Embracing Language Diversity in Your Classroom by

Embracing Language Diversity in Your Classroom by https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2 Eleonora's learning diary en-us 2018-10-04 20:46:06 UTC 2018-10-10 21:52:40 UTC hello@padlet.com Module 1. The importance of language awareness eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/289519503 “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. ”Nelson Mandela

What is language awareness?
It is explicit knowledge about language, and conscious perception and sensitivity in language learning, language teaching and language use.
BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills), which refers to the language commonly used in social interaction.
CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency), referring to more formal language, essentially the language of schooling, which is crucial for students to successfully demonstrate what they have learned and achieved.

]]> 2018-10-05 09:45:06 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/289519503 2. Common Underlying Proficiency eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291474073

Each language contains distinct surface features such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. These allow people to speak, read, and write, but underlying these surface features is a shared skill and a central operating system that is common across languages. When working in language diverse classrooms knowledge of the common underlying proficiency can help teachers communicating more effectively with students who do not speak the main language of instruction.]]> 2018-10-10 20:30:54 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291474073 3.The importance of being language aware. eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291476486 My answer to the Module 1 activity
I work in mostly monolingual classes, but as a foreign language teacher I must be language aware. I understand that every student has his or her own strengths, everyone learns at his own speed and if the student has certain difficulties learning his mother tongue (e.g. logopedic issues) that will also affect his or her acquisition of the foreign language. As I work in monolingual classes I think that one of my tasks as a teacher should be showing the students that our society is actually multilingual.]]> 2018-10-10 20:39:15 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291476486 4. Why language awareness is important for teachers eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291477441 Being language aware means you understand the possible challenges that language presents to learning.

Language is a vehicle for learning, regardless of whether students are learning using their first language or any other additional language, so you as a teacher are responsible to make sure that languages in your classroom do not pose a barrier or a challenge for your students’ learning.

These challenges arise for instance when students’ mother tongue is different from the language of schooling, or when they learn a subject in a second language. Being a language-aware teacher means being aware of the fact that when we teach students whose first language is not the language we are using for teaching, they may have different needs from those who are taught in their first language. And this is something every teacher should take into account when teaching.
Language plays a vital role in learning and understanding subject content. Therefore, acquiring a good command of academic language goes hand in hand with the development of subject knowledge and understanding.

]]> 2018-10-10 20:42:25 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291477441 5. How to get started with language awareness eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291479875 The first step to becoming a language-aware teacher is to be conscious of the different languages that your students speak in the classroom.

Opening up the classroom practice to allow students to use their home language helps to develop a deeper understanding of language awareness.
Tools:

getting to know the students at the beginning of the year;
work with parents.

]]> 2018-10-10 20:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291479875 6. eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291491159 2018-10-10 21:44:11 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291491159 7. European Day of languages and other EU initiatives eleonora_volovik https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291491202 1. https://edl.ecml.at/Teachers/Teachingmaterials/tabid/3097/Default.aspx
2. https://edl.ecml.at/Games/LanguageQuiz/tabid/1873/language/Default.aspx]]> 2018-10-10 21:44:22 UTC https://padlet.com/eleonora_volovik/uiifnqc5fve2/wish/291491202