Tipping Points in Language Learning

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Tipping Points in Language Learning

• The Law of the Few
• The Stickiness Factor
• The Power of Context

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• Introductions
• Key Factors/Three Rules of Epidemic
• The Law of the Few
• The Stickiness Factor
• The Power of Context
• Instructional Activities (Small Groups)
• Debriefing/Open Discussion

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What is Tipping Point?

• - that magic moment when an idea, trend or
  social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and
  spreads like wildfire
• possibility of sudden change is at the center of
  this tipping point idea, i.e. big changes
  occurring as a result of small events/little
  things can make a difference

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• At what point does it become obvious that
  something has reached a boiling point and is
  about to tip?
• How can we ensure that the unexpected becomes the
  expected?

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Tipping Points in Language Learning
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Tipping Points in Language Learning

• Learners learn how to learn
• Learning is realized
• Language progress is possible
• Both teaching and learning process demonstrates
  positive change

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Key Factors in Reaching the Tipping Point

• Caldwell suggested Three Rules of Epidemics
• The Law of the Few
• The Stickiness Factor
• The Power of Context

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The Law of the Few
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• The 80/20 Principle states that in any
  situation roughly 80 of the work will be done by
  20 of the participants
• Law of the Few Theory where a tiny percentage
  of people do the majority of work

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The Few in the Group

• How can a concept create an impact on the others
  in the group? Can the teacher create the buzz by
  her/himself? How can each of these few create a
  tipping point for the many?

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Suggested Activities

• Small Group activities
• Two or three 10-15 minute diverse interactive
  activities
• Activity Log (individual learner)
• Grammar Log (group)

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Non-Traditional Assessment/Grammar Log

• Lesson Highlights
• Name
• Vocabulary and Idioms Write here as many of the
  new words as you can remember from the lesson.
  ___________________________
• ______________________________________
• Structures Note examples of new constructions
  learned today. Include brief statements about
  the grammar points they represent.
  __________________________
• ____________________________________________

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• 3. Conversation Strategies What new expressions
  did you learn? What goals did these expressions
  accomplish?
• ___________________________________________
• ______________________________________
• 4. Matters that need more work Note here in
  brief form any points you are still having
  trouble understanding.
• ______________________________________
• ______________________________________

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NameDaily Log
Day What task/activity did you do? Who are in your group? What did you learn?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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Benefits of Small Group Acts.

• Possibilities for more student-teacher
  interaction
• Opportunities for students to become much more
  involved
• Teacher/few students can provide guided practice
  and help struggling students

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Sample Small Group Activities

• Plan information Gap Type Activities
• Plan discussions based on motivating topics that
  have already been covered in class
• Use songs for teaching and encouraging
  self-expression
• Prepare for an oncoming tests. Review
  activities. (students love this!)
• Create a mini-tutorial lesson in small group

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• Mini Case Studies/Problem Based activities e.g.
  travelling overseas, cooking for the in-laws,
  explaining your traditions to foreign friends,
  etc.
• Role Playing Using Strategic Interaction
  Strategies/collaborative based activities use
  of real life scenarios

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• Timed Team Challenges solving difficult issues
  in a crunch, record action plan and explain it
  with the class e.g. grammar lesson and how to
  teach to a class of 7th graders, etc.
• Debates stressing pros and cons e.g. conflict
  of interest scenarios, customer service examples,
  etc.
• Simulations e.g. simulating a market, a work
  environment, family interactions, cooking, etc.

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The Stickiness Factor

• A message makes an impact and doesnt go in one
  ear and out the other.
• What makes a song or a movie line, TV commercial,
  etc. sticky and could not get out of your mind
  for a long period of time?

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• What makes a message memorable?
• What makes an event or something memorable
  because it irritated us so intensely?
• Can something become sticky by information
  overload? Indecisions?

