Teaching Through Immersion Workshop
June 17 -21, 2023
Teaching Latin and Spanish Through Total Immersion
Teaching Through Immersion
โEvery language should be learned by use rather than rules. That is, by listening, reading, rereading, copying, trying to imitate (the teacher) by speaking and writing, as often as possible.โ
For several decades, teaching foreign languages using "full immersion" has proven very successful. However, a transition to full immersion can feel daunting. It requires fluency in the language being taught, there are a wide range of approaches that make it unclear where to start, and full immersion seems even more difficult to apply to ancient languages like Latin which are no longer spoken.
But a spoken, natural, immersive method can transform a language class into an engaging and rigorous experience for students. We invite you to explore how even a dead tongue like Latin can come alive in a classroom.
What to Expect
This conference brings world-class experts on the topic to help both Latin and Spanish teachers to apply the full-immersion approach in a practical and effective manner. This training will equip current and aspiring teachers of Latin and Spanish how to teach a language via a natural, engaging, and spoken method. Additionally, the conference will provide a greater appreciation of why languages are worth teaching using this approach. Educators who value the liberal arts and the tradition of Western education are invited to participate.
About Polis and their Method
Northridge Preparatory School in the Chicago suburbs in partnership with the world renowned Polis Institute from Jerusalem will equip participants to teach via the Polis Method. Through many years of practice and research, The Polis Institute has developed their unique method of teaching both ancient and modern languages by means of full immersion and dynamic language development. The Polis Method is a systematic approach to create an environment where students learn the most with their peers and get the best understanding of the language. The implementation of the Polis Method comes with best practices and resources for teachers to interact with students exclusively in the target language.
Christophe Rico is a French linguist. He holds a PhD in Greek linguistics (University of Sorbonne, 1992) and the official French accreditation to direct doctoral research (University of Strasbourg, 2011). He is a professor of Greek Philology at the Ecole Biblique et Archรฉologique Franรงaise de Jรฉrusalem. Since 2011, he has been the dean of the Polis Institute.
He has published several language methods and books on Greek and Hebrew philology as well as many articles on general linguistics, ancient Greek linguistics, semantics, translations studies, and second language acquisition.
Teresa Lopez is the co-founder of DiaLogo Academy, the Polis Institute branch for modern languages. She is a graduate of the Mastersโ Degree in Near Eastern Languages at The Polis Institute in Jerusalem and a current PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics. Along with other graduates and after working as a Spanish teacher in Jerusalem, Teresa felt like The Polis Method of immersive language acquisition could also be applied to modern languages. and thus she decided to launch the DiaLogo Academy.
June 17-21, 2023
Registration
Registration Cost: $500 ($400 Early Bird Discount). Registration includes lunch and dinner from Monday through Friday, along with printed materials for the conference.
Workshop Schedule
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Morning Sessions
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch & Break
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Afternoon Sessions
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Break
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Dinner
- Introduction to the Polis Method
- Planning a Course / Planning a Lesson
- LSE (Living Sequential Expression)
- Assimilation of Paradigms
- Teaching New Vocabulary
- Classroom Games
- Full Immersion Methodologies
- TPR (Total Physical Response)
- Classroom Management
- Dealing with Texts
- Drama
- Working in Pairs and Small Groups
June 17-21, 2023
Registration
Registration Cost: $500 (Early Bird Discount: $400). Registration includes lunch and dinner from Monday through Friday, along with printed materials for the conference. Northridge will be taking on the majority of the cost of hosting the Polis instructors.
Workshop Schedule
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Morning Sessions
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch & Break
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Afternoon Sessions
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Break
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Dinner
- Introduction to the Polis Method
- Planning a Course / Planning a Lesson
- LSE (Living Sequential Expression)
- Assimilation of Paradigms
- Teaching New Vocabulary
- Classroom Games
- Full Immersion Methodologies
- TPR (Total Physical Response)
- Classroom Management
- Dealing with Texts
- Drama
- Working in Pairs and Small Groups