“Survivor: Improved
Simulated Immersion
Strategies for Keeping
Students in the Target
Language”
Presented by Tammy and Kevin Lyons
Contact Information:
Kevin Lyons: klyons@wiu.k12.pa.us
Tammy Lyons: tlyons@wiu.k12.pa.us
losleones.webs.com
“Survivor” is a
methodology that is used
to assist in facilitating a
simulated immersion
atmosphere.
“Simulated Immersion” is
a second language
methodology based on
Terrell’s “Natural
Approach” and Krashen’s
“Input Hypothesis”.
“Simulated Immersion” is
used to facilitate a target
language only atmosphere
in the classroom.
“Simulated Immersion”
avoids translation at all
costs, but rather uses
“Negotiation of Meaning”
between teacher and
student (and student to
student) to foster
communicational
proficiency.
“Survivor” for the
students, is an incentive
based “game” in which
students receive
classroom perks for
speaking in the target
language.
Using “Survivor” you (the
teacher) will…
-Maximize time students spend negotiating
meaning!
-Make students comfortable hearing and using
L2!
-Spend more time using higher level thinking
and problem solving skills!
-Increase rigor and student achievement!
-Create a fun and enjoyable classroom
atmosphere!
First…
-Set up a reward system for “paying” students
to speak in the target language during
classroom activities and during certain
“Survivor” like competitions and/or games.
-You can use the “pesos” provided in this packet
and/or on our website.
Example of my “pesos”
reward system…
Students accumulate these “pesos”
for participating and winning “tribal”
games and trade them for higher
denominations as the game
progresses.
Second…
-Set up a “Survivor” store in which the students
can purchase classroom perks that they obtain
with the incentive reward system.
-You can use our “store” or create your own for
which the students use their “pesos” to buy
classroom perks.
Example of my “Survivor” store…
The rules…
-Make the rule in your classroom that English is
not permitted. Only on certain “teacher
allowed” occasions can the students speak
English. Students may purchase the
opportunity to speak English with “pesos” or
equivalent incentive techniques.
The rules…
-When a student does speak English he or she
is given a warning for a determined amount of
time. During that time the student is not
permitted to use the “Survivor” store. The
warning will be “wiped clean” after a
determined amount of time.
(I use a week)
The rules…
-When a student speaks English while he or she
is warned they are officially eliminated from the
“Survivor” game.
-When a student is eliminated from the game
they are no longer permitted to use the
“Survivor” store.
The rules…
-If a student becomes “warned” or “officially
eliminated” they can purchase the right to rejoin
the game, but I suggest making that “price” in
the store high enough to justify not wanting to
be eliminated in the first place.
The rules…
-If a student continually speaks English after
being eliminated; they receive “checks”. These
checks also cost the student “pesos” therefore
creating the atmosphere that speaking English
will further cost them the ability to purchase the
perks within the store.
The rules…
-Any student that is not eliminated is therefore
eligible to “buy” any of the perks within the
“Survivor” store at any given time.
-Remember, you can set the amounts for any
perk that you are willing to “sell” to your
students.
-Keep in mind, that the more that they can
obtain; the more willing they are to earn the
pesos.
The benefits of using an
incentive based system such a
“Survivor”…
-Students are constantly negotiating
meaning and forming connections to
further enhance their communicational
proficiency
The benefits of using an
incentive based system such a
“Survivor”…
-“Pesos” can be used as an error
correction device
-Students can get 10 pesos for just
participating; 20 pesos for just being
correct; and receive 30 pesos for using
an advanced grammar function in the
response
The benefits of using an
incentive based system such a
“Survivor”…
-Normal classroom games can become
tribal competitions which create a more
“game-like” atmosphere.
The benefits of using an
incentive based system such a
“Survivor”…
-Tribal games never have to have a
distinguished “loser”. You can set it up so
that everyone wins something; or so that
the teams that scores the most win the
most pesos.
The benefits of using an
incentive based system such a
“Survivor”…
-There is no concrete “punishment” for
speaking English, just constant rewards
for speaking the TL. Students are
therefore never really excluded from the
game permanently and always feel as if
they can get “more” if they use the target
language.
Activity #1 for content focused
communication…
-THE SURVEY
-The survey asks 2-6 questions
that students must ask other
students in order to fill out a table
of answers on which they will
later report to the class…
Example of a “Survey”:
-Let’s take two easy questions for
a level one survey:
-How old are you?
-How are you today?
Example of a “Survey”:
-The students create a table
which has one more column than
the amount of questions.
Example of a “Survey”:
-Students then fill in the answers
for the teacher; as an example.
Name
Age
Mr. Lyons
33
Emotional
state
Fine
Example of a “Survey”:
-Students then fill in the answers
for themselves.
Name
Age
Mr. Lyons
33
Emotional
state
Fine
I
15
Sick
Example of a “Survey”:
-Students then go around the room
asking other students the same
questions, adding more and more
information into their columns.
Person
Name
Emotional
state
Teacher
Mr. Lyons
Fine
I
“name”
“emotion”
Example of a “Survey”:
-When the entire table is filled;
students then return to their
seats and the teacher begins to
ask third person questions
requiring the students to respond
with the name and emotional
state of other students.
Example of a “Survey”:
-Example:
Teacher: “Jake, what is this
students name, how old is he and
how is he today?”
Jake: “His name is John, he’s 15
and he is not feeling well today.”
Example of a “Survey”:
-Students that respond in the
target language receive the
incentive based reward that can
be saved to be used within the
“Survivor” store.
Activity #2 and #3 for content
focused communication…
-Picture Paragraphs
-Picture Panels
Adaptations:
-Teachers can adapt any portion
of the game to fit their needs.
Adaptations: Examples…
-Teachers can adjust the overall length of
the game.
-Teachers can adjust how much students
are paid and/or how much things cost.
-Teachers can avoid the elimination part
of the game and just give “fines” for
unpermitted English.
-The possibilities are endless….
Extras or additional items used in
the planning and/or running of
the game
-Rules for the students
-Contract for students
-Explanation for parents
Recent Survey Results:
over 1000 Greensburg Salem students surveyed over a five year span.
1. Was your overall experience in playing “Survivor” in your language class positive,
neutral or negative?
95.6% positive
4% neutral
.4% negative
2. What percentage of your class was conducted in L2?
81% of students responded “99% or more”
18% of students responded “between 95% and 98%”
1% of students responded below 95%
3. Comment on the rigor of the class and the amount of material you think you learned.
(open ended question)
67% of students said in similar terms “I learned a lot more than other classes”
4. What did your teacher do to help you understand the material? (open ended question)
41% of students said “illustrated/ acted out”
47% of students said “explained in multiple ways using the target language”
29% of students said “used a context and examples”
0% of students said “reverted to English”
5. How did “Survivor” affect your learning? (open ended question)
63% of students said in similar terms “it made me want to learn the target language
more”
33% of students said in similar terms “it forced me to think in L2”
Questions or
comments?
Contact Information:
What we can present in 60 minutes cannot do “Survivor”
justice….
We have an open door policy at Greensburg Salem. Our
administration is extremely willing to allow visitors to come and
see “Survivor” for themselves.
We offer district in-servicing as well. We have trained several
districts to efficiently use “Survivor” and the research that backs
“Simulated Immersion”.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your are interested in visiting
Greensburg Salem to see “Survivor” in action or to organize an inservice training for your department.
Contact Information:
Website:
LosLeones.webs.com
Email:
tlyons@wiu.k12.pa.us – Tammy Lyons
klyons@wiu.k12.pa.us – Kevin Lyons
District:
Greensburg Salem School District
1 Academy Hill Place
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-832-2960