Mission Statement

World Language students at OCSA acquire language by actively participating in a literacy-based curriculum.  This curriculum incorporates a holistic approach to language learning and encourages the development of critical thinking skills in a supportive and culturally aware communicative environment.

Teaching Methodology and Rationale

After spending time exploring research-based teaching methods to enable students to acquire a foreign language, the World Language Department at OCSA decided to adopt a teaching methodology based on Comprehensible Input (CI). It was found that in using a more traditional textbook-based teaching methodology, students were learning long lists of vocabulary words and verb conjugations rather than being provided with the vast amounts of comprehensible messages (CI) needed for them to get a feel for the language and communicate effectively.  They were being required to produce language before they were ready to do so.  Moreover, the focus on constant error correction was hindering students’ attempts to use the language. It was therefore agreed that OCSA would adopt a language-acquisition based approach to teaching world languages which emphasizes providing students with understandable and contextualized language and encourages understanding and risk taking.  

Language Learning (Traditional Method)

Language Acquisition (CI)

Explicit

Implicit

Conscious

SubConscious

Formal Situations

Informal Situations

Focuses on Grammatical Rules

Uses Grammatical Feel

Depends on Aptitude

Depends on Attitude

Simple to Complex

Stable Order Acquisition

Teaching with Comprehensible Input involves high-frequency, sheltered vocabulary with lots of repetition in reading and listening in order to improve fluency and competency in the language.  In order for this to be an effective teaching tool, students have to understand the teaching process and they need to participate actively.  

What you would see if you came into an OCSA lower level language classroom

All lower level language classes at OCSA are conducted 90% in the target language.  If you were to pop into a lower level language classroom at OCSA, you would see teachers delivering comprehensible input through storytelling, class conversations, reading, singing and other interactive activities.  Students show comprehension through drawing, choral responses, acting and meaningful interaction in the target language with the teacher and their peers.  Students in the lower levels are taught grammar and vocabulary implicitly by being exposed to its use and using it to communicate and they are not explicitly taught the language, e.g., verb charts, grammar drills, etc.  until they have developed an ear for the language first.  This is of utmost importance in the first two years.

What you would see if you came into an upper level language classroom

In the upper levels, instruction continues to be 90% in the target language and input, while at a higher level, continues to be comprehensible. However, more explicit instruction of grammar can occur. Students, having spent the previous years being exposed to grammar in various contexts are now engaged in language manipulation, i.e., using various linguistic structures to create original output. While communication is still the main focus, communicating with greater accuracy becomes a focus. Additionally, the curriculum is developed and delivered under the umbrella of the College Board’s thematic AP framework in order to continue to prepare students for success at the college level and beyond. Some of the tasks you might see performed in the upper levels at OCSA are literature circles, daily news story presentations from the countries studied, students teaching culture through class presentations, film studies, song analysis, deepening reading comprehension of authentic texts through enactment strategies and many collaborative and whole class exchanges of ideas.

Jordan Bartlett

Jordan Bartlett

Instructor

jordan.bartlett@ocsarts.net

Jordan Bartlett holds a bachelors degree in French from the University of Arizona, as well as a Masters in French with emphasis on translation and sociolinguistics. She has been teaching French to 4-8th students for the last four years, and is excited to be joining OSCA for this coming school year. She is thrilled to get to work with middle school and high school students together, and to be a part of the progressive and innovative foreign language team.

Jake Berrey

Jake Berrey

Instructor

Jake.Berrey@ocsarts.net

Jake Berrey holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature and linguistics as well as a Single Subject Teaching Credential for Languages Other Than English from California State University Long Beach. Señor Berrey joined OCSA in the spring of 2012 as a Spanish Teacher. He currently teaches Spanish levels 3 and 5 in the World Languages Department.

Rachel Chou

Rachel Chou

Instructor

rachel.chou@ocsarts.net

Rachel Chou joined OCSA in 2018.  She holds a PhD degree in Music Education from Temple University, a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s degree in Piano performance and Music Education from National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan.

 

Mrs. Chou is a Mandarin native speaker and has earned single subject teaching credentials in both Mandarin Chinese and Music.  Mrs. Chou has taught both Mandarin Chinese and music in her teaching career. 

