LAC COURSE SUMMARY

                                       

                                                                  

LAC COURSE SUMMARY    

MODULE 1 – Language Across the  Curriculum: Conceptual Analysis

                "Languages Across the Curriculum" (LAC, pronounced as the initials L-A-C)     is  an exciting and  innovative foreign language learning and teaching method  outside the traditional language classes. The term  LAC  is used to denote   school and college courses that allow students to study a foreign language  in undifferentiated or integrated curriculum. 

  LAC focuses more on learning than teaching  and  follows whole language approach.  LAC helps to    develops subject-specific language competence in each subject and across all of the subjects in the curriculum .  LAC uses a foreign language as a language of instruction. LAC   provides a larger framework to link mother tongue  with second language/ foreign language and   links  formal and informal language education.

LAC develops subject specific communicative competence,  subject specific language usage and style, specialized vocabulary and different writing genres. Language Across the curriculum (LAC)  denotes the school and college courses that allow learners to study and use a foreign language outside the traditional classroom.

“In India, language and literacy are generally seen as the concern of only the language teachers. However, no matter what the subject, teaching cannot take place in a language-free environment.” (Curriculum Framework: Two-Year B.Ed. Programme(2014)National Council For Teacher Education).”

MULTILINGUALISM

Multilingualism is the use of two or more languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population.People who speak several languages are also called polyglots.

INDIAN MULTILINGUALISM

Politically, India is divided into 29 linguistically organized states and nine union territories. The linguistic scene in India is very complex. The majority of the population speak one or more of the 17 languages specified in Schedule VIII of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution recognizes Hindi as the official language of India, and English as the associate official language along with a number of other  languages included in Schedule VIII. Each district in every state/union territory in India is bilingual and/or multilingual, with speakers of "minority" languages.

DIALECT

 Dialects are linguistic varieties which differ in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar from each other.  Any linguistic variety can be considered a ``dialect'' of some language.

 "POWER" AND "PRESTIGE" ENJOYED BY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English is valued as a "neutral" language among rival native languages, and it is regarded as a language of international value which can also be used nation-wide. There are certain advantages to having English as the medium of instruction: it has no territorial restrictions, and it is more developed in vocabulary and regis- ters in such areas as science, engineering, and medicine. The English language enjoys "power" and "prestige" Since English continues to be used in both national and state-level education, and is the medium of instruction in most subjects at the university level, most parents are anxious to send their children to English-medium schools.

DEFICIT THEORY :

The deficit theory   suggests that children from lower socio economic  homes are verbally deprived due to economic disadvantage. Because they lack verbal stimulation in their homes, they enter school without the linguistic resources needed for success. The deficit theory claims that children from disadvantaged populations are intellectually disadvantaged as a result of inferior linguistic development. "deficit theory,"  suggests that children from lower socioeconomic environments enter school without the linguistic resources needed for success  and suggests that teachers avoid  labeling children as verbally inept when their language does not conform to the teacher's linguistic model.

DISCONTINUITY THEORY

Cultural Discontinuity refers to the lack of cohesion between two or more cultures. Differences in the functional use of language among culturally and linguistically  diverse children have been found to account for the discontinuity they experience in the school . Because children come to school socialised to language in culture- specific ways the discourse structure and communication styles used by many children from culturally and linguistically diverse populations is incongruent with that of the teacher’s  style of interaction. This discontinuity between home and school language socialization patterns can have a negative impact on academic achievement.

 

Many school problems of minority students could be explained by discontinuities, and specifically from linguistically and culturally diverse population  .This argument is now known as continuity-discontinuity theory. ( Jacobs & Jordan, 1993 )  The theory  leads to the rediscovery of the family and community as partners in education.

MODULE 2 – Models of Language Learning

 The most popular  types of language program are provided in  schools are :1)languages taught as a separate subject programs2)Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)programs 3) Bilingual teaching 4)Immersion 5)LSP/ESP (Language/English for Specific Purposes) 6) Academic language teaching and International Baccalaureate

BILINGUAL TEACHING

Bilingualism   is the demonstrated ability to engage in communication via more than one language. Indians can be called “school made bilingual” as we learn English as the Second Language from school level.  It makes use of the first language in learning the second language.

