Team Freestyle

The Flipped Model Classroom for Language Learning: What’s All the Buzz?!

We frequently refer to the ‘flipped learning’ model, but what is flipped learning? Why does it matter to you?

It matters because:

  it’s learning science-backed;

  it offers the most up-to-date, 21st-century online learning (psst the last century called and wants its textbooks back); 

  it continually spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S for our learners.

Flipped Learning: What it is (and isn’t)

The flipped model turns the traditional learning approach on its head (did somebody say the opposite of traditional?! Oui, merci!)

The problem with the traditional model:  
Traditional language classrooms remain largely ineffective for true speaking success due to

 An Instructor-centered experience: memories of sitting in a classroom being lectured to / talked at while the instructor scribbles charts of grammar on the board? 

 Time constraints: With lecture heavy courses and the homework assigned to do following those lectures, there is very little to no time to practice the language or engage in a meaningful way.  
*To learn more about ‘content attainment and content application’ studies see:  (Lawson, 2002)

 Low engagement: As all language instructors can tell you, when engagement is low, course completion is low. 

Many learners need more time to reflect, understand and explore ideas. These problems combined lead to less speaking time and less successful speaking outcomes for YOU the learner.  Put yourself in the center, save time and learn more in a flipped classroom! 
The solution: The flipped classroom! 

Flipped learning squarely puts YOU, the learner, in the driver’s seat.

 A Student-centered classroom offers learners time to reflect and engage first in their own time, with more time to practice the language when virtual face-to-face. 
*When led by professionally trained instructors, whose prep-videos (in our special Freestyle way) guide you using cognitively advantageous learning strategies, your class time can be spent fine-tuning your understanding and pronunciation while having fun putting everyday language themes into practice via breakout rooms, asking questions, collaborating with other learners in the community, and engaging in culturally rich activities with authentic materials through virtual trips, music and lyrics, and more!
Our professionally trained instructors guide you through understanding the relevant, REAL world concepts so that you’ll be ready to practice in class! (or in conversation coaching if you’re thinking about our self-paced courses…) Le-saviez vous? We share all our prep lesson videos on YouTube, broken down by level!
 Time! Your time = the super power behind the flipped classroom model. What learners understand to do before   during   after the face-to-face interaction / practice time is everything. So be sure that the learning model you choose has it all: Professionally-trained instructor prep videos and the necessary skill building interactions outside of the classroom (virtual or otherwise); if you don’t have vocabulary games / listening activities/ engaging opportunities for before and after your class time, find a different model! (Ahem, we know just the place  

 High Engagement: Instead of memorizing verb tenses and zoning out with the traditional lecture-heavy teacher-centered approach, YOUR language comes to life in a flipped classroom model!
What does that look like at Freestyle?

Professionally-trained Freestyle Instructors introduce the most essential concepts to be covered in each of our synchronous and asynchronous classes every week via personalized prep lesson videos. These videos expertly and engagingly (if we say so ourselves)…

1. Guide learners in a way that boosts both comprehension and retention (some learners say we ‘trick’ them into learning! Expertly done, guided induction teaches the grammar without talking about… grammar - like magic! So much fun, you won’t miss the boring grammar drills!)

2. Emphasize the communicative approach. i.e., what real everyday language are you learning from this theme? 
EX: Reflexive pronouns? C’mon. Nobody cares!
¿Lo sabías? We supplement our flipped prep lesson videos with culturally-rich dialogue videos (such as the one above) to model real life conversation!

Voila! communicative task first ➜ simple grammar follows.

Students then apply the concepts covered in the prep lesson video through interactive and culturally-rich activities designed to build all the skills necessary to support speaking skills.  You can practice these either in our face-to-face virtual classroom (synchronously!) or on your own, asynchronously!

And Freestyle does this?

Yes!

And very few (any other?!) language learning communities take the time or have the expertise to create a flipped model!

*On this note, we caution those learners who have serious goals to join a community online that is not using a flipped approach (that can be a great connection, but that’s basically a meet-up!) 

Learning on Duolingo or other app-based platforms?  That’s great! As a supplement. Remember, if you’re learning a language so that you can speak to another human…you need to practice with humans.  It’s what our brains are designed to do. 


While we have a new global reach, (thanks COVID for giving us that final push to move 100% online!) we’ve been developing and honing these up-to-date science-backed methodologies to create successful online classrooms for a number of years. And we’ve decided to stay online because due to the improved success and speaking outcomes!

Our community of learners will tell you – its the best way to learn a new language!
All of our instructors are professionally trained using this methodology because we care about the quality of instruction, the content, and most importantly – the quality of YOUR experience!  Join us in our purpose-driven mission to connect people through language!

Experience language learning success in our
innovative & human-centered flipped model!