student progressgraphs

Monitoring student progressgraphs

Monitoring student progressgraphs

Tailoring the content to meet student needs

Tailoring the content to meet student needs

Teacher thoughtson using

Language Perfect

How I feel about using Language Perfect as a teacherI am a lot stricter now in enforcing the students

use the programme throughout the year and not just when they have exams coming up.

It’s great to have all the vocabulary lists in one place without me having to load them online. In particular our NCEA assessment lists.

I love hearing students say after using LP how much easier classwork has become because they actually know the vocabulary. And it’s a great confidence booster for the lower level students.

Key Competencies

The 5 key variables to integrate into the NZ Curriculum

Participating and ContributingThinkingRelating to OthersUnderstanding symbols and textManaging Self

Autonomous learningStudents identify own goals through tests given in classThey know their own weaknesses & strengthsFrom this they can go on to Language Perfect and choose to use one of the activities to enhance/support their learning in that particular area…taking ownership of their own learning…allows the teacher to watch from a distance without students feeling the pressure of knowing we’re watching

Student opinion‘What do you think about Language

Perfect as a learning tool?’

It’s a good learning

tool. I’m on the

computer often so it’s

easy to access

It’s a platform for helping language students to revise/learn new vocab in a fun way. It’s better than learning for a book

It enables the user to learn while challenging themselves to gain more points

It allows students learning to be more customised eg: certain categories

More attractive than a text book

Student opinion

‘What are the good points of

the programm

e?’

It makes you remember vocab through repetition & the point system gets competition going

It gives you the list of vocab required for your year level & you can access it from anywhere because of technology

The way it’s set out, J-E & E-J makes remembering the words effective. Points systems are good for motivation

It has NCEA lists so it’s a useful indicator of the minimum vocab required to learn. Higher level lists allow students to extend vocab past what is required

It’s customised so what you learn can be updated regularly

It has 4 methods of learning

Helps develop our vocab & helps as a learning tool for us to remember & learn important vocab for exams

Student opinion‘What motivates you to use

Language Perfect?’

Getting a reasonably high ranking in the class competition

When I realise I need to learn my vocabulary (esp. after tests)

Words come up randomly so you need to learn the words. You can’t just guess.

Allows us to discover new vocab that we can incorporate into our knowledge base, writing & conversations, etc..

If I feel like I’m falling behind in class I go on it. The points system & the

cheering when you reach particular points

It’s a new way to learn, easy to access & an efficient way of learning that improves vocab fast

Finding new vocabulary & grammar that I didn’t know about

Student opinion

“It helps with my learning because it is an excellent revision tool. I do not think it can ever substitute all the teaching done in class, but I believe that vocabulary wise, I would not have remembered some Japanese words without repeatedly having practised them.”

- Y12 student

Ultimately….For me: Language Perfect use is guided by

students. There have been positive outcomes in

student learning – confidence/achievement It’s straight forward to use It’s accessible for students and relevant for

the ‘technology generation’ However, like anything students still have

to have some self-motivation to use it It a useful tool in taking a step to fill the

‘how do students learn all that vocab?’ gap