Discussions

Your Name and Title: Jason Cummings, Ph.D. Modern Language Department Head

School or Organization Name: Beaver Country Day School

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Boston, MA, USA.

Language in Which You Will Present: English (though I would be happy to present a 2nd time in Spanish)

Target Audience(s): Administrators, Language Teachers, Curriculum Directors

Short Session Description (one line): This presentation will discuss the imperative of shifting the focus of Modern Language programs toward oral fluency and interpersonal communication through global connections.

Full Session Description: Modern Language instruction in secondary schools has too long been focused on writing, reading and grammar study.  The speed at which translation technology has developed is fast making the ability to write perfectly in L2 (a second language) obsolete. At the same time, a range of technologies and techniques allow us to more feasibly shift the focus from the written word to oral interaction and global connection.   Learning to read and write should increasingly be viewed as skills whose development is at the service of a student’s budding oral proficiency.  In this presentation, I will lay out the imperative for making the shift toward a mode of Modern Language instruction that emphasizes oral and interpersonal communication.  At the same time, I will discuss the concrete steps that we have taken at Beaver in order to make this shift a reality in the Modern Language Department and to connect our students to the world.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: About our school:http://bcdschool.org/about/