FISER09 Famagusta

MATHEMATICS FOR LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE FOR MATHEMATICS

Lenka Tejkalov Charles University in Prague

Overview CLIL Mathematics for English English for Mathematics Pre-service CLIL teachertraining

CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING

CLIL: situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focussed aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language

Do Coyles' 4C

Successful CLIL lesson

multiple focus, safe and enriching learning environment, authenticity, active learning, scaffolding (building on students existing knowledge, skills and experience; responding to different learning styles; fostering creative and critical thinking; challenging the students to take a step forward.) Mehisto, 2008

WHY MATH IN ENGLISH?

English as the lingua franca MA

Variety of communicative situations (thanks to variety of topics and assignments...) Need of using the language precisely Symbolic and iconic language

MATHEMATICS FOR ENGLISH

Natural acquisition Dealing with vocabulary/grammatical structures only when you need them Specific linguistic structures hypothesizing, argumentation, proving Real context Enhanced motivation: more risk-taking

ENGLISH FOR MATHEMATICS

Content through different perspectives CLIL can also have an impact on conceptualization, literally on how we think. (Marsh, 1999) formulas look different vocabulary has different associations Language barrier can trigger higher order thinking

Language Barrier Helps

SHAPES

12 years old learners, groupwork no previous CLIL experience English: pre-intermediate level

L1: label, define L2: compare, contrast, examine, select formulate, argue
,

CLIL UNDERGRADUATE COURSE

Cooperation of department of Mathematics and English Language Supervised by one teacher from each department st For 1 year Master students of any combination of subjects

Students have already had the subject-specific and general didactics courses They have had previous teaching practice

Aims

Balanced approach (language + content) Appropriate level of both content and language

Cooperation

Adequate level of teacher's language Evaluation, feedback Real teaching experience Reflection

Learn as you use, use as you learn

(2) Theoretical background (1) Design a lesson plan; anticipated problems, discuss in groups (3) Peer teaching videostudy, peerreview, self-reflection (1) model lessons, expanding on selfreflections (1) Collective reflection on videostudy (3) Redesigning the lesson plan, teaching at school, reflection (1) Group-work: poster of good practices

Group

8 English teacher trainees (non-native speakers)

4 + mathematics, 2 + humanities 1 + music 1 + German language Original plans and anticipations, selfreflections after peer teaching, reviews, revised lesson plan, final reflection

Portfolios

What changed?

Time management Organisation of work (groups, pairs) Visual aid Attention to non-specific vocabulary BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO COMPONENTS

WHAT DID THE STUDENTS ATTRIBUTE THE CHANGES TO?

Observing the good practices Peer teaching, peer reviews Cooperation with content subject teachers (in the non-MA students)

Conclusions and perspectives

Only after the CLIL training were the teacher trainees capable of designing a well-balanced CLIL lesson Cooperation is essential There is a need of designing an inservice teacher training for CLIL to be more widespread.