1. Should children learn about many different languages?
Language awareness-
Should children learn about many different languages?
Good morning ladies and gentleman, my name is MSz and this is my colleague AW. We are both teacher trainers at the TTTC Warsaw University and would like to present an international project our college is involved in. This project was launched and is co-ordinated by the Council of Europe and specifically its agency The European Centre of Modern Languages in Graz.
(Show OHT1)As you might infer from our workshop’s title this project is devoted to promoting language awareness among children. And thus it is especially up-to-date this year which as we all know has been announced a European Year of Languages.
But what do we understand by “language awareness”? This term has surely been used in different contexts before. And in fact was adopted by the team of experts as a working title for what we generally understand as “sensitizing children to the fact that a great variety of languages exists in the world, and that they have different scripts, sound systems ect.
. Within the next 40 minutes we will try to show what we mean by language awareness and how the project is being implemented in an experimental school in Poland You will also experience some of the activities that are being prepared for the Polish students.
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

2. What do we mean by „language awareness” ?
An approach which brings every pupil into contact with a broad range of different-status languages, and links discovery techniques with them.
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

3. Introduction of language awareness into the curriculum
Advocates of this approach aim at publicising it so that it is given more attention in the curriculum (from kindergarten to secondary education).
This multilingual approach helps to prepare children better for life in linguistically and culturally diverse communities.
Why launch a programme to introduce language awareness into the curriculum?
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

4. Why language awareness?
The aim is to give pupils a positive attitude to language diversity (including minority, immigrant and regional languages) and to help them develop metalinguisitc skills which they can then apply to language learning ( at school and outside)
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

5. European experience
The approach, in which schools give place to work on languages they do not teach, is not really new.
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

6. Language awareness in other countries...
Great Britain in 1980’s (first advocated by Eric Hawkins)
Switzerland – applied in the EOLE programme
Germany (in connection with Comenius)
France (+ 5 other European countries)– since 1997 the EVLANG programme (supported by Socrates/Lingua)
Evlang programme – ca. 5oo classes were involved
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

7. Concept of Language Awareness
It is:
To be aware of LANGUAGE through different languages
Comparing languages
It is not:
Study of L1 (mother tongue)
Study of other languages
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

8. Janua Linguarum – Gateway of Languages
A logo imitating a gateway of languages -title of Comenius’s work from 1631
study of different languages makes language learning easier
It gives way to other attitudes and knowledge
Comenius (Jan amos Komensky – a Chech pedagogue and philsopher – advocated to educate „ everyone and everything”
„Janua Linguarum reserata”
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

9. JALING project structure
For the table See file magda/iatefl01
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

10. Network 2 Country Number of schools Number of teachers
Number of students
Student age
Lithuania 1 5 60
primary
Latvia 3 80
Finland 7
140
7-9
Poland 4
120
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

11. JALING fits lower primary curriculum
as an introduction to foreign language learning (starts in grade 4), or
as a parallel, supporting programme for foreign language practice when it is taught at this educational stage.
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference

12. Discussion
How do you see this component being implemented in your subject i.e. English classes?
Magdalena Szpotowicz –
10th IATEFL Poland Conference