~優華語計畫- 大手攜小手 教學工作坊~
應中興大學國際事務處的邀約，針對教室滿滿來自美國和德國的大學生，發想如何設計既有文化差異亮點、又有活潑和互動性質的主題。
藉由多年累積的實務經驗和教學設計架構，在短短的2節課裏一步步引導他們聚焦自己的主題和鎖定可行的小活動，目標在於讓本地的國小、高中生們感受到來自不同國家的文化、學校生活等精彩分享內容。
A passionate university student from New York stands
in front of thirty Taiwanese fourth graders. He clicks to his next slide, which
is packed with a solid paragraph of English text, and starts explaining his
hometown at his normal, lightning-fast speed.
The kids just stare in silence, completely overwhelmed.
This is the classic guest-teacher trap. There is a
special kind of electricity when people from different corners of the world
meet to connect, but that connection requires careful translation. Recently,
National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) invited me to train over 50 brilliant
visiting students from New York and Germany. Our goal was to help them prepare
cultural lessons for Taiwanese schools.
Leading this entirely in English felt great. I loved
sharing stories of bringing international volunteers into my own classroom. The
university students were highly motivated, and we shared plenty of laughs. But
soon enough, we hit a very common wall: the language barrier.
The Strategy
To help them prep, I gave them specific "master
prompts" to simplify their English and turn their content into a game. You
cannot just hand an elementary student a textbook about Germany and expect them
to care. You need a mix of short talks and fun activities.
Turning your lesson into a game, however, can
actually backfire. If you over-gamify, the culture gets lost. The kids focus
entirely on winning points or throwing a ball, and they forget they are
supposed to be learning about New York or Berlin. The game must carry the
message, not just act as a distraction. You do not want your culture to become
a meaningless circus.
Actionable Advice: How to Pivot for Young Learners
Even with my prompts, the practice runs showed that
same beginner trap. Because these students love their hometowns, they wanted to
say everything. They talked way too fast, and their slides looked like
essays.
If you want to share your culture with young,
non-native speakers, here is what you actually need to do:
Rule 1: Cut the Words, Double the Pictures. Got a sentence
on your slide? Delete it and put a photo there instead. Young learners will
listen to your voice if they have a captivating image to look at. If you give
them a wall of text, they just give up.
Rule 2: Hit the Brakes. Take your normal speaking
speed and cut it in half. Then, pause. Give the kids a few seconds to process
the English words before you keep going.
Rule 3: Let the Activity Do the Work. You do not need
to over-explain. Give a quick, five-minute visual talk, and then trust the
game. Let the hands-on activity teach the lesson for you.
Looking Ahead
Watching these international students adjust and
improve their lessons was a joy. The event planner even told me the workshops
went better than expected, which absolutely made my week.
This program fits perfectly with what I have been
doing for years. I am already talking with NCHU and the event planner about the
future. I know quite a few principals, and I am brainstorming how we can bring
these international guests to even more Taiwanese classrooms next year.
Every hometown has a great story. You just have to
remember to slow down, smile, and let the kids actually enjoy the experience.
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