some of the strategies we have been discussing. However, in advanced levels, there is clearly an emphasis on "reading to learn" based on the text. Reading becomes the greatest source of in-put for a
student that will develop and strengthen his/her literacy skills in the target language.
According to the Wisconsin Foundations for Disciplinary Literacy,
"students who think, read, write, and communicate in multiple languages, are an asset to our own country can more easily interact
and compete in the world at large." The focus on academic literacy
for language learners and the high impact strategies and skills we have
seen in class, allow language students to, "more readily access content knowledge and connect it to prior knowledge that they bring to the
classroom."
At the secondary level, the fast-pace environment and curriculum takes away from critical thinking and thoughtful study for students. Teachers have to focus on quantity v quality and to meet guidelines. The idea of reinforcing skills across disciplines is ideal in the best interest of the students and their learning. Through language, I see the connections and collaboration that can be made with the English department. I also think that it can extend beyond English to other disciplines.
In this post, I would like to see hear about your experiences with a different language/s and the impact it had on your literacy skills? Was it a beneficial experience? What are your thoughts on literacy and multiple languages?
Mayra,
ReplyDeleteI like your insights into literacy and different languages. I studied Spanish in high school and college, even earning my minor in the language, and I never thought about literacy or literacy strategies in a different language.
Looking back on my experiences in the classroom, I can see that a lot of the approaches I used when reading a different language were the same ones I used in English and even my Biology classes.
When I didn't know a word or phrase in Spanish, I read the sentence as a whole, using context clues to deduce the meaning of the foreign words. I would look at pictures, illustrations, and visuals to help me determine the main idea and message of what I was reading. These are all tactics I use in other subjects when reading content specific texts. In a scientific paper, if there is a term I am not familiar with, I read on, using the sentences and descriptions in the paper to get an idea of what is being discussed. I use the graphs, charts, and diagrams to understand the basis of the experiment or topic being discussed.
I think that it is important to teach students discipline literacy, to teach them how to read and write like an expert in the field. But I also think it is important to communicate that the strategies and tactics you learn in one subject can be used across most, if not all, subjects.
Mayra,
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge advocate of dual language/ dual literacy. My first language was Spanish. Unfortunately, when I started school dual language programs weren't popular. At the time it was all about english immersion. Sure, throw students in a classroom where only English is spoken and eventually they will catch on. I caught on, but some students aren't as lucky to have support at home from English speaking parents. If we build a student's proficiency in their L1 using the same strategies we have been talking about, they can be literate in their L1 and transfer those skills/strategies when learning the second language. If a student doesn't learn the basic skills in their first language and build a strong foundation for literacy, moving forward will be un uphill battle. I see ELL students struggle with this too often and I hope to advocate for them within my science discipline.
I think you make a great point about the importance of rolling the literacy skills over when we study other languages. I recall as a student learning Italian in high school that my teachers NEVER introduced us to stories in the foreign language.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience as a teacher at school with a world language focus I have seen teachers do a tremendous job helping students develop their literacy skills in another language. In fourth grade, the French teacher I work with reads aloud picture books in French as student sit around in a circle taking turns standing up and acting out the actions of the characters in the text as she reads. This is great practice on comprehension that allows the teacher to provide scaffolding when appropriate. The r students at my school are lucky enough to receive this type of instruction at a young age where I think these types of activities could be adapted to instruction of students in secondary school. Language teachers can also provide students with a text to be read together using teacher and group think alouds.
In the readings, it did feel as if a disciplinary area was missing, and now I realize that it is foreign language. It is often lumped into "Language Arts," but learning a different language requires a different set of skills. I took Italian class for six years, and the most meaningful experiences with reading in Italian focused on applying prior knowledge, which is a strategy that can be used in English as well. However, in Italian class, this took on a much deeper meaning. It was important to connect the words in Italian to words we already knew; a unique aspect of the class was that most people taking Italian had some kind of cultural connection to the language (because otherwise, why would someone take Italian? Spanish is much more functional). The readings I remember were ones that called upon the cultural experiences that I already had and gave me a deeper understanding of this culture. It made the experience more meaningful, and thus more educational.
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