UDP Unit 2 & 3
UNIT-2- LANGUAGE AND LITERACY IN THE
CONTEXT OF SCHOOL
2.1.A
LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT OF SCHOOL
INTRODUCTION
As teachers, we constantly strive to create a classroom environment where children are exposed to high quality language in varying forms. After all, language acquisition and its use are at the core of all the reading, writing, and communication we expect of our students. It’s not enough, however, for students to be passive observers of the language they see on word walls or hear in a read aloud. A language-rich classroom has many different layers and I believe the key to each is student engagement.
If your goal is to create a language-rich environment, student exposure to language should be meaningful, deliberate, repetitive and engaging — meaning it directly involves the students as active participants. This week I’ll share with you 12 ways I try to make my classroom an interactive, language-rich environment each and every day.
1. Read Aloud Every Day
Reading aloud and its follow-up conversation allows teachers the opportunity to help students increase vocabulary, create a shared literary experience, evoke discussion, and model fluency. I purposefully choose read-aloud books at a higher level than most of my readers in order to give them access to language they wouldn’t be able to read and understand on their own.
I stop frequently during reading to discuss author’s craft or a particular word the author has used. If I believe a word I’ve just read may be unfamiliar to most, I give an additional, more familiar meaning as well. In each book I read, we collectively select words that we like the sound of for our literature word wall. These words frequently show up in my student’s writing as well as conversation. For example, after reading James and the Giant Peach as a read aloud to start the year, the words pandemonium, chaos, and extraordinary have become regular parts of every student’s working vocabulary.
I often buy multiple copies of my read-aloud books, and they are often the most sought after books in our classroom library. My students love to read along with me as much as they like to use them for their independent reading time.
2. Use Word
Walls
Word walls are another key component of a
language-rich environment. These organized displays of words provide an
always-available visual reference for my students. Research by Robert Marzano
(2004) indicates that, ". . . students'
comprehension will increase by 33 percentile points when vocabulary instruction
focuses on specific words important to the content they are reading as opposed
to words from high-frequency lists [teaching frequently-occurring words out of
context]."
Therefore, my word walls have evolved over the years and they now
showcase subject-specific terminology. To keep students engaged, I allow them
autonomy in choosing words for our word wall. At times we generate these words
during whole group discussions, but more frequently my third
graders write new words on the wall themselves or attach a sticky note with
words they’d like added. Once a month I type up and print out the new words. To
help students make meaningful connections between words and concepts, we
frequently add small pictures or symbols to the words.
To download and print my six word wall title cards, click
any of the images below.
3. Use Anchor
Charts
Like word
walls, anchor charts serve as a visual reference of concepts that have been
taught, acting as a visible reminder of concepts, cues, and our guidelines for
learning. Posting these charts helps my students make connections to prior
learning and they serve as a scaffold as new learning takes place. I have to
admit most of my anchor charts are not beautiful, pinnable endeavors. They are messy works in progress that
result from the combined efforts of my students and me. After a time, if I
realize a chart is used consistently by my students (or if I plan to show it in
this blog!) I will recopy it so it looks a little neater. For an even better
understanding of why anchor charts are a necessary component of a language-rich
environment (and why it’s okay to have messy ones!) read Alycia Zimmerman’s
post "Anchor Charts: Academic Supports or
Print-Rich Wallpaper?"
4. Create a Diverse Classroom Library
Common Core State
Standards call for a balance of fiction and nonfiction text, however, those
genres can be present in many different forms. Fill your libraries with a
variety of picture and chapter books, magazines, graphic novels, travelogues —
whatever you can find, at varying levels. The more materials students have
available, the more likely they are to read, thereby increasing the amount of
language they are exposed to. Read about how I completely changed the way I let
students choose and use their reading material last year to promote lifelong
readers in my post, "Rethinking the Book Box." For ideas on how to organize
your classroom library check out Zimmerman’s post, "Organizing My Classroom Library . . .
Again!" and my
post from last year, "Simple Solutions for an Organized
Classroom Library."
5. Put Language in Unexpected
Places
Exposing students to
language frequently and systematically is important in a language-rich
environment. Our school has embraced the importance of repetitively exposing
our students to language, not only in the classroom, but everywhere! Our entire
school serves as a great example of students finding language in unexpected
places. Because we have nearly30 different languages
spoken as first languages in our school of 500 students, you can often find
words affixed to everyday items to help our English learners as well as our
burgeoning readers. Inspirational quotes have been painted all around the
building by our building principal. Students often stop to read the wording on
the quilts that are created annually.
Our school’s reading committee chooses a
different word each month to highlight that students find in the most
unexpected places — the bathroom, tables, in the hallway, the lunch line, etc.
These words and their meanings are viewed consistently while they are up, and
students eagerly await the next round each month.
6. Search for Awesome Language While Reading
During readers workshop I frequently use mentor text and point
out different ways language is used by the author. When my students have
independent reading immediately following our mini-lesson, they are tasked with
looking for similar examples of language. Armed with a reading response sheet
or an arsenal of sticky notes, they jot down any sentences or phrasing they
feel deserves the title awesome.
Afterwards we sort them into categories such as language that show rich detail
or emotion, is easy to visualize, or uses a simile or metaphor. I find this
activity has students paying closer attention to the details in the story,
boosting their comprehension as well as their knowledge of author’s craft.
7.
Encourage Awesome Language in Writing
Many times over the years I have told my students to use “descriptive language” in their writing. Those were the times I had the same inspiring effect on my students as Charlie Brown’s teacher, Wah-Wha-wa-Wha-wa-wa. These days, I show my students what really great language in their writing looks and sounds like by using mentor text. Of course I allow my students to become mentors as well. We even keep a chart during our writers workshop for students to share what they felt were the most awesome sentences they wrote that day. This simple chart is the greatest motivator in my classroom. Students have really attempted to use language creatively in their writing just to have a great sentence they think will evoke ooohs and ahhs from their classmates.
To be completely inspired in your use of mentor text to improve
your student’s writing, Zimmerman's post, "Using Mentor Texts to Empower
Student Authors" is a must read.
8.
Play with Words
In my classroom, it
seems like everything, including practicing word skills, is more fun and
engaging as soon as you attach the word “game” to it. Students enjoy practicing
words during word study using the vocabulary function of Spelling City and with
the many interactive whiteboard games that can be found at Smart Exchange. Be sure to check out Beth
Newingham’s Spin-a-Word and Candy Land SMART Notebook files. When
students finish early they can always use their “free” time on the computer or
tablet playing interactive games at Merriam
Webster’s Word Central or
on our class website where there are a variety of word games from Scholastic, ABCYa.com, Funbrainand more. During indoor recess, students
enjoy board games like Scrabble, Boggle, Balderdash, Spell-Up and even old
standbys like hangman and Pictionary. When words become play, the students eat
them up!
9.
Find New Ways to Say Old Things
Each week we choose a
word that is overused and I challenge my third graders to think of synonyms that
could be used instead to “spice up” their writing. They love adding their spicy
words to the chart paper as they think of them or encounter them in their
reading. I type up the words and post them so students can use them all year
long in their writing. I always tell my students, Words like "said," aren't dead, they're just very, very
tired!
10.
Engage Your Students in Daily Conversations
To put it simply,
talk to your students. Interpersonal communication requires students to use all
the language you have been working to help them acquire in a natural,
unstructured manner. Conversation is also a skill I fear is slipping away as
technology takes over our lives. Glancing around a restaurant a couple of
months ago, I noticed the majority of couples, and even entire families not
talking to each other over dinner, but instead mesmerized by the hypnotic glow
of their phones and tablets. Embarrassingly enough, my family wasn’t exempt
from this group. I made it a goal this school year to talk to every one of my
students at least once each day — not about school, but about them. As a
result, I know more about my students than ever before and they can usually
hardly wait to tell me a story about something, anything, when they walk
through the door in the morning or during recess.
