Second language teachers design lessons to promote oral language production. One Canadian Bilingual Program has introduced Intensive German weeks in which they study the use of strategies from the Neurolinguistic Approach. Our action research highlights collaborative learning, but also the need for mutual understandings around research design and knowledge dissemination.
Teachers in Canada’s Bilingual Programs recognize the need to design lessons to promote oral language production since students often develop strong receptive language (i.e., listening) skills in the target language, but are reluctant to speak it. One Bilingual Program in the province of Alberta has introduced Intensive German weeks at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to focus on oral language production of K-6 students. This action research brings together the teachers of the German Bilingual team and two researchers in the field of language education to study their learning about specific pedagogical strategies and engagement in joint curriculum planning. The results from the first year highlight learning from the use of strategies from the Neurolinguistic Approach (Netten & Germain, 2009; Germain, 2018), which emphasizes oral before written production, speaking in full sentences, and language use in meaningful, authentic communication. By engaging in interviews, discussing classroom observation, and gathering artefacts, the German Bilingual team and the researchers benefit from the mutual collaboration. Practice is enhanced by the creation of year, unit and single lesson plans; games; songs; and activities. Language education theory is informed by the establishment of clear, grade-specific goals, consistent implementation of the Neurolinguistic Approach strategies, and analysis of teachers’ perception of students’ success in attaining of these goals. Problematic aspects of teacher/researcher collaborations involve the clarification of ethical constraints upon data collection and classroom observation as well as the development of mutual understandings around research design and knowledge dissemination. Understandings of language education theory and practice from this study have begun to gain local attention after just over one year of collaboration, with national and international impact emerging.
