Welcome to Praxis

English Language acquisition:an innovative perspective

Language acquisition: why and what for …

At its core, language is about enabling socially meaningful communication

Three levels of Socially Meaningful Communication Individual Community Societal

The purpose and meaning of language and language acquisition is contextual at each level

English language acquisition: why and what for …

For Praxis and its communities: Realising equal worth and equality of human

rights for all Hence, language acquisition transcends the basic

issue of how to acquire another language Communication is:

prime driver for integration the glue for cohesive societies

Learning English in multi-cultural diverse communities

More than the acquisition of another tongue …For the new resident it involves:

learning a new skill re-focusing of identificationswidening of opportunities and relationships

Language learning involves adjustments:by individual learner to a new languageby the wider communityby the language to diversity of speakers

English language learningThe purpose …

not a statement of identity but a tool for self advocacy turning a person from being a victim of circumstance

to an actor in history A tool for full and equal citizenship but not for

assimilation Acquiring another language is not about abandoning

own mother tongue Globalisation is anathema to linguistic hegemony and

requires linguistic diversity

The mechanism of language acquisition

As language itself, the method of its acquisition is also contextual:

Purpose of teaching & learning Conditions of teaching & learningMethods / mediums of teaching & learning

With regard to new migrants: level of prior educationconditions of lifelevel of engagement with native speakers

Context matters – London …In London alone:More than 40 large communities are composed of people born outside Britain More than a third of Londoners are from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic groups Londoners speak over 300 different languagesAccording to 2011 census data, Polish is now the second chief language spoken in England and Wales

Good old ‘standardisation’ defines traditional English language tution

Changing education paradigms …

http://www.apricotlearningonline.co.uk/about-online-learning/video-gallery.html

Sir Ken Robinson on educational systems

Rethinking the pedagogy….

Teaching & learning as opposed to teaching learner led , thus contextualised Interactive Flexible

The pedagogy of teaching & learning

• Educating? dispensing knowledge, one-answer teaching, teacher as source of information

• Facilitating learning? enabling the art of learning, aquiring knowledge and creative thinking

• For language: forming personality, social competence, values and identity

Context is everythingIt is in the nature of languageMotivation is high when language learning works

for what the learner needs the language for

ላሊበላ

Learner led

• Each learner has a distinctive background• The purpose, style, pace of learning is

personal • The life condition of each learner is critical • exaggerated caricature of the migrant

learner: A reluctant learner Victims in need of help Require additional help

Interactive and flexible • Language acquisition is enhanced when: • Active learning is the central approach• Reflection, giving and receiving feedback is inbuilt• Group/team work facilitated • Taking responsibility for own learning is

consistently encouraged

• Flexibility in method of delivery:complicated lives involving long hours

in low skilled work, family responsibilities

ACTIVE AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING

Reflective teaching and learningA dynamic pedagogy• Contextualised and learner-centred• Focus on what learner knows, rather than ‘gap-filling’ in

knowledge• Building confidence and self-esteem• Personalisation/differentiation/ILPs (Individual Learning

Plans)• Reflection, feedback, peer support • Minimal TTT (Teacher Talking Time) • Use of new media

Praxis’ new programme…• Moves away from traditional classroom and course

based learning • Customised to the day to day experience of the

learner • Facilitated by professional language tutors and

learning guides• Embedded in the wider support services which Praxis

offers • Accessible at flexible times • Uses on line as well as face to face sessions

Praxis’ guiding motto is

digital, linguistic and social inclusion

Thank You!

Group warmer exercise Using the information from the ‘Changing Education Paradigm’ video …imagine about the best and the worst language teaching at any stage in your educational life.You have a maximum of 5 minutes. Then, in groups: •Share why this teaching was so good or so bad (give 3 reasons in each case)• reflect and identify 5 main characteristics of an effective Teaching & Learning practice?

.

What staff and learners learned …• Group/team work• Taking responsibility for own learning• Active learning approaches• Research skills• Planning and prioritising• English language (the four skills)• Evaluating• Giving and receiving feedback• Reaching agreement and compromising• Technical skills (filming, editing, captioning etc)• Acting• Non-verbal communication• ICT skills

Summary of evaluation about the video and related exercises

Enjoyed learning, widening & deepening their knowledge of British history, were stimulated to research more on their own

Found acting out the Guy Fawkes story helpful to retain facts & understand better Remembered details from the walk through East London as they could both see concrete evidence

of the history, ask questions and discuss the information received Retained and understood information from the videos because they had both images and sound

to help them Use Face book and Twitter to contact English speakers and improve their own English language

skills Believe Twitter is useful because the messages are limited in length so there is no overload of

information Use their mobile phones to listen to the radio, e.g. BBC News Watch TV with subtitles, e.g. news programmes and films Listen to music on YouTube, as this often provided lyrics for the songs Use Google Translator as this gives not only definitions, but the correct pronunciation of words.

Some are using it to learn languages other than English Believe that Face book and Twitter often provide more authentic English language items than

more conventional methods of learning