Breaking the 4th Wall in Language Class: Enhancing Engagement & Connection

1. BREAKING THE • FOURTH WALL • IN • LANGUAGE CLASS • By ThuyAnh Nguyen – • EFL Conference- • Hue, Vietnam, August 2006 Getting beyond the wall in language class

2. Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

3. Communication • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversation, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken languages on a variety of topics. • Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

4. Cultures • Cultures - Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures • Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the perspectives and practices of the culture studied.Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the perspectives and products of the culture studied. "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

5. Comparison • Connect With Other Disciplines and Acquire Information • Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language.Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures. "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

6. Connection • Develop Insight Into the Nature of Language and Culture • Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language though comparisons of the language studied and their own.Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

7. Communities • Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World • Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century."

8. Using 5 C’s in Vietnamese class

9. Communication Use target language in class Student centered approach Communicative activities and discussion

10. Cultures • Authentic culture-related materials • Books, legends and folktales • Audio • Videos • Pictures • Websites

11. Comparison • Discussion in class with comparison between Vietnam and America based on topics in class

12. Connection • The use of technology and other source to make connection to their study • Connect their life in what they study

13. Communities • Reach out to Communities to learn more of the language and culture • Family communication • Friends from Vietnam • Chat, emails in Vietnamese • Interview

14. Identifying the obstacles in the classroom • The class setting is restricted by the FOUR WALLS: • textbook knowledge only • tests as evaluation • teachers as the only resource • The FOURTH WALL can be an invisible obstacle

15. THE INVISIBLE FOURTH WALL

16. Definition of the 4th wall • The Fourth Wall is a term to describe the invisible wall between the audience and the actors on-stage. This is because in proscenium theaters, the set was usually three walls of a room. The audience was therefore "The Fourth Wall," and ignored by the actors. When an actor addresses the audience directly, it is called "Breaking the Fourth Wall."(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

17. Breaking the 4th wall with P’s approach • Suspension of disbelief: The term breaking the fourth wall is used in film, theater, television, and literary works; it refers to a character directly addressing an audience. • In Language class: Students should not only be the audience, watching the language, they should get more involved in the process.

18. Breaking the 4th wall with P’s approach • Get the students involved by using performance and project based assessment • Quizzes, tests and exams should not be the ONLY way to give assessment

19. Some ideas with projects • Writing journals using WIKI, Blogs • Mid-term assignment (interview with report submission) • Final project

20. 10 steps project Ideas • Agree on a theme • Determine the final outcome • Structure the project • Prepare students for language demand • Gather information • Prepare students for language demand • Compile and analyze information • Prepare students for language demand • Present final product • Evaluate the project

21. The importance of CONNECTIONin project

22. Summary • Be aware of the walls in the language class • Combine the 5 Cs

23. THE ENDTHANK YOU ! By: ThúyAnh Nguyễn ESP Resource Centre Hanoi University of Foreign Studies Email: anh107@fpt.vn