4 Valuation of the Knowledge of FLs as an Instrument of Communication and Linguistic Diversity Valuation of the knowledge of Foreign Languages as an Instrument of Communication â—?
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Interest in linguistic diversity by knowing a new language and its culture
4.1. Valuation of the knowledge og FLs as an instrument of communication â—?
Important to learn FLs as people travel more and communication needs have increased. Knowing languages is a necessity in modern society.
4.1.1. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING IN PRIMARY EDUCATION IMPORTANCE IN STUDY PLANS FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION Necessary in the UE, also from the economical perspective
Provokes reflection on own language, culture and traditions
Possibility to meet other cultures and lifestyles. Tolerance and triendship
Communicative Competence is improved
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Aim of teaching FL in PE: learn to communicate in the language, favouring its instrumental usage. Approach based on communication needed, considering all the aspects in the competence, –
Linguistic
- Strategic
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Socio-linguistic
- Socio-cultural
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Discoursive
- Intercultural
and all the skills (oral/written; receptive/productive). ●
Reason to teach in PE: :-( ●
Limited capacity for reflection on mother tongue.
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Obtaining a wider representation of reality. Development of cognoscitive abilities Better acquisition of auditive and phonologic competence Affective factors are not present for possible inhibition.
Distinguish between: general objectives (for schoolyear) and didactic ones (in the DU). They all should include formative, practical, cultural, social and linguitic objectives.
Affection and emotions
Group work
Motivating Student centered Interests and needs
Active Adapted to characteristics
Teacher's role
Flexible METHODOLOGY
Variety of methodologies Materials adapted to methodology
Offer as much input as possible
Communicative Interaction
Resources
Guidelines: Threshold (1975) Common European Framework for Referencing languages (2001)
Special attention to auditive comprehension Based on own experience OL priority (In early stages)
Assessment Intelligibility Pertinence Comprehension
Progress / correction of mistakes Linguistic correction Fluency
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Teaching aspects are influenced by: –
Psycholinguistics: a dynamic and creative approach is needed. Student centered, they learn what they need and want.
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Sociolinguistics: someone who is competent in languages can accede to higher socioeconomic levels.
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Modern anthropology: human being is develop by using languages. So do human relationships.
From these influences: the need to look for reality-related situations and activities (situational and functional approach) in PE
4.1.2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN OUR DAYS ●
More than 3 hundred million people mother tongue.
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Plus, secondary language for lots of countries.
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70% of the television and radio all around the world.
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English Certificates:
ESL: English for daily uses EFL: English for academic uses
CEFR for Languages (2001)
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The future of English Language English as Global Language ●
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In the 19th century, it was thought that English would be spoken by the whole world ---> False. 20th century ---> world's 8% By 2050 --> world's 5% (as Mandarin Chinese in the largest language) Nowadays, Arabic increasing; English declining. There are still 6000 languages: rural ones tend to disappear, new urban languages (often English + another language) maintain diversity.
English for Science and Communication ● ●
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English is Lingua Franca Lots of traditional languages are losing their practical use, as science and communication are international. Scientific literature 90% English. And vocabulary is continuously increasing.It is active and creator. Non-native speakers scientists have to become multilingual New generations need to get into ICT so, they will be multilingual too. Mandarin is important too, maybe overtaking USA.
4.1.3. CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES (from an Anthrolopogic perspective)
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A program of FL study that wants to perform culture should be focus on intention, situated meaning, memory and pedagogical design of goals and procedures. –
The purpose of learning is to gain the ability to establish intentions in the foreign culture. ●
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Conducting a business, research, personal relations... your intentions should be accepted by interlocutors and you should able to understand theirs.
Culture is the source of meaning and conversations in a particular language require communication in the frame of a particular culture. ●
If a native and a foreigner have access to the foreigner's culture, the next best strategy should be speak in one language and interpret from the other culture. Confusion and miscommunication happens easily when conversation in interpreted in different cultures.
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Learning to perform a foreign culture entails constructing a memory of that culture ●
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Including increasingly complex interactions within the foreign culture and completing them, creates a extensive memory.
We can create pedagogical situations and devices that facilitate the construction of a memory of a foreign culture. ●
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Learning through: hallmarks of a civilization; society values and knowledge that enables a person to life daily. In early states focus on: behavioral culture (knowledge of daily life); and then achievement (hallmarks) and informational (values) cultures.
4.2. INTEREST IN LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY BY KNOWING A NEW LANGUAGE AND ITS CULTURE 4.2.1. LINGUISTIC, COMMUNICATIVE AND CULTURAL ASPECTS IN THE CURRICULUM OF PRIMARY EDUCATION STAGE'S AIMS (Heziberri 2020, 236/2015 Decree, of 22nd Dec.), simplified:
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To understand oral, written and audiovisual speech, for responding effectively to different communicative situations. To express and interact orally and in writing for responding with sufficient appropriateness, coherence and correction to usual communicative necessities. To reflect about the foreign language system and to apply the knowledge and basic rules of the use of the language, for favour its appropriate employment, using transferable knowledge between languages. To enjoy easy written, oral and audiovisual literary texts, for understanding the world and people's cultural diversity, for enriching linguistically and developing the aesthetic sensitivity. To use the foreign language for discovering other realities and cultures showing a positive attitude To use the information and communication technologies for obtaining information, communicating and cooperating in the foreign language. To begin with the reflection on the own learning processes for transferring knowledge and communication strategies that have been acquired in other languages and for encouraging self-regulation.
