C L I LInPrimarySchool

By Barbara Buchholz MACollege of Initial Teacher Education, Eisenstadt, Austria,

presented at CLIL workshop Vienna University, July 2005

This presentation looks at

• Primary curriculum (very briefly)

• CLIL in primary school (i.p. Basic Interpersonal Com-munication Skills - BICS)

• Action research in general

• An action research project on BICS – A case study at an Austrian primary school

© Profil

What does the Curriculum say?1. English language acquisition should be expe-rienced

within concrete and situative activities based on children‘s everyday life. (Aller Anfang5/98:12)

2. The English language should be applied inte-gratively within other school subjects (Sciences, Maths, Music, Physical Education) ...(ibid. page 15)

3. In these subjects English should be used as a means of instruction over certain periods of time in order to explain, describe or show simple facts ...(ibid. page 14)

A call for CLIL ...?

The Curriculum frame

• English as a foreign language (EFL) is compulsory from year1

• No additional lesson time provided for EFL in year 1 & 2; one lesson per week in year 3 & 4

• EFL is integrated in other school subjects (except German)

• Main objectives focus on communicative FL skills

• Didactic principles include monolingual and cross-curricular English Language Teaching (ELT)

A breeding ground for CLIL...?

Integrating FL = CLIL ?“How is the FL to be integrated?“ The answer to this question is a matter of definition (and of teachers‘ views)

A A matter of time slots in general primary tuition:

There are five minutes left until the break, so let‘s do a little English...

B A matter of subject swapping:

In our music lesson we‘ll learn an English song today.

C A matter of teaching the obvious:

Let‘s talk about animals: fish swim, birds fly...

D A matter of content based language teaching:

Today you‘ll learn about the water cycle._________________________________________________________________A, B, C or D? “The discussion around that question is still ongoing and needs serious attention.“

!

What is relevant for Primary CLIL?

Language Structures

Lexis Extension

FLEnvironment

L1Influence

Primary teachers‘ FL competence

BICS

Native speaker assistant‘s support

REFRAMING YOUNG

LEARNERS‘CLASSROOM DISCOURSE

THEACTION RESEARCH

PROJECT

Action Research - Definition

Action Research is a family of research methodologies which pursue action (thus is change - improvement) and research (thus is enhancing understanding) at the same time.It uses a cyclic process alternating between strategic action and systematic reflection.

(Dick, 2000)

The Action Research Spiral

Action research is perfectly suitable for case studies.In most cases action research is pure qualitative research.

The Action Research Cycle

Problemidentification& questions

Results,analyses &

interpretation

Applicationin practice

Planning ofaction steps

Hypothesis

Exploration

Reflection& data

collection

ActionResearch

The Research Case

ORGANISATION & METHODOLOGY

The Research Organisation Participants

• 25 primary pupils aged 9 (third grade English emphasis class, i.e. 2 English lessons per week plus EFL integration from year1)

• A teacher colleague as non-participating teacher observer

• A pupil‘s mother as outside observer

• A native speaker assistant as ‘language consultant‘ and outside observer

• Myself as class teacher, inside observer and participating teacher-researcher

The Research OrganisationSetting & Time

• Original settings in primary school, classroom, school yard, gym

• Normal English lessons respectively

• Integrated English instruction sequences

• School breaks

• Research period: February to September 2002

The Research Methodology Instruments, techniques &

sources• Research diary & fieldnotes

• Lessons observations

• Peer observation

• Audio tape recordings

• Students‘ inventories

• Students‘ interviews

• Students‘ protocols (initiated after first spiral)

• Classteacher‘s documents (lesson plans, records, protocols)

• Relevant literature and curriculum

• Triangulation & discussion (teachers and students)

Problem Identification

“Long-term” problem: Students’ avoidance to speak English

Initial Problem:Although receptive FL communication skills are sufficiently present, most students lack the productive component. Thus resulting in the fact that oral interactive communication as such cannot take place and Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) are not existing.

Therefore, young FL students need special communication training, particularly in speaking.

