AIM and Adolescent Learners

On using AIM with intermediate students! 

I have to take a few minutes to talk about AIM and Intermediate students.

Many teachers have suggested that they do not use AIM with Intermediate classes because the students do not like it, do not like the gestures and think it is lame. My question is...Who is in charge of the professional learning environment? Do the students, the children, decide how your practice should be run? All I know is that the teacher, who is the adult and the professional, is the one who should be setting up the teaching practice, not the child. 

More on this from fellow teachers

Elizabeth

•  I have used Le Garçon qui joue des Tours, Salut Mon Ami and Veux-Tu Danser? with my intermediates (various years). As long as you are confident and consistent, they will be on board. At this age, we all know there will be those who hate everything! Haha! Just keep going and keep your energy up. The opportunities for real life applications happen EVERY DAY! Like Pauline, my students have told me they have learned more with AIM than ever before. Bonne chance! 

Terry

• I use Salut, mon ami and Cochons for my year 7 and 8 classes. (12 and 13 years). I agree that it is hugely successful at creating confident communicators and in stilling a very valuable PDL. Our senior numbers are growing nicely for the final two years of school where students choose their final five subjects. I believe AIM has created this success as kids are no longer 'frightened' to continue French. I had a Year 11 comment to me upon seeing the open Salut DVD, oh I remember that! I learnt heaps from that, I can remember it all! When I suggested she tell my 7s that she laughed!! The Year 12s still love to sing Matt Maxwell's piggy song! AIM is not for primary only, it is a superb method to learn a language.

• Thank you so much for sharing Elizabeth and Terry. Two ideas jump out at me! The first is the idea is sustainability. The  year 11 student commented on how she remembers what she learned. This speaks volumes about the efficacy of the methodology. The fact that students retain learning over time is incredible. With  many of the older resources and methodologies, this has not occurred.
• The second idea is about how numbers are growing and how teachers are seeing more and more students stay in French in the higher grades. I agree with  that AIM can be responsible for this shift in thinking. When students learn learn through AIM, the affective filter is greatly reduced, allowing the student the opportunity to take those academic risks that we know are essential to learning. 
• More on the affective filter:
• https://www.epik.go.kr/download.do?fileNo=2062
• http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/best%20of%20bilash/krashen.html

I just wanted to share some of the discussion we have been having on Parlez avec Pauline

à bientôt!

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