4.2.2. LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN EUROPE ●
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Linguistic Diversity in EU in enshrined in Art.22 of European Charter of European Rights and Art.3 of Treaty of European Union. 24 official and working languages in EU. (2017 – 28 Member States, 3 alphabets) –
Other 60 languages that are not official (regional, social languages)
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In accordance with the EU population, mother tongue: German (16%), Italian and English (13% each), French (12%), Spanish and Polish (8% each).
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The five most widely spoken foreign languages remain English (38%), French (12%), German (11%), Spanish (7%) and Russian (5%)
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Just over half of Europeans (54%) are able to hold a conversation in at least one additional language, a quarter (25%) are able to speak at least two additional languages and one in ten (10%) are conversant in at least three.
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English is the most widely spoken foreign language in 19 of the 25 Member States where it is not an official language
European Union goals in multilinguialism: enabling citizens to communicate in 2 languages other than their mother tongue (Barcelona, 2002) 88% of Europeans think that knowing languages other than their mother tongue is very useful and 98% of Europeans consider mastering other foreign languages as useful for the future of their children.
4.2.3. THE PLACE OF LANGUAGES IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS IN THE EU27 (2012) ●
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The most widespread method used to learn a foreign language is through lessons at school. Just over two thirds of Europeans (68%) have learnt a foreign language in this way. Those groups most likely to be able to speak at least two foreign languages are: –
younger people, in particular 15-24 year olds (37%), compared with older people, most notably those aged 55+ (17%)
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those still studying (45%), compared with the retired (16%)
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those who finished their full-time education aged 20 or more (42%), compared to those finishing at 15 or below (6%)
Groups more likely to perceive their skills as “very good” in each of these five languages vary. Those demographic groups more likely to rate their level of ability in English as “very good” are: –
younger people, particularly 15-24 year olds (27%), compared with those aged 55+ (15%)
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those who finished their full time education aged 20+ (26%), particularly when compared with those finishing aged 15 (7%)
Europeans are most likely to be discouraged from learning another language because they do not have a reason or incentive to do so (34%), they lack the time (28%) and it is too expensive (25%)
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Strategic Framework – Education&Training 2020 –
E&T2020 Working Groups: for exchanging good practices in Education. ●
Pre-Primary level Policy Handbook.
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Schoolchildren: Sirius Program for migrants. – Multilingual Classrooms. Enriching communicative skills in one classroom for all languages. Methodologies: Content&Learning Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Peer-Learning. –
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21st February: International Mother Language Day
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26th September: European Day of Languages
4.2.4. SEVEN VARIETIES OF ENGLISH REGIONAL ENGLISH
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SOCIAL STANDING OR EDUCATIONAL LEVEL STANDARD ENGLISH SUBJECT MATTER MEDIUM ATTITUDE
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Usually called dialects. Regarding to phonology, first, and vocabulary, second. Then grammar variety. National varieties: British English // American English. Scottish // Irish close to BrE. Candian to AmE. South African, Australian and New Zealander, both. Educated speech is used beyond the borders of dialect. Uneducated called substandards, as dialects. Given prestige by the government, parties, press... BBC's English is accepted as Britain's Educated English. Network English in USA. Great uniformity: two subsystems: American or British orientation. Few grammatical differences, but numerous lexical ones. Register. Set of lexical items to identify the subject (sports, cookery...) Spoken (interlocutor presence) and Written (more explicit, because lack of rhythm, intonation...) English.
Linguistic form dependind on the attitude towards the listener/reader: ● Common Core: neutral, formal English, rigid attitude ● Informal: friendly attitude.
INTERFERENCE Linguistic forms used when there is a trace left of the person's native language on the foreign one.
4.2.5. LINGUISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGLISH ●
Differences between BrE and AmE Spelling in final syllables
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Lexical differences
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Morphosyntactic differences
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or --> our: color, labor, favor dgment --> dgement: judgement er --> re: center, theater se --> ce: defense, license, offense Elevator --> Lift Automobile --> Car Cracker --> Biscuit Guess --> Think Using Would in subordinate if-clause Using Do auxiliaries with Have questions: do you have...? Gotten --> Got
Differences between Welsh and BrE: similar in vocabulary and grammar, but still: ● ●
Too --> Either: I can't do that, too. Repeated use of adjectives to indicate “very”: it was high, high.
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Differences between Irish and Scottish and BrE: Grammatical differences
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Lexical differences
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“Have” as auxiliary and main verb at a time. The object of “need” or “want” may be a direction: I want out. Yet ---> Still Scottish
Folk --> People Wee --> Small Mind --> Remember
Irish Whiter --> Hesitate Boke --> Vomit
Differences between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and BrE: above all, vocabulary, because of the influence of the aboriginal languages ● ●
Footpath ---> Pavement Indaba (zulu) ---> Conference