Learning to speak a second language often starts with memorizing words and phrases like colors, numbers and salutations. Soon teachers introduce present-tense verbs and students work to build simple sentences like, “I go to the store.” In the classroom, students practice dialogue with one another and the teacher, hoping that by slowly adding conjugations and more vocabulary, they’ll be able to apply the language in real life.
Middlebury Interactive Languages is trying to flip that model on its head with an online program that expects a lot from beginners. Based in pedagogy developed at Middlebury College’s immersive summer language programs in collaboration with the technical expertise of K12 Inc., the program is trying to redefine how language has been taught for years both online and in brick-and-mortar classrooms.