I’ve also built in
time for students to have short exchanges with each other when we gather on the
carpet for our mini-lessons. My third graders engage each other in
conversation, practicing skills we’ve modeled like making eye contact,
talking to and not at someone, appropriate responses,
etc. The few minutes I dedicate to the art of conversation each day is well
worth the difference I notice in my students’ confidence and conversational
skills.
11.
Speak Like an Adult
When I read aloud to
my third graders, I don’t read like a third grader. Instead, I read like an
adult, using appropriate intonation and expression. I know this modeling will
help my students become fluent, expressive readers. That same logic applies to
how I speak to my students in the classroom — I use proper words and terms even
if they might seem over the head of my students. I believe it is very important
to use correct words and terminology if you want your students to learn and use
them properly. Simply stated, if I want their vocabulary to rise up to my
level, I don’t go down to theirs.
12. Involve the Parents
Language acquisition
starts in the home and most parents would love to learn how they can create a
language-rich environment for their students at home. At conferences and in
newsletters or phone calls, share with your parents what they can do at home to
create a language-rich environment for their children. Scholastic Parents has many great articles on bolstering language skills that
you can share with parents. Two of my favorites are "The Power of Language" and "Helping Children Build Language Skills."
Providing an
evironment filled with language at every turn is important to me. This week
I've shared a few of the things in my students' school environment, and there
are even more. I would love to hear what you are doing in your classroom to
provide your students with a language-rich environment. Please share in the
comment section below.
2.1 B.The Varied nature of Indian Classrooms;
2.1 Varied Nature of Indian classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a learning space, a room in which both children and adults learn. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, from preschools to universities, and may also be found in other places where education or training is provided, such as corporations and religious and humanitarian organizations. The classroom attempts to provide a space where learning can take place uninterrupted by outside distractions.
For lessons that require specific resources or a vocational approach, different types of classrooms both indoors and outdoors are used. This allows for learning in an authentic context that fosters the natural development of the particular vocational skill.[1] This is known as situated learning. Classrooms can range from small groups of five or six to big classrooms with hundreds of students. A large class room is also called a lecture hall. A few examples of classrooms are computer labs which are used for IT lessons in schools, gymnasiums for sports, and science laboratories for biology, chemistry and physics. There are also small group classrooms where students learn in groups of about 7 or less.
Most classrooms have a large writing
surface where the instructor or students can share notes with other members of
the class. Traditionally, this was in the form of a blackboard but these are
becoming less common in well-equipped schools because of new alternatives like
flipcharts, whiteboards and interactive whiteboards. Many classrooms also have
TVs, maps, charts, pencils, books, monographs and LCD projectors for presenting
information and images from a computer.
The Classroom of the Future is an education
. The buildings have roughly three classrooms in them, which contain enough
laptops or tablet computers for each person. The classrooms are designed to be
environmentally friendly. The buildings contain toilets which use rainwater,
and use windturbines and solar panels for electricity and heating.
Decor and design
The layout, design and decor of the
classroom has a significant effect upon the quality of the educational
experience.[3] Attention to the acoustics and colour scheme may reduce
distractions and aid concentration. The lighting and furniture likewise
influence factors such as student attention span.[4] Historically, relatively
few pupil-centric design principles were used in the construction of
classrooms. In 19th century one of the
few common considerations was to try and orient new buildings so the class
windows faced north as much as possible, while avoiding west or southern facing
windows, light causes less glare.[5] Desks were often arranged in columns and
rows, with a teacher’s desk at the front, where he or she would stand and
lecture the class. Little color was used for fear of distracting the children.
In the 1950s and 60s cheap and harsh fluorescent lights were sometimes used,
which could cause eyestrain. Research has suggested that optimal use of
daylight, acoustics, color selection and even the arrangement of the furniture
in the classroom can affect pupils academic success.[citation needed]
In the design of a classroom, desk
arrangements are essential to the decor and design of the classroom followed by
seat
In the design of a classroom, desk arrangements are
essential to the decor and design of the classroom followed by seating
arrangements for the students. Usually classroom desks are arranged in rows or
columns, but there are many more ways to arrange the desks, for example making
a circle with the desks so that it's more of a group discussion or having the
desks in a "U" shape for group discussions and easy access for the
teacher. Color is also a big asset to the classroom by realating the colors to
the subjects learned in the classroom to help the students learn. Also color
helps the atmosphere be fun and exciting and help visual stimulation for the
students.
Acoustics
The
acoustics of the classroom are very often overlooked, but are an important part
of the success of a child. Choosing only materials that cause sound to
reverberate, such as tile floors and hard wall surfaces, greatly increases
noise levels and can prove detrimental to learning. One study of hyperactive
versus control groups of children found that white noise has no impact on
either group, but that auditory stimulation such as distant conversations or
music has a negative effect on both groups of students. Children with attention
deficit disorder scored higher on tests when white noise was being pumped into
the classroom than when music was played. The control group of children as well
as the hyperactive group of children averaged the same test scores when there
was no sound as when white noise was being played.[7]
By utilizing soft surfaces, especially on the floor, the sounds within and outside of the classroom will be diminished, taking away from the distractions facing students and improving not just the test scores of hyperactive children, but those without attention deficit disorder as well. Although carpet is an obvious choice for sound absorption, it may not be suitable for high traffic areas like hallways. In such cases, other sound absorbing materials, such as cork, can be used. The use of sound absorbing ceiling tiles may also be a wise choice for areas where carpet cannot be used for practical purposes.
Color selection
Color theory
refers to the psychological effects color has on the human body. Red is said to
increase both aggression and appetite, a poor combination for a school’s
interior. Yellow increases adrenaline levels and is also undesirable for a
school setting. Blue, green, and brown create a relaxing and calming
environment, which is a positive for the classroom.[8]However, blue also is associated with
cold and sadness and elongates the sense of time, which would make a blue
classroom tortuous for students (Vodvarka, 1999). Warm colors are often favored
by students, making them more alert and increasing brain activity, which helps
in increasing test scores. Cool colors had the opposite effect.[9] By balancing warm and cool colors,
bright and subdued, a pleasing effect can be achieved that will reduce
absenteeism in schools and keep the students focused on what the teacher is
saying. Test scores go up when children are not in a stark white environment,
which can feel sterile and cold.[10][11]
Furniture arrangement
Furniture is
an important aspect because students spend most of their time seated in the
classroom. The furniture should be able to move and easy to arrange to allow
students to sit in places that are best suited for their learning styles.[12]
Traditionally, classrooms have had one setup: straight
rows of desks facing the front of the classroom. The row style allows teachers
ample amount of space to walk around.[13] This makes it easier for teachers
to supervise the students work and catch any students that may be misbehaving,
insuring that students stay focused. Studies have found that the row style also
fosters less off topic talking causing the atmosphere to be more conducive to
learning.[14] While the row style sounds ideal
from a teacher’s stand point it can be damaging to the student’s well being.
The row style of desk arrangement has been found to cause the students to
withdraw.[15]
The final popular desk arrangement is the circle/semicircle placement. This particular desk setup is growing in popularity due to the numerous positive outcomes it provides. The circle desk arrangement facilitates the flow of ideas by fostering positive group dynamics.[13] When sitting in a circle it is easier for students to not only see who is talking, but to make eye contact with the speaker. Students sitting in a circle arrangement tend to feel more comfortable speaking up and asking questions.[14] This style of desk placement also makes it easier for teachers to control the class, preventing misbehaving and off task comments as it allows them to e asily see all the students, and allows all the students to see the teacher.[13]
Challenges to the classroom
Online learning technologies make it possible
for learning to take place at any time, at any place, and at any pace that the
learner desires. This is particularly important for adult students who may need
to schedule their learning around work and parenting
responsibilities.] However, critics argue that even the classroom space is
full of distractions in the 21st century since even though access to the online
world may be restricted by some institutions, students may find distractions in
their physical vicinity and so tend to multitask and divide their attention
without focusing on any one task at a time
& achieved.
