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Second-Language Acquisition and Academic Service-Learning. 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
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Second-Language Acquisition and Academic Service-Learning 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 native-speakers
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, Dominican-American • 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 service-learning” (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
