Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) Notes PDF

# Concept Language has been originally derived from Latin word, 'Lingua' which means 'tongue'. In general, it refers to the cognitive faculty which enables human being to learn and use system of complex communication. Language, like any other concept, has several definitions. This is, of course, d...

# Concept Language has been originally derived from Latin word, 'Lingua' which means 'tongue'. In general, it refers to the cognitive faculty which enables human being to learn and use system of complex communication. Language, like any other concept, has several definitions. This is, of course, due to the fact that people seem to view things from different perspectives. However, most definitions of language seem to have some similarities. language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release. ## Nature A language consists of words, idioms and syntax. It is through language that we think, feel, judge and express. Hence language is one of the most important and characteristic form of human behaviour we use words and idioms as tool to perform and share experience among a people possible. 1. **Language is speech:** - Language is speech and is distinct from the signs, gestures and sounds produced by animals or pets to convey a particular feeling or emotion. It is distinct from the sign language even amongst the humans at any point of social and biological evolution. It restricts itself to recognised expression and communication to or from human beings by means of speech and hearing. This communication, therefore, has to be from man to man, from a person to another person by means of speech, and hearing. Speech, therefore, is language. 2. **Living Language:** - As seen earlier, a language undergoes a continuous and unnoticed change for its refinement and depth. It responds to the demands and requirements of the group that it represents. As the human utterances became complex and varied, a language to be living must move with the group. Must grow with the group, should be alive to their needs and aspirations in this process of change and growth, language acquires new shape, new approach, new significance and new application. 3. **Language and Society:** - "Language is one of the most important and characteristic forms of human behaviour. With widening range and horizon of human thought and action, the language has to keep in step with its social calling. As "language is activity, a purposeful activity, it must help man to express himself in a variety of new and different kinds of situations. It is the society that in its turn, bestows meaning towards and idioms by conventionalising them to mean what they mean today to a group or a community, in a variety of complex contexts. 4. **Operation of Language:** - As language has relevance only in social context, it is necessary for its operation. That a social necessity or scenario exists. There should be a corresponding situation for the language to operate upon. It is a conventional arrangement between the speaker and the listener. 5. **Sounds and Signals:** Sounds produced by human beings differ from the 'signal-like' sounds and actions of the animals. A lot of research is going on to establish if the animals also have similar conventionalised arrangement in their expression. According to Bloomfield, "In human speech, different sounds have different meanings. To study this coordination of certain sounds with certain meanings is to study language". In other words, a study of a language consists in giving meaning to a meaning. The meaning already exists, we have to give it a meaning to be intelligible to us as a language. ## Function of language | Language Functions | The Individual Aspect | The Social Aspect | |---|---|---| | | Asthetic | Cultural | | | Expressive | Expressive or Communicative | 1. **Social Function:** - It has been said time and again that language is social it operates in a social setting, it acquires meaning and significance in a social interaction. It is a means of communication between members of a community, or between a community and community. It is "capable of handling all references and meanings (Sapir) of a given culture. It is a means of expression. 2. **Cultural Function:** - As a "language is a part of the culture of a people and the chief means by which the members of a society communicate, it is wedded to culture, is inseparable from it and hence performs a cultural function. The content of every culture is expressible in its language. 3. **Language and the Individual:** - As a symbolic system, language either report to. refers to or substitutes for. direct experience. Whatever the case may be, language cannot "stand apart from or run parallel to direct experience, but completely interpenetrates with it" 4. **The Expressive Function:** Language is a great force of socialization. "Language is primarily a vocal actualization of the tendency to see realities symbolically. There cannot be any meaningful social interaction without language. The language binds the people into one large group called nation. The national language socializes the behavior of the whole nation, whereas, the regional languages help integrate regional groups. Language is the greatest and most potent force of integration. 