Learning Centers in the Foreign Language Classroom By: Piedad Gutiérrez “If you build it, they will come” Create special areas, get colorful pillows, have headphones, buy books and CDs, accept all donations…   make reading, writing and listening a fun activity…  but especially design your weekly lesson plans to include activities that use the centers. Give the students enough time to enjoy the materials, settle down and find the materials for their own level, and make the activity productive.

Reading Center

TPRS includes reading as a fundamental activity in the acquisition process. The more variety the materials have, the better. The teacher, however, needs to select materials that are both understandable to the students and challenging to them. Equipment Materials Activities Computers Book shelves Baskets   Printed books Printed magazines On line books On line magazines Menus Advertising Posters     Individual reading In pairs reading Reading to a partner Reading to a stuffed animal Browsing picture books Story time Post reading activities Making book maps Sequencing mixed up sentences Sequencing mixed up pictures Answering to questions

Listening Center

In TPRS, the teacher’s voice is the main source of comprehensible input. The storytelling and story asking activities are the core of the method. However we need to: Expose the students to other voices and accents. Train the students in activities where meaning cannot be negotiated, such us audio books and podcasts. Allow the students to integrate active playing in the academic learning. Equipment Materials Activities Computers CD Players MP3 Players i-pods Headphones CDs or on line audio Podcasts Audio books Songs Teacher’s produced audio Students’ produced audio CD-ROM games On line games Individual listening In groups listening Interactive listening Reading along Coloring by command Drawing by command

Writing Center

Although TPRS is centered in comprehensible input, the students need to demonstrate their progress to others and to themselves. Writing activities are great roads to teach grammar explicitly. Equipment Materials Activities Computers Neo or word processors Printers Paper Pencils Colors Crayons Markers   (Free) Creative writing (Guided) Specific topic Individual In pairs Whole group After reading  Write a book review  Write a new ending to a story  Write in your journal

Production Center

Often, the materials available in the market are inappropriate and ineffective for school settings. Therefore, we need to produce them. Enrich your collections of audio and visual materials by creating them with students. Give full credit to the authors and use the materials for assessment of comprehension. Equipment Software Activities Computers Microphone Jump-drives or CDs i-pods MP3 players     Garage Band Audacity   Audio Individual In pairs In groups Original monologues Original dialogues Spontaneous conversation Reading printed materials Interviews Audio and video Music Monologues Dialogues Handcrafted story Enhanced podcast Digital storytelling Digital photo albums

Digital Library

Let’s follow the wave! Upload digital devices with music, audio books, podcast episodes, and videos relevant to you and your students. Offer to the students the possibility of listening while reading books.  They can enjoy listening to familiar songs, watching short videos, reinforcing weak topics, or just catching up with material they missed while absent. The portable devices can be used in the classroom to complement the listening center or can be taken home as a classroom library loan. Keep your records in a safe place. I store mine in clear plastic pockets on the back of the closet door. Equipment Materials Activities MP3 Players Blackboard i-pods Commercial products Teacher produced Student produced Individual - at home Reinforcement Review Extra help Pure enjoyment

Presentation Center
	Students and learners need help to feel comfortable reading, speaking, and presenting in a new language. Just a few props, curtains, and toys will allow the students and learners to make the transition and deliver with ease. Details to follow.

The learning centers of my classroom have been partially funded by MFEE.