Learner-Centered South Asian Language Instruction

SALRC Pedagogy WorkshopJune 6, 2005

J. Scott PaynePenn State Universityjspayne@psu.edu

Why Use Technology to Promote SLA?

Not for the sake of using it! Provides access to rich, authentic,

multimedia learning material. Technology can transform tasks from a

cognitive perspective. Enhances communication inside and

outside of the classroom. Promotes collaboration Provides additional practice Brings together learners separated by

geography.

“I don’t have time to do technology, my curriculum is already packed!”

Don’t add technology to your curriculum, use technology to transform how you teach!

Not Additive - Transformative!

Fundamental Questions About Language Teaching

What should we teach? How should we teach it? When should we teach it? How do we measure language

development? What should the basis be for such

decisions?

What should we teach?

lexical items Listening, speaking, reading, and

writing grammar structures cultural understanding not to mention non-linguistic skills,

domains, or perspectives

How should we teach it?

Language teaching methodologies role of the instructor responsibilities of learners linguistic authority

When should we teach it?

Order of acquisition (e.g. Piennemann, 1998)

Focus on vocabulary first and worry about grammar later?

“Silent period” Receptive to productive (Nunan, 1999) Language first, culture later?

How do we measure language development?

course exams (grammar, listening comprehension, vocabulary, etc)

written work oral exams standardized tests recording and analyzing the naturally-

occurring language use of our students.

What should the basis be for such decisions?

teacher intuition formal grammars the needs of teachers (prepare students

for reading belletristic texts). the needs of students how native-speakers actually use the

language in authentic contexts the language learners' L1

What is the best method for teaching language?

Grammar translation Audio-lingual method (behaviorist) Communicative approach

Natural approach Proficiency-oriented

Methods that emphasize cognitive processing (e.g. Van Patten’s input processing)

Constructivist methodologies

Learner-Centered Language Instruction

What is meant by “learner-centered” instruction? Strong view:

Learners have the right to help decide what they should learn

How they should learn How they are evaluated

Weak view: Learners taught about learning processes. Encouraged to take greater responsibility for their own

learning. Choices about what is taught, how it is taught,

when it is taught, and how learning is assessed revolve around the learner.

Learners must often learn how to learn.

Negotiated Curricula

Arguments for involving learners in content choices: Adults learn best when content is

personally relevant. Learners react to experience as they

perceive them, not as presented by the teacher.

Actively involving learners in the learning process - they do all the work.

Preparing learners for learner-centered instruction

Step 1: Make instructional goals clear to learners.

Step 2: Allow learners to create their own goals. Action meetings

Step 3: Encourage learners to use their L2 outside the classroom. Listen to authentic materials Participate in forums

Step 4: Raise awareness of learning processes. Discuss learning strategies with students Design tasks that train the use of good strategies (e.g.

semantic-mapping listening activity)

Preparing Learners for Learner-Centered Instruction

Step 5: Help learners identify their preferred styles and strategies. Discuss how task design impact cognitive

processing and can either enhance or encumber learning.

Step 6: Encourage learner choice. Different options/formats of an activity

Step 7: Allow learners to generate their own tasks. Provide them with the objectives and let them

design the task.

Preparing Learners for Learner-Centered Instruction

Step 8: Encourage learners to become teachers. Develop video materials used for teaching in

subsequent courses. Write quizzes for each other Grammar workshops Rotating small-group discussion leader

Step 9: Encourage learners to become researchers. Learners record the hypotheses they formulate about

the L2, investigate them, discuss them with classmates. Data-driven learning (Wednesday) Document and analyze their own language over time -

speech portfolio (Thursday).

Task-Based Language Teaching

What is a task? Real world task - things people need to do

to function in the target culture. Pedagogical task - promote language

proficiency development. Task versus Exercise: a task has a

non-linguistic outcome, and exercise has a linguistic outcome.

Principles of Task Design

Authenticity: language data which have not been created for teaching language, but are naturally-occurring.

Form-Function: teaching language in ways that make form-function relationships transparent and use inductive and deductive reasoning.

Task dependency: sequencing tasks in a logical way so that a series of task create a “pedagogical ladder.” Thematic units Multi-stage activities Project-based learning

Project-Based Learning

Goal is the creation of an artifact, not language learning per se.

Language is the vehicle, not the goal. Examples:

Cultural website (e.g. city tour, theme or topic)

Video projects (more on Thurs.-Fri.) If you are doing a lot of work, you are

doing something wrong!

Repurposing eCommerce Websites for Language Instruction

Migros online supermarket - http://www.le-shop.ch/

Household furnishings - http://www.ikea.com/

Clothing - http://www1.landsend.de/ Jobs

http://www.yahoo.jobpilot.de/gateway/yahoo/index.phtml

http://jobdumping.de/ Restaurants, Hotels, Tourist

information

Exercise in Pedagogical Website Deconstruction

See worksheet Four Questions:

Who designed this website? What were the objectives for this design – its

intended pedagogical use? How could this website be integrated into a learner-

centered classroom? Which of Nunan’s Nine steps does this website

support?

Learner-Centered Unit Design

Begin preparing a learner-centered instructional unit that either repurposes websites for pedagogical purposes or integrates existing pedagogical websites.