Date Approved

8-1-2024

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Education-Instruction and Curriculum: Secondary Education (M.Ed.)

Degree Program

College of Education

First Advisor

Sherie L. Klee

Academic Year

2023/2024

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the importance of students becoming orally proficient after taking foreign language classes. This project explores what can be done to combat the issue of students failing to gain an oral proficiency. It addresses instructional design and teacher impact, as well as student contribution to the issue. Multiple studies were reviewed on the best research backed practices for proficiency growth. After reading through all the research, it was determined that a proficiency-based instructional style that followed ACTFL World Readiness standards is the ideal approach. Going hand in hand with a proficiency-based instructional style is a classroom design of a Flipped Classroom where students learn the foundations during asynchronous online learning and during synchronous in class learning they can engage with their peers while speaking in the Target Language. This creates more time where the teacher can help provide feedback in various situations without having to sacrifice important instructional time. To best assess if students have become proficient at the end of 4 years of study, testing for the Seal of Biliteracy will be used. This will be documented on a student’s diploma. The conclusion of this project is that if schools want more students to be able to take and pass the Seal of Biliteracy and to become orally proficient in a foreign language, they need to make a shift in how the language is taught and what the classroom design looks like.

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