Supporting Communication in the Content CLIL Classroom Communication

Supporting Communication in the Content CLIL Classroom Communication, language and task Keith Kelly keithpkelly@yahoo. co. uk

Consensus on communication What do we mean by communication? According to one dictionary Uncountable noun which means: - the process of giving information or of making emotions or ideas known to someone - the process of speaking or writing to someone to exchange information or ideas

Consensus on communication (ii) What is communication in the classroom? This can depend on many variables: - Subject (types of communication acts differ) - Personality (teacher) - Country’s educational culture (traditions) - Classroom dynamics (children) - Teacher’s own experiences (how we were taught; training; keeping up-to-date)

Consensus on communication (iii) What is communication in the classroom? If we want learners to be able to speak or write in the content classroom in a foreign language, learners need to have the language and the opportunity to do so. Classroom communication = language + opportunity

Planning language + communication n Some examples q EALs UK q Literacy in US schools

EALs UK 1 - functions

EALs UK 1 - language

EALs UK 1 – feeding assessment

EALs UK 2 – knowledge framework

Literacy in US schools - planning language

Literacy in US schools – altering curriculum documents

Which is the correct graph, why? www. factworld. info

Parachute graph language n MA – He jumps out of the plane, falls fast towards the ground after a few seconds his parachute opens. He slows down, and then falls to the ground at a steady speed. So, it is B, because the first little bit of the graph is the bit before his parachute opens, the second little bit is the bit after his parachute opens when he’s going slower so it’s a more gradual decline, he doesn’t go through as much, it takes longer to go through the same kind of distance, that means he’s traveling slower. A and D both suggest a gradual slowing down, not an abrupt change with the parachute opening. www. factworld. info

Explanation language analysis 1 Vocabulary Subject specific: accelerate gravitational acceleration slope parabola at a steady speed graph General academic: phase gradual decline distance NANS * now somehow suggest manage to slowing hang on little bit abrupt change * Non-academic non-subject specific www. factworld. info

Explanation language analysis 2 Structures We know when … that … (which is …) -relative clauses and conjunctions The … is the … that … is … -definitions If we had a … it would be … -third conditional A graph of the … against … should be a … -modal auxiliary verb for deduction C is wrong because that would suggest that …-modal would to make statement sound less definite He goes from … to … in … (time) -prepositions … after a few seconds … and then … -sequencing phrases … it takes … so … that means … -concluding A and D both suggest …, not … -juxtaposing www. factworld. info

Substitution tables A 1 – Start with a text Nobody knows exactly how our climate will change. Some places may get drier and have year-round temperatures up to 4°C hotter. Other places may become several degrees cooler. Stormy weather may become more common. Glaciers and icebergs may start to melt and never form again. Whatever happens, climate change will affect people as well as the natural world. But there are things that we can do to slow down the changes and to minimize any illeffects.

Substitution tables A 2 - Identify core sentences Some places may get … Some places may have year-round… Other places may become … Stormy weather … Glaciers and icebergs … 3 - Organise them for use with tasks Some places Other places Stormy weather Glaciers and icebergs may become more common get drier become several degrees cooler have year-round temperatures up to 4°C hotter start to melt

Substitution tables B Mars is called the red planet because its soil makes it look red. It has a very thin atmosphere which is mainly carbon dioxide. It is smaller than the earth and further from the sun. The temperature on Mars is never higher than 20° Centigrade. At night it usually falls below -120° Centigrade. Venus is our nearest neighbour but is very unlike the earth. It has a heavy atmosphere of carbon dioxide which traps the heat. Its temperature is about 480° Centigrade all the time. There are two interesting things about Venus. Firstly, it rotates from east to west. Only Uranus also rotates in this direction. Secondly, Venus takes 243 days to rotate on its axis but only 225 days to orbit the sun. So its day is longer than its year! Like our moon, Mercury has no atmosphere. It is the second smallest planet and the one closest to the sun. Its temperature during the day is 510° Centigrade. But at night the temperature falls to -170° Centigrade because there is no atmosphere to trap the heat.

Substitution tables B Mars has a thin… Venus has a heavy… Mercury has no… Mars is furthest … Mercury is closest… The atmosphere on Mars contains… The atmosphere on Venus… The temperature on Mars… The temperature on Venus… The temperature on mercury… Mars Mercury Venus has is The temperature on a thin a heavy no atmosphere closest to furthest from Mars Venus Mercury the Sun is never higher than 20° Centigrade abut 480480° Centigrade 510° Centigrade -170° Centigrade below -120° Centigrade a night during the day

Create a frame – from text AIR POLLUTION Polluted air is found in most cities. It is caused by burning coal oil, and natural gas. Polluted air is unpleasant and harmful. Polluted air can cause respiratory infections, lung cancer, allergies, and other diseases. Polluted air also harms plants and reduces crop products. Motor vehicles are major sources of air pollution. Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides are the main pollutants. They are the result of burning gasoline in a car's engine. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odourless gas. It is poisonous. Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides produce ozone gas. Ozone irritates the linings of the nose and throat. It makes the eyes water.

Create a frame Talk / Write about air pollution Causes Pollution is caused by… Consequences Polluted air can cause… It also… Pollutants The main pollutants are… They are produced by… Carbon monoxide: This is… Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides: They produce… …irritate… and… These words will help you: coal oil natural gas burning respiratory infections lung cancer allergies gasoline car engine colourless odourless poisonous ozone nose throat eyes water

Create a sorting activity n Coal as a source of electricity q n Group reading, talking, sorting Diet and disease q Identify a generic structure in the text q How to do it

Supported speaking n Question loops q Safe interactive reading and speaking n n How to do it Info searches q Supported reading, speaking and writing q How to do it

Visuals n n n To support Ss speaking / writing Information gap work Vocabulary work

Presentation work (annotated PPTs) n The planets of the solar system q q q Create pared down template from T PPT Handout as guide for listening and watching Give Ss blank annotated template to support Ss presentation work

Consensus on communication (iii) What is communication in the classroom? If we want learners to be able to speak or write in the content classroom in a foreign language, learners need to have the language and the opportunity to do so. Classroom communication = language + opportunity

References: n Any language teacher recipe books: q Peter Watcyn-Jones Penguin n n q Herbert Puchta + Gunther Gerngross n q Keep Talking Onestopclil / onestopenglish q n Teaching grammar creatively Friedrich Klippel n n Vocabulary games and activities Grammar games and activities www. onestopclil. com Teaching. English British Council / BBC q http: //www. teachingenglish. org. uk/clil

PS - Planning language + n Some examples communication q EALs UK n n q Geri Smyth – Helping Bilingual Pupils to Access the Curriculum, David Foulton, 2003 Andy Harvey – Using the Knowledge Framework for planning in the primary curriculum, NALDIC Quarterly, Summer 2010 Literacy in US schools n Heidi Hayes Jacobs – Active Literacy Across the Curriculum, Eye on Education, 2006