Homework in Foreign Language Classes

In my opinion, homework is essential to most foreign language learning experiences as it encourages students to continually interact with the material covered in the classroom. One does not automatically “learn” a new word or concept just because he or she is introduced to that information in an academic setting. Language learning, like all learning, requires practice and repetition. One of my UNH language professors once told me that one must be exposed to a new word at least ten times for that word to be committed to memory. Although I am not sure if that is actually true, I do believe that homework, or any interaction with the target language outside of the classroom, is vital to retention and helps students to better absorb the material presented in the classroom.

            I think that my Spanish 401 (Introduction to Spanish) class is a great example of the need for homework in foreign language courses. The majority of my students, with the exception of a few who took a semester or two of Spanish while in high school, have had very little exposure to the target language and therefore come to the course with no prior language experience. For them, even learning very elementary vocabulary words can be challenging as they are completely new to the Spanish language. As the course is supposed to be taught “immersion style,” where I am expected to teach almost entirely in Spanish, homework is absolutely essential to my students’ success. My students use homework both to better understand new material and to prepare themselves to follow along in class. When students do not do their homework, it is almost impossible to conduct the class in Spanish as no one understand what is going on. Even if a few students have not reviewed the material for that day, the whole class suffers do to the fact that some of their classmates need additional explanations in English. Beyond simply enriching the “immersion style” experience, homework also seems to lower student anxiety levels. Students who come to class prepared seem far more comfortable speaking in the target language than those who fail to do so. Students do not need “busy work,” but, in my opinion, they do need some sort of activity outside of class to them commit key concepts to memory and truly understand new material.   

            With regards to the video, I do think that it may be of value to show the clip to students who are struggling in their language courses. Some of the suggestions seem rather obvious, but they may be things that students are simply forgetting to consider when trying to complete their assignments. Listening to music and eating snacks, for example, seem like great ideas for students who have a difficult time getting focused