module 2

filling out language study plans

45 minutes

Objectives

Describe the purpose of a Language Study Plan (LSP)
Fill out an LSP completely and correctly according to the information given in example scenarios

introduction

What is an LSP? Why do we use them? Watch the video below to learn more.

lesson

Language Study Plans keep us and our students accountable for the goals they set, and help us track and see their progress more easily. You need to fill out an LSP for each of your students at the end of every class.

Let's explore the LSP. Hover over each area to learn more about it.

Each of your students has their own LSP. If you have more than one student, you will also have more than one LSP to complete. Write the student's name here.

Long-term goals should be very specific, and should aim to be accomplished within 6-12 weeks. Write the student's long-term goal(s) here.

Short-term goals should be stepping stones to long-term goals. They should be achievable within 1-2 weeks, leading up to the completion of the long-term goal(s).

Write the estimated date of achievement. These are not fixed; they can always be moved according to the student's needs.

Write information pertinent to the student's progress: how they did on homework, how they did during practice, needs they have, or any resources or help you need. The coordinator reads these each week, so you can direct any comments directly to them, especially if you are in need of resources or ideas. This section is simply to keep track of what has been done and to make sure the student is progressing.

practice

The brief scenarios below describe a variety of students and their goals. Using the information provided in each scenario, write a response as if you were filling out the boxes of the LSP. Where you do not have information, try to imagine yourself as the volunteer and what you might suggest to fill in any blanks. Refer to the LSP form above for additional guidance. You may add more than 3 short-term goals if needed.

SCENARIO 1

Tara wants to apply for a scholarship at the college she will attend, and she is required to submit an essay. She feels unsure about American essay-writing conventions and her current writing abilities. The essay must be submitted in two months. You decide together that her long-term goal will be submitting the essay. Some of her short-term goals include identifying structures in sample essays, writing an introduction, and writing a conclusion. You need to assign dates to these goals and note if there is anything else she or you may need for future lessons.

SCENARIO 2

Philip wants to get a better job, so his main goal is to feel confident in a job interview. He has been taking another class about techniques for effective interviewing, but needs more chances to practice with a native speaker. You and Philip set a goal for him to be confident answering 15 of the most common interview questions in 6 weeks. You list 2-3 questions for each week as short-term goals. You assign dates to these goals and make note of any resources you think Philip will need in the future.

SCENARIO 3

Selena wants to be able to speak with her daughter’s teacher at Parent-Teacher Conferences. She says in the past, there are times where she says very little because she isn’t sure what the teacher is saying, and would prefer to not need her daughter to help translate. The next conferences are still 8 weeks away. Together, you set some short-term goals, including school-related vocabulary, reading school-related papers, and feeling confident in role playing conference situations. After she leaves, you finish completing her LSP.

SCENARIO 4

Marcos wants to volunteer to coach his son’s soccer team. Many of his son’s friends and teammates speak only English. Marcos is a great soccer player, but he lacks confidence in his abilities to coach in English, as he has always learned soccer and coaching terminology in Spanish. The season starts in six weeks. Some goals you set together include identifying field and game markings, identifying the names of fouls and moves in videos or real life, and role playing directing soccer drills like he would at practice. Marcos goes home assigned to list as many soccer terms as he can in Spanish, and then to find the translations to them by next week.

assessment

Complete one more scenario, checking your response against the answer below.

final scenario

Hui Yin wants to improve her pronunciation of the letter “r.” Together, you plan for her short-term goals: to read aloud each day for 30 minutes, then watch 15 minutes of videos of native speakers each day to pay attention to their accent and to mimic them, and then speak to herself in the mirror for 10 minutes each day to watch the placement of her tongue. This week, she only watched videos of native speakers two times, so she wants to try again this coming week. For the lesson, you watched some videos together to discuss what you see and hear. You are hoping to practice speaking exercises next week, but you’re not sure what activity you could do that would be both fun for Hui Yin and helpful to her.

sample

answer

response

Hui Yin

Long-term goals: Improve pronunciation of letter "r"

Goal date: Six weeks

Short-term goals:

1. Read aloud each day for 30 minutes (weeks 1 & 2)

2. Watch 15 minutes of videos of native speakers each day, mimicking their "r" sounds (weeks 3 & 4)

3. Speak to self in mirror each day and watch placement of tongue (weeks 5 & 6)

Summary:

Hui Yin didn't quite complete her goal this week--she only watched videos two times instead of each day. We are moving her goal date a week forward and working on this task again this week. We watched some videos together today to talk about what we heard. I want to do a speaking exercise next week, but I'm not sure--do you have suggestions?

MODULE 3