Second-Language Acquisition and Academic Service

A Virtual Immersion Experience in Nashville, TN Elena Olazagasti-Segovia

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching - 14 November 2011

Rationale  Teaching/learning styles can and must be enhanced

and updated whenever possible  Experiential learning results in a more personal, deeper, and long-lasting knowledge  People learn a foreign language to speak with nativespeakers

Matching resources and needs  VU students need to practice their language skills  Community partners need bilingual services

How did I get started?  Faculty Seminar (Corporation for National and

Community Service) – 2000  Re-designed an existing course  Spanish 202 – every semester since 2001

 Designed 2 new courses –  Spanish 243 – every Spring since 2002  Spanish 294 – Spring 2008

Spanish for Oral Communication (202)  SLA; intermediate level; majors/minors  Goals  Achieve advanced oral proficiency  Improve listening comprehension  Increase cultural awareness  Movies, tv news, web-based assignments  Oral evaluations, research paper

Service-Learning Component  20 hours (2 hours every week)  Critical reflection activities  2 roundtables  Research paper  Exit interview  Reflection paper

Latino/a Immigration Experience (243)  Content-based course, advanced level  Elective course: literature track  4 immigrant experiences: Mexican-American,

Puerto Rican, Cuban-American, DominicanAmerican  Literary readings, movies, and documentaries  2 exams, 2 research papers, journal, reflection paper

Service-Learning Component  20 hours (2 hours every week)  Critical reflection activities  3 roundtables  Detailed journal  2 research papers  Reflection paper

General Guidelines  Students know during pre-registration [YES]  Welcome/Warning e-mail  Organizational meeting

 Task-oriented students = challenging, relevant, and

meaningful tasks

Community Needs  Education  Tutoring  ELL classes  Mentoring  Cultural exchange  Translation and interpretation

Community Partners -Education  Pencil Foundation  Nashville Adult Literacy Council  Conexión Américas  The Bridge & Rosetta Stone (at St. Edward’s)

 Hermanitas  Project S.H.A.R.E. (Haywood Elementary School)  Caring for Children (DCS)  Hispanic Salvation Army

Community Partners (cont.)  St. Luke’s Community House ELL Program  Books from Birth  Catholic Charities (ELL & Plaza Comunitaria)  Croft Middle School  McMurray Middle School  Overton High School  Glencliff High School

Community Partners Translation/Interpretation  Siloam Family Health Center  St. Thomas Clinic  VU Midwifery Clinic  VU Children’s Hospital (Clinic; Developmental  

 

Screening) Catholic Charities Correctional Work Center Nashville Pro Bono Program Caring for Children

Community Partners (cont.)  The YWCA (at the shelter)  Room in the Inn  The Campus for Human Development

 Woodbine Community Center

Challenges  Logistics = transportation  Safety  Driving to and from the sites  Location  Academic issues = integrating the service into the class  

Relevant and meaningful tasks Time to make connections = “the hyphen in servicelearning” (J. Eyler)

Securing placements = relevant and meaningful tasks  Site coordinator  Achievement scores  Referrals from teachers  Requests from parents  Interview prospective tutees  Survey locations  Call the parents  Parents and tutors’ meeting  Expect to be on call 24/7!!

Outcomes - VU students  Class participation (quantity and quality)  Self-awareness of the process of SLA  Application of communication strategies to negotiate meaning  Real “sink or swim” immersion experience  “Cultural learning” (William Tierney: “the development of, and engagement in dialogues of support and understanding across differences”)

Outcomes  Personal growth: confidence and self-esteem; sense of

co-accountability; problem-solving skills; bonding with fellow classmates  Career-changing experience  Study-abroad options

Outcomes - Partners  Academic level:  grades and attitude  long-term goals  social behavior  Non-academic level:  new braces; glasses  visit to an audiologist  set up computer equipment  cultural exchange (VU games ~ quinceañera)

202 - Comments  Engaging, helpful, excellent  Amazing, amazing, amazing!  Essential, life-changing, demanding  Interesting, wonderful, different  Rewarding, helpful, incredible  Hands on, fulfilling, time-consuming  Exciting, rewarding, challenging  Enlightening, exciting, fun!  Integral, eye-opening, fascinating

More comments - 202  Eye-opening, useful and rewarding  Gratifying, unique, impactful  Engaging, thought-provoking, challenging/

uncomfortable (in a good way, stretching the limits of your comfort zone in Spanish)

243 - Comments  Practical, applicable, eye-opening  Eye-opening, unforgettable, meaningful  Edifying, life-changing, cool

 Memorable, important, fun  Eye-opening, time-consuming, worth it  Rewarding, helpful, time-consuming  Enlightening, enriching, beneficial  Hands-on, necessary, reverse-stereotypes

More comments - 243         

Amazing, helpful, a treasure! Long, helpful in giving human perspective, enriching Eye-opening, time worthy, fulfilling Enlightening, sometimes discouraging, rewarding Enriching, enlightening, essential Necessary, transformative, fun Integral. Enlightening. Necessary. Integrative, grounding, motivational Enlightening, engaging, fulfilling

Letter Bingo – Haywood ES

One-on-one Tutorials - HES

Reading Comprehension - HES

After-school Homework Program - HES

ELL Adult Evening Classes - HES

Special Presentation Teenage Pregnancies

Mentoring McMurray MS

End-of-the-semester Celebration McMMS

End-of-the-semester Celebration McMMS

Tutors and Tutees

Tutors and Tutees