Developing the Intercultural Dimension in Language Teaching: A Practical Introduction for Teachers

August 16, 2011

Developing Intercultural Dimension in Language TeachingIn this 42-page guide, available free from the Council of Europe authors Michael Byram, Bella Gribkova and Hugh Starkey offer practical insights for classroom language teachers. The topics covered in this resource include answers to questions such as:

  • What is the intercultural dimension of language teaching?
  • What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are involved in intercultural competence?
  • Do I need to be a native speaker?
  • How can I promote the intercultural dimension if I have to follow a set curriculum and teach grammar?
  • How do I deal with learners’ stereotypes and prejudices?
  • How do I overcome my own stereotypes and misconceptions?
  • How do I assess intercultural competence?

This is a brilliant piece of work that includes extracts from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and an extensive bibliography.

Get yours here: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/source/guide_dimintercult_en.pdf

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

5 Comments | education, languages, second languages, world languages | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

News: Video games teach kids ‘new literacy’: Do you buy it?

August 11, 2011

Dakshana Bascaramurty reported in a recent Globe and Mail article, “Video games teach kids ‘new literacy’: Do you buy it?” that children basically need to play video games in order to learn ‘new literacy’:

A new article on PBS’s Mediashift web portal presents a different argument: our definition of literacy is outdated. Kids may be learning a “new literacy” through playing video games.

Bascaramurty goes on to cite studies that support the notion that the exploration and problem-solving qualities of video games make them excellent learning tools.

I agree – to an extent. Here’s the comment I left on the Globe and Mail blog in response to the article:

I’m a big fan of educational technology and using games for educational purposes. In her TED talk, Jane McGonigal makes a strong case for using video games for learning and I think she’s on to something. In our house, games like Assassin’s Creed and Halo are among the favorites. So, basically, I’m a techo-geek-educator.

Having said that, research also shows that what is missing, at times, is the link between using technology for entertainment and using it for education. Authors Oxford and Oxford in their 2009 book on “learning in the net generation” caution that students’ comfort levels with technology do not always transfer successfully to pedagogical settings. Hourigan and Murray in their 2010 study published in the Australian Journal of Educational Technology, (vol. 26, issue 2, pp. 209–225) state that even digital natives require instruction on how to use technology for educational purposes. They note that self-regulated learning and personal accountability are key themes for today’s students in helping them make the link between using technology as entertainment and using it for learning.

Our job, as parents, educators and even just grown-up gamers, is to help the next generation make the link between the virtual world and real one, showing them HOW to transfer their skills, knowledge and problem-solving abilities to every day life.

Here are the articles I cited in my comment on the article:

Oxford, R., & Oxford, J. (Eds.). (2009). Second language teaching and learning in the net generation. Honolulu: University of Hawaii.

Hourigan, T., & Murray, L. (2010). Using blogs to help language students to develop reflective learning strategies: Towards a pedagogical framework. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2), 209–225. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/hourigan.pdf

What do you think? Is there such a thing as “video game literacy” and if so, is it important for today’s children to be literate in these games?

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on News: Video games teach kids ‘new literacy’: Do you buy it? | technology | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Stroke robs man of multilingual abilities

August 10, 2011

Here’s an interesting (and heart wrenching) article about a multilingual Edmonton man who lost all of his languages after a stroke. In the Globe and Mail article, Abdul Kamal reports that, “In the aftermath of the stroke, I lost all the languages I knew – English, French, German, Urdu and Bengali. I could neither read and write nor speak and comprehend.”

Kamal is a retired professor of physics at the University of Alberta who enjoyed physics, writing, travelling, sports, theatre before his stroke, but has been unable to take part in his favorite activities.

Determined to get his speech back, he reports, “Undaunted, I rounded up my own children’s books along with picture and alphabet cards and launched an uphill battle against my formidable foe – aphasia. David drove me to the Glenrose Hospital twice a week to learn English under the tutelage of a speech pathologist.” That was ten years ago, he states. From there, he progressed from working with a speech pathologist to group language learning sessions for aphasics (people who have lost their speech due to a stroke), and working with graduate students at the University of Alberta who were working with aphasics as part of their research and academic training.

Now, at age 75, Kamal offers a message of hope to others who have lost their speech due to a stroke:

After I had the stroke, a speech pathologist told me that I would show improvements in all my mental faculties over the following year and a half. However, at 75, I’m still learning. My speech, comprehension of spoken language and syntax are still improving, albeit slowly. The message is that if you challenge the brain, it will respond. Although at a certain age our memory bank starts to deplete, I’m sanguine about the future.

Kamal’s story reminds us to value the abilities we have to speak one, two or more languages. And when self-doubt or feelings of inadequacies fill us that we are not doing enough, not good enough or not as fluent or as perfect as we would like to be, we are reminded to celebrate the abilities that we have today and commit to the lifelong process of learning, no matter where we may fall on the continuum of proficiency.

Thank you, professor Kamal, for the inspiration.

Read the whole article.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

2 Comments | languages, second languages | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

10 Steps to Raising a Multilingual Child

August 9, 2011

The Multilingual Children’s Association has a great list of 10 steps to raising a multilingual child:

  1. Agree on multilingualism
  2. Know what to expect and when
  3. How many languages — what is practical?
  4. Decide which language system works for you
  5. Don’t wait — now is the perfect time!
  6. Declare your intentions
  7. Establish a support network
  8. Get relevant materials
  9. Set your goals, but remain flexible
  10. Have patience and keep going

I loved what they have to say. Check out the full article here: 10 Steps to Raising a Multilingual Child http://bit.ly/n357oH

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on 10 Steps to Raising a Multilingual Child | education, languages, learning strategies, Multiculturalism, second languages, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Resource: Reading for Enjoyment

August 2, 2011

www.drsaraheaton.wordpress.comThe Government of South Australia has produced a 4-page resource paper called Reading for Enjoyment. It covers topics such as:

  • Why promote reading for enjoyment? What promotes reading for enjoyment?
  • Developing a reading culture.
  • Developing a school library that promotes reading for enjoyment.
  • Reading for enjoyment in the curriculum.

It includes a solid list of references at the end. If you’re looking for ideas on how to promote reading or you are doing research on reading, check out this paper. It is four pages of practical content, backed up by thorough research.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Resource: Reading for Enjoyment | education, Literacy, research, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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