Keeping It R.E.A.L: Use iMovies Projects To
Motivate Students And
Improve Language Retention
By Diane Huang
Chinese Teacher (4-8th Grade)
Far
Related Topics: Technology, Student Motivation, Student Psychology
To be presented at “Chinese as a World Language: New Approaches, New Technologies, Opportunities and Challenges” Hosted by Dept. of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University
Through classroom teaching, readings on teaching principles and research on student psychology, I have developed the R.E.A.L. principles in my planning and classroom teaching. I learned that my students are most motivated when these principles are applied. This paper is a summary gleaned from teaching Chinese Level 1 sixth and seventh grade students at Far Hills Country Day School. While we use different technologies such as PBwikis, imovie project is one proven to be the most effective motivator and best for language retention. While imiovies project makes an ideal platform to integrate 5 Cs in National Standards in teaching Chinese, this paper focuses on the aspect of motivating students to learn a new language with enthusiasm and to keep it live.
Project-based Learning through imovies: Students learn each lesson with a project as their final project. Projects can be a group activity such as a class skit , a solo project such as “dragon talk” or a conversation with a partner. All projects are video-taped and made into imovies and finally DVDs for students to take home. Students are highly motivated in creating projects by using the vocabulary and structures they have newly acquired, in producing by using imovie technology that and in showing their DVDs to friends and family, a source of great pride and accomplishment. R.E.A.L. principles I keep are: