Group 03B

Class 15

In our last class, we covered two important and related topics. First, we discussed language planning and language policy. Below, I uploaded the presentation I shared with you in class summarizing the main points in this topic. 

Language policy and planning from Carlos Mayora

I have also added the video we watched in class about the role English is playing in international academic policies and the phenomenon of language death, one of the topics experts in applied linguistics and language planning are discussing internationally. Enjoy the video.




Then, Juan, Carlos and Christian told us about language policy and planning in Colombia with a special emphasis on the teaching of foreign languages. Broadly speaking, we can say that the government of Colombia has set very ambitious and unrealistic policies regarding the teaching of English, specially considering that it has set bilingualism (English-Spanish) as the goal of instruction, but resources and time allotted to English teaching, specially in the public sector, are quite limited. Besides, policies have been discriminatory to minority languages, even when those languages and the ethnic groups that speak them are acknowledged in the National Constitution. 

This was our last class of the semester. This Saturday (or before, if possible) you have to turn in the final paper. Next week I will be available in my office for you to check your grades or to ask any additional/final questions. 

Class 14

This week, Diego presented the contexts of language learning. He told us about the differences between learning a language in the community where the language is spoken and learning the language in the learners' own community where access and contact with the target language is limited. He also explained how some variables can be interpreted differently in the light of contextual influences and beyond their merely psychological and biological (in the case of age) interpretation. 

Next week, we will continue discussing contexts. First, we will discuss language policy and language planning. In general, in any context (SL or FL), the learning of the language will be influenced by the guidelines and directives from official institutions regarding a) the official language; b) what foreign language or languages are to be included in the curriculum; c) and the role of different national languages in the society. The reading that deals with this topic is Bauldauf, 2012.

After that, Carlos, Christian and Juan will tell us about specifically about the Colombian context. They will tell us about the normative framework for the teaching of languages in this country and the challenges these directives have posed.  There are many articles about this topic, But two key texts are Ayala and Alvarez and the works by Mejía. 

See you next Tuesday.

Class 13

Last class, we had a presentation to complement the Karen and Christian's seminar. While in their seminar we had an overview of different methods, in this class we concentrated a bit more on communicative language teaching. In the presentation we reviewed the main principles of the approach but also the main criticism to it. This gave way for a discussion of Kumaravadivelu's concept of the post method condition. Below it's the presentation in class and a prezi created by Luisa Zorrilla which summarizes perspectives on communicative approaches beyond methods. What Kumaravadivelu called the post method condition, Pica (another important author) called a transitional stage in language teaching methodology.

Communicative Language Teaching from Carlos Mayora

After that, we moved on to more practical matters. if you remember, these past weeks we have studied different language learning theories, research on the role of the learner an individual differences and then language teaching methods and methodology. We moved on then to a more practical activity, an applied linguistics activity in the whole sense: language curriculum and syllabus design. Below, the presentation for the second part of the class:

Syllabus desing from Carlos Mayora

Our next two seminars will deal with the contexts of language learning and teaching. This week, Diego will tell us about the effects of contexts in which teaching takes place. We have talked about context in socio-cognitive and socio-cultural models. But in this seminar, we will learn about a more concrete view of context. You can learn a language in the country where it is spoken, or you can learn it in your own country, where the language is foreign. You can learn in a classroom within an academic program or just in "the world" with no classes. Each of these contexts and situations will have differential effects and differential variables. Below the readings for this week.

Krieger 2005

Lightbown and Spada 2006

Class 12

 Last class, Christian and Karem walked us through essential concepts in language teaching and language methodology. They presented essential definitions and different conceptualizations of central terms in pedagogy (methods, techniques, approaches, etc.). They also explained and analyzed some of the best known language teaching methods including the grammar-translation method, the audiolingual method, the designer methods (or nonmethods) of the 1970 and the original concept of communicative language teaching. Below, a brief presentation with the concepts they presented and one of the video demostrating the famous audiolingual method.

Language pedagogy from Carlos Mayora

Next week, we will talk about more recent developments in in language methodology. According to some experts, we are in a post-method pedagogy, a time of methodological and epistemological eclecticism. Terms such as informed eclecticism, principled pedagogy and post-method condition are used to define current trends in language teaching. We will also see recent developments in communicative-oriented methodology as understood today. The readings for our next session are chapter 8 from Kumaravadivelu (2006), Kumaravadivelu article from TESOL Quarterly and Lightbown (2000). 

See you next Tuesday.



