How FILL began
The inspiration for Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning
You could say that the initiative that we now call “Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL)” was born when a group of highly motivated, mainly retired members of the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) noticed a post in September, 2021, in an ACTFL Special Interest Group. The title, “Language Lab - multiple languages - online exchange,” caught our attention. An innovative language teacher from California, Hugo Diaz-Rodil posted (excerpt):
Besides teaching (Spanish 10-12th graders), I am teaching an elective called "Language Lab," where students with my support can choose to learn any language. The languages my students are learning are: Spanish, Japanese, Latin, ASL, Welsh, Irish, French, German, Pashto, Korean and Russian.
I want to find high schools where students are learning any of those languages, or high schools where there are students who speak that language (native speakers/heritage speakers, students who have learned that language in the past).
The group of NCSSFL members, known as the Neural Network Group, had been meeting weekly via Zoom since fall of 2019 to explore and share ideas that we felt could benefit our state supervisor colleagues (and the field as a whole). When COVID hit in February, 2020, we were already used to meeting via Zoom. Our fearless leader, Tom Welch1 (who would never lay claim to that title), former World Languages State Supervisor in Kentucky, shared Hugo’s post with the group and followed up with Hugo a month later:
Hugo, this is such an exciting, break-though alternative to our traditional thinking about how to help students learn a language! Since our discussions with you, we have found 2 teachers in Wisconsin who are also leading similar language learning opportunities. There is a growing cadre of educators ready to support those involved in endeavors like this. We'd love to find out who else is similarly engaged. Please reach out to me on behalf of our group if you know of ANYONE who is helping kids learn other languages. We are particularly interested in teachers who are helping kids learn languages that the teacher does not know!
The very next day, Hugo joined our weekly NCSSFL Neural Network Group meeting via Zoom, where he shared his vision for the “Language Lab” class, as well as challenges and opportunities he faced.2 The conversation continued, and we also reached out to two teachers in Wisconsin who had run a similar program for a number of years, which they called “Facilitated Language Study ” or FLS.
As we documented the experiences of these pioneers and identified some of the key concepts, we began calling this type of approach, generically, “Facilitated Independent Language Learning.” Very quickly, though, we realized that “independent” was not really accurate. In fact, what was really happening was a very “interdependent” process, where the teacher was in more of a facilitator role, learning alongside the students/learners, and the learners were supporting each other’s learning, as well. And, thus, was born “Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning” or FILL. (Below is an GenAI-generated image, courtesy of Tom Welch. Haha… I just noticed that the GenAI coined a new term, “Interpendent” Learning, but you get the point. )
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) agreed to publish a brief so we could introduce FILL to the larger language learning and teaching community. Tom Welch, Nancy Rhodes, and I collaborated on the process of documenting the experiences of Hugo Diaz-Rodil in California and Claudine Clarke and Laura Koebel in Wisconsin, with a lot of help from our NCSSFL Neural Network Group colleagues.
The first CAL brief was published in summer of 2022: Facilitated interdependent language learning (FILL) in action: Increasing student autonomy (July 2022). We used the case studies from California and Wisconsin to introduce the key concepts of FILL. (The summaries below are excerpted from the 2022 CAL brief.)3
Language Lab Class in California (Hugo Diaz-Rodil)
About the school
Sierra Academy is a charter school grades 9-12 with Expeditionary Learning, where students at the end of each semester present before an audience what they have created, a final product connected to all the core subjects.
The school follows a project-based cross-curricular interdisciplinary model.
The mastery-based approach uses hands-on learning, including fieldwork, with a focus on character (grit, collaboration, integrity, curiosity, etc.).
Enrollment in fall 2021 was 170-180 students.
Spanish is the only language offered in a traditional world language class; the first-year Spanish class begins in 10th grade.
About the “Language Lab” class
It is an elective class where students can learn any language they choose. Languages chosen in 2021-22 were: ASL, French, German, Irish Gaelic, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Welsh.
The number of students participating is about 20-25 from grades 9-12. (In 2021-22, 16 students completed the program.)
Language Lab takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays for 1 hour and 20 minutes each time.
The Language Lab elective was already in place before COVID, but during COVID, electives were dropped (in order to reduce time in front of the computer). As a result, school year 2021-22 was the second year of the course being offered.
In contrast to “Language Lab,” a “Facilitated Language Study” (FLS) program was launched in Wisconsin more than ten years ago.
Facilitated Language Study in Wisconsin (Claudine Clark and Laura Koebel)
About the school
Public high schools in Madison and Plymouth, WI
In Madison, there is one class of FLS at East HS and one class at West HS, requiring two teachers. Next year, there will also be a class at LaFollette HS.
In Plymouth, there is one class of FLS at Plymouth HS, requiring one teacher.
The Madison student population is highly diverse. FLS students come from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds as FLS gives them the opportunity to study non-European languages that connect with their heritage.
About the “Facilitated Language Study” (FLS) class
It is an elective class where students learn a variety of languages in the same classroom, working collaboratively in language cohorts.
The teacher is a certified teacher of a language, but not necessarily the languages offered in the FLS class.
The class partners with community organizations to bring native speakers to meet with the students. These tutors complete background checks and volunteer their time to work with the students
FLS in Madison, WI: the number of students participating is about 36 from grades 9-12. East HS has cohorts of Arabic, Ho-Chunk (also known as Winnebago, a native American language in the midwestern U.S.), Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese.
West HS has cohorts of Ho-Chunk, Italian, Japanese,and Korean.
LaFollette HS is planning to start a program next year with cohorts of German and another language yet to be determined.
FLS in Plymouth, WI: the number of students is about 10-15 from grades 9-12.
Current languages offered: Arabic, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.
In Plymouth HS, FLS takes place every other day for 90 minutes as the class is on a block schedule.
Students can earn elective credit in Wisconsin for FLS classes, but the transcript does not list the specific language(s).
We’ll be exploring more about these case studies in upcoming posts. Thanks for subscribing to this Substack.
NCSSFL Neural Network Group. (2021). Conversation with Hugo Díaz-Rodil about a facilitated interdependent language learning program in a California charter school. October 21, 2021.
Aoki, Michele Anciaux; Rhodes, Nancy C.; Welch, Tom. (2022). Facilitated interdependent language learning (FILL) in action: Increasing student autonomy. Center for Applied Linguistics. Facilitated interdependent language learning (FILL) in action: Increasing student autonomy (July 2022)
It's great having this history documented like this!
Nice recounting of how FILL came to be. So many great people with true commitment to language learning