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Ideas Promoting Stickiness

• No Man is An Island Work in Pairs or Small
  Groups! S
• Hear and Visualize it! T/S

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• Reflect and Assess! T/S
• Plan diverse Instructional Activities. Involve
  students in planning and implementing. T/S

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• Nobody is perfect. Teach tolerance and accept
  limitations.
• Know your materials but do not be afraid to give
  promisorry note. Have students write difficult
  questions on paper. Post these on an online
  blackboard or chat rooms.

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The Power of Context
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What is the power of context?

• - it infers that epidemics (/-) are sensitive
  to the conditions and circumstances of the times
  and places in which they occur.
• Are certain individuals more sensitive to their
  environment than others?
• To what extend does the environment dictate ones
  behavior?

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Inspire! (In the Target Language)

• Change will not come if we wait for some other
  person or some other time. We are the ones we've
  been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
  (Barack Obama)
• Be the change that you want to see in the world.
  (Gandhi)
• We have it in our power to begin the world over
  again. (Thomas Paine)
• What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly
  it is dearness only that gives everything its
  value. (Thomas Paine)

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Ideas to Power the Context

• Energize the classroom environment!

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• Promote Positive and Critical Thinking

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• Appreciate Learning and the Learner

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• Promote Good Citizenship

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• Create a community of learners

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Tipping Point indicates ..
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Tipping Point Activities

• Problem Based ActivityScenario 1
• You are a young executive in a large firm. You
  invited a client to dinner to an expensive
  restaurant. If you can impress the client, you
  might win a large account, get a promotion and
  raise. As the dinner progresses, you discovered
  that you left your wallet with credit cards at
  home. What do you do?

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Problem Based Solutions/Different Modes

• Analytic Outline what all the option are and
  decide which will be the least stressful
• Idealistic Attempt to gain the guests
  sympathy. Perhaps he/she has been in similar
  situation and will understand
• Pragmatic Be resolved to accept the situation
  as it is. These things do happen and perhaps one
  can joke about the set of circumstances

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• Realistic The problem is not really so bad,
  after all. Perhaps the client will lend the
  money. Then he or she can be asked to stop off
  at home for a nightcap. A check could be written
  and given to the client at that time.
• Synthesist The manager of this restaurant
  probably has had customers in similar situation
  before. If he can be assured of ones good
  intentions, the money could be sent first thing
  in the morning.

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Example 2 Collaborative Based

• Goal To supply factual information in a
  predetermined format
• A is hurrying to keep an important appointment
  with her attorney. As she turns left at a busy
  intersection, her car is struck on its right side
  by another vehicle driven by B. B is on his way
  to meet his boss, who is impatiently waiting at
  the airport.

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• In the ensuing exchange between A and B, each
  blames the other for the accident. A insists
  that the traffic light was in her favor,
  indicating permission to turn left. B claims
  that the traffic light had already changed and
  allowed him to continue through the intersection.
  As the confrontation continues, a police officer
  arrives to investigate.

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Possible Small Group Acts.

• Strategic Interaction roleplay with a plan and
  much coaching
• Roles
• A
• B
• Police Officer
• Witness/es

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Writing an accident report (A, B, Police Officer,
Witness)

• Illustrate the accident. Use rectangles to
  represent the vehicles. Mark yours with an X.
• Draw an arrow in the upper left hand corner to
  indicate north.
• Position vehicles at the point of impact.
• Questions to Answer
• What time of the day did the accident occur?
• What were the weather conditions?

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• 3. How fast were you going?
• In your own words, describe the events of the
  accident as you remember them
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• ______________________________________

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Open Discussion in Small Group

• Questions to Ponder

• Is a positive Tipping Point a possibility in
  your language classroom?
• What are these tipping points?
• What encourage these tipping points? Lecture
  Based? Problem Solving Based? Collaborative
  Based? Small Group?....

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Salamat! Thank you!

• Rhodalyne Crail
• rgallocrail_at_niu.edu
• Get Published! Submit articles, reviews and
  lesson plans/activities to the COTSEAL Journal,
  JSEALT
• at www.seasite.niu.edu/jsealt
• jsealt1_at_att.net