LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING(Máster Secundaria. December, 2010)
Learning Objectives:
Issues to be considered:
- Plurilingual and pluricultural competence
- Imbalanced capabilities in language switching
- Development of awareness and the process of use and learning
- Partial competence and plurilingual and pluricultural competence
Types of Objectives: Variation in objectives in relation to the Framework
According to the Framework (2001:134) the teaching and learning objectives are conceived:
a) in order to develop the learner´s general competences:
- declarative knowledge (savoir)
- skills and know-how (savoir faire)
- personality, traits (features), attitudes (savoir etre)
b) in order to develop the communicative language competence:
- linguistic component
- pragmatic component
- sociolinguistic component
c) in order to get a better performance in one or more specific language activities (receptive or productive skills)
d) in order to achieve a good command in performing the required function in a given domain (public, occupational, educational or personal)
In general terms the Framework on page 136 states: “the main aim of learning a foreign language may be to perform a job better, or to help with studies or facilitate life in a foreign country“. However, it should be considered that the objective of getting functional adaptation for a given domain also corresponds to the situation of bilingual education or immersion.
e) In terms of enrichment or diversification of strategies or in terms of fulfilment of tasks as thus relates in the management of actions or tasks in order to improve the learning of one or more languages and the discovery or experience of other languages.
ACTIVITY ONE: Write down some possible objectives to achieve when practising oral production in an educational domain where B1 is the pursued level.
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The process of language learning: Acquisition or Learning?
ACTIVITY TWO:
What do we understand when using those terms?
How do learners learn?
What can each Framework user do to facilitate Language Learning?
a) those in charge of examinations
b) authorities
c) texbooks writers
d) teachers
e) pupils
Some methodological options for Modern Language learning and teaching
(according to the Framework)
The approach to methodology:
- Comprehensive (integrative & coherent: all the options in an explicit and transparent way)
- It should be the one considered the most effective in reaching the objectives according to the individual learner’s needs within their social context.
Ihus, the communicative approach has been agreed along the last decade as the one to satisfy the learners’ needs. However, the Council of Europe is not responsible for deciding this issue. It is the user who has to make a choice.
From objectives to tasks:
ACTIVITY THREE:
- Take the Self-Assessment Grid and consider it as the compendium for tasks and activities to develop the language skills.
- Choose a skill for one of the levels (A1, A2, B1, or sublevels) and design some activities for the lessons:
For example, in A1, Writing Production, you can find: “I can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings.”
You could design the activity: “You are on holiday in Alicante. Write a Postcard from your hotel near the beach to your sister or brother at home. Use everyday expressions and basic phrases (lots of adjectives and prepositional phrases).”