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Motivating Learners in the Language Classroom

Mairin Hennebry-Leung & Xuesong (Andy) Gao

Wednesday 19 May, 4-5:30 pm (AEST)

Online Webinar

As most language teachers know, motivation is a vital component of effective language learning. Without it, teachers’ careful planning and creative ideas can quickly be undermined. The research supports this view and finds that motivation can predict anything up to 33% of language learning success. Yet, there is still much we need to understand about motivation in the language classroom. In this talk, we will share insights gathered from a large-scale study conducted among Hong Kong school learners of English.

Two key components of the language learning experience are the teacher and the language environment; we’ll examine what the findings of the study tell us about how teachers’ practices and the language of instruction impact on students’ motivation. A key focus will be on the way in which different features of the language learning experience can lead to a more or less agentive motivation, in other words motivation that is more driven by the student than by the teacher or parents and particularly a motivational orientation more closely tied with a second language identity. We will explore possible explanations for these relationships between classroom features and agentive or less-agentive motivational orientations. Together we will examine what this means for classroom practice and for shaping classrooms that promote and sustain motivated language learning, broadening the discussion to other instructional contexts and drawing on participants’ classroom experience. Through sharing of experiences (good and not so good!) of and challenges and opportunities for generating and sustaining students’ motivation, as well as drawing on relevant theory and research, we will identify key guiding principles of effective motivational language teaching practice.

The talk will be interactive, meaning that participants will be encouraged to share their reactions, reflections and experiences. In order to enrich the conversation, participants will be invited to share specific examples of practice in their diverse contexts. Pause-for-talk moments and breakout rooms will be used to facilitate these conversations.

Mairin Hennebry-Leung started her career teaching Modern Languages and TESOL in a variety of contexts. She joined the University of Tasmania as Lecturer in Languages and TESOL in 2020, prior to which she has held posts in Hong Kong, Scotland and England, working in language education and language teacher education. In addition to this, Mairin has delivered professional development events and materials for teachers in France, Spain, China, Hong Kong and across the UK. Her research focusses on classroom language learning, specifically on language learning motivation, language teacher education, and the relationship between language teaching and citizenship development. Mairin has published widely in international journals including TESOL Quarterly, Language Teaching Research, and Language Learning Journal. She is a co-editor of System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics and co-editor of the Edinburgh University Press Textbooks in Applied Linguistics.

Xuesong (Andy) Gao is an associate professor at the School of Education, University of New South Wales, Australia. He has been involved in language teacher education in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan. His research interests include language learner autonomy, language education policy, and language teacher education. His research has been funded by Research Grants Council (Hong Kong), Sumitomo Foundation (Japan), and the Standing Committee for Language Education and Research (Hong Kong). He has published widely in international journals, including ELT Journal, TESOL Quarterly, Modern Language Journal, and Teaching and Teacher Education. He is a co-editor of System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics and co-editor of the English Language Education book series, published by Springer.

Download (PDF, 772KB)

Here is the reading recommended in the chat function by Mairin during the session:

Chenjing (Julia) You, Zoltán Dörnyei, Language Learning Motivation in China: Results of a Large-Scale Stratified Survey, Applied Linguistics, Volume 37, Issue 4, August 2016, Pages 495–519, https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu046

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Supporting EAL students in Inquiry-based Learning

Wednesday 5 May, 3:45-4:45pm

Online Event 

Once upon a time, a good learner was one who could just recall and repeat knowledge. However, in contemporary education we expect learners to do so much more – to locate, evaluate, articulate and create information individually or collaboratively. Reflecting this, Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) has become a popular pedagogical approach in Australian schools. Yet IBL presents unique challenges for EAL/D learners due to the complex language demands involved in problem solving and higher order thinking, as well as those required to work cooperatively with others. This workshop explored how to help EAL students participate and engage in IBL through effective planning and targeted teaching strategies that scaffold understanding, organisation and expression of ideas.