2.2.A LANGUAGE LEARNER`S PROFILE
Our learners strive
for personal excellence and to be:
1.Researcher
They develop their
natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and
research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and
this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.
2.Knowledgeable
They explore concepts,
ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they
acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and
balanced range of disciplines.
3.Thinkers
They exercise
initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognise
and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.
4.Communicators
They understand and
express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one
language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and
willingly in collaboration with others.
5.Principled
They act with
integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for
the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility
for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.
6.Open-minded
They understand and
appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the
perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They
are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are
willing to grow from the experience.
7.Caring
They show empathy,
compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a
personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the
lives of others and to the environment.
8.Risk-takers
They approach
unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have
the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are
brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.
9.Balanced
They understand the
importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal
well-being for themselves and others.
10.Reflective
They give thoughtful
consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and
understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning
and personal development.
2.2 LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT AT HOME
INTRODUCTION
Parents play a critical role in a child's
language development. Studies have shown that children who are read to and
spoken with a great deal during early childhood will have larger vocabularies
and better grammar than those who aren't. Here are some simple ways to nurture
your baby's language development.
1. Talk, talk, talk. Narrate the day
as it evolves. Tell your child, for instance, "Now we're going to take a
bath. Can you feel the warm water on your belly? When we dry off, we'll get dressed
and take a walk."
2. Read, read, read. It's never too
early to read to your baby. One good predictor of future reading success is the
amount of time parents spend reading with their child. Parents can start with
simple board books and graduate to picture books and longer stories as their
child gets older. Story times at the local library or bookstore can also help a
preschooler develop a love of books.
3. Enjoy music together. Young
children love music and movement. When they listen to lively songs, like
"Old McDonald Had a Farm," they learn about the world around them and
the rhythm of language.
4. Tell stories. Make up elaborate
stories with characters, conflict, adventure, and a happy ending. Be sure that
the stories fit your child's interests and aren't too scary for her liking.
5. Follow your child's lead. If your
little one seems interested in a particular picture in a book, keep talking about it. If she seems
intrigued by a boat, show her more boats and talk about them, too. Repeat her
babbles back to her, ask questions, and interact with her. You can even try
recording your child on a tape recorder and playing it back.
6. Never criticize your child's articulation
or speech patterns. Instead, repeat his statements back to him with
the correct pronunciation or word usage. Give your child lots of praise for his
efforts.
7. Use television and computers sparingly. The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 2 not
watch television at all, and that children 2 and older view no more than two
hours of quality programming a day. While some educational programs can be
beneficial to kids, TV shows don't interact with or respond to children, which
are the two catalysts kids need to learn language. Computer games are
interactive, but they aren't responsive to a child's ideas.
8. Treat ear infections thoroughly. Children
in group child-care situations are more prone to ear infections, which can put
them at risk for hearing loss and, consequently, language delays. If your
pediatrician prescribes an antibiotic to treat an infection, make sure your
child takes the correct dosage each day and uses it for the full prescribed
time. When your child finishes the prescription, schedule a follow-up visit
with your pediatrician to make sure the infection has cleared.
9.Go on field trips. A trip to the
zoo, the aquarium, or a children's museum will open up a whole new world for
your child. As an added bonus, she'll want to learn the names of
all those fascinating creatures and fun activities she experienced.
10.Encourage your
child to give directions. Follow his or her directions as he or she
explains how to build a tower of blocks
11.Label It
Labeling an object or activity is one way of helping children learn the names of objects and actions in their world. When children hear adults use labels for objects or actions, they have an opportunity to learn about how words are used and may be more likely to use the same words when trying to communicate with others. Adults can help children learn the names of objects or activities by focusing on one object or activity at a time.
2.3 Characterizing bilingualism and multilingualism
2.3 Characterizing bilingualism and
multilingualism:
The knowledge of several languages is
nowadays indispensable for university education, cultural and social life, and
it often becomes the prerequisite for employment. A bilingual is not a person who
knows two languages equally well. Such people are rare.
Bilingualism
is defined as the ability to build understandable utterances in any of the
languages
known. So, language learners are also considered bilingual. Bilingualism is the
ability of
an individual or the members of a community to use two languages effectively.
Because of
the consequences of colonization, migration, nation-formation, traditions of
exogamy, and
modernization, some degree of bilingualism is typical of most people in the
world. Bilingualism is a feature not just of individuals, but also of
societies. Societies in which two languages are used regularly, or in which
more than one language has official status or a recurrent functions, can be
called bilingual. For example, Canada is a bilingual
country
because French and English are both official languages, even though many
citizens of Canada are monolingual English speakers. Saudi Arabia is also a
bilingual society, asmost Saudis speak both Arabic and English, though English
has no official status. The nature of individual bilingualism is quite
different in different communities–there are those where bilingualism is the
norm for all educated citizens.
Bilingualism
is often the product of second language (L2) learning after the first language
(L1) has
been acquired–either through no tutored exposure or through instruction.
Individuals
can become bilingual at any age, depending on when the need to learn the L2
emerges or
when instruction becomes available. In some cases, though, bilingualism is a
characteristic
of a child's earliest language system. For example, children growing up in
bilingual
households–where both parents speak two languages regularly, or where each
parent
speaks a different language–are typically bilingual from the very beginning of
language
acquisition.
Multilingualism:
Multilingualism is the use of more than
one language, either by an
individual
speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingualism is the ability of an
individual
speaker or a community of speakers to communicate effectively in three or
more
languages. Contrast with monolinguals, the ability to use only one language. A
person who
can speak multiple languages is known as a polyglot or a multilingual.
Indian
multilingualism dates back historically to ancient times when ethnic groups and
races came
in contact with one another through migration from one region to another.
Although
political compulsions and social re-structuring might have contributed a little
to
its growth,
multilingualism in India was largely a product of close contact between the
four language families from the earliest recorded history. This contact had
resulted in the growth of India as a linguistic area with certain common
features. Co-existence of many languages, races, cultures, and religions has
been the essence of Indian heritage. In contrast to this, language uniformity
is considered necessary for the economic development in the West. To dissolve
the linguistic diversities in the melting pot, and accepting exclusively the
dominant language for all purposes such as education, law, administration, and
mass communication, is not truly an Indian model. Bilingualism and
Multilingualism Interference or Bridge: The Indian education system is truly
multilingual in its character. The Bombay Municipal Corporation runs primary
schools in nine languages. The Karnataka State runs primary schools in eight
languages. The secondary schools in West Bengal give their students the option
to choose from 14 languages. The three-language formula widely in the country
aims at developingand strengthening the multilingual character of our
educational system.There are many problems in implementing the three-language
formula. For example, there is no reference to the mother tongue or home
language in the formula. There is no reference to the classical languages and
foreign languages. Tamilnadu teaches only Tamil and English, and Gujarat
follows it with Gujarati and Hindi. Many Hindi states substitute Sanskrit, a
classical language for a modern Indian language. With the expanded version of
the eighth schedule of the constitution, more languages are added to the mix,
but there is hardly any improvement in the situation.There are 500 Central
Schools with the bilingual medium consisting of English and Hindi. There is
also a compulsory language, Sanskrit, in addition. There are 500 Navodaya
Vidyalayas where some competence is English and Hindi is imparted
simultaneously. But the students who graduate from these schools go to the
English medium colleges, because there is no college in the country that offers
a bilingual medium of instruction. The Indian education system blocks
multilingualism as one move into higher education. Srivastava (1994) writes
about the Hindi region in India,This region attests two types of bilingualism,
where literacy and fluency in both languages are aimed at, but wherein first
language is restricted to the topics related to the social sciences and the
second language to the science subjects. ... (Mono-literate form of
bilingualism) is confined primarily to the preschool children of village
school; the partial type of bilingual education has been the general norm of
pre-university education system. (At the university level) a partial type of
bilingualism (is practiced), where in the second language replaces the first
language in all subjects of formal teaching programs.
