Shaping the Way We Teach English: Module 01, Contextualizing Language
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of contextualization in language learning, illustrating how integrating themes and real-world topics can enhance student engagement. It showcases various classroom activities such as games, storytelling, and student presentations that are designed to immerse learners in meaningful language use. The script also highlights the benefits of a contextualized approach, which supports integrated skills development and fosters deeper language proficiency, particularly when themes are relevant and motivational.
Takeaways
- đ **Contextualization in Language Learning**: The script emphasizes the importance of using language in a meaningful way for real communicative purposes.
- đ **Curriculum Organization**: Teachers can contextualize language instruction by organizing curriculum content around themes or topics that are relevant to students.
- đ **Integration of Themes**: Themes or topics should be woven throughout the course to enhance contextual learning.
- đ¶ **Interactive Activities**: Incorporating games, storytelling, dramatization, singing, and chanting can make language learning more engaging and contextual.
- đ€ **Social Interaction**: A contextualized approach supports integrated skills development and encourages pair and group work.
- đ§ **Constructing Language**: Language is constructed through a blend of purpose, situation, and social needs, which should be reflected in classroom activities.
- đ **Improved Learning Outcomes**: Classroom experiences that incorporate these dimensions are more likely to lead to better learning outcomes.
- đ **High-Interest Themes**: Using themes and topics that are of high interest can motivate students and foster a deeper level of language use.
- đ **Listening and Engagement**: The script illustrates how teachers engage students by asking them to listen carefully and participate actively in discussions.
- đł **Real-World Connections**: Examples from the 'real world' such as the rainforest canopy are used to make the learning experience more tangible and interesting.
Q & A
What is contextualization in language learning?
-Contextualization is the meaningful use of language for real communicative purposes, helping students understand how language is constructed in a given context.
How can teachers contextualize language instruction?
-Teachers can contextualize language instruction by organizing the content of the language curriculum according to themes or topics that are threaded throughout the course of study.
What are some benefits of using contextualized language in the classroom?
-Using contextualized language can lead to better learning outcomes by incorporating purpose, situation, and social needs. It supports integrated skills, pair and group work, and fosters a deeper level of language use, especially when themes and topics are high-interest and motivate students.
What types of activities were shown in the video segment that use contextualized language and themes?
-The video segment showed examples of games and interactive activities, storytelling, dramatization, acting out of language, singing, chanting, and student presentations.
What is a sentence pattering chart and how is it used in the classroom?
-A sentence pattering chart is a tool used in the classroom to help students practice sentence structure through repetition and variation, as demonstrated when the teacher and students engage in singing and creating sentences about 'small poisonous monkeys.'
What is the significance of the rainforest and canopy discussion in the script?
-The rainforest and canopy discussion is significant as it demonstrates how teachers can use real-world contexts to engage students in language learning, by connecting the language to a specific environment and encouraging students to use descriptive language.
How does the script illustrate the concept of language being constructed through a blend of purpose, situation, and social needs?
-The script illustrates this concept through various classroom activities that are designed to be purposeful, situationally relevant, and responsive to social needs, such as the storytelling activity about 'small poisonous monkeys' and the discussion about the rainforest canopy.
What is the role of themes and topics in contextualized language instruction?
-Themes and topics play a crucial role in contextualized language instruction by providing a framework for real-world relevance, which helps to motivate students and make the language learning experience more engaging and meaningful.
How do the examples in the script show the integration of language skills in classroom activities?
-The script shows the integration of language skills through activities that involve listening, speaking, reading, and writing, such as when students listen to a song, speak by creating sentences, read by identifying letters, and write by contributing to a story.
What is the importance of using 'real-world' themes and topics in language learning as highlighted in the script?
-Using 'real-world' themes and topics in language learning is important because it makes the content relatable and interesting to learners, which in turn enhances engagement and the effectiveness of language acquisition.
How does the script demonstrate the use of student presentations in language learning?