5. **Aesthetic Aspect:** - Language helps store culture experiences in the form of literature and other written records for the posterity. These cultural experiences form the nexus of individual realization. It breathes life into our poets and dramatists. Short of a language, such fine arts were not possible. Aesthetic experiences are the treasure for the posterity to feel proud of it as a national treasure-house. ## Five functions of language: Geoffery Leach (1974) mentioned that language has five functions. 1. Informational 2. Expressive 3. Directive 4. Aesthetic 5. Phatic "Informational function which everyone tends to assume is most important" Geoffery Leech (1974). In fact, this function concentrates on the message. It is used to give new information. It depends on truth and value. Let us look at this example, the car is big, the bus is crowded. "Language can have an expressive function: that is, it can be used to express its originator's feelings and attitudes swear words and exclamations are the most obvious instance of this". Geoffery Leech (1974). The speaker or writer of this function tries to express his feelings. He or she reflexes his or her impression. This function could give a clear image for the personality of the speaker or writer. The best example of this kind is Poetry and literature. In fact, this function evokes certain feelings and express feelings. Examples of this kind are, I am very happy or I spent a wonderful vacation. "The third function of language is the directive function whereby we aim to influence the behavior or attitudes of others. The most straightforward instances of the directive function are commands and requests. This function of social control places emphasis on the receiver's end, rather than the originator's end of the message: but it resembles the expressive function in giving less importance, on the whole, to conceptual meaning than to other types of meaning, particularly affective and connotative meaning" Geoffery Leech (1974). The fourth function is the aesthetic function, which is" the use of language for the sake of the linguistic artifact itself, and for no purpose. This aesthetic function can have at least as much to do with conceptual as with affective meaning" Geoffery Leech (1974)." The function associated with the message-the vehicle-is the poetic or aesthetic function: the sign taken as an end in itself. All art understood as art is taken to embody this function, and any object valued for its beauty rather than for its ideological value or usefulness-whether a gorgeous car, an elegant teapot, or some acreage of untouched real estate-takes on this function. According to Leech, the fifth function is the phatic function." the function of keeping communication lines open, and keeping social relationships in good repair (in Britain culture, talking about the weather is a well-known example of this)". Geoffery Leech (1974). We can say about this function that it is used for normal talks. An example of this, when two people meet each other accidently in a place. They start talking about something unimportant for the sake of communication like, how are you? How are your children? And so on. We can say that it is a kind of daily talking. It is not meaning but is good. ## Concept of language Across the Curriculum (LAC): Origin and basic tenets Language across the curriculum is a modern approach to teaching and learning languages. According to the LAC approach, language learning should occur throughout the school hours in 1. the language classroom 2. as well as another subject classroom. It aims to infuse foreign language across the curriculum. This way student can extend their knowledge of the second language beyond foreign languages courses. They may apply those skills to course materials, research, and projects. The inclusion of authentic course-relevant source materials in other languages prepares students for cross-cultural and multilingual demands of a global society. LAC approach is something we often read about and appreciate. LAC approach is hardly practiced in the classroom due to * the pressure of completing the syllabus on time and * our inability to break out the rigid boundaries of various subject ## Meaning of the Language Across the Curriculum Approach (LAC): LAC is a term for school and college courses that allow students to study a foreign language. It allows students to apply their existing knowledge of a foreign language outside of language learning classrooms. ## Origin of Language Across the Curriculum Approach (LAC) LAC developed in the late 70's and early 80's of the last centuries. But its actual idea of linking LAC with the school language policies as a whole received formal recognition in the Allan Bullock report. ## (A Language for Life)- "Each school should have an organized policy for Language Across the Curriculum, establishing every teacher's involvement in language and reading development throughout the years of schooling." A decade later this was underlined in the Swan Report (Education for All) "Unless there is a school language and learning policy across the curriculum, there will be wastage of effort and often confusion." ## Need of Language Across the Curriculum Approach (LAC): A LAC approach is one that integrates language learning and content learning. The concept of LAC acknowledges the fact that 'Language education does not take place in language class alone' LAC approach advocates that it takes place in each subject class. There is a need for Language across the curriculum approach because language is best acquired through different