Learning A Language Through Living It

By Upper School Teacher Wesley Saylor
Upper School Languages Teacher Wesley Saylor knows that the best language instruction happens at the intersection of collaborative performance, social communication, and culture. Drop by his class on any given day and you will likely see his students re-enacting a French wedding, shouting French while sitting in a row of chairs meant to represent a broken car on a crowded interstate, or performing a talk show complete with commercials.

In his French 4 class, students focused on the theme of "downtown" and everything they would come across. "We talked about the different activities that happen, the different places we can come across, and we also make comparisons between living in the city and living outside of the city (albeit in the suburbs or in the country)," explained Saylor.

To accompany the lesson, Saylor planned a unique activity where the students performed a skit pretending their car broke down in the city, and pretending to ask for directions. The students received a scenario and characters, but they were responsible for coming up with what happened — who will be who and why the car breaks down. They were asked to not memorize a script but rather just keep in mind who they are and to stick to their goals in the script. "For example, the police officer is required to get the car out of the area since it is causing a traffic jam; a pedestrian is supposed to walk by and want to help the visitors with their predicament and make suggestions," said Saylor.

"I must say, I thought this activity was successful," concluded Saylor. "The students were creative and ready to complete the activity to the best of their ability. I even surprised them by asking the other groups — on the spot — to sit in chairs behind the “car” and pretend to be impatient and angry, creating a certain ambiance of hurriedness and some anxiety. The students still managed to perform the task very well. I was very proud of them."

Bon travail, élèves! It turns out the best way to learn a language is indeed through living it! 


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Foundations — Grade 12 • Jackson, Mississippi
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