Research questions

Problem Identification

• Why do students predominantly speak German during English lessons?

• Why do students permanently switch codes, even though the classroom language is English?

• What can be done to improve the classroom discourse situation?

Initial research questions

Exploration

The Research ProcessExploration & Reflection

• Self – reflection

• Literature

• Documents

Teacher talk in lessons

‘Quick translations‘ vs ‘Explain in English‘

Amount/occasions of peer talk in class

Buckmaster vs Krashen

Peltzer-Karpf‘s studies on bilingual primary education

Studies by Johnstone, Gerngroß

Vygotsky‘s ‘Zone of Proximal Development‘ (ZPD)

Lesson plans: exact definition of language goals

Course books, teaching material etc (languages mix)

First inquiry steps

The Research Process Exploration - First inquiry steps

• Research Diary

• Preliminary Inquiries

Concentrate teacher‘s own perceptions:

When exactly do children switch codes?

Are emotions helpful or distractive?

Does hearing German have any negative impact?

Teacher observer‘s appraisal: ‘Differing‘ views

Exploratory teacher discussion: ‘Common‘ fact

Students‘ discussion: ‘Lack of chunks‘

First conclusion

The Research ProcessFirst conclusion

As the classteacher I had to accept, that there was a need to change myown unstructured approach and more or less random use of L1 / L2.Teacher and students had to avoid language mix without any exception.In order to achieve this, appropriate action steps were to be developed.They should meet students‘ needs.

Hypothesis

Hypothesis

Creating a monolingual FL classroom language

environment will provoke (predominant) monolingual

FL classroom discourse that is conducive to develop

basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) for

content and language integrated learning (CLIL).

End of first spiral

First spiral results

• Language management

• Language education

• Language contents

Classroom

Timing

Grouping

Social interaction

Consequence measures

Awarding

Communication tools

Output remedies

Subject-specific terms

Supplementary material

Research Issues

Further spirals - Action Strategies

• The EZ

• Flag-Is-Up

The ‘ English Zone‘ – an ‘as-if‘ monolingual model

Spatial division of language environment

No German at all – and for all!

Free access, voluntary stay

Inclusion of devices (PC, piano, reading corner, pet)

Expanded EZ

Regular ritual – action and shouts

Hoisted flag and classroom door

Language Management

Further spirals - Action Strategies

• Social interaction

• Matchstick system

• Red card

Language Education

Games, drama, cooperative tasks

Group monitors - group awards

‘Refugees‘ and ‘penalty‘

Further spirals - Action Strategies

• Posters

• Stickers

• CTA

Language Contents

Speech models

Metaphors

Visuals

Dialogue sets

‘Word-pool‘

Come-Together-Activity

Music or FL background

Further spirals – Data collection

• Language Management

• Language Education

• Language Content

Teacher‘s reflection (permanent)

Outsider observation

Teacher observation

Peer observation

Tape recordings

Students‘ discussion

Teacher observation

Peer monitoring

Students‘ protocols

Teacher observation

Outsider observation

Students‘ discussion

Further spirals – RESULTS

EZ

&

Flag

Surprising success – very high motivation to speak Average 85% of pupils used EZ even in the breaks 75% more speaking activity (words & phrases) Active use of passive vocabulary doubled (words) High effort was made – no one wanted to leave the zone NLP and role-play happened unconsciously Speaking blockades were overcome – no ‘stuck-states‘ Voluntary brain wreck exposed students‘ idleness in

former settings 17 pupils built an ‘English Zone‘ even at home

Language Management

- Arguments about peer observation rules- Students‘ observation records were biased - Danger of temporary restriction of EZ‘s appeal

Further spirals – RESULTS

Interaction

Matchsticks

Red card

Stronger impact of all interactions in the EZ Less pressure – EZ could be left More flexible implementation Children ‘invented‘ English learning strategies (in L1)

75% appreciated justification/rewarding system Code-switching rate decreased from 25% to 2% Students as organisers – raised self-esteem

