Naš jezik – Curriculum and Learning Materials for Language Instruction
Naš jezik (Our Language) is a set of materials for teaching elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, first developed for a shared hybrid-modality course at Columbia, Yale, and Cornell, and now also used in person at the University of Chicago. The curriculum is developed to support student-centered flipped classrooms, active learning, and the communicative approach. Leveraging its digital format, Naš jezik solves the unique instructional challenge of simultaneously teaching three language standards, and reminds of the lasting linguistic unity among the three former Yugoslav countries.
Intuitive Graphic Solutions for Three-in-One Learning
Even though official language standards differ across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia, native speakers of all three communicate seamlessly, relying on shared knowledge of each other’s specificities.
In the textbook, we represent that through conversations between interlocutors from different linguistic backgrounds, where variations are marked with corresponding symbols: yellow circle for Bosnian, red square for Croatian, and blue triangle for Serbian. Students learn to consistently write and speak the standard of their choice, but develop passive knowledge needed to read and understand all three.
To support learners with vision impairments, we made sure that the symbols can be distinguished through both color and shape.
Multiple Modes of Engagement and Representation
To support learners of different learning preferences, we provided multiple avenues of representing and practicing new content. Self-study and in-class activities are scaffolded to build skills of increasing complexity and improve confidence for all students.
Digital textbook (interactive PDF files)
- Sample essays and dialogues
- Writing and conversation prompts
- Grammar explanations and tables
- Single answer and true/false selection (auto-check)
- Illustrated vocabulary
- Translation prompts
- Notes on Balkan culture and lifestyle
Multimedia online workbook
- Audio recordings
- Vocabulary lists and flashcards
- Fill in the blanks (auto-check)
- Single and multiple choice selection (auto-check)
- Drag-and-drop (auto-check)
… and more!
Collaborative Learning and the Communicative Approach
The core of language learning happens through engagement with approachable and relatable real-life situations. In our course, students read short texts about topics like hobbies and family, rehearse dialogues between friends planning a night out, or note down restaurant orders from audio recordings. They are then able to share experiences of their own in writing and in conversation, or present their ideas in the class.
Facilitating a Flipped Classroom
The curriculum incorporates many opportunities for homework and self-study. Students can come to class prepared to ask follow-up questions and immediately integrate new knowledge into group work and communicative tasks.
Supporting Instructors
Over the course of four annual project iterations, we made improvements in response to the needs of our pilot instructors. At its current state, Naš jezik provides all the necessary tools for in-class learning and homework to support achieving elementary (A2) proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. The clear and consistent structure of all 20 units streamlines lesson planning and self-study assignments, and the self-check exercises on the website save valuable time on grading rote tasks, leaving more room for active learning and tailored pedagogical approaches.
