Does CI work in urban settings?

Many teachers have questioned whether CI teaching (Comprehension-based instruction, Teaching for Acquisition, TPRS, etc.) works in urban settings.

First, it is important that we unpack the term "urban" both for its intended meaning in this context and its implied connotations. By definition, Urban schools are schools located in cities. Every city is different, and there are many different areas within every city. However, when teachers say "urban school," they are using coded language that usually implies:

• impoverished
• large percentages of students of Color
• ethnic, religious, racial diversity
• violence (real or percieved)  in the community

but also:

• violence at school
• a perception of substance abuse by families and students
• perceived lack of parental support
• absenteeism
• apathy
• lack of scholastic motivation
• unregulated behavior

There is also a implied values judgement that these characteristics are bad, or challenges that should be overcome.

At The Comprehensible Classroom, we have used the term urban to mean many of these things in the past, and we have considered how that reflects our implicit biases and what we need to change in ourselves and our thinking. We encourage all educators to do the same. As an example, in 2016, founder Martina Bex hosted a guest blog post by Jon Cowart about Teaching languages in urban schools. What Martina meant by "urban" was the list of characteristics described above. In 2020, thanks to a call-in from a reader, Jon and Martina were asked to re-read and reflect on the post that had been written four years prior. Jon published his insights in this blog post on his own blog, and we believe it is valuable for all teachers to read both posts and use them as a departure point for self-reflection.

Teaching with CI in Urban Schools

Now that we have unpacked what we really mean by "urban schools," we can better consider the question about whether an acquisition-focused approach works in these settings.

Our founder, Martina Bex, taught at a school that fit the characteristics on the first portion of the list above. 98% of families qualified for free and reduced lunch, and it was the most ethnically diverse middle school in the US as per the US Census at the time. Many students at the school also embodied the characteristics of the second list, and many did not. This, of course, is the case at nearly every school, everywhere. 

This "urban" setting is the context in which The Somos Curriculum was developed. We understand the hesitations and questions that teachers may have regarding classroom engagement and cooperation and relevance of the curriculum, and our experience has shown that students in any school setting share the same desire to communicate for connection, knowledge, and entertainment. Establishing routines and procedures and setting expectations for engagement and cooperation is key in "urban" settings, and it is also critical in other settings! 

Behaviors such as interruptions, disrespect, and refusal to cooperate are not specific to urban schools. If you are a teacher who is having a hard time implementing Communicative Comprehension-based Language Teaching (CCLT) in an urban setting, it can be easy to blame your struggles on the school context. Instead, we gently invite you to consider that you might experience the same challenges in any setting, and the problem to solve is not your students, but your expectations, procedures, and follow-through. When teaching grammar and vocabulary, engagement and cooperation is easier because students are often completing worksheets and other individual activities that do not require interaction. Interaction between 15-35 individuals is difficult to manage, but communication is interaction! If we want to teach with a focus on acquisition, it is a problem that we must figure out.

Support for challenging classes

If you are struggling with behaviors in your classes, our first recommendation is to connect with Jon Cowart, who has done the internal and external work required to offer trustworthy guidance in the area of Classroom Management. He has worked as a classroom teacher, administrator, and trainer specifically in this area. He offers courses on Classroom Management, and challenging classes are his sweet spot. He offers solid advice and practical solutions!

We also recommend that you consider attending or hosting a workshop with our Director of Training, Elicia Cárdenas, on Classroom Engagement and Cooperation, which is our preferred way of referring to classroom management.

Another useful resource is this Fun Club episode with guest Alyssa Blask Campbell.

Finally, please read this blog post and related posts from Anne Marie Chase, who shared extensively about a particularly challenging group of students and what interventions she tried during the school year.