Following 14 years as a NAATI accredited translator then tertiary Spanish lecturer, April Edwards went on to gain a Master of Teaching as an EAL/D and English secondary teacher. She later took on roles as an EAL Coordinator, EAL specialist mentor to English teachers and Teaching and Learning lead teacher. She is currently training undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers in the School of Education at La Trobe University as well as having worked as an EAL consultant to both the DET and the VCAA. April thrives on sharing her knowledge about 1st and 2nd language acquisition with colleagues and students alike. She does so in the belief that when Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students are supported to use their whole linguistic and cultural repertoire they can participate fully in any classroom setting.

Michelle Andrews is a Primary EAL specialist, currently coordinating the EAL program at Preston North East Primary School. Before moving to the mainstream in 2017, she worked for many years in the New Arrivals Program at Blackburn ELS, taking on a variety of roles including student wellbeing coordinator and Primary curriculum leader. She is passionate about supporting English Language learners to engage, learn and thrive in Australian schools.

Click here to access the resources used in the group activity.

Download (PDF, 10.13MB)

 

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Teaching Pronunciation: It’s never too early – Jacky Springall

Jacky Springall Tuesday 10 November 2020, 4:00-5:30pm AEDT Online Workshop   This practical workshop was based on the premise that EAL teachers need to be pro-active in integrating a focus…

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Not just surviving, thriving! Preparing for your first year of teaching in an EAL classroom

Wednesday 28 October, 4-5pm

Panel Discussion and Q&A

Laurence Guttmann, Rosemary Abboud, Margaret Corrigan, and Julia Lippold

Some resources that were shared within this session:

Download (PDF, 268KB)

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LMERC Resources (Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre)

LMERC information can be accessed by clicking here.  Find out about the collection, services, loan periods and instructions for joining.

 

This presentation was delivered by Jenny Peck at the LMERC Resourcing and Networking Event on Thursday 15th October 2020.

Download (PDF, 4.99MB)

Jenny Peck has prepared a resource sheet in response to some of the questions raised by the participants in this session:

Download (XLSX, 35KB)

 

 

 

Participant contributions are available at:

https://padlet.com/plcoordinator/3iljyoo41ykyuiq8

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Culturally Diverse Literature

Stories are powerful. They shape the way we think about the world, ourselves and each other. The stories we choose to present to students at school, as teachers and librarians, profoundly affect how students perceive the world and their place in it. We want to help you choose culturally diverse resources that reflect students’ diverse lives, promote inclusion, challenge stereotypes, confront racism and ultimately strengthen our multicultural society.

This series of professional learning events is a result of collaboration between staff from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC), the School Libraries Association of Victoria (SLAV), Stella Schools, and VicTESOL.

About the Organisers:

The School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) offers dynamic and inspiring opportunities for teacher-librarians and library teams to build their essential role in engaging and developing lifelong learners.  Through leadership, advocacy and collegiality and an extensive professional learning and publications program.

www.slav.org.au

Stella is an organisation that champions cultural change through recognising, elevating and celebrating Australian women’s writing.  It includes the annual Stella Prize award for women’s writing, the Stella Count, which examines gender bias in book reviewing and Stella Schools, which develops programs that seek to inspire and empower young people to find their own creative voices, challenge stereotypes and imagine a future not limited by their gender.

https://thestellaprize.com.au/

The Languages & Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) is for educators across all sectors K-12. LMERC provides resources in the areas of English as an Additional Language (EAL), Languages other than English, the Intercultural Capability and the cross curriculum priorities areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and Sustainability. The library holds an extensive collection of over 25,000 resources in all formats for educators across all sectors and at all levels, early childhood to adult. Library membership is available free to teachers from these educational settings: early childhood centres (in receipt of government funding), schools F-12 across all sectors, pre-service teachers and lecturers (in the areas of EAL and languages), homework clubs and community language schools. Home school parents, teachers of adults and community workers in education roles are also welcome to join.

https://lmerc.softlinkhosting.com.au/oliver/home/news

 

Download (PDF, 407KB)

Download (PDF, 172KB)

Finding culturally diverse literature:

Stella has a couple of wonderful resources to support your text selection around gender diversity and writing from the intersection. If you would like to know more you can contact Lenny Robinson:  schools [at] thestellaprize.com.au and visit https://thestellaprize.com.au/.

