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Principles of Language Arts Instruction

SPED 3015
Dr. Joseph

Language Arts is the term typically

used by educators to describe the
What is elements of language (reading
writing, speaking, and listening).
Language
Arts
Teachers are therefore responsible
Instruction? to some extent in guiding students
towards proficiency in these areas.

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The Six Principles

of Language
Instruction

How should Language Arts be Taught?

• Language Instruction should be tailored to meet the same dimensions
in which language is acquired.
• Principles of Language Arts Instruction should be related to their
respective domains.

Cognitive Linguistic Socio-affective

Domain Domain Domain
Language Culture
Meaningful Learning Native Language Effect Connection

Strategic Investment Language Ego

Communicative
Competence
Automaticity Self-confidence

Anticipation of Rewards Interlanguage Risk taking

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Cognitive
Domain

Learning is meaningful when new knowledge bridges old

knowledge .

Children must be able to connect what they already know to

what they just learnt.

Knowledge is made meaningful when subjects are

Meaningful interrelated or thematic.

Learning Occurs when cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains

are related.

Generalizations are important to new concepts.

Learning must be continuously assessed

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In Language Arts instruction,

the teacher acts as the guide
at the side.
Strategic
Investment
The entire Language Arts
experience should be
centered around the student.

Language is best learnt when the

brain in not pressured or does not
see the activity as a task.

Language should therefore be

Automaticity taught through fun activities:
singing, playing etc.

Focuses on the use of language

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Motivation to learn should

come from internal sources
rather than working toward an
ultimate tangible goal/prize.
Intrinsic
Motivation
Teachers should encourage their
students to willingly explore
language

Teachers should reward

learners (intrinsically) when
progress is observed in their
Anticipation
language competence.
of Rewards When rewards are used for
students’ progress, they will
be driven to push themselves
even more

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Linguistic Domain

In most cases, a student’s native language may

not be the one taught at school. Example, a
child’s first or native language is English Creole
and at school they learn Standard English.

Native This effect has both facilitating and interfering

impacts on the process of learning/teaching
Language language.
Effect
There must be a balance with the two.

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Focuses on:
•Linguistic competence
Communicative
Competence •Sociolinguistic
competence
•Disclosure competence
•Strategic competence

Interlanguage
In teaching Language Arts, it is essential that contexts and
language use is correctly taught to achieve effective
communication.

Teachers must teach code-switching for appropriate use of

language.

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Socio-cultural
Domain

Teaching language is more than the

dynamics of syntax and grammatical
structure.

Language
Culture
Connection
It is essential that in teaching language,
teachers connect students’ culture by
infiltrating cultural values, how to think, as
well as how to communicate these thoughts.

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In teaching language, thought patterns and

different modes of thinking is essential to fully
comprehend and communicate.

Students would feel pressured when they

Language begin to act confidently or sound differently in
Ego the acquisition of Standard English or any
other second language.

Teachers must therefore assist students in

regulating their ego/emotions in this area.

Self-confidence

• As with learning anything new, confidence is important to the

process. Students should be taught to accept mistakes that would
be made.

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Risk • Learning the dynamics of language is a

risk and therefore must be willing to
taking take risks to achieve tasks given.

References
• https://www.slideshare.net/AliceCarrillo/different-principles-of-
language-teaching
• The Principles (tesol.org)

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