Where is Early Language Learning going?
Victoria Gilbert, Ed.D.
Sandra Schoder, Ed.D
Yan Wang, M.A.
Gustavo Barros, M.Ed.
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
 Provide a teacher development tool
 Offering a platform for sharing resources, strategies,
and perspectives
 Promoting understanding through cultural activities
for and of children around the globe
 Spreading the spirit of cultural diversity through
understanding
 A collaborative, creative, and team-spirited approach
to cultural understanding
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
• 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
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:
Perspectives
Why?
The
Culture
Triangle
Practices
Products
How?
What?
http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/lessons/culture-model-big.html
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
• 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
Culturally Responsive Teaching & Diversity:
 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)
 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
• 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
Cultural and Intercultural
Understanding and Literacy
 Age-appropriate analysis of intercultural differences and
commonalities
 Select a situation, 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”.
 Survival video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzEjzL6_gyE
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
Your input- Suggestions
 Feedback
 Join the committee
 Submit an article or lesson plan
 Thank you– your culture bank is what you make of it!