-The script demonstrates the use of student presentations through the example of a student sharing a story about 'small poisonous monkeys,' which allows for practice in both language and public speaking skills.
Outlines
đ Contextualized Language Instruction
This paragraph discusses the concept of contextualization in language teaching, emphasizing its significance for real communicative purposes. It highlights how teachers can integrate themes or topics throughout the language curriculum to enhance student understanding of language construction in various contexts. The importance of aligning classroom activities with purpose, situation, and social needs is underscored, as these dimensions are crucial for better learning outcomes. The paragraph also mentions the benefits of a contextualized approach, such as supporting integrated skills, pair and group work, and fostering deeper language use, especially with high-interest themes that motivate students. The video segment showcases examples of classroom activities that use contextualized language and themes, including games, storytelling, dramatization, singing, chanting, and student presentations, all aimed at engaging students actively with both language and content.
đ Real-world Themes in Language Learning
The second paragraph presents a summary of classroom examples featuring both lower and higher levels of language learners engaging with lighthearted and serious topics. The themes and topics are drawn from real-world scenarios, demonstrating their relevance and interest to the learners. Teachers employ a variety of activities to involve students in both the language and the content or context, which is central to the first module's focus on the context of language teaching. The use of themes, topics, and real-world situations to contextualize language is presented as a method to make English learning more dynamic and to actively involve learners with the language and content. The paragraph concludes with a reference to the manual for further readings and information on contextualizing language and related topics.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄContextualization
đĄLanguage Instruction
đĄThemes or Topics
đĄIntegrated Skills
đĄPair and Group Work
đĄReal World
đĄMotivation
đĄLanguage Construction
đĄLearning Outcomes
đĄInteractive Activities
đĄStudent Presentations
Highlights
Contextualization is the meaningful use of language for real communicative purposes.
Teachers can contextualize language instruction by organizing curriculum content according to themes or topics.
Themes or topics should be threaded throughout the course of study for best results.
Using contextualized language helps students understand how language is constructed in a given context.
Language is constructed through a blend of purpose, situation, and social needs.
Classroom learning experiences incorporating these dimensions lead to better learning outcomes.
A contextualized approach supports the use of integrated skills and group work.
Contextualized instruction can foster a deeper level of language use, especially with high-interest themes.
Examples of classroom activities using contextualized language and themes include games, storytelling, dramatization, and student presentations.
In the video segment, look for examples of activities that incorporate contextualized language.
Sentence pattering chart and singing songs are used to engage students in language learning.
Students are encouraged to write and share their own sentences using the language structure.
Interactive activities like identifying the rainforest canopy help students understand language in context.
Students engage in discussions about the context of words to deepen their understanding.
The class sings a song to reinforce the language structure and context learned.
The video shows a range of learners and topics, from lighthearted to serious, all connected to real-world interests.
Teachers use various activities to involve students in both language and content.
Contextualizing language through themes and real-world situations brings English alive for learners.
For more information on contextualizing language, refer to the manual.
Transcripts
CONTEXTUALIZATION IS THE MEANINGFUL USE OF LANGUAGE
FOR REAL COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES.
IT HELPS STUDENTS UNDERSTAND
HOW LANGUAGE USERS CONSTRUCT LANGUAGE IN A GIVEN CONTEXT.
TEACHERS CAN CONTEXTUALIZE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
BY ORGANIZING THE CONTENT OF THE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM
ACCORDING TO THEMES OR TOPICS.
THESE THEMES OR TOPICS WORK BEST
WHEN THEY ARE THREADED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF STUDY.
* HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES, *
* KNEES, AND TOES *
SOME ADDITIONAL REASONS FOR USING CONTEXTUALIZED LANGUAGE
ARE THAT LANGUAGE IS CONSTRUCTED
THROUGH A BLEND OF PURPOSE, SITUATION, AND SOCIAL NEEDS.
CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPERIENCES
THAT INCORPORATE THESE DIMENSIONS
ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO BETTER LEARNING OUTCOMES.
A CONTEXTUALIZED APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION
ALSO SUPPORTS THE USE OF INTEGRATED SKILLS
AND PAIR AND GROUP WORK.
AND IT CAN FOSTER A DEEPER LEVEL OF USE OF THE LANGUAGE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE THEMES AND TOPICS
ARE HIGH-INTEREST AND MOTIVATE STUDENTS.
VIDEO SEGMENT NUMBER ONE.
YOU WILL SEE SEVERAL SHORT EXAMPLES FROM CLASSROOMS
THAT USE CONTEXTUALIZED LANGUAGE AND THEMES.
LOOK FOR EXAMPLES OF THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES:
GAMES AND INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES;
STORYTELLING, DRAMATIZATION,
OR THE ACTING OUT OF LANGUAGE --
THIS CAN ALSO INVOLVE SINGING OR CHANTING --
AND STUDENT PRESENTATIONS.
ALSO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE THEMES OR TOPICS IN THE ACTIVITIES.
Teacher: ...SENTENCE PATTERING CHART.
YOU REMEMBER?
Students: YEAH.
AND REMEMBER WE STARTED SINGING A COUPLE SONGS?
YEAH.
GUESS WHAT. WHAT?
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TODAY, TOO. YAY!
GISELLE, YOU WANT TO SHARE YOURS?
OKAY, I'LL GET BACK UP HERE,
AND I'LL TRY AND WRITE WHILE YOU'RE WORKING.
OKAY, WE GOT TO PUT OUR LISTENING CAPS ON, PLEASE.
I'M READY, GISELLE, WHEN YOU ARE.
SMALL POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY
IN THE CANOPY.
OH, THAT'S TERRIBLE, GISELLE!
POISONOUS MONKEYS!
[ laughs ]
I TOLD HER SHE WAS WRITING A FICTION STORY YESTERDAY.
SMALL...POISONOUS...
MONKEYS... WHAT?
THAT LETTER LOOKS LIKE AN UGLY SPIDER.
I KNOW, I'M SORRY IT'S AN UGLY "S," ISN'T IT.
IS IT OKAY IF I JUST LEAVE IT KIND OF UGLY?
OKAY, THANKS. SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS --
WHAT ARE THE POISONOUS MONKEYS DOING?
Several students: WRITING.
SCRATCHING.
SCRATCHING... SCRATCH --
HOW WERE THEY SCRATCHING?
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY...AND WHERE ARE THEY SCRATCHING?
CANOPY.
Boy: IN THE CANOPY.
Teacher: IN THE CANOPY?
THANK YOU.
OKAY, I NEED SOME HELP.
WHO CAN TELL ME WHERE THE CANOPY IS?
I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER.
WE HAVE OUR RAINFOREST STARTED OVER HERE.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CANOPY,
WHO CAN COME SHOW ME WHERE THE CANOPY IS?
WHO CAN SHOW ME WHERE IT IS?
ALMA, COME ON OVER.
YOU CAN HAVE MY POINTER BECAUSE MAYBE YOU CAN'T REACH IT.
MAYBE I CAN'T REACH IT.
OKAY, WHERE IS THE CANOPY?
EVERYBODY ELSE, HAVE IT IN YOUR HEAD.
OKAY, WHERE DO YOU THINK IT IS?
WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS THAT THE CANOPY?
Students: NO-O-O!
UH-OH, WHAT'S WRONG?
Student: IT HAS TO BE ON THE TOP...
CAN YOU REACH A LITTLE HIGHER, ALMA?
OHHH!
SO WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE CANOPY?
IF THIS IS OUR CANOPY, RIGHT HERE,
WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT IT?
WHAT'S IT LIKE? Thank you, Alma.
WHAT'S IT LIKE, RODRIGO?
Boy: LIKE THE...THE TOP.
