Embedded Files
Projects rely on and develop disciplinary understanding.
Projects rely on and develop disciplinary understanding.
In project-based learning, students use the tools of a discipline. For example, students learn how to:
examine the environment like a biologist,
create a painting like an artist,
or explore the story of a place like a historian.
When students apply disciplinary thinking to sustainability, they use what they learn to understand and care for where they live.
What is disciplinary thinking in learning and using English? Language learners must plan to communicate their thoughts to others. Teachers support students in developing metalinguistic awareness, or knowledge of the structure of language, as well as language awareness for effective language use in social context. Students can compare what they know about their mother tongue to other languages. For example, students can explore similarities and differences between cognates, such as sustainability and sostenibilidad. Students can explore expressions for politeness that are appropriate in different contexts. In this way, students enhance their analytical and critical thinking abilities, skills they can use across disciplines.
In the primaria and media sublevels, students practice basic English. For example, they learn to identify and to describe themselves, their family members, their school, and community features.
Throughout the sublevels of superior and bachillerato, students use English in a more academic way, and they often use technological tools as they practice English.
The examples below both focus on conservation. Project lessons help students to develop metalinguistic awareness and social use of English related to sustainability Galápagos.
Disciplinary Thinking in Learning and Using English
Disciplinary Thinking in Learning and Using English
Media
Media
Respecting Endemic Animals
Respecting Endemic Animals
Is it possible to promote disciplinary thinking in English at the elemental and media sublevels? Of course, we can! In this example, the topic is respecting endemic animals.
Slide 9 demonstrates how teachers can explain the lesson objective to the students. In this way, the students share the specific purpose in learning. It is not hidden from them.
Slide 11 includes a cognate activity that helps students apply what they know in Spanish to learning English vocabulary.
The cognate activity explicitly helps students to develop metalinguistic awareness, or the understanding of how language structures work.
Metalinguistic awareness is disciplinary knowledge in language learning. The teacher does not give students a bilingual word list. The students make connections themselves.
When students recognize that they can use cognates in context, they are ready to prepare a video project to raise awareness about respecting endemic animals, including those in public places.
Bachillerato
Bachillerato
Exploring Cerro Mesa
Exploring Cerro Mesa
During the 2018-2019 academic year, English teacher PJ Andrade challenged his 3rd year bachillerato English students to collaborate on a team project focused on respecting the environment of Galapagos. The project had several components, including creating a video. Preparing the video required students on the team to:
prepare a script
plan the filming
record and edit the video
present the video to the class
PJ required students to use vocabulary related to sustainability and the environment. He also required students to use a form of the conditional, If you _____, then _______. In this way, the students practiced a grammatical structure in a contextualized way.
PJ asked his students to apply their skills as communicators in English. Throughout preparing the project, students had to think about their audience: their classmates and potential visitors to Galápagos who would receive information in English. In this way, PJ made the process of communication clear to his students so they could express important social values to their audience.
Resources
Resources
Activities and Strategies for Building Language Awareness - a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Maria Dantas-Whitney for the Costa Rican Ministry of Education (2017).
Center for Teaching for Biliteracy - resources and ideas for bridging between languages so that students develop metalinguistic awareness.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse