Becoming a (multilingual) reader and writer

• How do multilingual readers and writers develop identities as participants or non-participants in formal educational settings?

• How do these students gain access to or non-access to the literacy practices in the school?
The study is based on an on going longitudinal study of literacy in multilingual classrooms called ‘Signs of language’. The main part of my data material comes from this project. The empirical basis is collected over a period of seven years in one class and consists of video-based classroom observation, field notes, pictures, interviews with the students and what can be characterized as quasi-experimental activities. Furthermore I have access to multi-modal products made by the students.
In practice I am following two multilingual children in the first eight years of their schooling. The study has two components:

1. An analysis of the video-based classroom observations, interviews and the quasi-experimental activities for an understanding of the trajectories of identities as readers and writers which the two students makes.

2. An analysis of their multimodal products in order to understand the linguistic transformations that occurs during this period.
The project takes a social perspective on the development of language and literacy and draw on a social semiotic perspective (Kress 1997) and the New Literacy Studies (eg. Barton 1994, Barton and Hamilton 2003). To understand the relation between literacy and identity I draw on what Packer (2001) refers to as the ‘ontological’ approach to learning (se also Lave 1993, Wenger 1998, Wortham 2005) where academic learning and social identification are seen as interrelated processes.
Key-words:

Signs of literacy identity

Timescales

Trajectories

Social identification processes

Semiotic Transformations

Burden, K., Hopkins, P., Male, T., Martin, S., Trala, S. (2012): iPad Scotland Evaluation, Faculty of Education, The University of Hull

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An integrated teaching programme for written composition and literature study through the media

Michael L. A. Le Cordeur
Abstract: This research concerns L1-teaching of Afrikaans at secondary level as an integrated and merged approach of writing composition and literature. There is currently a big debate in South Africa on the issue of teaching Afrikaans as an L1-language given the fact that our country has eleven official languages. Schools are under pressure to teach all children through the L2-teaching of English. Research is required to determine what path the teaching of Afrikaans will have to embark on. Technological development puts the media within reach of more people each day. Pupils spend a great deal of time watching television, movies and videos; listening to CD’s, surfing the internet, writing on social media or chatting on their iPhones. Neuropsychological research has shown that the human brain functions optimally when teaching is integrated. Therefore the aim of this study is twofold: First the researcher will show that for secondary learners to read and write with comprehension, reading and writing must be taught simultaneously as it is two sides of the same process.

Secondly the study aims to incorporate learners’ interest in the mass media into the reading-and-writing programme. Hence the research question that guides this research is as follows: Is there a need to integrate the media into the teaching of writing composition and literature? Secondly, is it possible to have this integration in the reading-and-writing programme by focussing on the media? The theoretical framework that underpins the study is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development as well as Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory who emphasise that the learners are active participants in the learning process (Woolfolk 2010:43) as well as the role of language in facilitating cognitive development (Louis 2009:20). The method used in this study entailed an investigation of the relevant literature by means of the theoretical-scientific approach of the integration teaching model. Many current educational theories and practices can be understood better in terms of experiences from the past. The knowledge and insights acquired from the literature study offered valuable data in terms of integrating writing and literature and whether those changes will be effective and sustainable.

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BEACH, Richard & JoAnne LIEBMAN-KLEINE. 1986. The writing/reading relationship: Becoming one's own best reader. In: Petersen, B.T. (red. ) Convergences: Transactions in reading and writing.Urbana, National Council of Teachers of English, 64-81.

BIRNBAUM, June. 1986. Refelctive thought : The connection between reading and writing. In: Petersen, Bruce T. (red.). Convergences: Transactions in reading and

writing. Urbana, National Council of Teachers of English, 30-45.

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DOUGHERTY, Barbey N. 1986. Writing plans as strategies for reading, writing and revising. Transactions in reading and writing. Urbana, National Council of Teachers of English, 82-96.

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HAIRSTON, Maxine. 1986. Using nonfiction literature in the composition classroom. In: Petersen, Bruce T. (red.) Convergences : Transactions in reading and writing. Urbana, National Council of Teachers of English, 179-188.

LE CORDEUR, M.L.A. 2004. The improvement of reading by means of media reading strategies for Afrikaans (grade 7): a case study. PhD-dissertation. Stellenbosch University.

LEMMER, E.M. 1995. Selected linguistic realities in South African schools: problems and prospects. Educare, 24(2):82-95.

Louis, G.W. 2009. Using Glasser’s choice theory to understand Vygotsky. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 28(2):20-23.

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"Call to teach" of Estonian and Finnish teacher students of mother tongue and literature

Kersti Lepajoe & Satu E. M. Grünthal
Abstract: The aim of our paper is to investigate the motivation of career choice and career orientation of Finnish and Estonian subject teacher students of mother tongue and literature. The research data was collected through an e-survey in the spring term of 2014 amongst Finnish students from the University of Helsinki and Estonian students from the University of Tartu.

The data is analyzed as well quantitatively as qualitatively. Results of Finnish and Estonian student groups are discussed in comparison to each other and, respectively, in the context of national subject teacher education curricula and teachers’ socio-economic situation.

The research is theoretically anchored to D. T. Hansen’s concept of ‘call to teach’ (1995), and it takes into account the recent research on beliefs about teaching and career choice (e.g. Löfström, E. & Poom-Valickis, K., 2013; Rots, I. & al, 2010) and the sociological context of teacher’s profession (Darling-Hammond, L. & Bransford, J., 2013). The research data is analyzed in the framework of different dimensions of teacher’s vocation, such as the social and ethical aspects of teaching, teacher’s constant professional development, and the emotional rewardingness of teaching. Also, the very concept of vocation in comparison to career choice is questioned in the analysis.