Class 11

Last Tuesday, we started with a review presentation which expanded and clarified some concepts and implications of sociocultural theory in SLA. Specifically, the presentation concentrated in the notions of community of practice, identity and language appropriation. Here's the presentaion if you want to review it:




Next class, we will start with language pedagogy or methodology. Christian and Karen will present the seminar on this topic, which will introduce us to some of the best known language teaching methods of the 20th century. The readings for this week are
Brown (1995)

Kumaravadivelu (2006) chapter 4.

See you next Tuesday.

Class 10

 Last Tuesday, Daniel explained socio-cultural perspectives. These are views of language acquisition that are heavily influenced by Vygotsky's views of learning and the perspective of language as ideology, and not merely a system for communication but a tool for representing and constructing reality. Here's what Daniel presented:


After Daniel's seminar, Carolina, Nathalia and Angela presented on individual differences and the first part of learner variables. They centered on three aspects: age, aptitude and personality.We learned that there are different ways in which age affects SLA and different explanations for such effects. Also, some people seem to show a natural ability to learn languages, an aptitude, and although it is not fully understood ( and there are criticism to the concept and the tests that measure it) measures of aptitude are valid predictors of both SLA rate and success (or lack thereof). 


In our next class, we will see the second part of learner variables. This seminar will focus on motivation. We are already familiar with Gardner's classic view of motivation (integrative vs. instrumental). We will deepen more on this classic view, but we will also learn about other more recent and dynamic views of motivation related to SLA. Our presenters will be María Fernanda and Natali. 

There are two readings for this week to deal with the topic. First, chapter 8 from Ortega's book and Dornyei (2010) chapter on motivation.

Class 9

Next Tuesday we will have two seminars as informed last week. If you did the readings for last week (for which very few people sent the reports), you already read about Daniel's topic. That being so, for this Tuesday the readings  are chapters 2 and 7 in Ortega's book. Alternatively, you could read Lightbown and Spada who concentrate these contents in one single chapter. Choose one of the three for your report of this week.

See you next week.

Class 8

Last class, we reviewed different perspectives on the role of input and acquisition. Here's the presentation from last class:

Input and SLA from Carlos Mayora

Then, Niver and Styephanie presented the first part of social perspectives in SLA. Basically, in this first part there are three proposals: Schumman's acculturation model, Gardner's socio-cognitive model and Long's interaction hypothesis. For Schumman, perceived social distance (how the learner sees the target language culture) was an element that strongly influenced the SLA process. Gardner also attributed great importance to attitudes and perceptions the learners had towards the target language speakers. Finally, interactionists claim that as important as input was, using the language, interacting with other speakers and producing output were just as important or maybe even more since these elements would: generate more input, allow the learner to confirm or reject hypotheses about how the language works, develop communicative strategies and advance in their interlanguage. 

On Tuesday October 21st, we will not meet for class since I have something personal to do and will be unable to arrive to the university on time. To make up for that class, I have designed an online assignment that you have to do before Wednesday. Click here to see the instructions. The assignment is individual but will be counted as an in-class workshop. Also, although there will be no class, you will have to continue with the readings and turn in the reading report by email or you can turn it in in my office on Wednesday. The readings are chapter 10 from Ortega's book and the article by Zuengler and Miller (2006) which is very interesting since not only does it explains sociocultural models, but also contrasts these models to cognitive models. 

On October 28th , we will have two seminars. First, Daniel López will present the second part of the social perspectives in SLA which involve Vygotskyan perspectives and socio-cultural models. Second, Natalia, Carolina and Angela will present the seminar on learner variables in SLA part I. Their presentation will focus on age, language aptitude and personality. 


Our previous page was already too long, so I created a new one. If you want to check, read or download anything from the former page, click here.

Class 7

Last week we learned about learning styles and learning strategies in a presentation by Luis and Marcela. Styles refer to ways in which people process the information and are usually classified into cognitive styles, perceptual styles or more generally "learning" styles. Many taxonomies of learning styles are presented in dichotomies, so you are either field dependent or field independent. However, in terms of perception some people might be more than a style at the same time (visual and kinesthetic). The idea is that when teaching a language, information should be presented in a way that tackles learning style diversity (so use images and sound and hands-on activities mixed in every lesson). The other idea is that learners are made aware of their styles and are taught to take advantage of their own strengths while studying and trying to learn on their own. Strategies, on the other hand, refer to specific actions (that can be conscious or not, intentional or not) that people do when facing a task. In our case, the task is learning a language. Here again is important to teach students to select the best strategies and use them consciously, although, as Chamot stated in her article, there is disagreement on what's the best way to teach strategies and whether these strategies are teachable at all.

Next Tuesday, we will have the seminar presented by Stephania and Niver on the first part of social perspectives on second language acquisition. The reading for next week is chapter 6 from Mitchell and Myles.