Monica Rocha-Antonin, M.A. The Classroom Brain Monica Rocha-Antonin, M.A.

Classroom brain: the seamless integration of diverse, intercultural groups of students with the goal of creating a common base of interaction and resources with the goal of collective, group ownership. The goal is establishing long term, effective learning.

Los Angeles Community College, Class of 2010

„Culture is a combination of perceptual values, patterns of cognition, verbal cognition, verbal behavior, non-verbal behavior and material objects.” L.A. Samovar’s, R.E. Porter’s. E. R. McDaniels’ “Intercultural Communication: A Reader. 12th Edition. (2008), Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2006

University of California Irvine, SL 300 class, Summer 2012 “A primary responsibility of an educator is that they not only be aware of the general principle of the shaping of actual experiences by environing conditions, but that they actually recognize in the concrete what surroundings are conducive to have experiences that lead to growth.” ( Experience and Education, John Dewey) University of California Irvine, SL 300 class, Summer 2012

https://www. researchgate https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Cummins-Four-Part-Distinctions-Between-BICS-and-CALP_fig2_287234965

BICS and CALP Although the Cummins theory refers to language acquisition and his research and work was done mostly with children in schools from K-12, it is still fundamentally relevant within the learning contexts of interculturality and English for Special Purposes, as many university students continue to experience the linguistic and language acquisition challenges throughout their lives.

Classroom brain considerations: input from students is used to help design content and affect teaching methodology students’ cultural experiences and their experiences within their own field of study are employed in order to enrich content delivery. communication takes place in a positive, collaborative manner. Students are encouraged to collaborate with students of other cultures and languages. tendencies to stereotype “otherness” and fall within “comfort zone” levels are addressed on the spot

Possible positive outcomes: students will derive a sense of ownership of the materials and feel a sense of contribution and participation. Therefore, they will be motivated to return to the classroom. READ: Student retention! Students coming from different areas, such as science and engineering, can feel integrated into the humanities by exploring the many ways in which they can experiment with written or spoken language, otherwise not often used in their field of study. Group collaboration as a way of facilitating the sharing of information. This means, individual ideas are collected within a group and consensually conveyed into the classroom

Why is interculturalism presently relevant for English teachers in today‘s EU universities? Answer: the new CERF descriptors https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-2018/1680787989

Student 1 points in common Student 2 Student 4 Student 3 idea

Sources: “BICS and CALP: Empirical and Theoretical Status of the Distinction” edited by Jim Cummins. B Street, and N. H. Hornberger. (2008). Encyclopedia of Language and Education, 2nd Edition, Volume 2: Literacy. (pp. 71-83). New York: Springer Science + Business Media LLC. Cummins, https://sites.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/Best%20of%20Bilash/Images/BICS-CALP-axis.gif Dewey, John. Experience and Education. Macmillan Co., 1938. L.A. Samovar, R.E. Porter. E. R. McDaniels’ “Introduction, Intercultural Communication: A Reader.” 12th Edition. (2006), Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2006 “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment. Companion Volume with New Descriptors.” Language Policy Programme Education Policy Division, Council of Europe, February, 2018. “How do you see yourself”, Fortbildung, Train the Trainer Course. European Language Compentence. Frankfurt, February, 2018.