Interference
is a general problem that occurs in bilingualism. There are many factors that
contribute
interference (Weinrich, 1970:64-65): First, speaker bilingualism background.
Bilingualism is the major factor of interference as the speaker is influenced
by both of the source and the target language. Indonesia’s student who is
Javanese and is studying good Bahasa tends to put his Javanese language into
Indonesia. Look the example, ‘Andi, apakah kamu bisa mengerjakan soal
matematikaini?” tanya guru. Then Andi answered, “Tidak bisa, Bu Guru, lha wong
itu angel.” Theimpression of ‘lha wong’ is usual in Javanese cultural insight.
The word ‘angel’ means difficult in Bahasa, the student should reply his
teacher with “Tidak bisa, Bu Guru, soalnyasulit’. Regarding this condition, the
student is a second grade of elementary school. Second, disloyalty to target
language. Disloyalty to target language will cause negative attitude. This will
lead to disobedience to target language structure and further force the
bilingualism to put uncontrolled structure of his first language elements to
output in practicing words utterances both oral and written. Students whose
language background of TL is limited tend to put words in sentences or oral in
structure and sense of first language. For example is occurred in Face book
status made by an Indonesian, “So must to spirit.”While the correct sentence is
“I must keep spirit.” Third, the limited vocabularies of TL mastered by a
learner. Vocabularies of certain language mostly are about words of
surroundings connected to life. Thus, a learner who is willing to master
another language will meet new words differ from his native words. In order to
be able to speak as natives of TL, vocabularies take a big role. The more
vocabularies
someone has, the better he masters TL. Foreign language learner will try to
put
deliberately his native word to state some points when he cannot find the best
words of
TL. For
example, when an Indonesian wants to mention‘rambutan’, he stills mention
‘rambutan’
when he speaks in English. Since there is no English word for ‘rambutan’.
Fourth,
needs of synonym. Synonym in language usage plays an important role as word
chosen variation
in order not to repeat similar word during the communication process
(redundancy).
Implementing synonym in a language contact will contribute to interference
in the form
of adoption and borrowing of new words from SL to TL. Thus, need of
synonym for
certain word from SL to TL is seemingly aimed to intensify meaning.
Fifth,
prestige and style. Applying unfamiliar words (foreign words) during a
communication
practice
which dominant words are languages of both speaker and receiver is something
else. Those
unfamiliar words usage is aimed to get a pride. Interference will appear as
there
are certain
words even though the receiver probably cannot catch the real idea of the
speech. The
usual unfamiliar words usage will become a style of the user. Unfortunately,
the user
sometimes does not understand the real meaning whether the meaning is
denotative
or
connotative. The common feature is that many language users put derivational
affix –
ization in
every word. To note, affix –ization is an adopting and borrowing process from
English to
state nouns.
According to
Lott (1983: 258 -259), there are three factors that cause the interference:
1. The
Interlingua factor
Interlingua
transfer is a significant source for language learners. This concept comes from
contrastive
analysis of behaviouristic school of learning. It stresses upon the negative
interference
of mother tongue as the only source of errors. The construction – ‘I like to
read’ is
uttered as ‘I read to like’ by many Hindi speakers. In Hindi, the verb is pre-
positioned
while in English it is post positioned. This type of error is the result of
negative
transfer of
L1 rules to L2 system.
Commonly,
errors are caused by the differences between the first and the second language.
Such a
contrastive analysis hypothesis occurs where structures in the first language
which
are
different from those in the second language produce the errors reflecting the
structure
of first
language. Such errors were said to be due to the influence of learners’ first
language
habits on
second language production (Dulay et. al, 1982: 97).
Corder in
Richard (1967: 19) says that errors are the result of interference in learning
a
second
language from the habits of the first language. Because of the difference in
system
especially grammar,
the students will transfer their first language into the second language
by using
their mother tongue system.
2. The over
extension of analogy
Usually, a
learner has been wrong in using a vocabulary caused by the similarity of the
element
between first language and second language, e.g. the use of cognate words (the
same form of
word in two languages with different functions or meanings). The example
is the using
of month and moon. Indonesian learners may make a mistake by using month
to say moon
in the space.
3. Transfer of structure
There are two types of transfer according
to Dulay et.al (1982: 101), positive transfer and
negative
transfer. Negative transfer refers to those instances of transfer, which result
in
error
because old habitual behavior is different from the new behavior being learned.
On
the
contrary, positive transfer is the correct utterance, because both the first
language and second language have the same structure, while the negative
transfer from the native language is called interference. Interference is the
deviation of target language as a result of their familiarity with more than
one language. Dulay et.al (1982: 98) differentiates interference into two
parts, the psychological and sociolinguistic. The psychological refers to the
influence of old habits when new ones are being learned, whereas
sociolinguistic refers to interactions of language
when two
language communities are in contact. Therefore students will find it difficult
in
mastering
the second language due to the interference, which is influenced by old habit,
familiar
with mother tongue and interaction of two languages in the communities.
C. Effects of Language Interference
The
background of L1 for learning L2 has both advantages and disadvantages. The
factor
of ‘language
universal’ helps in learning. All languages have tense system, number, gender,
plural etc.
This helps the learner in identifying these areas in the target language. But
the
interference
of L1 in L2 leads to errors. One of the assumptions of the contrastive analysis
hypothesis
was that learners with different L1s would learn a L2 in different ways, as a
result of
negative transfer imposing different kinds of difficulty.
Interference
may be viewed as the transference of elements of one language to another at
various
levels including phonological, grammatical, lexical and orthographical
(Berthold,
Mangubhai
& Batorowicz, 1997). Berthold et al (1997) define phonological interference
as items
including foreign accent such as stress, rhyme, intonation and speech sounds
from
the first
language influencing the second. Grammatical interference is defined as the
first
language
influencing the second in terms of word order, use of pronouns and
determinants,
tense and
mood. Interference at a lexical level provides for the borrowing of words from
one language
and converting them to sound more natural in another and orthographic
interference
includes the spelling of one language altering another.
The most
common source of error is in the process of learning a foreign language, where
the native
tongue interferes; but interference may occur in the other contact situations
(as
in
multilingualism). In learning L1 certain habits of perceiving and performing
have to be
established
and the old habits tend to intrude and interfere with the learning, so that the
students may
speak L2 (or FL) with the intonation of his L1 or the word order of his L1
and so on.
2.4.1School`s Expectations
1.Develop a
love for learning.
2.Be the
best they can be in all areas of school life: academic, social, emotional and
physical development.
3.Make
excellent progress in everything they do so that they can grow and develop to
their full potential.
4.To
continually celebrate and feel proud of their achievements.
5.Feel
happy, safe and healthy.
6.Develop
enquiring and creative minds.
7.Provide a
nurturing and friendly ethos where children are respected and valued and
8.where individual needs are recognised and supported.
9.Provide
a high quality, challenging, stimulating and personalised
education for all of its pupils.
