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Language Policy Unit - DG II Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France

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The language dimension in all subjects:Equity and quality in education

Intergovernmental conference Strasbourg, 14 – 15 October 2015

PRESENTATION OF

THE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS

A Handbook for Curriculum development and teacher training

Jean-Claude BeaccoMike FlemingFrancis GoullierEike ThürmannHelmut Vollmer with contributions by Joseph Sheils

Language Policy UnitDGII – Directorate General of Democracy Council of Europe, 2015

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Contents

Preface ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... v

Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 9

1. The language dimension in all subjects: an important issue for quality and equity in education................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 13

2. The role of language in the construction and application of knowledge .......................... 21

3. Forms of classroom communication and the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge ..... 33

4. Acquiring a command of academic expression ................................ ............................ 39

5. Language diversity, subject literacy and academic achievement ................................ ... 47

6. Building up a command of the language of schooling during primary education ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 59

7. Language as Subject ................................ ................................ .............................. 67

8. Subject-specific language requirements in secondary education ................................ ... 77

9. Teaching Approaches ................................ ................................ .............................. 91

10. Curriculum development ................................ ................................ ....................... 101

11. The language dimension in initial teacher training and continuous professional development ................................ ................................ ...................... 115

12. The quality of training regarding the linguistic dimensions of subject-specific teaching ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 123

Conclusion................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 129

APPENDICES ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 131

Table of Contents ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 159

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Regional, minority and migration languages

LANGUAGE(S) OF SCHOOLING

Foreign languages – modern and classical

Language as a subject Language(s) in other subjects

The learner and the languages present in school

Council of Europe Project: „Language(s) in Education - Language(s) for Education“

See: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/langeduc/BoxD2-OtherSub_en.asp#s6

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Stages in Development of the project

• Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers concerning modern languages (R 98-6): it defines intercultural communication and plurilingualism as essential policy goals

• Language Education Policy Profiles• Guide for the development of language education policies in

Europe; “From linguistic diversity to plurilingual education…”; Beacco & Byram 2007).

• Focus: Question of equity and quality in education(e.g. equality in access to education/the right to education for all/the role of education for social inclusion and cohesion)

• Guide for the development and implementation of curricula for a plurilingual and intercultural education (2010; 2nd 2015)

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Part 1:Schools and the Language Challenge

HELMUT VOLLMERLanguage Policy Unit - DG II

Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France

www.coe.int/lang

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GOALS OF THE HANDBOOK: TO DEMONSTRATE

1) that school can be deeply enjoyable and effective and a powerful place to learn if certain conditions are met,

2) that each and every learner can reach a deep level of understanding and of maneuvering of concepts and their relationship within each subject in school,

3) that subject learning involves thinking, communicating and collaboration (collaborative problem solving), based on appropriate language competences;

SO WE HAD and HAVE TO

FIND OUT how language works within each subject community and their discoursesDESCRIBE subject-specific learning in more detail and especially the role of language as an inherent part of itDISCOVER what the major challenges and obstacles in language use and language learning are for different groups in the different subjectsIDENTIFY in a positive sense what the different components of school success are in building up a sustainable knowledge base for life + participation as democratic citizens.

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Link between Language and Thinking

• Thinking and language use are deeply connected!• Thinking about content expresses itself in language: e.g.

naming, linking, questioning, contradicting etc.• Language always serves a cognitive or communicative

function in acquiring content /subject-specific knowledge• Thinking and verbalizing what one thinks are two sides of

the same coin• Learning about content means learning to think and

manipulate the language to go with it: each cognitive process+ results express themselves in language (only)

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• 1. Basic Everyday/ Colloquial language • 2. Curriculum Content Language• 3. Essential Academic Language

• + School Navigational Language

Cf. Schleppegrell (2004), Bailey & Heritage (2008) - (Scarcella (2008)

ScienceScience

SUBJECT LITERACIES AND ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION, STRASBOURG

1. LANGUAGE What do we have to consider when talking about language in

the content classroom?

Language use in content classrooms=blend of different varieties

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EXAMPLE 1: Continental DriftScientists of the early 20th century believed that oceans and continents were

geographically fixed. They regarded the surface of the planet as a static skin spread over a molten, gradually cooling interior. Wegener.

1. Basic every-day /colloquial use

2. (Subject-specific) Curriculum content use

Maths Geo-graphy

History Science Phys. Ed. Art L.a.S.

3. Academic language use (dt.Bildungssprache): generative, transferable

Which language do subject learners need – and how much of it?

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One of the prevailing scientificopinions is that there is simply notenough evidence to warrant aconclusion on the issue of globalwarming; however, the scientificcommunity is somewhat dividedsince one prominent scientist isconvinced that the world is in ahuman-induced warming phase

(taken from article on April 17, 2008)

2. Sample analysis passage: LANGUAGE DEMANDS

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„Academic“ language features found in the passage

1. Content-Specific VocabularyExample: “global warming” in science

2. General/Essential Academic VocabularyExample: „prevailing or “warrant” in language arts, science, social

studies, other content areas+

3. Grammatical StructuresExample: long and complex noun/prepositional phrases such as

“a conclusion on the issue of global warming”+

4. Academic Language Functions/Discourse FunctionsExample: describe, compare/contrast („however“), persuade (will follow)

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Some characteristic features of academic language

