I want to have the class converse and use the vocabulary that they have learned, but I'm not sure as to the best time to introduce the new vocabulary. For example, there are 23 words in the first vocabulary list, should I present them at the beginning of class and have the students work on using them in conversation, or should I present the words during a class and use the words during the next class meeting as a type of review? 

     I'm trying to cut down on as much homework as possible (this is not a class for credit or anything official, they just want to learn and most of them are older adults).   If you have any professional advice to offer me, I would be most appreciative.   

Thanks, T.M. >>


Dear T.M., 

When I teach "on location" I use an LCD (computer projector) and PowerPoint slides.  If the site doesn't have an LCD projector, I use an overhead projector.  If there is no overhead projector, I use a flip chart.  If I don't have my flip chart...well then, I use the "board."  Prior to class I create twenty questions from each day's vocabulary. For example, "WHERE (are) YOU FROM?" 

I type them into the PowerPoint presentation format. Then I make quarter sheet handouts with ten questions on each and label them with the lesson number and an "A" or "B." If you are going to teach without voice it is very helpful that all of your students know the following signs:

HEY (fluttering of the hand to get attention), SLOW, AGAIN, SPELL

I write these on the board and review them prior to teaching new vocabulary.

I sign a question to one of the students. He uses signs like, "slow, again, and spell" to figure out what I'm signing. Then he answers my question. Then I ask a few other students the same question and give them a chance to respond. 

Every once in a while a student freezes up and doesn't have a clue what I'm signing.  I point to the board to remind the student to use the signs "slow, again, and spell."

Quite often I will turn to a random student and ask, "WHERE (is) HE FROM?" Meaning, after I ask student "A" where he is from I turn to student "B" and ask where student "A" is from. This encourages all of the students to stay awake and watch the other students' answers in case I ask them what the other students said. If I ask the second student, "WHERE (is) HE [pointing to first student] FROM?" and the second student doesn't know, I sign, "ASK HIM" and require the second student to find out personally where the first student is from. 

After the various ASL interchanges, I "flash" the question on the screen so they can all read in English what we recently covered. This helps any stragglers clue into the meanings of the recently introduced signs. If an you don't have an LCD projector or overhead projector you can make a flip chart with large letters showing the sentences.  

Of course, you can write the sentences on the board. I think is "okay" but it takes time away from your students whenever you turn your back to write a sentence on the board. While it is possible to write the sentences on the board prior to class, I think doing so is less effective for encouraging students to pay attention to your teaching. If students know ahead of time what sentences you will be signing--they disengage their brains.  However, suppose there is a "pull down" screen or map in the room--you can write the sentences on the board then use the screen to reveal the sentences at the right time.

The "right time" to reveal a sentence is after the majority of class has figured it out.  Don't give in at the first sign of difficulty.

For example suppose the following exchanges takes place:
Teacher:  "WHERE (are) YOU FROM?" 
Student:  "YES"

You know that the student is not understanding.  Rather than give up and show the sentence, I hold up an index finger to indicate "Wait a minute, hold that."  Then flash the word where on the screen (or write it on the board) and have another student sign "WHERE."  Then I show the word "FROM" and have yet another student sign "FROM." Then I go back to the first student and ask him again, "WHERE (are) YOU FROM?"  Whereupon he answers correctly.  Note I protect my student's self esteem by providing them just enough context to figure out the meaning of my sentence without resorting to "telling them outright in their native language."

After I've covered three or four sentences and gotten answers from the students-- I press the "back" key to display a recently taught question. I choose individual students and have them sign selected vocabulary back to me. 

Also, every once in a while I’ll spell the word I want signed. I spell it very quickly, but students can see the sentence behind me on the screen. All the students have to do is glance at the screen to pick from amongst the four or five words in the sentence. This helps them to focus on figuring out the shape and movement of the word--recognizing it as a whole--and not the individual letters. If they don't catch it the first time I spell it again, slower. The third time I spell it while holding my hand underneath the word on the screen.  The student makes the connection and signs the word back to me. 

Having the sentence available provides enough of a clue that the students almost always figure out or guess which word I spelled. After going through ten questions, I hand out the practice sheets (with the questions written in both ASL gloss and English) to half the class and instruct them to find a partner and ask that partner all ten questions. Then when they get done once, they switch and the other partner asks the questions of the first partner. If they get done before everyone else they are to select vocabulary from the sheet and spell it to their partner who signs the words back to them. 

When I see that four or five pairs are spelling to each other I know that the vast majority of students have had sufficient time to make it through the dialog sheets at least once and it is time to move on. Then I teach ten more sentences using the same method. When it comes time to hand out the second set of practice sheets, (suppose there are 20 students in class), I hand ten sheets to half of the pairs of students. For example suppose John and Bob were partners in round one. Mary and Fred were also partners. For round two I hand practice sheets to both John and Bob but I don't hand practice sheets to Mary and Fred. This requires John and Bob to have to change partners. John goes and sits with Mary. Fred comes over and sits with Bob. 

Why don't I give practice sheets to both partners at the same time? I don't want the receptive partner looking off a piece of paper to figure out what the expressive partner is signing. I want the receptive partner to interact with the expressive partner through signing, gesture, mime, or fingerspelling to figure out what the question is and then answer it. 

At the beginning of the next class period I give a quiz by signing 10 questions from previously covered practice sheets. I give these quizzes "daily" (or each time class meets). I make them worth one percent of the students total grade. One percent is a low enough number that students don't get stressed, but it does encourage them to study, and it does add up over the semester to about 20 percent of their grade. The things I like about this approach:

The Vicars Method is

1. Highly interactive. 

2. Engaging. No more than a few seconds go by in class before the students have to engage their brains and either respond or be ready to respond. 

3. Personal. The questions elicit real answers about peoples life circumstances. 

4. Fast. Computer-based overheads are available at the push of a button. They can be hyperlinked for non-linear access. (Which is to say, you can't jump right to a certain portion of your presentation from any other place in your presentation.)

5. Bilingual. The overheads supply "L1" (Native Language) support which makes use of the student's existing language foundation to expedite second language acquisition. 

6. Informative. Students are constantly required to provide comprehensible answers.  You are highly aware of whether students understand what is going on or not. If a student answers a question incorrectly you know immediately that you need to clarify certain concepts.  

7. It is low maintenance. After creating the initial question sets, handout format, and PowerPoint template for unit one, it is an easy matter to plug in new content. 

8. It is backward compatible. If you don't have a computer you can just use overhead transparencies or even a large flip chart. 

9. The regular quizzes help making grading more reflective of student performance. The quizzes promote good attendance without bribing the students. Rather than giving students points for "good attendance" --they have to "work for their grade" by earning points on the quizzes rather than just warming a seat. 

Remember, before using this method you need to teach them fingerspelling, and how to use signs like "HEY," "SLOW," "AGAIN," and "SPELL." So that they can control the learning environment. Also remember, I write the words "slow, again, and spell" on the board so that if a student becomes confused and is just sitting there looking stressed I can point to the each word to remind the student to use his "tools" to get information from me. 

Bill Vicars

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