What does a learning-centered world languages class look like?
The first thing a visitor would notice in a learning-centered world languages classroom is that the students are using the language. They are interacting with each other and the teacher, and communicating about things which interest them. Students are actively involved in and taking responsibility for their own learning. At the elementary level, they might be graphing the number of moose killed by cars and by wolves this winter. In middle school, a student describes an article of clothing he saw in a magazine from the target culture. In high school, students are involved in a debate about whether or not the village should be dry. There is movement in a learning-centered world languages class. Students are practicing giving and following directions. They cook and sample dishes from the target culture. They push the desks and chairs to the back of the room in order to make space to learn a dance or play a game. Blindfolded, they pull articles of clothing from a bag trying to guess what t