LANGUAGES TAUGHT AS A SEPARATE SUBJECT

Traditionally languages are taught as a separate subject, particularly in secondary schools.

Language immersion, or simply immersion, is a method of teaching a second language in which the learners’ second language (L2) is the medium of classroom instruction. Through this method, learners study school subjects, such as math, science, and social studies, in their L2  to fosterbilingualism,

CBI  prepares students to acquire the languages while using the context of any subject matter so that students learn the language by using it within the specific context. Rather than learning a language out of context, it is learned within the context of a specific academic subject.

LSP/ESP (LANGUAGE/ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES)

Learner-centered, second/foreign language training, Needs-based, involving all stakeholders,Characterized by collaboration with workplace/content experts.TESOL: ‘Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages’ is a typical example.

LANGUAGE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (LSP)  aims to help learners establish partial competence in a given, usually work-specific, domain such as science, technology or medicine, or (more narrowly) banking, mechanical engineering or aviation.

ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL PURPOSES (EOP) is learnt by learners employed in industry sectors, focusing on the language of job performance (or preparing for identified employment opportunities) Fields: Industry sectors, government, United Nations, NGOs

CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CBLT), an approach that is based on an understanding of the value of matching content-interests to language lessons. The Canadian Civil Service developed this approach to bring civil servants to a high level of bilingual proficiency in French and English, and it has subsequently been used across many programmes.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE TEACHING : Learners study ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES (EAP)  to enter professions, focusing on the language of academic performance in specific discourse communities and  preparing for near-future identified workplace needs. Fields: Business, Engineering, Medicine, Information Technology, Law, etc.

MODULE 3 – Features and Issues of Content and  Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

David Marsh, defines CLIL   as follows, “Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) refers to any dual-focused educational context in which an additional language, thus not usually  the first language of the learners involved, is used as a medium in the teaching and learning of non language content. It is dual-focused because whereas attention may be predominantly on either subject-specific content or language, both are always accommodated.” (Marsh, 2002)

 “CLIL  is an approach in which a foreign language is used to teach certain subjects in the curriculum with the aim of developing both language skills and content knowledge”

 In CLIL  Subject  is taught   in simple, easily comprehensible ways, using diagrams, illustrations, graphs, practice and highlighting terms.  Language is taught   as  subject based vocabulary, texts and discussions.

CLIL is an umbrella term covering a dozen of educational approaches (immersion, bilingual education, multilingual education, language showers)  devoted to two main components – language and content .

Teachers  in CLIL are both sufficiently competent as teachers of the subject matter, and  competent in the language.

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL)   is a term created in 1994 by David Marsh and Anne Maljers as a curriculum innovations in Finland. It's an approach for learning content through an additional language (foreign or second), thus teaching both the subject and the language.

The Elements of a successful CLIL lesson are :a)Content b)Communication c)Cognition d)Culture. CLIL – Main Aspects are:1)Multiple focus 2)Creative  and Constructive Learning Environment  3)Authenticity  4)Active learning 5)Support structure  6)Co-operation

A  CLIL LESSON  FRAMEWORK : A CLIL lesson looks at content and language in equal measure, and often follows a four-stage framework 1) Processing the text 2)Identification and organisation of knowledge 3) Language identification 4)Tasks for students
LANGUAGE TRIPTYCH : Three interrelated types of language1) L of learning – content obligatory language related to the subject theme or topic  2)L for learning – language needed to operate in foreign language environment (for pair/ group work, asking questions, debating, etc.)  3)L through learning - new language that cannot be planned. This emerging language needs to be captured, recycled and developed so that it becomes a part of a learner’s repertoire . It is Lexical rather than grammatical approach .Language that has real purpose and is dictated by the context of the subject. Attention to collocations , semi-fixed expressions , set phrases and subject specific and academic vocabulary.  Cunks of language that can be picked up and used immediately.There is no grading for language! Learners are not afraid to make mistakes. Learner styles are taken into account

LESSON FRAMEWORK:A CLIL lesson looks at content and language in equal measure, and often follows a four-stage framework:  Processing the text, Identification and organisation of knowledge, Language identification, Tasks for students

PLANNING CLIL UNITS AND MATERIALS

planning CLIL  framework:include:  (i) Identify the topic/content to be taught  (ii) Brainstorm activities and ideas using a topic web  (iii) Use the topic web to develop learning objectives
The learning objectives need to reflect our content aims as well as the language that we need to deliver the content. The needs of the pupils, as well as the school curriculum, will shape the whole planning process             ***

 

MODULE 4 – Pedagogy of Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum

Classroom Discourses include: Processing and acquiring information, Listening and Speaking to interact, and oral and written communication  for academic purposes

Social , Cognitive and Linguistic  aspects are  present in all oral and written classroom  discourses.

