Session 1&2 Subject information: Languages Activity 11 & 12 From "learning the skills” to “application of skills" 1

Rationale, Features and Philosophy Focal points  Definition of subject  Aims and objectives  Time allocation and weighting  Requirements  Overview of the language curriculum  Approaches.

Definition of subject Tool for thought and communication. Also a cultural and aesthetic means commonly shared among a people to make better sense of the world they live in..

Definition of subject Ability to use language effectively enables learners to:  acquire knowledge,  express their identity, feelings and ideas,  interact with others,  to manage their world,  express, construct, alter, broaden and redefine cultural diversity and social relations, and  broaden their view of the world..

Definition of subject Language learning in Grades 4 -6: All 11 official languages and Non-official languages. All languages but non-official, can be offered at different language levels. Why level and not language? As a result, the labels Home Language, First and Second Additional Languages refer to the proficiency levels at which the language is offered and not the native (Home) or acquired (as in the additional languages) language..

Def. of subject: Home Language level Language proficiency: mastery of basic interpersonal communication skills for social situations and cognitive academic skills essential for learning across the curriculum = from "learning to read" to "reading to learn“. Emphasis on all skills but more on reading and writing from Grade 7 upwards. Literary, aesthetic and imaginative ability enhanced to enable recreation, imagination, and empowering their understanding of the world they live in..

Def of subj.: First Additional Lang Assumption: Learners have limited knowledge of the language Early Focus: developing learners’ ability to understand and speak the language – basic interpersonal communication skills. Literacy built on this oral foundation in Grades 2 & 3. Literacy skills learnt in HL applied they have already learned in their Home Language. Listening, speaking, reading and writing skills strengthened at IP and SP..

Def of subj.: First Additional Lang EFAL LOLT to most children at this stage - should be getting more exposure to it. Greater emphasis on using the FAL for purposes of thinking and reasoning.  Enables learners to develop cognitive academic skills needed to learn in English.  Further engagement with literary texts develop aesthetic and imaginative ability in their Additional Language..

Def of subj.: First Additional Lang Should be reasonably proficient in FAL upon reaching Grade 9 with regard to both interpersonal and cognitive academic skills..

10 Def of subj.: Sec. Additional Lang Assumption: Learners have limited knowledge of the language Early Focus: developing learners’ ability to understand and speak the language – basic interpersonal communication skills. Start to build literacy and oral skills in Grades 4-6. Literacy skills learnt in HL & FAL applied they have already learned in their HL & FAL. Listening & speaking skills strengthened in SP. Developing reading and writing skills in SP.

Def of subj.: Sec. Additional Lang 11 Should be able to communicate in their SAL upon reaching Grade 9 with regard to both interpersonal and social levels. Goal: be able to use Additional Language at a level of proficiency to prepare them for further or higher education or, ultimately, the world of work.

Rationale for teaching language skills The learning of language structure : will develop a shared language for talking about language (a ‘meta-language’), so that they can evaluate their own and other texts critically in terms of meaning, effectiveness and accuracy. They will also be able to use this knowledge to experiment with language to build meaning from word and sentence levels to whole texts 12

Rationale for teaching language skills 2 see how a text and its context are related. Through interacting with a variety of texts, learners extend their use of vocabulary and correctly apply their understanding of Language Structures and Conventions. should aid successful communication and be linked to the functional uses of language in different social settings 13

Rationale for teaching language skills Language structures and conventions Enable production of coherent and cohesive texts. Should be taught for constructing texts in their context of use. Application of language structures not restricted to the analysis of isolated sentences BUT to explain the way in which sentences are structured to construct whole texts, e.g. stories, essays, letters, reports, etc. 14

Rationale for teaching language skills The above skills should be integrated. Integrating these skills, the focus on one skill can lead to practice in another. For example, a learner involved in a debate will read an argumentative/ discursive essay and then produce his own written argumentative/discursive essay using language structures such as synonyms and antonyms, negations and conjunctions, etc. 15

Rationale for teaching language skills Language structures and conventions Play an important role in understanding and producing oral and written texts and should therefore be taught in context. 16

Specific aims of learning a home language Should enable learners to: acquire the language skills required for academic learning across the curriculum; listen, speak, read/view and write/present the language with confidence and enjoyment. use language appropriately, taking into account audience, purpose and context; 17

Specific aims of learning a home language Should enable learners to: express and justify, orally and in writing, their own ideas, views and emotions confidently in order to become independent and analytical thinkers; use language and their imagination to find out more about themselves and the world around them. This will enable them to express their experiences and findings about the world orally and in writing. 18

Specific aims of learning a home language Should enable learners to: use language to access and manage information for learning across the curriculum and in a wide range of other contexts; and 19

Specific aims of learning a Home Language use language as a means for critical and creative thinking; -express their opinions on ethical issues and values; -interacting critically with a wide range of texts; - for challenging the perspectives, values and power relations embedded in texts; and -for reading texts for various purposes, such as enjoyment, research and critique. 20

Specific aims of learning a FAL & SAL Enable learners to: Acquire the language skills necessary to communicate accurately (FAL) and appropriately (FAL & SAL) taking into account audience, purpose and context Use Additional Language for academic learning across the curriculum (FAL) Listen, speak, read/view and write/present the language with confidence and enjoyment. 21

Enable learners to: Use Additional Language and imagination to discover selves and the world around them. Use Additional Language to access and manage information for LAC: information literacy a vital skill. 22 Specific aims of learning a FAL & SAL

Use Additional Language for critical and creative thinking; - expressing opinions on ethical issues (FAL) and values (FAL) & various topics (SAL); - interacting critically with texts; - challenging perspectives, values and power relations embedded in texts; and - reading texts for various purposes, such as enjoyment, research, critique 23

Activity 12 Duration: 60minutes Discuss the following: the specific aims of learning languages the rationale for teaching languages the aims of teaching language skills such as listening speaking, reading and viewing the rationale for referring to the language level and not the language itself the differences and the similarities between the three language levels Report back and discussion 24

Time allocation, weighting and requirements Time allocation: same as in NCS (6 hrs/ 5hrs) 25 Home LanguageFirst Additional Language SkillsTime allocation per cycle (12h) %Time allocation per cycle (10h) % Listening & Speaking217% 220 Reading & Viewing (Comp+ Lit) 542% 550 Writing & Presenting433% 220 Lang structures & conventions 1 (integrated)8%110

Time allocation, weighting and requirements Time allocation: same as in NCS (2 hrs) 26 Second Additional Language SkillsTime allocation per cycle (h) % Listening & Speaking 75 mins42 (40) Reading & Viewing (Comp+ Lit) 55 mins31 (30) Writing & Presenting 35 mins19 (20) Lang structures & conventions 15 mins8 (10)

Time allocation and requirements NB: For HL Language structures and use are integrated within the time allocation of the above skills. 27

Language structures and conventions Take note : “The table...the language structures and conventions that learners may use during... processes. These structures should be taught as required in the context of different types of oral, visual and written texts. One lesson per week may be used for this purpose. “ “A teacher may also choose to dedicate one or more lessons to formal grammar as required.” 28

THANK YOU 29