Looking backwards and forwards

So we’ve come to the end of the Week 1 activities.

Week 1 gave you an introduction to the many aspects involved in

language. We used the spiral model to show how all these aspects
contribute to appropriate texts and effective communication. The spiral
model helps us appreciate the many dimensions involved in learning a
language, in particular, learning the language to cope with the different
discourses and genres demanded across the school curriculum.

We highlighted the importance of making meaning, and the

importance of context. You met the crucial distinction between the
BICS and CALP registers. BICS is the informal interpersonal language
used every day in the playground and community. CALP is the more
formal and more demanding academic language demanded in school.
We explored how classroom settings can set up different kinds of
context for different kinds of talk.

Finally, we reframed the second language learner as someone with

extra linguistic resources. Their circumstances are as varied as their
needs and their strengths, so it’s important to avoid making
assumptions, and make the effort to get to know them.

You are on the way to being a language-aware teacher. In Week 2,

you will meet some teachers, who get us thinking about what kind of
variables a teacher has to work with to create mainstream classes that
are rich in language learning opportunities. We pull out some deep
principles that you can apply immediately in your classrooms. See you
then!