TEACHING ENGLISH TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH CONTENTTHROUGH CONTENT

Nicols BrianNicols Brian

Training Course for English TeachersTraining Course for English TeachersMarch 9-13, 2015March 9-13, 2015

MontevideoMontevideo

REMEMBERREMEMBER: consider learners previous experience.previous experience. provide context context for FL development. focus on discourse patterns.discourse patterns.

ReceptiveReceptive communicative skills development - promotes productiveproductive skills development.

PRODUCTIVE SKILLS MUST NOT BE PRODUCTIVE SKILLS MUST NOT BE NEGLECTED.NEGLECTED.

Techniques and strategies to facilitate comprehension: realia redundancy use of graphic organizers, etc.

Teachers must: monitor students progress provide immediate feedback

Assessment must measure achievement in language skills

Early stages: learners are allowed to respond in a wide variety of ways, from verbal to non-verbal responses. AGAIN: PRODUCTION MUST NOT BE NEGLECTEDAGAIN: PRODUCTION MUST NOT BE NEGLECTED

EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE FL EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE FL throughout the class FL teacher = language referentlanguage referent

learners need to be surrounded by comprehensible language (Krashen)

REMEMBER: using the FL for all classroom tasks demonstrates that the new language works in lifeworks in life (Curtain and Dahlberg, 2004)

Ss should have opportunities to use the language themselves for meaningful purposes. PASSIVE PASSIVE UNDERSTANDING IS NOT ENOUGHUNDERSTANDING IS NOT ENOUGH.

All Ss should have opportunities to produce in the FL. These opportunities will only arise systematically if they are planned in advance.

Cooperative learning (small groups, pairs): opportunities for meaningful student-centered language use.

DETERMINING DETERMINING LANGUAGE LANGUAGE

& & SELECTING CONTENTSELECTING CONTENT

Each discipline has:

unique terminologyunique terminology and discourse style high-frequency languagehigh-frequency language, useful outside the classroom low-frequency specific languagelow-frequency specific language, not useful outside the

classroom

Some curricular content may not provide students with high-may not provide students with high-frequency, flexible language skillsfrequency, flexible language skills:

Mathematics language is more limited than Social Sciences.

Natural Sciences are in the middle of the continuum. Reading Mathematics texts is different from reading

narrative or expository texts

Language: not grammatically sequencednot grammatically sequenced, but used and planned as required by communicative needscommunicative needs

Language expressed as LANGUAGE FUNCTIONSLANGUAGE FUNCTIONS (not not grammatical categories or vocabulary lists, but real uses of language: asking permission, explaining, describing, etc.)

Teachers should develop language skills not inherent in the content itself (social language)

It may be necessary to include explicit language instruction that arises from Ss needs. Ss needs.

Content taught through the FL: school curriculum

Content should be cognitively engaging AND demanding

Students MUST gain FL proficiency in all skills commensurate with curriculum demands and grade level

Early grades students must learn content through hands-on, concrete experiences : match language to meaning gain control over the content itself

Selection of content is determined by the language language functions that are going to be taught.functions that are going to be taught.

Topics are chosen from the official curriculum Topics are chosen from the official curriculum (not (not translation of Spanish teacher's classes, never 100% translation of Spanish teacher's classes, never 100% correspondence with timing of Spanish topics).correspondence with timing of Spanish topics).

Curricular content and language should be organized around thematic units. Pre-planned Thematic Units are already available at the 'Portafolio Docente', for English Teachers to adapt.

Choice based on:

suitability of the content to the selected language selected language functionsfunctions

accessibility of the content (Ss language Ss language proficiencyproficiency)

engagement engagement factor (Ss interests and cognitive development)

Topics / tasks that dont foster FL proficiency should should not not be selected.

REMEMBER: YOU ARE YOU ARE LANGUAGE TEACHERSLANGUAGE TEACHERS.

ONLY select content that you can sequence to scaffold language learning, not isolated topics.

Coordination with the Spanish teacher is advisable but not essential.

Never select content from other areas that imply usage of Spanish ('El Gaucho').

TIP 1TIP 1

use non-linguistic elements that support comprehension when communicating in the FL.

NEVER ASSUME FAMILIARITY WITH

VOCABULARY, STRUCTURES, ETC. (assessment)

TIP 2TIP 2 State your instructions clearly; NEVER assume Ss will

know what to do without extra support

Check for comprehension n times (n=number of times it takes for you to make sure everybody understood).

Scaffold language activate schemata recycle vocabulary and structure items introduce new language teach assess repeat

TIP 3TIP 3

Learning a language implies communication.

Communication implies cooperation.

Plan activities that demand and foster cooperation.

Center the lesson's focus on students.

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