10.Provide a
broad, balanced, creative and innovative curriculum that inspires, challenges
and develops a love of learning and one which meets individual needs.
11.Foster a
climate within which pupils’ spiritual and moral development will form the
basis by which they will mature into responsible citizens.
12.Build a strong sense of community through sharing and living out a set of values, encouraging all involved in the school to be caring, tolerant, honest, hardworking and self-disciplined.
13.Ensure
that children attend school regularly and on time.
14.Become
actively involved in their child’s learning, both at home and at school.
15. The quality of teaching should be high
16.The
teachers should be wonderful. what they are teaching and should have an
idea of how it should be taught as well.
17. The curriculum, learning structure is
to be a good one. The course’s structure should be in such a way that the kid’s
considered it competitive and to sustain their recognition in such competition
they work too hard.
18. The expenses of school of all types
must be as far as possible less one.
19. The sports program It is supposed to keep
students fit and healthy. As long as schools had various options to choose from
in this regard.
20. The extracurricular activities are
really important. These activities do play a major role in helping build team
spirit among students and bring out talents and capabilities that even the
students are not aware of.
21. The facilities on offer as far as
schools are concerned must have compact spaces. The rooms should ideally be
spotless and they should be full of artwork as well. The classrooms should also
be big enough for the small students that would populate them. In the high
schools, the facilities should be as good as the colleges if not better.
22. The libraries these days, the libraries
should be nothing short of state of the art centers for digital learning. They
should have all the right tools that help it make easy for students to do
research.
23. The role played by parents the schools
should facilitate the active involvement of parents in the development of their
kids. This is something that parents want very dearly these days. The school
should let them pitch in with their ideas that help them contribute to the
development of their kids.
24. The school’s reputation
This is highly important for the parents and there are several reasons for the same. If the school has operated for years and ran programs that have proven to be successful over the years it is a great thing for the parents. They would know that their kids are in great hands.
2.4.2 Views Relating to Child`s Home
Language
Introduction
In 1999, UNESCO proclaimed February 21 as
International Mother Language Day to promote cultural diversity and
multilingualism across the globe. With more and more global citizens becoming
bilingual or multilingual, early childhood research shows that many immigrants are slowly
losing their native language proficiency while they are becoming linguistically
assimilated into English-speaking societies.
Definition
1.A home
language is a language (or the variety of a language) that is most commonly spoken by the
members of a family for everyday interactions at home. Also called
the family language or the language of the home.
2.Mother
tongue is a traditional term for a person's native language—that is, a languagelearned from birth. Also called
a first language, dominant language, home language, and native
tongue
3. In most cases, the term native
language refers to the language that a person acquires in early
childhood because it is spoken in the family and/or it is the language of the
region where the child lives. Also known as a mother tongue, first language,
or arterial language.
1.Home languages make the curriculum more accessible for pupils new to
English Newly
arrived pupils may initially have very little knowledge of English language and
encouraging them to use their home language may be a very useful strategy for
ensuring that they participate in some way in school activities. Older pupils
may have literacy skills in their home language and can therefore use it for
writing, whilst they develop English Literacy skills, or they can read a book
at an appropriate level in their home language in a quiet reading session for
example.
2. What is learned in one language is easily
transferred to another language. If pupils have previous educational
experience then they may already have been taught about topics being covered at
school. Even without previous educational experiences some concepts will be
familiar to them. If pupils with EAL already understand a particular curriculum
concept, they may simply need to transfer the understanding into the new
language. Being able to express knowledge in their home language, even if it is
just telling someone else the name of an object or concept, will help to give
pupils a ‘hook’ on which to attach the new English word.
3. Supporting children’s home
language enhances their cognitive and language development Research shows that bilingual or
multilingual pupils perform better than their monolingual peers, so encouraging
the continuation of home language use for EAL pupils will support their
academic achievement.
4. Time spent on the home language will not
damage the development of proficiency in English Pupils will not be delayed
in their English language development if they are encouraged to use their home
language. Research shows that continuing to use home languages alongside their
new language acquisition will make the process of learning English faster and
easier.
5. There is a positive effect on
learner’s identity, self – concept and selfesteem which
increases their chances of successful learning If home languages are valued and
celebrated within the school environment then this sends a powerful message to
pupils about their identity. If they feel that their previous experiences of
life and learning are not valued within school then this will only hinder their
language acquisition. Valuing pupils’ home languages will increase their
chances of successful learning.
6. Children need
to hear their parents or carers speaking their home language.Children will
gain a much richer experience of language from a parent or carer speaking their
home language than if they are hearing an adult tentatively trying to use
English. Parents should be encouraged to keep using the language which is most
natural to them with their children.
7. Encouraging use of home languages will be a positive experience for other pupils. Children generally find language learning easier than adults and opportunities to learn some of another pupil’s home language will be a positive experience for all. It will enhance their understanding of how languages function and begin to equip them with a new and valuable skill, in addition to helping them to empathise with the new arrival in their classroom.
8.To strengthen your cultural
identity and family ties Maintaining your first language is critical to your identity and
contributes to a positive self-concept. The Intercultural Development Research
Association (IDRA)
reiterates that continuing to study your mother tongue after childhood helps
you learn how to value your culture and heritage. For parents, keeping your
first language alive at home teaches children to take pride in their culture
and roots.
In terms of its value in social
interactions, speaking your first language can strengthen ties with family
members. If the native language isn’t maintained, important links to family
members may be lost. Parents of young children should encourage using their
first language to prepare the child to interact with their native-language
community.
Researchers cite that when parents are
unable to communicate well with their children, they cannot easily convey to
them their values, beliefs, or advice on how to cope with their experiences.
Clear communication helps parents impart their wisdom to their children and
enable them to become the kind of men and women they want them to be. When
parents can’t socialize and influence their children due to language barriers,
families could lose the intimacy that comes from shared beliefs and understanding.
9.To master other languages Language learners need continuous
intellectual development. When young learners who are not yet fluent in English
speak only in English, they are functioning at a lower intellectual level.
However, when parents and children communicate with each other using the
language they know best, they are working at their actual level of intellectual
maturity.
10.To broaden your horizons For global citizens or migrants who
plan to return to their home country in the future, better employment
opportunities are available if you remain fluent in your first language.
Communicating and dealing with local colleagues and clients will be easier,
too.
Finally, native-language proficiency could
also help supplement your income by becoming a part- or full-time translator,
interpreter or teacher. For instance, as a Gengo translator, you can earn extra
income by translating texts into your native language, from anywhere in the
world. Teaching your native language in schools or universities overseas could
also be a rewarding and enriching experience.
2.4.3.Literacy Practices
Research increasingly shows it is
important for parents to continue developing their child’s first language
because:
1.Your
children will learn English more effectively if they continue to develop their
first language at the same time so that they become truly bilingual.
2.Bilingual
learners’ brains are more flexible as they are able to store and access
information in two languages using both sides of their brain simultaneously.
3.Bilingual
learning particularly develops memory, concentration, multitasking, creativity,
problem solving. These skills can be very useful for the development
of language and mathematical skills.
4.Evidence
now shows that bilingual learners are overall better in academic performance
than monolingual learners.
5.Speak in
your first language! You are the best model for your child to develop strong
vocabulary, proper grammar, and natural communication skills. If one parent’s
first language is English, then speak English to your child whilst the
other parent speaks his/her first language so that both languages are being
developed equally
6.Sing
songs, tell stories and share books in your first language
7.Watch TV
or movies in your first language and talk about them
8.Talk
together in your first language at meal times, family outings, and family
celebrations
9.Stay in
touch with family and friends by talking together on Skype or writing emails
10.Read
first language books and encourage writing in the first language
11.Read the
assignment in English. Discuss the assignment and any new vocabulary in
your first language
12.Talk
about the instructions in your first language
13.Have your
child complete the assignment in English. Switching between languages is good
for the brain and shows a better understanding of the concepts.