Learners need: an environment that encourages risk-taking,  lessons based on themes. flexibility and  participation in role-play, drama and song activities  to learn by making and doing.

SCHEMA THEORY

 Schema theory describes how knowledge is acquired, processed and organized.

Schema theory states that all knowledge is organized into units called  schemata,where information is   stored. Schemata (plural of schema) are  mental representation for selected chunks of complex knowledge, which are then stored in the long-term memory. It is through schemata that old knowledge influences new information.

According to Brown, text comprehension and retention  depend mostly on the schemata the reader possesses. “The schemata a person already possesses are a principal determiner of what will be learned from a new text.”

Develop Metacognitive Skills

Metacognitive knowledge is about our own cognitive processes and our understanding of how to regulate those processes to maximize learning.

Some types of metacognitive knowledge would include: Content knowledge (declarative knowledge) ,Task knowledge (procedural knowledge) and Strategic knowledge (conditional knowledge).

Develop Study Skills: ‘Study ‘ means the  ‘learning’ and “learning to learn’. The five steps involed in any type of study are :SQ4R  1)Survey of materials with Questions in mind 2) Reading to locate relevant area 3) Review to go over again in mind  4)Recite(retain)  5) Retrieval.The process of meaningful study undergoes four processes: 1.perception 2.Comprehension 3.Retention(sorting and store in long term memory) 4.Retrieval (access and use when needed)The essential sub-skills  of study skills are:  1. Locating Skills 2.Gathering Skills 3.Storing Skills  4. Retrieval Skills.

MODULE 5 STRATEGY FOR TEACHING LANGUAGE  ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

Aims of LAC

·          create sensitivity to the language diversity that exists in the classrooms.

·         understand models of language teaching and learning

·         develop competence in analysing current school practices and coming up with appropriate alternatives.

·         appreciate interdisciplinary approach and relevance of classroom oral and written discourses.

·         develop strategies for using language to promote learning in the subject area. 

·         effectively prepare teaching manuals and construct achievement tests and diagnostic tests, ICT based teaching and learning.

LAC focuses on :the conventional four skills of language, viz. Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking; and all non-verbal means of representation and expression that we use when communicating. The focus is on the areas because they enhance:  knowledge acquisition, interrogation of knowledge, expression and presentation of knowledge – in the form of  oral and written discourses,  critical thinking and communicative competence.

The Learning skills  shared by all subjects in the curriculum  are: Locating information, Gathering facts,Organising information, Acquiring information - using strategies through reading, Acquiring information- setting purpose for listening, Communicating orally -speaking with accuracy and pose, and in writing with clarity and exactness, using the writing process, Interpreting pictures- cartoon analysis.  Evaluating and applying  and Writing for specific audiences and purposes. Learners need to be taught these skills and consciously, be made aware that they apply in all subjects.

Planning for LAC

• Establish learners’ prior-knowledge of new content/theme and their language ability.

• Identify new terminology and concepts.

• Structure and plan meaningful tasks and create experiences within the classroom environment for learners to acquire effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills

• Create opportunities for learners to learn how to ‘think critically about what they hear...’ and to ‘ Use oral language to gather, process and present information’ and communicating in a wide variety of social contexts to a wide variety of audiences.

• Establish strategies to manage all forms of communication to ensure all learners have fair and equitable opportunities to develop their interpersonal speaking and listening skills, e.g. large and small group discussions.

• Model approaches, processes, strategies and activities of the different language skills to enable learners to develop.

• Establish effective resources needed.

• Establish different assessment strategies, methods and tools to cater for language needs of learners.

• Establish routines for observing and recording the progress of individual learners

Assessing learning through language skills: The focus of assessment will be on a learner’s progress in understanding skills, concepts and terminology in an area of study and  progress of individual learners’ language development. Assess learner’s degree of knowledge and understanding by what they say, read or write.

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