meaning, making contents and learning in all subjects is dependent upon language. Both content and language are interrelated. Irrespective of the subject learners are studying, learners assimilate new concepts through language. When students listen and talk, read and write in non-language class, they use language. So, while increasing their concepts in non-linguistic fields, they enhance their linguistic skills as well. So, all in the field of education we need a broad perspective that integrates language and content learning. ## Basic Tenets of LAC | Basic Tenets | | |---|---| | Content based instructions (CBI) | Principle of Immersion | | Principle of functional learning | Content Integrated Language Learning (CILL) | | Principle of skill acquisition | | ## Principles of LAC are on the Basis of these Four Major Concepts 1. **CONTENT BASED INSTRUCTION (CBI) OR CONTENT INTEGRATED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CILL):** Natural language acquisition occurs in context; natural language is never learned divorced from meaning, and content-based instruction provides a context for meaningful communication. 2. **Principle of skill acquisition:** As Language is a skill, it is important to go on practicing it until one becomes an expert user of it. It can never be acquired by reading books on it. 3. **Principle of Immersion:** This principle tells that all the subjects should be taught not only for teaching the content, but also for mastering the target language. 4. **Principle of functional learning:** This principle tells that language can be learnt well through its functional aspects rather than the theoretical rules. ## Goal, benefits and difficulties in LAC approach ### Goals 1. The goal of LAC is to support language development in each and every child, in each learning activity in school. 2. To support and success in academic learning. 3. Another goal of LAC is to improve four language skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, as a whole. The aim of LAC is to develop children's existing mental and linguistic capacities. 4. To develop thinking process of the student as language is link to the thinking process. 5. The goal of LAC is to assimilate new concept largely through language, that is when they listen to talk, read and write. 6. The overall goal of LAC is not just developing cognitive, academic and language proficiency but conceptual literacy. ### Benefits * **(a) For Students** * It helps learners to improve their communication skills in a foreign language. * It helps students to learn the content more. * It helps learners to expand their ideas. * It helps learners to discuss different issues in a foreign language. * It helps learners to collect different technical terms related to different subjects. * It opens a vast career world before the students. * It helps students getting admitted to foreign universities. * It facilitates effective self-study and referring. * **(b)For Teachers** * All teachers can improve their skills in a foreign language. * It helps teachers to teach the content in a foreign language. * It helps teachers to update their knowledge. * It helps teachers give clear instructions to students in Foreign Language. ### Difficulties * The first difficulty comes with the attitude of subject teachers who resist and object this approach as they do not want to become language teachers on top. * Another difficulty is that often in schools there is no one centrally responsible for such a cross-curricular approach except principal. This structural weakness is often found in schools, colleges as well as universities. * Introducing LAC requires a radical change in the attitudes and mentality of the teachers involved. Teachers have to be trained and prepared for integrating language into the subject matter teaching at school. * Since more time and effort has to be spent on the development of students' language proficiency, the subject content may have to be reduced, especially at the initial stages. ## Criteria for good Teacher's Language **Importance:** The classroom is an authentic social environment which provides plenty of opportunities for the genuine use of language. So, the language the teacher uses provides exposure to real language use. **Criteria:** 1. providing a reliable model (accurate, fluent and appropriate) 2. provide rich comprehensible input 3. being natural 4. exposing students to language that shows form-function relationships 5. varying the situational phrases e.g., the whole class, all together 6. not requiring students to understand every word in order to comprehend the teacher's language 7. getting students' attention before he / she starts talking 8. providing opportunities for students to hear genuine uncontrolled language used for authentic communicative purposes 9. providing opportunities for authentic use of language ## 4. Role of a teacher and criteria for good teacher's language in LAC Approach ### Role of a Teacher English teachers introduce and teach the skills, reinforcing them from time to time in English lessons. Content subject teachers re-teach those skills or introduce related skills/concepts in their lesson, integrating language and content. ### Example: The idea of suffixes has been introduced in English lessons. The History teacher can introduce the new suffix '-ism' and give examples such as 'communism' or 'colonialism', or consolidate familiar suffixes, like 'ion' in 'rebellion'. * It is