The weight students gave to the importance of subject knowledge, research-based teacher orientation and multicultural aspects in mother tongue and literature education are also scrutinized in the paper. In this respect, Higgins’ (2005) suggestion of seeing professions as ways of interacting with the world turns out useful.

First results of the data analysis reveal remarkable differences in, for example, the social status of teacher’s profession in Finland and Estonia. Despite of this, the ‘call to teach’ of Estonian mother tongue and literature students seems to be even stronger than that of Finnish students. In both countries the students’ inner motivation to become teachers is clear, and, therefore, the challenge of teacher education is to foster this career choice and to evoke awareness of the social orientation and social dimensions of teacher’s profession.
Keywords: career choice, vocation, motivation
References:

Darling-Hammond, Linda & Bransford, John (Eds.). 2013. Preparing Teachers for a Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dewey, John. 1916. Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education,

Hansen, David. 1995. The Call to Teach. New York: Teachers’ College Press.

Higgins, Christopher. 2005. Dewey’s conception of vocation. – Journal of Curriculum Studies vol 37, nr 4, 441–464

Löfström, Erika and Poom-Valickis, Katrin. 2013, Beliefs about teaching: Persistent or malleable? – Teaching and Teacher Education 35/2013.

Rots, Isabel & al. 2010, Teacher education and the choice to enter the teaching profession – Teaching and Teacher Education 26/2010.

Language teachers' perspectives on mother tongue language education in a multilingual post-colonial region

Wai H Leung
Abstract: Language learning is more than acquisition of linguistic skills but also a social, psychological and cultural process (e.g. Lin, 2012; Ochs, 2002; Vygotsky, 1987). Mother tongue language (MTL) is a core subject in most countries/regions' school curriculum. Usually, the language is both the tool with which knowledge and skills are taught and learned, and the vehicle for students to learn about the traditions of the countries' literature and culture (e.g. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013; Department of Education, UK, 2013a, 2013b; Department of Elementary Education, 2011; Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2011; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2011). However, MTL education in Hong Kong is complicated by the colonial history. Traditionally, Chinese language education was a mixture of education on philosophy, history, politics and literacy. On the other hand, as a British colony, the previous Hong Kong MTL curriculum emphasized more on linguistics skills instead of transmission of Chinese cultural, literary and ethical values. With the sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, the new Chinese language curriculum seems to reflect a shift to a more all-rounded model. This study looks at the role of culture in MTL education in postcolonial Hong Kong. It takes a critical perspective on the ways in which a language teacher views the aims and objectives of the language subject he/she is teaching as immediately affecting both the design and pedagogies in the curriculum.
So what are Hong Kong language teachers' perspectives on mother tongue language education in the post-colonial period? Interviews were administrated to explore how language teachers view the aims and objectives of MTL education as well as their current practice. Results of the interview on seventeen teachers indicate that although teachers agreed that culture is an important element in MTL education, their practice contrasted this view in focusing on linguistic skills and knowledge. This points to a strong influence of the previous colonial skills-based language curriculum on their modern day pedagogical practices. Attempts will be made to identify implications for culturally transformative teacher education in post-colonial Hong Kong.
References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). The Australian curriculum English. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Australian%20Curriculum.pdf

Department for Education, UK. (2013a). National curriculum in England. English programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/260491/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_English_RS2.pdf

Department for Education, UK. (2013b). National curriculum in England. English programmes of study: key stage 3. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/244215/SECONDARY_national_curriculum_-_English2.pdf

Department of Elementary Education. (2011). 國民中小學九年一貫課程綱要語文學習領域(國語文) [Elementary Secondary and Primary Education Grades 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines Language Learning Area (National Language)]. Retrieved from http://140.111.34.54/files/site_content/B0055/國語文課綱1000406.doc

Lin, W.C. (2012). Language competition and challenges in plurilingual education: the case of a Hakka school in Taiwan. L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 12, 1-19.

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Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2011). The revisions of the Courses of Study for elementary and secondary schools. Retrieved from http://www.mext.go.jp/english/elsec/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/28/1303755_001.pdf

Ochs, E. (2002). Becoming a speaker of culture. In C. Kramsch (Ed.), Language acquisition and language socialization (pp99-120). London: Continuum.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1987). The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky. New York: Plenum Press.

1. What are the effects of DLs in facilitating students to learn in the respective course contexts?

2. What lessons have the lecturers learned in the attempt to adopt DLs as an additional resource to augment conventional face-to-face lectures?

By a “one course one digital lecture” principle, a total of nine DLs were produced for various courses, ranging from language studies, literature to language teaching methods. These DLs were uploaded to a LMS of each course for students’ reference. After the semester finished, a voluntary online survey was conducted to solicit students’ feedback. A total of 58 students (16%) responded. In addition, two focus groups, each involved five and seven students, were organised to invite elaborated comments. Reflections of the lecturers were collected through in-depth interviews on an individual basis.

Overall, the students involved agreed that the DLs were conducive to their learning in various aspects but they disagreed that these could replace the face-to-face lectures. The lecturers regarded the process as a valuable opportunity for reflection on quality learning and teaching rather than personal advancement in ICT competency.
Keywords: digital lecture; blended learning; e-learning in higher education
References:

Boffey, R., Gerrans, P., & Kennedy, S. (2010). Using digital lectures to assist student learning. eCULTURE, 3, 169-186.

Demetriadis, S., & Pombortsis, A. (2007). E-lectures for flexible learning: A study on their learning efficiency. Educational Technology & Society, 10 (2), 147-157.

Shivetts, C. (2011). E-Learning and blended learning: The importance of the learner a research literature review. International Journal on E-Learning, 10(3), 331-337.

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