Tackling a new language is
daunting for many students, but it can also be highly rewarding, boost their
confidence, and help them acquire many skills that they can apply to other
disciplines. This round-table discussion will focus on strategies to support
beginning language learners throughout the semester so that they make steady,
palpable progress. Each speaker will share specific approaches they have taken
in first-year French courses with the objective
of increasing intrinsic motivation, promoting self-directed learning, and
cultivating flow states in and out of class. The examples to be shared include
Social-Emotional Learning practices, the development of a fully online, customized
Open Educational Resource (OER) curriculum, multiple low-stake assignments and
assessments, flexible due dates, and other forms of differentiation. To a great
extent, these approaches are informed by a radical shift in perspective gained
while studying and teaching during the pandemic.
Our primary motivations for
adopting an open textbook were to reduce costs to students and increase
accessibility. The greatest long-term advantage of adopting OER, however, has
been taking advantage of the Creative Commons license that allows for remixing.
Each semester that we use it, we can update content as needed, creating a
“living textbook” that responds to the needs of our program and of our learners
as they evolve.