Constructivism and Innovation in English Language Teaching Prof Bob Adamson Hong Kong Institute of Education

Social and constructivist learning  Influenced by Vygotsky and Bruner  Learner-centred  Diversity of individual patterns of learning

Social and constructivist learning People:  learn in social contexts through interaction with others  build their learning by linking new learning to existing knowledge and understandings  need to know how to learn

Social and constructivist learning  Build on learners’ prior knowledge and experiences  New learning can reinforce, amend or contradict previous conceptions  Learners create conceptual maps of interlinked knowledge

Social and constructivist learning  Learning is individual  Learning is an active experience  Learners’ contributions are to be valued  Teacher is facilitator of learning and teacher of how to learn

Constructivist approaches to TESOL  Linguistic basis (focus on Ss language production; related SLA theories; social views of language)  Educational psychology basis (task-based learning; Outcomes-based Learning; learning through doing, etc.)  Ideological basis (individualism, whole-person development, generic skills)

Our Aims  Making learning enjoyable  Making learning successful  Making English learnable

Teaching Language Students Students need to:  use language for communication  master the linguistic systems  make frameworks of knowledge through language Teachers Teachers need to:  provide opportunities for communication  teach the linguistic systems  help students construct frameworks of knowledge

Process 1. Assess learners’ needs, interests & abilities 2. Identify motivating, valuable, achievable topics 3. Identify relevant communicative outcomes 4. Specify the holistic and atomistic support that the learners would need 5. Design resources as springboards to learning

Hamburger Model Focus on discrete items: pedagogical space Holistic input: focus on genre/meaning Holistic output: pedagogical space, but opportunity for social construction

Holistic Input  Communicative discourse  Attention to Ss’ needs, interests & abilities  Cognitive, thematic & linguistic links to prior learning  Spiral progression and variation  Pseudo-authentic; ZPD and i + 1  Comprehension focuses on key genre features

Focus on discrete items  Key linguistic elements & skills of the genre/discourse  Grammar, vocab and skills in context  Free range of pedagogical possibilities  ZPD / i + 1

Holistic Output  Scaffolded  Opportunities for whole class, group, pairwork as well as individual output  Model A: holistic input  Model B: focus on individual skills process  Model C: Ss’ own staged output

Hamburger Model Grammar: modals Vocab: places, time Skills: phone conversations Holistic input: making an arrangement to meet on the phone Holistic output: students create own phone dialogues

Hamburger Model Grammar: past tense Vocab: accidents Skills: interviewing; short paragraphs: news, interviews, background; Holistic input: a newspaper report Holistic output: Ss carry out interviews and write a report

Constructivist approaches to reform  Link the reform to school’s capacity for change (ZPD)  Focus on what can be done, not “ideal” reform  See reform as a learning experience  Scaffold learning (learning communities; training; action research, etc.)  Learn from elsewhere

Constructivist approaches to reform 1. Assess school’s needs, interests & abilities 2. Identify motivating, valuable, achievable aspects of the reform 3. Identify relevant outcomes 4. Specify the holistic and atomistic support that the school would need 5. Design professional development resources as springboards to learning

Hamburger Model Content Processes Skills Holistic input: experiences of reform in other context Holistic output: School carries out own reform

谢 谢 ! Thank you!