Literacy and Reading in a different language

Dr. Christine BiebricherInternational Languages Exchanges and

Pathways (ILEP)

Who and why?

Contracted by

Support for language learning in all NZ schools

Purpose: make schools and principals aware of available support

International Languages Exchanges and Pathways

MoE

Available support

ILEP International languages Exchanges and Pathways

IntensiveStageTeachers participate in PLD programmes

ConsolidationStageSupport through National Advisors & Language Assistants

SustainabilityStageImmersion experiences& scholarships

FutureOpportunitiesStageSupport for leadership development in LL community

TPDLTeacher Professional

Development Languages(up to 20 Pasifika +

up to 60 Chi, Fr, Ger, Jap, Spa)

MoE LIAsLanguage Immersion Awards(15 students +26 teachers)

National Advisors(for Chi, Fr, Ger, Jap, Spa)

Language Assistants(~21 for Fr, Ger, Spa)

Intercultural Programmes(~12 programmes)

InitiationStageNeeds analysis & establish PLDsupport for schools & teachers

International Languages Exchanges and Pathways

The PLD pathway for New Zealand language teachers

ILEP programmes

Other Ministry-funded LL programmes

Mandarin Language Assistants12 funded through MoE + 10 funded through

Confucious Institute in AKL

What is literacy?

Literacy

Literacy

Literacy is the ability to understand, respond to, and use those forms of language required by society and valued by individuals and communities (NZC, adapted from UNESCO definition)

Images: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/peachcrest/images/children-reading.gif; http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/07/01/article-1030709-01CE206200000578-703_468x304.jpghttp://www.funkidslive.com/wp-content/uploads/gruffalo1.jpg

‘Language teachers do not only teach a language, they also teach about language as a concept, and about communication, context and culture…

Second language learning is therefore a resource for enhancing literacy, not a problem for acquiring literacy.’

(Liddicoat 2001, 15)

Reading in a different language

Reading

Processes involved

Interactive Reading

We need to perceive and decode letters in order to read words.

We need to understand all the words in order to understand the meaning of a text.

The more symbols (letters or words) there are in a text, the longer it will take to read it.

Our understanding of a text comes from understanding the words of which it is composed.

We gather meaning from what we read.(Ur 1996, p. 138)

Do you agree?

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Read the following text quickly and see if you can understand it.

Reesacrh at a uinevrtisy in Egnlnad has sohwn taht the oerdr of the ltteers in a wrod is not ipmotrant. As lnog as the fsrit and lsat ltteers are in the crrocet palce, the rset can be mxied up and you can sitll udnertsand. The raeson is taht poelpe dno`t raed all the ltteers individaully but raed the wrod as a wohle.

Reading Comprehension

Example (1): The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient, depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step, otherwise you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to see any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.

(Adapted from Nunan, D. (1991): Language Teaching Methodology) You can read this text and the individual words but can you understand it?

How we read and understand written texts:

We can read and understand words (even if we can’t decode their letters) because of their meaningful context.

We don’t need to understand all words to understand a text in order to make sense of the whole.

It depends on the number of sense units in a text how long it takes us to read.

Reading Comprehension

Bottom-up view

Top-down view

The understanding of a text (= construction of meaning) is a combination of bottom-up-processes (decoding and understanding words, phrases, sentences) and top-down processes (our expectations and previous knowledge)

bottom-up and top-down processes

Interactive approaches

Most researchers accept some version of an interactive model of reading

Communication between bottom-up and top-down processes

What is different/difficult?How can you support your

learners to read in L2?What motivates you to read in a

different language (or in L1)?

Reading in a different language

Begin to use new language to join activities and use classroom phrases

Establish literacy routines Teach skills in context of purposeful,

meaningful communication Social skills and interactions (respond

with interest, listen, encourage working cooperatively with others)

How can we support literacy development in L2?

Show picture books, explain Give opportunities to talk about what is

read Provide a print-rich environment Daily story time A rich oral language environment Pressure-free experimentation with

writing/reading Create interest and motivation in reading

How can we support literacy development?

Successful reading experience Familiar vocabulary Interesting tasks Encourage scanning Provide a variety of texts and tasks

Support literacy and reading

Resources

www.betterchinese.com

Interactive Reading

Reading Task in language groups

Write in your diary as Jasmine or the girl from Japan

You are a boy in the Japanese girl’s new class. Write in your diary.

Draw how you feel after your first day in the new country

Create a frozen/static image Imagine you see Jasmine and her exchange

student. What would you think? You want to get to know Jasmine’s exchange

student. In groups of 3 make a conversation.

Post-reading

Text-productive interpretation

Dramatic interpretation

Audio interpretation

Visual interpretation

Maynard, S. (2012). Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School. London: Routledge.

Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tomlinson, B. (2000). Beginning to Read Forever: a position paper. Reading in a Foreign Language, 13 (1), 523-538.

References