14.For those
children whose first language is English, being brought up in international
settings is a great opportunity to help them develop a second language.
Conclusion
Finally, we at schools can do our job by making our students proficient in the English language but we would ask you to work in partnership with us and make your children equally able in their first language and help them to become bilingual.
UNIT-III
LANGUAGE PROCESSES AND CLASSROOM CONTEXT
3.3
Space for “risk taking”
Introduction
Have you ever observed what your students’
attitudes are toward ideas and actions that are new, difficult, or complicated?
Many students
may be conservative learners – they worry about grades and want to “play it
safe”, they don’t imagine different options, or they have low confidence that
impacts their willingness to try new things.
Have you ever
considered that your teaching or grading practices may undermine students in
taking the intellectual risks that are crucial to learning?
To encourage academic risk-taking behavior and create an environment that views failure as a possible means to success, the following suggestions may help:
1.Model academic risk-taking behavior:
Showing students examples of valuable risk-taking helps them move beyond a standardized-test mindset. Students should be encouraged to take academic risks when they are learning and through formative assessment. An environment where the fear of failing is only seen as the next step in success motivates and increases student learning and achievement.
2.Encourage peer-based learning:
Students are more willing to expose uncertainty and try out new ideas with a few peers than in the classroom. Think-Pair-Share (TPS) exercises can help students find the confidence to take a risk. TPS allows students to pose questions, provides time for individual thought and a time to discuss possible answers with a peer, and then ask for shared answers. TPS exercises can increase both student interaction and academic risk-taking behavior.
3.Start with low thresholds and allow for
flexibility:
Not all students have the same level of tolerance to risk. You can scaffold risk-taking behavior, beginning with risks most students can participate in before you move to more complex tasks. Actively encourage, model, and support academic risk-taking actions to help students to increase their level of risk tolerance.
4.Reward academic risk-taking:
If you truly believe in academic risk
taking, examine the practices in your classroom to make certain they align to
the risk-taking actions. Be careful not to send mixed messages through your
classroom activities and grading. Many students will decide that it’s better to
be safe and right than to take a chance and possibly being wrong.
For most summative assessments, errors are
not rewarded, but in formative assessment errors can be a powerful means to
learning. The Georgia Milestones rubrics allow for students to demonstrate
their knowledge in different ways. Students receive credit for what they
correctly present – it is not a deficit scoring process.
Think about
the Olympics – divers earn higher scores for difficult dives that may not be
performed perfectly than the divers who perfectly performed easy dives. It is
the rigor or complexity of the dive that is considered in the scoring.
Risk-taking and obtaining the right answer
can appear to be contradictory goals for students in your classrooms. The time
for students to “not play it safe” is during your formative instructional and
assessment time – it is during the process of learning.
If we want our students to take risks in
their learning, we need to create classrooms in which academic risk taking is
encouraged and is a part of the learning process.
B.Reading: Engaging With Books of different Types
INTRODUCTION
My first year teaching, I took a class
that had been created with the expectation of hiring a new teacher, and I inherited
a lot of books from another teacher in the building. It was so generous of her
to share her classroom library with me so that I had something to offer my
students. Those books filled a few shelves at the back of the room, and
throughout that first year I did my best to add to it.
But…that teacher, while kind-hearted and
well-meaning, gave me those books because they were not received well by
her own students, and they remained cast-offs in my classroom. They were old,
but not classics, and well worn with smudged-off pictures from
children making an attempt to get through just the first few pages before
completely losing interest. Most of the books I had never heard of, let alone
read myself.
This was not a classroom library I could
be proud of, nor was it one I could direct my students to when they were in
need of something to read.
So I sorted through those books with a
critical hand and replaced them with newer, or at least classic, books I knew
would be of interest to my students. Books I had read myself so I could help my
students use my classroom library, rather than allowing it to continue to lay
abandoned. Books by award-winning authors as well as books by newer
authors trying to break ground. Books of a variety
of content, difficulty, and length.
It was a slow process, replacing all those
hand-me-down books with high-quality reading material, but well worth the time
and money. (Because we all know that classroom libraries are built out of the
teacher’s pocket change and Scholastic points.)
* Why is
Variety Important in a Classroom Library?
It is easy to think that if a
classroom library is built of high-quality and skill appropriate text that
variety is not important. This is not the case at all! There are three
basic reasons for including book variety. Book variety:
●
can spark interest in new concepts.
●
helps activate children’s background knowledge.
●
helps children make connections to the book.
And
these three things come down to what?
●
Motivation!
Simply put, having a variety of books in
your classroom library motivates children to read. Reluctant readers are
encouraged by being allowed to choose from a vast collection, while a willing
reader looks for similar books to those they already know they enjoy.
Book variety
makes reading more enjoyable for children.
15 Types (not genres) of Books a Classroom Library
Should Include
- Picture story books include text that is highly associated with the
illustrations, making it possible for emergent readers to practice
“reading” by telling the story through the pictures. Even children of
older grades enjoy reading picture books, and just about all children
enjoy having picture story books read aloud to them.
- Picture concept books typically only have a few pictures per page with
the identifying word printed below it. These books are good for emergent
readers and ESL students.
- Traditional literature, like nursery rhymes and
fairy tales, offer a printed
form of stories that were originally oral. Children tend to gravitate to
these stories. And now, so many authors have created their own spin-off,
or fractured fairy tales, that there is something to please every age and
skill group.
- Fables and folktales
- Informational text offers non-fiction in our classroom libraries. Classroom
libraries should have an extensive collection of non-fiction books of
content that interest children of a given age.
- Realistic literature is so very important to include. This type of
book features real life problems that children may be experiencing
themselves, such as going to a new school, being bullied, or welcoming
home a new baby. There are even picture books of realistic fiction that
deal with very sensitive issues like divorce or death.
- Early reader books often are familiar stories written with text
easy enough for beginning readers to read them, or they feature familiar
characters.
- Wordless books can carry definite story lines without the use of any text. They
used to be thought appropriate for only very young children, but in
reality, wordless books offer children opportunities to read the pictures
and children will often “read” a very complex story within the pictures.
They are also wonderful for writing prompts.
- Big books
are generally familiar stories written in a format large enough to need an
easel for reading. The purpose of such a large book is that children can
more easily see the text and follow along with the teacher as the books it
being read. Big books make it possible to do some otherwise small group
reading practice with a larger group of children.
- Biographies are of high interest to children. Historical figures, sports and
television icons are widely available in a variety of difficulty levels.
- Joke and riddle books are very fun for children and are an excellent
way for students to share reading with others.
- Poetry books are easy to forget about in classroom libraries, as some have
thought most poetry to difficult for young children. However, authors like
Shel Silvertein (we love Where the Sidewalk Ends), A.A. Milne and Mary Michaels White have made
poetry much more accessible to young readers, just to name a few.
- Books in a series are wonderful for encouraging reading. The same
is true of books by the same author/illustrator. For example, once a child
reads a Mo Willems (my kids LOVE the pigeon books), Eric Carle, Eric Litwin or Laura Numeroff,
they are sure to ask for more.
- Participation books get children actively involved in reading by
stimulating touch, smell and hearing. Other participation books are
written as though the author is speaking directly to the reader, eliciting
a response, like The Book
With No Pictures by B.J.
Novak.
- Cookbooks and craft books are often forgotten about, but provide
meaningful reading opportunities. Children love to sift through cookbooks
and make connections to similar dishes they have made with parents, and
many times children are more than happy to read and follow step by step
instructions in a craft book.
