Learn Spanish or Chinese
at the
Fifth Annual MTSU
Summer Language Institute
at
University School of Nashville, 2007

Click here to register!

Nine-year old children to adults,
using TPR / TPRS, a highly effective language acquisition method

Session One, June 18 to 22 Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Beginning Spanish for rising 4th to 6th graders
Taught by Rebecca Radmer, an enthusiastic, fun, and energetic teacher specializing in TPR Storytelling for kids. She has experience teaching both Spanish and English as a second language in elementary schools. Rebecca delights her students by motivating, captivating, and keeping them on their toes with constant interaction and learning.

Level I Beginning Spanish for rising 7th graders through adults
Jason Fritze's classes are one part stand-up comedy, and one part drama class. In story after story Jason entertains his students while at the same time bringing a vast knowledge of methods that guarantee successful language acquisition. It's hard to believe you're in a class at all. He taught Spanish and French for seven years in public schools, and as a TPRS® teacher, was named “Teacher of the Year.” Jason is a National Board Certified Teacher in World Languages, with teaching experience spanning from elementary to adult. See www.comprehensibleinput.com He regularly presents at regional and national language conferences and conducts workshops/inservices on TPRS® for language teachers throughout the U.S.

Beginning Chinese/Mandarin for rising 4th to 6th graders
Taught by Dr. Yuehua (Susan) Zhang, Chinese Program Coordinator, Shanghai American School www.saschina.org, a K–12 school in China. Susan has an international reputation for training and supervising Mandarin teachers using TPR and TPR Storytelling. For almost 30 years Susan has been known for her ability to engage and inspire kindergarten through graduate students. She is the co-author of highly-regarded TPR and TPR Storytelling textbooks for children. Susan serves as the Chinese Coordinator of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools.

Beginning Chinese/Mandarin for rising 7th graders through adults
Hui (Linda) Li has taught Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) for the past 10 years. She currently teaches Chinese at Shanghai American Middle School www.saschina.org where she also serves as Department Chair. She has been utilizing the TPR Storytelling method in her Mandarin classrooms since 2004. Linda co-authored “I Love Learning Chinese” (Books 1 and 2 in a series of four books), containing TPR Storytelling teaching materials for beginning level CFL students.

Session Two, June 25 to 29 Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Beginning Spanish for rising 4th to 6th graders
Taught by Rebecca Radmer – see bio above

Level I Beginning Spanish for rising 7th graders through adults
Brian Roberts is a seasoned TPRS language teacher with degrees in Spanish Language and Literature, Teaching, Philosophy and Psychology. Participants’ descriptions of Brian’s recent one-week Spanish classes say it all: “The whole week was energizing. Brian’s class was interesting, invigorating and entertaining. . . . Each day was exciting... I learned more this week than I did in 4 semesters. .. . Brian was awesome! . . . I did not feel anxious - I felt comfortable.. . . The most efficient methods of studying a foreign language that I have ever seen ... He kept the atmosphere 100% positive. . . He made the class entertaining while being challenging. . . The tone of the class was relaxed. . . . Wonderful trainer and training methods.”

Level 2 Beginning Spanish for rising 7th graders through adults
Continuation of Session One’s Beginning Spanish class taught by Jason Fritze – see bio above

Tuition is $250 per person, per session, with a $25 discount for all full-time students and for USN families, faculty, and staff. Enrollment is limited. To register:

1. complete online form at http://www.forlang.mtsu.edu/workshop/registerusn.php and
make your full payment by check to University School of Nashville Association. Mail to: Debra Alberts, USNA Office, 2000 Edgehill Ave, Nashville, TN 37212 or pay by credit card by calling the USNA office at (615) 321-8019

For questions and updates, contact: USNA at DAlberts@USN.org or (615) 321-8019

"TPR (Total Physical Response) and TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) are innovative methods that teach language through body movements, commands, and stories – much like we learned our first language as infants. Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has been on the forefront of research and development of TPRS for the past few years and has become a hub of information and communication for instructors eager to learn how to use it in their own classrooms.” from forthcoming article by Claire Marshall, “Increasing International Interest Requires a Quantum Leap in Methodologies for Learning World Languages,” in McNair Research Review Summer, Vol. V, 2007 After 22 contact hours, adult students of TPR and TPR Storytelling in Spanish have averaged scores on the National Spanish Test equal to 45 hours or 1 college semester.

The video link below shows Shelley Thomas, PhD, founder and director of the MTSU Summer Language Institute, using basic teaching methods in Total Physical Response
(TPR), to teach English to children in a remote village in India in 2006. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3986495373680266975&pr=goog-sl

Participants of the 2006 Summer Language Institute say…

"This is the 5th language I have attempted to learn, but by far the easiest to grasp, largely due to the method-ology. I love the way the vocabulary is paired with gestures and storytelling in TPRS. Words and phrases were easy to learn and remember for a long time afterwards.” Rima Abou-Khalil, Ph.D. in Speech Pathology

“Most kids think the Spanish class will be really boring. That’s what I thought before I was in it, but I found out that it’s really lots of fun. Since I learned to speak, read and write a lot of Spanish in TPRS classes last year, I’ll be in class for the fourth time this June!” Tom Kochtitzky, rising 5th grader

“Because students at different levels can work to their own capacity in the same TPRS class, students who had some experience with the target language and real beginners learn together. TPRS complements traditional classroom learning. During the week, I saw students gain the confidence to begin speaking at restaurants and the skill to begin reading on their own!” Jane Hardy, Career Strategist

"This course really prepared me for taking Spanish I at school. The teacher was great and the method he used was effective and fun at the same time. It's crazy how much we learned in one week." May Abou-Khalil, high school student

Sophia Wentz, retired Dean of Faculty at St. Andrews-Sewanee School, was initially concerned about tackling Mandarin at age 72. After her experience with Susan Zhang and Linda Li in the Chinese Mandarin class at the 2006 Summer Language Institute, she enrolled in a Mandarin class at the University of the South and stated, “As I look forward to my university class this fall and look at the textbook, I am further convinced that TPR/TPRS are superior to textbook based learning…. instead of feeling intimidated, you feel empowered. The class made me think learning Chinese was fun…. what a great experience!”

USN Mission Statement University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic tapestry of Greater Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.

For questions and updates, contact:
USNA at DAlberts@USN.org or (615) 321-8019

To register