PROMOTING THINKING SKILLS IN THE LANGUAGES CLASSROOM

2011 AFTV Conference ‘Le français dans tous ses états!’

Friday 22 July 2011

Presenter: Maree Dellora

Second language study enhances thinking skills

Research with children learning a second language (Canada, Swain and Lapkin 1991) –has shown benefits from language study for divergent and creative thinking as well as for first language literacy skills.

Language study enhances thinking skills

Second Language students

“………………….begin to broaden their understanding of human behaviour and begin to see that their own cultural perspective is just one possible world view amongst many” (Crozet, Liddicoat and Lo Bianco 1997).

Learning to communicate in the target language ie proficiency

Intercultural learning

Language awarenessie investigating how language is structured

The three main areas of study in second language courses

The three main areas of study for thinking skills

Reasoning, processing and inquiry (using critical thinking to analyse and evaluate information students encounter.)

Creativity (thinking creatively to solve problems and be innovative)

Reflection, evaluation and metacognition (reflecting and refining a student’s existing ideas and beliefs and evaluating their own thinking processes )

Challenge

Combine pedagogy for teaching thinking skills and pedagogy that develops effective

communicative competence in the target language

Strategies to support thinking processes in the second language classroom

• Work on topics that students are interested in• Have them solve problems in groups • Strike a balance between demands of problem –

solving task and students’ linguistic skills• When giving a thinking skills lesson as part of a

second language course keep target language simple and cognitive demands higher

Types of thinking tasks for second language classes

Reconstructing a story (Mackay & Lim)

• Teacher reads a story three times• Story told in simple sentences• Students close eyes, just listen for first

reading• For second and third readings make notes• Students in groups given pictures

depicting stages in the story

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Reconstructing a story (continued)

• Work in groups to reconstruct the story and write it under the pictures

• Helps students develop inferential skills -students infer meaning from pictures and words

• Debrief with class as to skills used• Follow up three days later – can students

tell the story?

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Odd one out (Mackay & Lim)

• Students are given a table or grid of three or four items (words, phrases, sentences or pictures)

• Work in pairs or groups to identify the ‘odd one out’ and say why and what the other items have in common

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Odd one out (continued)

• Develops oral skills• Students offer different reasons why it is the

‘odd one out’ – there is no one right answer • Can be used to allow students to develop

inductive understanding of grammar points

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Odd one out (continued)

• Develops students ability to categorise and compare • Useful diagnostic tool at start of new topic or to assess at the end• Students develop their own grids and share

them

‘Odd one out’ grid - sample (Mackay & Lim)

père soeur parents grand-mère

L'Autriche La Hongrie La Grèce La France

joue était va vient

importants utiles difficiles simple

professeur  lunettes calendrier matière

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Opinions

• Students are given statement cards and a main question to answer

• Sample main question: Alex’s parents are separating, should he live with his mother or father?

• Work in pairs or groups to read each statement card about family circumstances and establish its meaning

• Students discuss whether each card favours the father, mother or neither – and why

Thinking tasks for second language classes

Opinions (continued)

• Sample of statements on cards: Alex’s father works at night

• Students report final decision to class in target language

• Students offer different reasons - there is no one right answer

• Students required to justify their thinking• Students create own statements to discuss a different problem

Debriefing after problem solving activity

Ask students• How did you get your answer?• Can you think of another situation where you

could use what you’ve learned today? • Students discuss completed task and their

solutions• Reflect on learning process• Students give reasons for their thinking• Use target language as much as possible

Strategies to promote thinking in discussions

• Ask fewer questions but allow thinking time• After asking a question allow enough time for students to

think (Try waiting 30-40 seconds)• Promote participation• Ask some open ended questions• Try not to answer own questions

Strategies to promote thinking in discussions

Build up a core of phrases second language students can use to perform different sorts of thinking tasks such as:

• Expressing different levels of agreement and disagreement

• Giving opinions• Giving reasons • Asking for clarification

Creativity

In the second language classroom there are opportunities for students to express themselves creatively in improvisation,

role-play and other drama activities. Role- plays can be based on modelled language.

Advantages of thinking skills lessons in second language classes

• Teaching thinking is the opposite of the teach, test and tick approach

• Aims to challenge and motivate • Increases intellectual stimulation• Makes students better learners• Students can learn about memory

techniques – for second language learning it’s important to know how to memorize (MacKay and Lim)

Strategies to promote thinking in a second language class

• Create a culture where thinking is valued and rewarded

• Learning a second language is a risk taking activity – you have to be prepared to make mistakes to progress in a language

• Sometimes grammatical correction can kill discussion – students may think what you say is less important than how you say it

• Engage more with what students say

Contact DetailsVictorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority(VCAA) www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

Maree DelloraPh: (03) 9651 4620Fax: (03) 9651 4324

dellora.maree.r@edumail.vic.gov.au

Mille fois merci