1,720,973 research outputs found
Autonomy in language learning: Getting learners actively involved
No full textThe aim of this volume is to expand knowledge on research and action-research on language learner autonomy, conceivably inspiring further investigation into how students can be helped to be more actively involved in their own learning. The volume explores concepts such as ‘motivation’, ‘self-efficacy’, ‘learner strategies’, ‘selfreflection’, as well as the use of specific autonomous tools and tasks that may be included in the curriculum, yet help students make the most of out-of-class language learning opportunities. The volume features contributions by Anna Uhl Chamot, Leni Dam, Lienhard Legenhausen, David Little and Marcella Menegale with a foreword by Carmel Mary Coonan. It was inspired by an International Conference on Language Learner Autonomy held at Ca’ Foscari University, Venice in September 2011 supported by the IATEFL Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group
Autonomy in context: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
No full textIn the 'Conversations' section, Marcella Menegale, from Venice, Italy, has been interviewed about her university’s module on learner autonomy
A Journey through the Content and Language Integrated Learning Landscape: Problems and Prospects
No full textInterest in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), in Europe and beyond, has increased exponentially since it first appeared on the scene in Europe in the early 1990s. CLIL has grown to become a much-discussed topic of language education today, with the number of publications pertaining to the field continuing to increase.
Researchers, teachers, teacher trainers, course planners and others involved in CLIL are constantly searching for new studies to help them understand how CLIL is evolving and how best it can be implemented. As the concept is now informing the pedagogical principles of different educational realities, research and reflection are now required to further understand its potential and implications, its inherent difficulties and possible applications. This volume was conceived with this idea in mind.
The book primarily covers three macro areas: learning, teaching and training. It provides insight into the latest areas of research and reflection that are characterizing the CLIL field in the current decade. The wide range of topics covered reveal, for example, a shift in interest towards CLIL at the tertiary level, focusing on lecturer and student perceptions and problems
Adapting the CEFR to Italian CLIL Teacher Language
No full textIn the last 20 years, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has
rapidly made its way into the classrooms of Europe. It is now offered in
different forms in mainstream education in most European Union member
states. Nevertheless, despite the rapid development of this educational
approach, some issues have not received due attention. One of the more
neglected questions is that of the definition of the foreign language needed
by content teachers working within the CLIL framework. When these
competences are raised, any description is mostly limited to a generic list
of abilities accompanied by reference to one of the levels of the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
This chapter proposes an examination of this issue in relation to the
Italian educational context, in which the new figure of the CLIL teacher
has recently been created. It first offers a survey of the CEFR and its
purpose as a flexible tool of reference. A brief review of the methods and
approaches available for adapting the Framework to specific contexts is
also given, together with a short description of some projects of CEFR
descriptor revision. The chapter concludes with the outline of a project to
adapt the CEFR descriptors to meet the language needs of CLIL teachers
in the specific CLIL context. The objective of the project is to aid effective
CLIL training and evaluation for content teachers planning to teach within
this framework
Bisogni e preoccupazioni del corpo docente impegnato in English Medium Instruction (EMI) Una prospettiva italiana post-pandemia
Full text linkAs a global phenomenon, internationalisation exerts a great impact on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) all over the world. Among the stakeholders mostly affected are the academic staff. The situation is especially critical in Italy, where teacher training
was not a priority in pre-COVID times and where the outbreak and effects of the pandemic have been severe. These circumstances contribute to making Italian university teachers’ needs and concerns in post-pandemic EMI (English Medium Instruction) an area particularly worth exploring. This contribution investigates the case of a middle-sized public University in Northern Italy, where a needs analysis questionnaire was sent to the academic staff to understand how they address the additional challenges that internationalisation
poses to teaching, with special regard to the provision of EMI. We also inquired into whether the pandemic has modified the teachers’ styles of teaching, and in which ways
La relazione tra autonomia e libertà dell’insegnante e dello studente
No full textIn contesto educativo possiamo parlare di autonomia riferendoci alla scuola, all’insegnante e allo studente. L’autonomia è quindi un concetto che va interpretato a partire dall’intersezione tra più livelli (istituzione, insegnante, studente) e che risulta fortemente collegato alla nozione di libertà. Tuttavia, se consideriamo la libertà come uno stato di assenza da limiti, ne concluderemo che la libertà didattica sia pura utopia, in quanto molti sono i vincoli imposti dal sistema educativo con cui scuole, docenti e studenti devono fare i conti. Prendere consapevolezza dei confini all’interno dei quali sono liberi di muoversi e prendere decisioni è un primo passo per iniziare a determinare le proprie azioni.
In questo capitolo si cercherà di chiarire quale sia la relazione tra autonomia e libertà nel contesto educativo, focalizzandoci in particolare sul processo di insegnamento e di apprendimento al fine di suggerire alcuni modelli attuativi coerenti con le finalità educative, le competenze dell’insegnante e i bisogni formativi dei discenti
Global Challenges in Language Education: Rethinking Curricula for Foreign Language Classrooms in the Digital Era
Full text linkThis chapter examines key issues in contemporary research and explores their implications for the foreign language curriculum. After considering the role of global competence, multilingualism and global citizenship as educational goals for today’s language learners, it discusses the impact of digitalisation on learning modalities and highlights the need to adopt multiliteracy-oriented approaches, integrating a renewed role for literature. Some conclusions will be drawn to contribute to ongoing reflection on the future direction of the field
Language teacher education as a two-way autonomy development process: Student teachers and teacher educators as learners
No full textIn recent years, higher education has faced substantial challenges primarily due to the rapid advancement of technology, which was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Courses that were traditionally conducted in face-to-face settings have been abruptly moved online, forcing both teachers and students to reorganise their work, manage their time, and adapt to new methods of teaching and learning. Despite the evident limitations, this situation also presented an opportunity to contemplate the pressing need for supporting learner and teacher autonomy. The objective of this chapter is to contribute to the field by presenting data collected through a case study. The research was conducted during an online course on foreign language teaching methodology, specifically designed for language student teachers pursuing a master's degree. The study aimed to determine whether the course had successfully fostered teacher-learner autonomy in two directions: autonomy among the participating student teachers and autonomy regarding the course professor. The findings revealed that student teachers attained a good level of comprehension in task design for language teaching; however, they encountered difficulties in reflecting on their own roles as future educators. Additionally, the professor's endeavour to promote autonomy among her student teachers proved to have a significant impact on her own teaching style and professional development
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