important for English teachers and content subject teachers to each know what the other is doing. For instance, the English teacher can teach students how to do a vocabulary log. The content subject teachers then ask students to keep a vocabulary log for their own subject. The English teacher can collect the vocabulary logs and check from time to time to make sure that students are on the right track. * As every subject has to contribute to the language development of students, a balance between an emphasis on English and an emphasis on content is recommended. ## Elements contributing to good teacher language: 1. **Speed** * adjusting the speed of the teacher talk to match the level of students' understanding * breaking up the teacher talk into smaller manageable 'chunks' 2. **Vocabulary** * using simple vocabulary * using vocabulary that is generally known to the students 3. **Language structures** * using simpler structures e.g., active sentences * using short sentences 4. **Content** * including familiar topics to arouse students' interest * including requests for repetition, clarification or explanation from students * including much encouragement for students to interact 5. **Repeating and rephrasing** * repeating and rephrasing the sentences to help students understand 6. **Flexibility** * using the language flexibly in different situations ## Multilingualism Classrooms * 'Multilingualism & Language Diversity in Class' - as a resource and challenges * **As a resource** Recent research has shown that in multilingual societies where people know multiple languages, language boundaries are porous and fluid. What this means is that people have internalized these languages to an extent that they do not have to consciously think in one language before speaking in another. In other words, people are inherently multilingual in such societies and have the ability to use one or more languages, or switch or mix them according to the situational domains they are in. If we accept this reality, we will have to accept that creating homogenous classrooms where we impose one language and ignore the multilingual reality will not work well. We are not fair to the children when we dismiss their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. By doing so, we alienate them and their backgrounds in our classroom. As teachers of English, it is time we reflected on our beliefs and teaching practices. ## Example It is possible to use the multilingual diversity as a resource in our classroom by maintaining multilingualism at the center of language teaching activities. But how exactly do we do that? If you, for instance, have to teach them a poem in English, what could you possibly do? Here are a few suggestions: * Get them first to recite the English poem. * Then, focus on the theme that it deals with. * Next, let them identify subtle elements and features of the poem that they may identify. * Now, split your class into groups to translate the poem into any other language of their choice. * Finally, get each group to present their translated versions of the poem. What you will find is that once this activity is done, many rich discussions will naturally emerge around the poem. What would become important in such an exercise is not about the accuracy of translation but the process of translating the poem. This activity will not only be cognitively challenging and more engaging, but will also help your students to generalize rules of grammar on their own. ## Challenges * **1. From the teacher's perspective** * Find the right instruction for different proficiency levels in one class * Try to adapt to cultural backgrounds in one class in order to integrate all of them * Find curricular objectives according to mono-/bi-/ plurilingual pedagogies * Consider possible pressure from parents in case they pay money for the education of their children * **2. From the family's perspective** * The prestige of the family language, whether it is a majority or a minority language * The identification of the family with the language * Is the family language just spoken at home or does the child also uses it to read and write? * The attitude towards the language. Is the language only used outside or also at school? * The cultural background of grandparents and other family members. ## Other challenges affecting the multilingual classroom * Differences is race, gender, socio-economic status, nationality and religion ## • Language as determinant of Access & symbol of aspiration in Indian Context "English has been part of our education system for more than a century. Yet, English is not accessible to all, which makes for highly inequality. Several policies has proposed that the teaching of English as a language should be introduced, along with the first language (either the mother tongue or the regional language) of the child, starting from Class I in school." There is a constant tussle between the minority Indian languages and the language of the dominant majority in Indian States. This tussle can be resolved only in favouring a mastering of common medium, English. Both the minority and the majority will lose their languages probably, The NK Commission also suggests an outline for this early education in English in these practical words: "This phase of language learning should focus on using both languages to create meaningful learning experiences for the child without disproportionate emphasis on grammar and rules.”