Navigating Language: Making Input Comprehensible

When I was in elementary school, my family took a 1000+ mile, 16 hour road trip from Whitewater, Wisconsin to Gulf Shores, Alabama. My brother (who was 15 with his learner's permit) did a lot of the driving while my sister (who was 12 or 13) used paper maps to get us to our destination (and, she'd like to add, also made sure we avoided toll roads). I think back to that road trip when I travel for work and how it would look different today. I rely so heavily on my GPS and I don't think I would travel nearly as much if I had to use a traditional map. I know for certain it would take me longer and I'd get lost way more frequently. I know I am capable of using a traditional map, but a GPS provides clarity and precision that I rely on when I'm actively driving down the road. My GPS allows me to balance my focus on traffic with the targeted input of directions, which is exactly what I need.

I was scrolling through social media recently when I came across a post from Vanessa Conaster (@NavyBlueNessy) that connected comprehensible input strategies to a GPS using an image from Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning by Pauline Gibbons. I was blown away by the simplicity and efficacy of this idea! If we think of our content/unit like the road map, making content comprehensible serves as our GPS. In this post (shown below), she describes comprehensible input as providing the same information in more than one way and uses a GPS to show options for differentiation: visuals, symbols, highlighting, and spoken instructions.

First, what is the idea behind comprehensible input? Comprehensible input is part of the language acquisition hypothesis first proposed by Stephen Krashen (1982). This theory is made up of five different models (acquisition-learning hypothesis, natural order hypothesis, monitor hypothesis, affective filter hypothesis, and input hypothesis). The input hypothesis suggests that language is acquired when the input (what the learner reads/hears) is one level beyond the learner's current level of competence. Simply put, students come in with a specific proficiency level (or ability to use the language) and they need to be exposed to language just beyond their current level in order to grow. If we match their proficiency level, they won't get the "stretch" they need in order to acquire more language. If we communicate too far beyond their proficiency level without providing tools to help them understand, we become background noise.

• Before I go any further, a brief note for my world language colleagues: I know that "comprehensible input" can mean a lot of different things to us these days. It can mean a curriculum, leveled readers, C.I. videos, and so much more. In this case, what I'm referring to is making content and language comprehensible in ways that can support any curriculum, use of unaltered authentic materials, teacher instructions, etc. I believe that the language we use in class - no matter what sources it comes from - must be accompanied by strategies to make it comprehensible or we can easily slip into becoming the dreaded Charlie Brown teacher. You know the one... "wah, wah, wah wah wah..." We know we should aim for 90% target language usage based on ACTFL recommendations, but the 90% must be comprehensible for it to be effective. Here are a few excerpts from the ACTFL's guiding principles for language learning that support this idea:
• "ACTFL recommends that learning take place through the target language for 90% or more of classroom time except in immersion program models where the target language is used exclusively."
• "Learners can only acquire (internalize) language when they hear large quantities of input that the teacher provides orally that is interesting, a little beyond students' current level of competence (i + 1), and not grammatically sequenced. (Krashen, 1982) Note that the i refers to the current competence of the learner and the +1 represents the next level of competence beyond where the learner is now."
• "Educators must ensure that learners are able to get the “gist” of what is being said, read, heard, or viewed and understand what they are supposed to be doing to participate successfully at all times; otherwise, frustration takes over."
• "Target language use is necessary but not sufficient for increasing one’s proficiency: That is, use of the target language must be accompanied by a variety of strategies to facilitate comprehension and support meaning making. Comprehensible input and comprehensible output go hand-in-hand."

Back to the GPS and a road trip. How does this relate to comprehensible input? If we look at our road trip as our content or unit, we need to provide language learners with tools to help break down the 16-hours and 1000+ miles. We see this daily with our GPS when it...

• helps us focus on the next few minutes of our trip. We don't see the whole route except at the very beginning when we determine where we're going. Our GPS keeps us focused on what is just ahead and what we need to know.
• provides verbal and written support using key words. We hear the directions and if we look down at the screen, we'll see key words such as street names that we need to pay attention to.
• uses color-coding to notify us of traffic conditions. Our attention gets drawn in when we're starting to see yellow and red on our map which let us know we're probably going to need to slow down and focus as we continue our drive.
• uses symbols to help us navigate quickly. We'll see arrows for turns or merges ahead, notifications of accidents or traffic stops, or symbols for closed roads. These quick symbols help us recognize what's coming and make adjustments as needed.
• provides alternate routes based on our wants/needs. We can avoid tolls or highways, pass by specific restaurants or gas stations, or get to our location faster.
• anticipates issues and reroutes us. If we're about to hit a heavy traffic spot, our GPS will change our route so we get to our destination more quickly.

This is what we can do with our students when we make content comprehensible! We can...

• highlight and annotate important information and sections to draw their attention
• chunk input into appropriate amounts based on proficiency levels
• explicitly determine and set their goals for understanding (A great example of this is with a well-crafted anchor chart that is filled only with key words, targeted images, and limited-important information.)
• provide verbal and written support for students as they work with the language
• use color-coding, images, and symbols to help them understand important or new vocabulary or procedures
• provide alternate routes through student choice and differentiation to fit their needs

When we provide comprehensible input, we naturally anticipate issues and reroute: what will students struggle with, and how can I help them through it? 

If we provide access to language using high-quality techniques that make language and content comprehensible, student motivation and confidence should increase and they will likely acquire a richer vocabulary to use on their own. We use these scaffolds to provide comprehensible input so students are compelled to respond when we plan low-stress opportunities for output. We can provide language-rich sentence stems and paragraph frames that incorporate their new brick and mortar vocabulary terms and encourage students to practice language both verbally and in writing. As always, scaffolding is future-oriented and the purpose is to provide students with the support now so that eventually they'll be able to complete similar tasks independently.

At the end of the day, we all will take the same turns, see the same landmarks, and get to the same place whether we use a GPS or a traditional road map. The experience we have on the way there is what has changed, and when it comes to language learners, making content and language comprehensible can make all the difference!