This past year I have finally decided to start moving away from my textbook, and reaching towards using Comprehensible Input techniques with my French 1-4 classes. The French books my school has are 20 years old, so to say they are out of date is an understatement! I wanted a new method, one that is less grammar-based (the research says that grammar instruction does little to increase productivity), and more engaging. Enter Comprehensible Input (or CI). CI is language that can be understood by interlocutors (listeners or readers), even though they might not understand every single word.
I am by far an expert on CI. After all, I am fairly new to the process. But I can share my successes and my--I don't want to say failures, but maybe "activities to be improved upon!"
In my level one classes, I started giving them long-ish reading assignments. I never attempted anything more than a short paragraph before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I talked to my colleague about it and she said "Remember, it has to be comprehensible. You have to write it with language they understand". Got it. Talk to them as if they are 3. Because in terms of French...they kinda are. So I picked my topic (Faire la bise -- the custom of cheek kisses) and wrote an expository, in French, about the custom. I used high-frequency words, and a lot of repetition. I'd never have written it that way for 15 year olds in English....but I would have written it that way for a 3 year old (you know, assuming they could read).
I supported the reading with some pictures, and I footnoted the words they would not be able to guess from context. Before we read, we practiced and discussed typical "American" greetings, such as a handshake and (my favorite) the BroHug. It was a great segue into the reading and the cultural discussion afterwards.
I was impressed at how well they did with it! They read with the intent to understand, and they did a great job of it. They were able to answer my questions, and could support their answers with words and phrases from the text. This one lesson made me see what kids are capable of if you give them the chance to try.
I know have CI readings for every chapter in levels 1 and 2, and they never fail to impress. By the time they are in 3 and 4, they are going to be fabulous readers!