The Making of a Great Classroom Library
It is often a slow and maybe even painful
task. Rather than buying up mediocre books on the cheap, teachers should focus
on high-quality books by great authors in a variety of content.
High quality text + variety of types of books =
excellent, well stocked classroom library.
Ideally, every classroom library would
have collection of all 15 of the above types of books in three to four
different levels, guaranteeing that every student has access to their desired
content at their own level.
But, if your classroom library is full of
well-used books that are old and maybe even dusty, that’s an ok place to start.
As you expand your library, focus on quality text and variety. Within a few
years you can also have an extensive classroom library full of books in a
variety of content and skill levels.
C. COMPREHENSION OF STORIES AND
NON-FICTION (Content Area Texts)
1.Vocabulary.com-When
you read nonfiction, you're reading about
something that really happened — it's not a story somebody made up.
Prose is divided into the two big
categories of fiction and nonfiction, and nonfiction includes all
kinds of things — biographies, histories, memoirs, how-to books, self-help, books
on business, even books on writing. Narrative nonfiction relates stories that
really happened but in a way that draws you in just like fiction does; it tells
a true story, but with lots of drama and all the interesting quirks of the
characters.
Non-fiction or nonfiction is content (sometimes, in the form of a story) whose creator, in good faith, assumes responsibility for the truth or accuracy of the
events, people, or information presented. Journals, photographs, textbooks, travel books, blueprints, and diagrams are also often considered non-fictional
Non-fiction
is dealing with facts and events rather than imaginative narration
3.English
Oxford Dictionaries: Prose writing that is informative or factual rather than
fictional.
‘high
on the bestseller lists of non-fiction’
4.Dictionary .com-the branch of
literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering
opinions or conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history,
and the essay.
5.Merriam Webster- writing that is about
facts or real events : all writing that is not fiction.
Activities to Develop Non Fiction Reading
- Send a “Text”
Some nonfiction texts are so loaded with information
that it’s hard to tell the forest from the trees. Students end up struggling.
Use this activity to help students synthesize what’s at the heart of an
informational text.
- Explain
that sending a text message is an easy method of brief communication. Tell
students they’ll read a short paragraph and then “text-message” the most
important details and an image to another student.
2. Distribute a copy of a nonfiction paragraph of your
choice to students, as well as the Text Messaging Printable. Students should read the paragraph and then
carefully select two or three important pieces of information to share via a
text message. (They can write the text in one of the cell phones on the printable
and draw an image in the other.) When complete, students should “send” their
message to a classmate — perhaps by hand-delivering it. Once students have
exchanged messages, partners can respond with an observation or a question.
2.Bag It
- To further practice determining the importance of
facts, give each student a small lunch bag and four white index cards. As
they read an informational text you assign, students should write four
important details or facts — one on each index card.
- Next, assign students to collaborative groups. Give one colored index card and a larger “group” bag to each team. Instruct students to share their index-card facts with team members. If the group agrees the fact is important, they should place it in the group bag. Afterward, the group should write the main idea of the text on a colored index card and glue it to the front of the bag. Then, groups can rejoin as a class and “let the facts out of the bag” by sharing what they’ve learned.
3.Wonderful Wordles
Content
vocabulary might not be the most exciting lesson of the day — unless it
involves a word cloud! Show students how to make a Wordle. If you don’t have access to a computer, students can
make the Wordle using colorful markers and unlined paper.
- Explain that students will make Wordles of their
own. Allow them to select a nonfiction text and, as they read, jot down
challenging vocabulary terms and a short definition for each.
- When they’re done, have
students create a Wordle using their newly acquired vocabulary. Students
can print their Wordles and then share with the class.
4.Sticky-Note Questions
In
some nonfiction texts, “reading” the visuals is just as important as reading
the words. In this activity, students will ask questions about photos, charts,
and other graphics.
- Put students in pairs and give each pair a copy
of a nonfiction text with sophisticated visuals. Give each partner group
three sticky notes. As they read together, students should write one
question on a sticky note to help clarify what the text says. They can
place that note near the text that prompted their question. On the second
note, students should write a question about a visual and adhere it next
to that visual. Finally, partners should devise a question about the words
and visuals that other students can answer after reading the text.
- When they’re ready, two sets of pairs can meet up in small groups to answer each other’s questions. Later, students can put this same strategy to work during independent reading.
5.Slices of Text
You’ve
practiced skills like understanding content vocabulary and analyzing nonfiction
text features. Put that together with a wrap-up lesson on how to “slice” an
informational text.
- Distribute the printable and explain what each
letter of the acronym SLICE
stands for. S is for summarize
points, L is for list important
ideas, I is for inadequate
information (What could the author
have explained better?), C
is for conversation point about a graphic, and E is for explanation (What
information did an author add to make a point easier to understand?).
Use a sample text to complete the printable as a class.
- Allow students to choose a nonfiction text and complete the printable independently. When done, they can show the class how they “sliced” their text.
D.Response to literature: Aesthetic
And Emotive Aspect of Reading
Introduction
During middle school, many students begin to lose interest in reading things that interest them. Many other things come up during this age such as becoming the social butterfly that they want to be. However, as a future teacher, I feel that it is extremely important to still motivate these students to enjoy reading. Below, are facts about how the love of reading is being diminished in our schools and what YOU as a future teacher can do about it.
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What is an
"aesthetic" reader?
An aesthetic reader is one who is reading
for the experience of it all. They are engaged and experience the flows
of the writing in which they are reading. These types of readers have a passion
for reading and truly enjoy it. It's not a chore to them, but they read things
that are of interest to them and can really engage in their reading.The
opposite of this type of reading is efferent readers. Simply put, these readers are
reading to gain a piece of information. This type of reading is becoming
more and more prevalent in our schools because of the emphasis on testing.
THREE ingredients to a better reader:
1) Students must have interesting books
to read.
2) They must have time to read the books in
school.
3) Lastly, they must have a place to read
their books.
Give your students more freedom to chose
what they would like to read and expand on their definition of reading to more
than just novels. Reading can be anywhere and everywhere. For adolescents, that
includes the media which is not always bad. Include these ingredients in
your classroom every day to ensure better success with your readers.
4) Choice-
Allow students the choice in what
they read in school
5) Accessibility-
Provide students with books that are within their range of development;
literacy that provides a challenge but isn't too easy for them
6) Re-reading-
Re-reading helps build and extend the knowledge of students; can be used as a
study strategy or a "fix it" strategy
7)
Support- Provdide books or types of literacy that prose a challenge
for students so that they are able to get the instructional support needed;
this enhances the knowledge of students and provides them with strategies on
how to get through challenging reading
Some
Guidelines For Choosing Materials With Good Aesthetic Potential.
- Choose materials that children can explore with their senses
(touch, sight, smell).
- Choose materials that children can manipulate (twist, bend, cut,
color, mark).
- Choose materials that can be used in different ways (thrown,
bounced, built with, fastened, shaped).
•
Children
enjoy finding materials because it suggests exploration and discovery.
•
Children
develop aesthetic skills in sensing and exhibiting by helping build a beauty
corner.
• Older children enjoy the same experience of collecting materials, but can go further into associating materials with the elements of art.
E.Emotive Aspect of Reading
INTRODUCTION
Social emotional learning (SEL) by
definition is a process for learning life
skills, including how to deal with
oneself, others and relationships, and work in an effective manner.
Although there are many great SEL programs, SEL can also be incorporated
into each lesson as a way of teaching for students to really understand how to
action the skills in a variety of situations and form positive habits.
All students start school with some level
of social and emotional skills and all will develop their social and emotional
skills at a different rate. Parents and teachers are both responsible for
teaching students life skills and certainly much of what they learn will be by
watching our actions.