Some major functions of academic language use

In contrast to colloquial informal language: higher frequency of longer complex sentences, impersonal statements and passive voice, abstract terms, nominalisations, complex compound words, particular figurative expressions and lexical or set phrases (e.g. 'crux of the matter', 'point of view'), clarity of expression and low redundancy, condensed texts and complex messages…

communicate complex facts, contexts and arguments, support higher-order thinking, abstraction and concept formation, establish coherence of ideas, avoid personal involvement, facilitate comprehension for distant 'audiences', support arguments with evidence, conveys nuances of meaning, modalizing statements through 'boosting' or 'hedging' etc.…

Table 1: “Academic” language use: Features and Functions

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Examples of Subject-Specific vs. General Academic Language Use in Different Content Areas

Content-/Subject-specific language General academic words and phrases

Language as Subject Imagery, alliteration, theme, metaphor, plotStylistic devicesThis expression is ambiguous

That is, implied, contains, leads us to believe, teaches a message

Therefore, as a result, consequently, consist of, on the assumption that…

If …then, end up with, derive, take care of, thus, suppose, prove, confirm

Hypothesis, variable, infer, results, dependent (on)

To increase , to decrease, to stay even or to even out

History Revolution, emancipation, right, oligarchyTo stand up for one’s own right, usurp powerRights and obligations

Math Reciprocal, balance, proof, hypotenuse, obtuse, matrixThe curve is (sharply) rising /falling

Science Mitosis, gravity, force, sublimationGlobal warming

Table 2: Distinction between Content Language and General Academic Language Use

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Typical situations in science educationLanguage dimension is more than „words“

1. + FUNCTIONS LIKE DESCRIBING OR EXPLAINING (cf. Table 3, Slide 17):- observations related to an object (e.g. swimming wood: features, behaviours, interactions with water- Checking materials + tools for an experiment- Listing/naming different steps of an experiment - Formulating an assumption, a speculation, a hypothesis

2. + GENRES/TYPES OF TEXT/LARGER INFORMATION UNITS, cf.Slide 18-20Presentation of knowledge depends on its textual embedding+purposeThe „language“ of science includes to handle other semiotic means of expression/meaning making / representation (like diagrams, graphs)We want students to be able to link what they learn in school to life (personal, public, professional)

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Function Type Cognitive /Communicative IntentionCLF 1 – Naming/Labelling

CLF 1a – CLASSIFYINGCLF 2 - DESCRIBING

I tell you what we (could) call a certain object/thing (if we agree/according to convention)I tell you how we can cut up the world according to certain ideasI tell you details of what can be seen (also metaphorically)

CLF 3 – DEFININGCLF 4 - EXPLAINING

I tell you about the extension of this object of specialist knowledgeI give you reasons for and tell you cause/s of X

CLF 5 - REPORTING/NARRATING

CLF 6 - ARGUING

I tell you what I saw or think or what someone else saidI tell you about something external to our immediate context on which I have a legitimate knowledge claimI represent a certain (point of) view or position as opposed to another one

CLF 7 - EVALUATING I tell you what my judgement is vis a vis X

CLF 8 –Simulating/Modelling I will consider or handle things as if they were (in) a certain wayI will link certain elements or ideas so to make sense of them

CLF 9 - EXPLORING I tell you something that is potential

CLF 10 – Negotiating

CLF 10a - Reflecting

I have a certain observation or perception and suggest a certain perspective – hoping YOU will respond and bring in your ownI relate what we did so far to higher order considerations

Table 3: List of basic Cognitive-Linguistic Functions underlying cogn./comm. intentions Dalton-Puffer 2013, simplified/Vollmer 2015)

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3. Analysis of Sample Tasks: Describing/Explaining

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Example 4. THE ECOSYSTEM IN THE TROPICAL RAIN FOREST Characterise the living conditions in the three layers of the tropical rain forest with the help of Figure 3. Start with the giant trees.

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BASIC LANGUAGE DIMENSIONS in SUBJECT EDUCATION

3. Cognitive-linguistic functions / strategies

Naming, defining

Describing, portraying

Reporting, narrating

Explaining, clarifying

Assessing, judging Arguing, taking (up) a stance Modelling, simulating

1. Topic-Specific vocabulary and expressions2. Text types / Genres / Semiotics systems of meaning

e.g. Description, Report, Stylistic Analysis, Summary ,Graph, Statistics, ExperimentHistorical Account, Literary Appreciation, Aesthetic Evaluation (like in Arts)

4. Academic Language Repertoires: Textual, Sentential, Lexical

e.g. Linking Sentences=Cohesion, Compounding, Conjuctions etc.

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Subject-based „Discourse“ Competence

• Ability to understand and produce relevant subject-specific forms of meaning/ representation

• Express knowledge and insights in a structured, connected and understandable way

• Look for empirical „data“+ evidence in findings• Develop arguments, negotiate + defend them• Use generic, academic language (transferable)• In short: DEVELOP CALP beyond BICS (Cummins)

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Extended Definiton of Subject Literacies

1. Comprehending/Understanding in-depth (the meaning of an utterance, a text, a problem)

2. Producing,communicating and negotiating knowledge3. Reflecting on the acquisitional process, the learning

outcomes and their personal as well as social uses4. Applying old/new knowledge to/within other contexts5. Participating in subject-related social issues,in society6. Transfering generalisable knowledge, skills, attitudes

Source.: Thürmann

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Summary: Language+Subject Learning

• Language is NOT an addition to content• Language constitutes knowledge, it is part of

the content and thus of the knowledge itself• Language is inscribed into the concepts, their

relationship, into their learning and their use• SO THE GOALS ARE

"Making language a part of every subject” or„Building academic language abilities in and through different subjects“ (->Beacco )

TO QUALITY EDUCATIONFOR ALL

Subject Literacies, Knowledge Building and Participation:

MERCI – THANKSDANKE!

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