- Applicable only in EZ

Very strong effect – only 4 cases in 2 weeks

Language Education

- Deterring rules (the penalty - ‘a housewife‘s job‘?)- Action step dropped

Further spirals – RESULTS

PostersStickers

CTAMusic&English

Very high motivation through active participation Children‘s genuine conversation phrases recorded Creative hands-on learning with script and text Contextualized language application done by students All children involved autonomously at flexible levels Boosting effect on English peer talk (15% - 65% average) Wide scope for inspiration (choice of CTA topics - CLIL) Decreasing embarrassment in speaking English Concentration plus fun maintained – no one left out Diversion, improvisation, pantomime – adventurous but serious

language learning, self-directed and rewarding Monolingual FL classroom discourse periodically realised!

Language Contents

- CTA results not transferable to working situations- Posters/stickers and CTA need lots of space and time

The Action Research Cycle

Problemidentification& questions

Results,analyses &

interpretation

Applicationin practice

Planning ofaction steps

Hypothesis

Exploration

Reflection& data

collection

ActionResearch

Research

Evaluation

Research Evaluation

Inventories & interviews

0102030405060708090

100

EZ Flag Match Red CTA-M CTA-E Posters

super

ok

not so good

Students‘ feedback on action steps

Research Evaluation

Inventories & interviews

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Peers CT Insider Outsider NSA

super

ok

not so good

Students‘ feedback on the observers

Research Evaluation

Inventories & interviews

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Girls Boys

very much

much

medium

no

Did you improve your English?

Research Evaluation

Inventories & interviews

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Girls Boys

much more

more

equally

not really

How do you like speaking English now?

Discussion & students‘ comments•I didn‘t know how to speak English and what to say...

•It‘s so cool to really speak English...

•We want to keep the English zone in our classroom...

•I‘ve always wanted to know what‘s „Halt den Mund!“ in English...

•First they (group monitors) were unfair, but it worked out finally...

•The CTA is my favourite game... In English only...

•Now I‘m not afraid anymore of travelling to England.

•It was great to see that I speak a lot better than my elder brother.

•I helped my mother translating an English pop song.

Teachers‘ quotes

•I never thought that this is going to happen… (Teacher observer)

•It was amazing when children started speaking unconsciously… (Native speaker assistant)

•I could not believe what I saw in that class… (Headteacher)

Parents‘ quotes

•I‘ve also benefited from that project by adding a big deal of everday English to my business vocab ... (Outside observer)

•My children are building an “English zone“ at home... (Mother)

•My younger son is challenging his elder brother – he speaks much better English … (Father)

Conclusion Answering Research Question 1

•Thoughtlessness

•Pure idleness

•Lack of motivation

•Lack of vocabulary

•Lack of language structures

•Embarrassment

•Fear of being laughed at

Why do students predominantly speak German among each others during English lessons?

Conclusion Answering Research Question 2

Why do students permanently switch codes, even though the classroom language is English?

•Lack of concentration

•Lack of motivation

•No vocabulary available

•No language structures available

•Teacher uses L1

•Shyness

•Inhibition & fear of being corrected too often

Conclusion Answering Research Question 3

What can be done to improve the classroom discourse situation?

•Set clear goals and reflect on achievements

•Set spatial language environment zones

•Make vocabulary available (stickers)

•Make language phrases accessible (posters)

•Use L2 only

•Set flexible steps towards self-directed learning

•Motivate for practice (topics beyond schoolbooks)

•Provide tools for peer- and self-control

Action Research Aims Achieved

• Overall FL competence improved

• Receptive and productive FL use increased

• Better quality lessons

• Monolingual English classroom periodically present

• BICS predominantly realised

End

When children find themselves in the companyof others who speak other languages, they willmake an effort to understand and use the newlanguage. (Brumfit, 1991)

Exploit this benefit for your English lessons!

This action research project was carried outduring my MA study in Education

(Foreign Languages Pedagogy Focus )at Norwich University, England

2001 – 2004Barbara Buchholz

THANK YOU FOR YOURTHANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION !ATTENTION !