Students Engage in Foreign Language Fun in Dedicated New Language Labs

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Already, foreign language students in the new Upper School Language Lab have won millions of dollars (actually, pounds, though you might call it funny money).

In the Middle School, French, Spanish, Latin, and German students are listening to their "talking textbooks" online.



These are among the many activities students now enjoy in their weekly lessons in the new language labs created over the summer from recycled campus computers.

According to Upper School Foreign Language Chair Jeanne Kotrady, these new language labs offer much more than the fun-and-games of playing Hangman and Battleship in another language. Students can watch short films and video clips about the cultures they are studying, narrated by native speakers. They can explore webquests, and, of course, they can complete grammar, spelling, and reading exercises in a stimulating online format.

The foreign language textbooks used by the Middle and Upper Schools now come with companion CD's and websites that offer a variety of enrichment activities, games, quizzes, reviews, and other features. Upper School Spanish teacher Sara Vaughn noted that students' online quiz grades are computed electronically and transmitted directly to the teacher, thus freeing her time to give more attention to each student.

Seventh-grade French teacher Jenny McGrady now operates a high-tech classroom, equipped with SMART Board, overhead projection system, and 22 lab stations. "I can project a lesson from the textbook right onto the SMART Board as students follow in their books, and I can even have a native speaker read passages from the text along with the student."



Following a classroom lesson utilizing both white board and SMART Board, Mrs. McGrady's students move to the lab computers where they can complete interactive workbook exercises, listening and reading simultaneously.

"As we upgraded computers around campus over the summer," Technology Director Juliane Acuff explained, "we recycled computers from other areas to create these labs in support of the foreign language curricula." A total of 21 computers were moved into the former drop-in lab in the Upper School library, and 22 computers were wired into Chris Hearon's former classroom in the Middle School Garden Level that now serves as a language lab and overflow drop-in lab. Another drop-in lab was created in the Upper School in the lab adjoining Technology teacher Saba Alavi's classroom.



Mrs. Kotrady characterized the language labs as "works in progress," adding, "We hope to upgrade our lab capabilities each year." For example, she contemplates equipment that will permit students to record their voices and other features that will allow the faculty to individualize instruction to meet each student's needs.

For now, students are enjoying the new labs. Noted Ms. Vaughn, "We go to the lab once a week. We practice grammar and vocabulary by playing learning games and listening to video segments or audio components. The language lab is a great tool, and we are so happy to have it this year! The students get excited about lab days, enjoying the change in routine and exploring new ways to learn the language."

Not to mention all those "games" they are learning to beat.