Check out the link to my #MaFLA18 presentation this year. The title was Keeping Up The PACE. In this presentation I gave a brief introduction to PACE, showed successful examples from my classroom and then gave a step by step guide to creating a PACE lesson.
Keeping Up The PACE During the conference I had two main take aways: 1. Greta Lungaard recommended using graphic organizers whenever possible as an interpretive activity. This technique avoids the need for English and makes your activity truly more interpretive and meaningful for the kids. 2. Laura Terrill was talking about what grammar to use and when and she mentioned such a great point about target language. She said "if you need English to explain the grammar point then your students aren't ready for that grammar". In other words, choose your grammar carefully and make sure your kids can handle it and that they need it in order to communicate.
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It can be overwhelming trying a new teaching strategy especially when it comes to finding a way to teach grammar. In the past few years I have been working to teach grammar in context through the PACE model. Through this story based, student driven strategy, I have had ups and downs but have noticed a pattern that has worked for me. My hope is that you will find this resource to be helpful as you try this unique strategy.
Step 1: Decide whether to PACE or not to PACE This might be one of the most important steps to set yourself up for success in the lesson. PACE is meant to be used for grammar concepts that have clear, distinguishable rules that students can notice and use to create meaning. In other words, this is not a one size fits all approach to grammar teaching. Step 2: Choose an appropriate resource Whether you choose to write your own resource or look for an authentic resource online, choosing the right resource is key. Make sure the grammar point is present but not overbearing. This is especially true if you are writing your own story. Make it sound natural and don't force an irregular verb in there but instead try a culturally appropriate expression. Step 3: Write what the students will be doing during part 1 At this point, you are creating an interpretive task like you would with another resource. I always like to have them do a combination of the following in the beginning:
Step 4: Write what the students will be doing during part 2 After they did an initial reading/viewing of the resource they need to do more with it. Add in an interpersonal conversation where they discuss/complete a task that is related to the theme of the resource (if they need the grammar point to complete the task maybe give it in a word bank as a sentence starter to get them using it without drawing their attention to it). I then like to end with something presentational where they write about their opinion, a continuation of the story, a cultural comparison or a letter to the characters in the story. So far there has been no grammar introduced. Step 5: Draw attention to the grammar point After you have finally worked with the text it is time to redirect your students attention to the text. Before they were only focusing on comprehension, now the form comes in. Whether you bold the words in a new copy of the resource or color code parts of the resource as you project it on the board, you want to do something to the resource that wasn't there before. This helps students focus their energy where you want. Step 6: Start the Co-Construction Ask students to start independently and think about what patterns they notice. Then I like to have them work with a partner/small group to talk out their observations and record them. I allow them to speak in English at this point unless I think it is a conversation that could take place in the target language. I then make a giant word splash of ideas on the board as students point out what they notice from the text. OPTIONAL: Give students a chance to test out their theory (ex: give sentence starters with open ended responses and have students use the new concept to see if it works) Step 7: Explicit instruction yet continued Co-Construction At this point if there is anything left to explain I explicitly tell them what they need to fill in their knowledge gaps. I use the notes that they produced to guide my instruction. If the students want, this is where I give them the creative freedom to create acronyms or mnemonic devices. Step 8: Start the Extension phase From here I jump right back in to my favorite strategies to teach for proficiency. These can go across all modes and should include the grammar but in context. So maybe an interpersonal interview, a role playing situation, a letter to the editor, a blog post, a follow up reading or video or any of those other great activities that get kids using language. The only difference is that students have a new grammar point that they should be using as long as it is natural to what they need. Give this a try and let me know how it went!!! So we know that ACTFL has these 6 guiding principles for language teaching, one of which being the idea of "teaching grammar as a concept". The recommended way of doing this is through the PACE model. Have you ever tried to incorporate a PACE lesson? When it works, it's an incredible feeling to watch students catch on. But when it fails, it really drops the bomb.
For those of you that hate acronyms and don't know what PACE stands for here it is: P- Presentation of an authentic resource that incorporates your grammar point. This can be in the form of a story, with pictures, a song etc. This is where students get their comprehensible input with the language. This resource must fit within the theme you are working with. A- Attention to the structures in the resource. This is where students focus in on the text to look for patterns and express their observations. C- Co-Construction with the teacher where students share what they observed. This can be in the form of questions where the class creates the rules based on what they read or heard in the authentic resource. E- Extension where the grammar point is still being used in follow up activities. This can be with sentence starters that use the grammar, questions that require answers with that grammar point or really anything communicative that asks students to use there identified rules. Included here are a few of my thoughts as I endeavor through this PACE teaching model.
Click here for my PACE lesson on the present perfect in Spanish Click here for my PACE lesson on the subjunctive with chores in Spanish Click here for my PACE lesson on the passe compose in French Click here for my PACE lesson on French reflexive verbs Click here for my PACE lesson on French adjectives |
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