IT'S THE TOP, RIGHT?
IS IT THE TALLEST, TALLEST?
NO, IT'S JUST THAT TOP LAYER.
AND WHAT IT LIKE?
Boy: A UMBRELLA.
A BIG UMBRELLA, RIGHT?
REMEMBER OUR LAYER SONG?
THE CONOPY IS LIKE A BIG UMBRELLA.
SO THEY'RE FIGHTING ON THE GROUND?
Students: NO.
WHERE ARE THEY FIGHTING?
UP IN THE TREETOPS, RIGHT?
Girl: SCRATCHING!
OH, RIGHT, THEY'RE NOT FIGHTING; THEY'RE SCRATCHING.
BUT IF YOU'RE SCRATCHING SOMBODY,
ARE YOU JUST SCRATCHING OR ARE YOU FIGHTING?
Students: FIGHTING. YOU'RE FIGHTING.
SO, YOU READY TO SING THIS ONE?
All: * SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY *
* QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY *
* QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY *
* SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY *
* QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY **
WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU?
[ speaks indistinctly ]
...GO TO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
I WANT TO PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS NOW!
I'M VERY WORRIED HERE.
[ speaks indistinctly ]
OH, YEAH, BUT I DON'T NEED THE T.V. ANYMORE.
I DON'T THINK SO.
MY T.V. IS GONE, BUT I'M HAPPIER THAN THE LAST WEEK.
I DON'T KNOW WHY. COULD YOU EXPLAIN IT?
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU
JUST SPEND A LOT OF TIME WATCHING T.V.,
AND IT'S...
OH, EXCUSE ME,
BUT...MY FATHER.
...PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS.
HI! LET'S PLAY SOCCER!
LET'S GO! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I DON'T NEED THE T.V. ANYMORE.
[ laughter ]
OKAY, THE OTHER STEP
IS INDIVIDUAL'S GENETIC INFORMATION
WILL BE USED AGAINST THEM.
EXAMPLE: DISMISSAL FROM WORK.
STEPS FORWARD FOR SCIENCE FIRST:
NEW GENETIC RESEARCH MAY MAKE IT POSSIBLE
TO IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFETIME RISK OF CANCER,
HEART ATTACK, AND OTHER DISEASES.
THEREFORE -- CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS?
WHY IS THIS A GOOD THING?
WHY IS THIS A STEP FORWARD?
Boy: BECAUSE IT'S USEFUL...
OKAY. GOOD.
OKAY, THE OTHER STEP IS
GENETIC TESTING, IT HAS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL
FOR IMPROVING HEALTH CARE.
VERY GOOD. SO THEY'RE REALLY RELATED.
YES.
THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS.
OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SUMMARY:
IN THESE CLASSES, WE SAW EXAMPLES
OF BOTH LOWER AND HIGHER LEVELS OF LANGUAGE LEARNERS
AND EXAMPLES OF BOTH LIGHTHEARTED
AND MORE SERIOUS TOPICS.
THE THEMES AND TOPICS WERE FROM THE "REAL WORLD"
AND WERE OF OBVIOUS INTEREST TO THE LEARNERS.
THE TEACHERS USED A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES
TO GET STUDENTS INVOLVED
IN BOTH THE LANGUAGE AND THE CONTENT OR CONTEXT.
THE FOCUS IN MODULE ONE
HAS BEEN ON THE CONTEXT OF LANGUAGE TEACHING.
CONTEXTUALIZING LANGUAGE THROUGH THE USE OF THEMES,
TOPICS, AND REAL WORLD SITUATIONS
CAN BE A WAY TO BRING ENGLISH ALIVE FOR LEARNERS
AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE THEM WITH BOTH LANGUAGE AND CONTENT.
SEE THE MANUAL FOR READINGS
AND MORE INFORMATION ON THIS
AND OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO CONTEXTUALIZING LANGUAGE.
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