Where is Early Language Learning going?
Victoria Gilbert, Ed.D.
Sandra Schoder, Ed.D
Yan Wang, MA
Proposal for a new web based resource by the
NNELL culture committee contributors –
Cheryl Berman, Kathy Duran, Victoria Gilbert,
Akiyo Hirose, Sandra Schoder, Yan Wang
Mission
The NNELL Culture Committee acknowledges culture as the
fundamental context for learning a language. Cultural sensitivity,
cultural literacy, and intercultural competence are an integral part of
learning a new language. The youngest learners do not learn
language in isolation from culture, rather through meaningful
experiences with the language. Thus, this committee’s mission is to
examine ways to teach culture in the world language classroom and
share best practices.
·
Goals
 Support teaching experience
 Teacher development tool
 Platform for sharing resources, strategies, and
perspectives
Early Language Learning and Teaching
Culture
What is culture?
“Big C” & “Little c”
Culturally Responsive
Teaching
&
Diversity
Cultural
Literacy
Intercultural
Understanding
Target Culture(s)
Early Language Learning and Teaching
• Cultural
responsive
teaching
• Differentiated
Instruction
• ….
Instructional
Methods
Language
Learning
• Skills
• Speaking
• Listening
• Writing
• Reading
• Culture(s)
• What is culture?
• “Big C” & “Little c”
• Cultural and
intercultural
understanding
and literacy
Language
Proficiency
What is Culture?
 "Culture: learned and shared human patterns or models for
living; day- to-day living patterns. These patterns and models
pervade all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is
mankind's primary adaptive mechanism" (p. 367). Damen, L.
(1987). Culture Learning: The Fifth Dimension on the Language Classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
 Culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and
interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding
that are learned through a process of socialization. These
shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while
also distinguishing those of another group. CARLA’s Definition
What is Culture?
 Teacher comes in with an explorer hat and hand lens, looks
over a map of the country in question—tells students they
are going to study the people…
 Teacher uses clown size large sunglasses decorated with
flags and images of the target country to represent “looking
at the world” through different eyes.
 Make “Culture” posters—have students work in groups
with images you provide or they research to assemble
significant aspects of culture you are studying. (works as an
assessment and educational tool).
Early Language Learning and Teaching
Culture
Proficiency
What is culture?
“Big C” & “Little c”
Culturally Responsive
Teaching
&
Diversity
Cultural
Target Culture(s)
Literacy
Intercultural
Understanding
Linguistic
competence
Target Culture:
Perspectives
Why?
The
Culture
Triangle
Practices
Products
How?
What?
http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/lessons/culture-model-big.html
ACTFL Standards for Foreign
Language Learning
 Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of other
cultures
Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate and understanding of the relationship
between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied
Standard 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship
between the products and perspectives of the culture studied
Target Culture:
 Use a small trunk packed full with enough kitschy mementos,
postcards, subway maps, whatever you can obtain as authentic
representatives of the target culture (1 item for each child in class
to hold and describe). Laminated images or clay can also be
customized to represent specific objects that may otherwise be
hard to come by. Have students pick one each as you pass the
trunk around and describe something about it. You can create a
slide show where actual object appears.
 Imaginary journey—use music, sound tracks of markets or other
social gatherings, smells typical of environment, and “travel” to
that location- (make taxi, airport, train, bus noises, etc.) have
short encounter and return home.
Early Language Learning and Teaching
Culture
What is culture?
“Big C” & “Little c”
Culturally Responsive
Teaching
&
Diversity
Cultural
Literacy
Intercultural
Understanding
Target Culture(s)
Culturally Responsive Teaching & Diversity:
 I’d like to use this quote from article on CRT & DI, p.221
 Tomlinson, understanding and recognizing the importance of addressing
cultural and linguistic diversity, continued,
 You can only care for the child when you understand—what it is like to be part of that
child’s culture, what it is like to be unable to speak the language of the classroom,
what it is like to go home to a shelter every night . . . you can only do that [connect
with learners’ interests] when you know what they care about, what they do that gives
them joy, what they would wish for if they dared. (p. 67)
Culturally Responsive Teaching & Diversity:
 Practical applications include giving students a chance to select how they
demonstrate their mastery e.g. (song, poem, poster/ad, scenario/dialogue, ppt.,
gestural dance, etc.)
 Finding out about students’ home culture and making connections to that…
particularly if there is a linguistic connection, e.g. Puerto Rican or Mexican
student studying Spanish—be inclusive of different regional names for an
object such as el autobús, la guagua, el camión)
Early Language Learning and Teaching
Culture
What is culture?
“Big C” & “Little c”
Culturally Responsive
Teaching
&
Diversity
Cultural
Literacy
Intercultural
Understanding
Target Culture(s)
Cultural Literacy:
 Select a situation that is age-appropriate, such as what do
you say when someone sneezes, burps, or is introduced.
Use a puppet or heritage speaker to model, practice
vocabulary needed in whole groups, then ask students to
practice in pairs while teacher circulates to monitor.
 Sometimes just directionality of text can be important
literacy skill—bring in street signs, newspaper, or ads that
represent how one would have to read text… have students
use fingers to indicate motion when you ask them to “read”.
Cultural Literacy:
 Select a situation that is age-appropriate, such as what do
you say when someone sneezes, burps, or is introduced.
Use a puppet or heritage speaker to model, practice
vocabulary needed in whole groups, then ask students to
practice in pairs while teacher circulates to monitor.
 Sometimes just directionality of text can be important
literacy skill—bring in street signs, newspaper, or ads that
represent how one would have to read text… have students
use fingers to indicate motion when you ask them to “read”.
Intercultural Understanding:
 Survival--Show video of goldfish & cat --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzEjzL6_gyE
 or …economic importance of learning a foreign language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpI1fNSk8m0&feature
=related
 Making friends--Showing some conflicting gestures (ANY
that mean 2 very DIFFERENT things
 (e.g.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWUcGgSolw4&featur
e=related) hard to find a combination that is appropriate
for young language learners. For young ELLs, I would have
costume or masks to reinforce when which gesture means
what.
Website mock up
 SCREEN SHOT OF EACH WEB PAGE we want to
show.
 Home
 Theory
 Resources
 submission
Your input- Suggestions
 Feedback
 Join the committee
 Submit an article or lesson plan
 Thank you– your culture bank is what you make of it!
Early Language Learning and Teaching
• Cultural
responsive
teaching
• Differentiated
Instruction
• ….
Instructional
Methods
Language
Learning
• Skills
• Speaking
• Listening
• Writing
• Reading
• Culture(s)
• What is culture?
• “Big C” & “Little c”
• Cultural and
intercultural
understanding
and literacy
Language
Proficiency