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Cecilia Cummaudo

Cecilia Cummaudo

Instructor

cecilia.cummaudo@ocsarts.net

Ms. Cecilia Cummaudo is a native Spanish speaker, born and raised in Argentina. She holds bachelor’s degrees in linguistics and psychology, and a master's degree in Spanish literature, culture, and linguistics from California State University, Fullerton. Ms. Cummaudo earned a single subject teaching credential in Spanish with a Cross-Cultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) endorsement from the University of California in San Diego.

Ms. Cummaudo began her career teaching Spanish for heritage and native speakers at California State University, Fullerton. In 2014, she moved to high school Spanish and currently teaches Spanish 3, Spanish for Spanish Speakers-A, and Spanish for Spanish Speakers-B.

Ms. Cummaudo has experience working collaboratively and coaching educators nationwide. She has been a presenter and coach in conferences for language teachers, including leading sessions for The World Language Proficiency Project’s Summer Institutes. She is passionate about teaching Spanish using research-based, acquisition-driven practices. Above all, Ms. Cummaudo is committed to working on creating safe and inclusive spaces for her students.

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Maggie Davies

Maggie Davies

Instructor

Maggie.Davies@ocsarts.net

Maggie Davies holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business with French from Sheffield Hallam University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, (United Kingdom teaching credential), from the University of London – Institute of Education.  Along with her CLAD certification, she earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from California State University, San Marcos. 

Before joining the Orange County School of the arts in 2002, Mrs. Davies worked as a French teacher in the United Kingdom for eight years, where she taught all levels of French from level 1 to “A” level, (AP equivalent). She played an integral part in establishing the current curriculum in the World Language Department at OCSA. She has also worked as a mentor to a new teachers through the Orange County Department of Education BTSA program for the past eight years and she has served as a mentor in the Teaching Credential Program through the University of California, Irvine.

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Xueyang Gong

Xueyang Gong

Instructor

Xueyang Gong holds a master’s degree in Teaching Foreign Languages and TESOL from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Shaoxing University in China. She holds a California single subject credential in Mandarin and is also a New York State certified Mandarin and ESL teacher.

Before joining OCSA in 2021, Ms. Gong had worked as a Mandarin teacher at two private schools in New York for nine years, and founded the Mandarin program at one of the schools. She currently teaches Mandarin III, Mandarin IV, and AP Chinese Language and Culture in the World Languages Department. In her spare time, Ms. Gong loves playing guzheng (Chinese zither) and piano.

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Liz Hall

Liz Hall

Instructor

Elizabeth.Hall@ocsarts.net

Elizabeth Hall holds a Bachelor's degree in Spanish language & literature and English literature & writing from the State University of New York at Geneseo.  During her undergraduate years she also studied at the University of Spain.  She earned a Master's Degree in Education from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.  She completed the CLAD certificate from the University of California at Riverside.  Mrs. Hall has taught Spanish at the Orange County School of the Arts since 2014.  Prior to OCSA she taught Spanish at Summit High School in Breckenridge, Colorado.  

MC Fasheh

MC Fasheh

Instructor

mc.pierce@ocsarts.net

Ms. MC Fasheh holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from California State University, Long Beach. During her undergraduate years she also studied at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ms. Fasheh earned her single subject teaching credential in Spanish from California State University, Long Beach. She is a member of a local organization: COACH Foreign Language Project, where she is part of a collaborative team that puts together workshops for language teachers. Ms. Fasheh joined the OCSA team in 2018.

 

Lee Salkowitz

Lee Salkowitz

Instructor

Lee.Salkowitz@ocsarts.net

Mrs. Salkowitz joined OCSA in 2008 and holds a bachelor’s degree, a single-subject teaching credential, and a master’s degree in Spanish with an emphasis on Peninsular and Latin American Literature, all from California State University Long Beach. Mrs. Salkowitz is a member of a local organization: COACH Foreign Language Project, where she part of a collaborative team that puts together workshops for language teachers. In 2010, Mrs. Salkowitz formed a collaborative group that meets monthly to support local language teachers, using similar teaching methodologies to those used at OCSA. Also in 2010, Mrs. Salkowitz helped to establish OCSA’s chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica that focuses on community service.

Katelyn Wu

Katelyn Wu

Instructor

Spanish 1, Spanish 3

Katelyn Wu holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from California State University, Long Beach. Ms. Wu earned a single subject teaching credential in Spanish from California State University, Long Beach, as well.