Definitions
1.English Oxford living Dictionaries –“ Emotive reading is rousing or
able to arouse intense feeling. Expressing a person's feelings rather than
being neutrally descriptive”.
2.Emotive language definition: “Emotive language is word choice that
is used to evoke emotion. Emotive language could also be called emotional
language”.
3.Emotive language refers to words or phrases
that change the feel of a sentence through evoking a particular emotional
reaction from the reader”.
The 5 strategies below are will not only benefit students SEL but will also be beneficial to teacher’s well-being.
5 Strategies For Incorporating Emotional Learning Into Your Classroom
1. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is: paying attention, in a
particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non- judgmentally.*
We are hearing more and more about the
benefits of mindfulness for children – increased attention leads to better
performance academically and increased emotional and social intelligence.
Children are better able to learn, to nurture themselves, and to be aware of
their emotional needs.
3.4 Writing as a Composing Process
Meaning:
Composition
is another word for writing — the
act of writing or the piece of writing that results. It also refers to
what something is made of. The word composition
comes from the Latin componere, meaning "put together" and its
meaning remains close to this.
Composing Process
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The process through which the writer passes to produce an effective
piece of writing varies with the writer and the writing task, but this
summary describes the process through which most effective writers pass most
of the time. ●
Collect.
Effective writing requires an abundant inventory of specific, accurate
information. Information is collected through reading, interviewing,
observing, and remembering. ●
Connect.
Meaning emerges as pieces of information connect and evolve into patterns.
The writer plays with the relationships between pieces of information to
discover as many patterns of meaning as possible. ●
Rehearse.
Mentally and on paper, the writer uses writing to explore and move toward
meaning. The writer rehearses titles, leads, partial drafts, sections of a
potential piece, or sketches of a piece of writing to discover the voice and
the form that will lead to meaning and effective communication. ●
Draft. The
writer completes a discovery draft, usually written as fast as possible,
often without notes, to find out what he/she knows and does not know, what
works and does not work. The writer is particularly interested in what works,
since most effective writing is built from extending and reinforcing the
positive elements in what has been written. ●
Develop.
The writer explores the subject by developing each point through definition,
description, and documentation which show as well as tell the writer, and
then the reader, what the piece of writing means. The writer usually needs to
add information to understand the potential meaning of what has been written
and often must restructure the successive drafts. ●
Clarify.
The writer anticipates and answers the readers' questions. At this stage the
writer cuts what is unnecessary and adds those spontaneous touches we call
"style." These changes produce the illusion of easy writing that
makes for easy reading. ●
Edit. The
writer goes over the piece line by line, often reading aloud, to make sure
that each word, each mark of punctuation, contributes to the effectiveness of
the piece of writing. |
1.Writing as a Problem Solving Tool
INTRODUCTION
Because writing involves slowing the
process of thought enough to be recorded, it is a useful problem solving tool
in a variety of settings. There are many ways students can be encouraged to
solve problems through writing – whether through creating story problems to
demonstrate theories of algebra, computer troubleshooting or auto detailing
choices. Using writing to understand and present complex ideas encourages our
students to make meaning for themselves out of the material we want them to
masterMax Gibson uses the following assignment in her English Composition (111)
course, adapted from her reading of Ira Shor’s Critical Teaching and Everyday Life. She asks students to:
- Brainstorm: start thinking about the problem — theme,
project, question, or topic and write a list of anything and everything
that pops into your head. It’s sometimes nice to share these lists out
loud in class and them people can add anything they hear to their lists.
- Connect:
Now think about what items on your composite list belong together and
assign these similar items the same letter.
- Categorize:
list all items with the same letter, together in a group.
- Equalize:
Notice which groups seem smaller than others and see if you can enlarge
the short ones, or divide the big ones.
- Title: Examine
each group and decide an appropriate title for the items collected
together. This title word will give the grouped items a conceptual
framework so that the list can be turned into a paragraph. The title, like
a subject heading, suggests the general thesis of the subgroup.
- Order:
The titled groups will become paragraphs in the body of the paper. Look
over the groups and ask which should be written out first, which second,
etc. Reflect on the subject of each group, and judge where it should be
placed in the whole paper.
- Paragraph:
Translate each group into a paragraph with the title incorporated into the
topic sentence and each listed item serving as the idea for a sentence in
the paragraph. After finishing a paragraph, check back to see if all the
items have been included.
- Frame:
The main body of the paper is written. Now write an introduction and a
conclusion appropriate to the theme.
- Voice:
Read the whole text out loud, individually and with a silent partner
reading along with you.
- Self-Correct: Rewrite for errors caught by the grammar in your voice.
Max Gibson suggests student use this
process for research projects, and notes that categorizing information, keeping
track of sources used in the process and citing them in the appropriate
documentation style really becomes most meaningful for students when they are
asked to include their own analysis and interpretation. She writes to her
students: “You are using writing to discover what you think. It’s the most
honest way to do research. Instead of searching for information that supports
preconceived ideas, you are open to learning, to truth, to change.”
C.Purpose and Understanding the Process of Writing
An oral presentation is when you deliver
the written word, making it come alive for the audience. The following guide
focuses on speech writing and follows a series of steps very similar to that of
creative and formal writing:
- Understand the purpose and the task.
- Brainstorm
ideas – choosing a topic.
- Organise
ideas.
- Write
your speech.
- Edit for structure,
ideas, and language techniques
He writing process
An oral presentation is when you deliver
the written word, making it come alive for the audience. The following guide
focuses on speech writing and follows a series of steps very similar to that of
creative and formal writing:
- Understand the purpose and the task.
- Brainstorm
ideas – choosing a topic.
- Organise
ideas.
- Write your
speech.
- Edit for structure, ideas,
and language techniques.
These
notes will help you with the writing process:
- Understand the task
Try
underlining keywords in the instructions and the task before you start writing.
The purpose will be influenced by the task and the audience.
The following chart shows how asking to borrow the car sounds different depending the purpose.
2.Brainstorm
relevant ideas – choosing a topic
This is how you record all of your initial thoughts and ideas to help you select an approach to the topic. It is important to spend time thinking about all the possibilities and to think your ideas through before you begin the writing process. A good topic or idea is one that you have a lot to say about and can add carefully chosen accurate detail.
- Organise ideas into a logical order
Your
initial brainstorming may need to have some ideas researched or discussed
before putting them into a logical and interesting order, to give your speech
an overall structure.
A conclusion is more than just repeating
the introduction, it should tie any lose ends together and leave a clear
message with the listener. A strong conclusion will challenge the audience to
think beyond the limits of the topic and may offer solutions, or
recommendations.
It
is important to write your speech in paragraphs so that appropriate ideas are
grouped together and linked to guide the audience to your next point without
confusion. For help with the overall structure of your speech see Speech preparation.
Using
a variety of sentence structures will help to add interest and emphasis to
important ideas. Often parallel sentence structure (repetition of some words,
patterns of language) is used to get the point across in a persuasive and
memorable way. See the web page Repetition: patterns of three or four for an explanation. Contrasting ideas is another
effective way to make a point.
- Write your speech out in full so you know how it will sound on the
day.
- Edit carefully so you have a speech that has covered all your main points and
has a clear structure.
Purpose is the
goal or aim of a piece of writing:
to express oneself, to provide information, to persuade, or to create a
literary work. ... When someone communicates ideas in writing, they usually do so to express themselves, inform their
reader, to persuade a reader or to create a literary work.
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To inform – give information and
facts. |
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To entertain – use humour to get
message across. |
|
To persuade – to convince or influence
someone's opinion. |
|
To convey emotion – to share an
experience on a personal level. |
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