Transformative Learning in the Humanities

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Second Language through Design[ing]

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    “Second Language through Design[ing]” is a reference book for design teachers who are interested in integrating English instruction in their courses; in this reference book, teachers can select from a collection of 16 design projects that integrate language skills in a design studio setting. I divided the book into design/ESL levels that provide strategies and worksheets relevant to learners needs; the aim is for teachers to get ideas on ways in which they can integrate English tasks implicitly to help both native and non-native speakers of English enhance their language skills. In terms of outcomes, for teachers, I provide a framework that they can use to develop their own lesson plans; all resources and support materials, for both teachers and students, are available digitally on a web platform for them to download/use as needed. As for students, this type of implicit instruction helps them develop solid concepts grounded on research, enhance the four English skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), practice presentation skills, and expand their lexis.

    Learners’ General profile
    I have developed a collection of exercises for young adults and adults who have chosen a path in Art and Design fields. Two other important aspects to which pay attention are 1. learners’ language background—monolinguals, bilinguals, or multilinguals—be it that they were raised in multilingual countries (ENL), have lived abroad (ESL), or because their families have encouraged language-learning (EFL), and 2. Englishes, that is, the different English varieties spoken in specific countries—beyond American and British English—such as India and South Africa. In some cases, these learners are enrolled in ESL courses related to their field of study where they take advantage of an in-depth language focus; in other cases, classes have a mix of native (NS) and non-native (NNS) English speakers, which gives learners more opportunities to practice English skills as it is their shared language. Due to this diversity of backgrounds and personal interests, learners’ competencies—language skills, creativity, and craftsmanship—are heterogeneous. For all the reasons aforementioned, learners in these classrooms build a micro-culture in which international intelligibility (as promoted by ELF advocates) rather than native-like competence is the aim of language development.

    Teaching Approach:
    This GuideBook encompasses, at different points of the learning process, a combination of methods and multi-modal strategies in order to serve learner’s individual needs in line with curriculum goals and outcomes; in this approach to teaching, my aim is to nurture a holistic learning experience, in which teachers engage learners emotionally, physically, and intellectually or, as English professors Michael Legutke and Howard Thomas (1991: 159) describe: “the holistic and multisensory nature of learning which involves head, heart, and hands.” Research has shown that positive emotions and arousal are conducive to long-lasting learning and achievement (Zimmerman, 2001) and that original texts, real-world experiences and peer learning are paramount to learners’ self-investment, intrinsic motivation, positive affect, and long-lasting learning. For these reasons, in this GuideBook I have attempted to combine:

    1. Relevant and authentic material that allures tacit knowledge, personal experiences, and collective consciousness based on a ‘process syllabus’ (Nunan, 1989), of open-ended projects that give learners agency over their learning experience and focus attention on process rather than a final product
    2. Multimodal instruction that integrates motor-receptive skills and interaction skills (Bao, 2003), such as verbal/non-verbal tasks, visual examples, readings, oral narratives, life demonstrations, amongst others
    3. Communication Strategies as forms of assessing learners’ understanding, decoding meaning, and knowledge acquisition/production, which are fostered in collaborative projects, various forms of play, improvisations, and peer learning

     

    Digital book available here

    Online resources here

    My research on Language Justice

    Presentations:

    Process

    Evidence

    Framework explained

     

    This topic was also posted in: TLH Cohort 1.
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