In Part 3 of this Professional Learning Series (7 October 2020), groups discussed:

Auditing and Selection:

  • Have you audited your collections or text list?
  • What is your current process for selecting texts for the library or classroom study?
  • Do you have a selection policy? Is it ratified by the school administration?
  • What is included in text selection criteria?
  • What is the text selection process? How do you ensure input from all stakeholders?
  • How do you get input from students?
  • Have you set targets for the text list? What factors impedes reaching targets?
  • What changes are you considering making to your text selection process to improve it?
  • How do you make sure the texts you select are accessible to EAL learners at your school/institution?

Wider reading:

  • Beyond set texts, how do you promote diverse literature for pleasure reading?
  • Wider reading programs allow access to a wide range of resources. In what other ways can we support students to access culturally diverse literature?
  • What strategies do you have for engaging EAL learners in wider reading?

Suggestions:

  • What suggestions do you have for culturally diverse literature?
  • What suggestions do you have for finding quality, diverse literature? (eg. Suppliers, websites etc)
  • Multilingual resources – Suggestions?
  • What changes are you considering making to the texts in your collection or text lists?

In Part 2 of this Professional Learning Series (15 September 2020)

In part 2, we discussed possible ways to audit your current text lists or collections, and give resource recommendations for you to consider introducing at your school or institution.

Jennifer Peck took participants through the resources available through LMERC, including lists of culturally diverse texts.

Stella Schools Manager Lenny Robinson introduced the audience to two resources developed by Stella Schools to support diversity in text selection: The Read Up Reading Guide, developed in partnership with the Victorian Government, and the Stella Sparks Reading Guide, one of several resources included in their Resource Kit for Stella Sparks schools program.

We then split into groups facilitated by SLAV and LMERC librarians who took participants through some resource recommendations. This part of the session was not recorded.

Jennifer Peck’s presentation: 

Download (PDF, 5.18MB)

Lenny Robinson- Stella Schools Manager:

 

LMERC text lists:

Group Presentation Resources:

  • 6-12 year old readers– Raff Grasso:

https://bit.ly/2RrMd6y

https://padlet.com/grassr/2qvzrijrajxkn8nm

Participants were asked to read the article ‘Assessing and selecting culturally diverse literature for the classroom’ by Helen Adam and Laurie Harper (2016) prior to attending this professional learning event.  The article can be accessed by clicking here.

Adam, H., & Harper, L. (2016). Assessing and selecting culturally diverse literature for the classroom. Retrieve from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/1892

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Meeting graduate standards for working with EAL/D learners – Dr Jenny Barnett

Tuesday 8th September 2020

Download (PDF, 2.17MB)

If you expect to work with EAL/D learners in your teaching career, then you will want to be familiar with the EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. In this webinar, Jenny went through some of the thinking behind the document and showed how it can serve teachers both in their preparation and their practice.  As convenor of the original writing group, she aimed to bring the EAL/D Elaborations to life, and to answer questions from the participants.

This webinar was aimed at Initial Teacher Education students and pre-service teachers.

Please click here to access the EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Dr Jenny Barnett worked for many years in TESOL teacher education at the University of South Australia, offering pre-service and in-service courses with a focus on inclusive pedagogies and curriculum design. Her research interests have centred on learning and teaching English in settings ranging from multilingual city schools to remote Indigenous communities and South East Asian universities.

Click to access EALD_Learning_Area_Annotations_Maths_Revised_February_2014.pdf

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Teaching Grammar: A Deductive Approach

Julia Lippold, Lauriston Girls School Thursday 30 July 2020 Online webinar https://youtu.be/BDVk8gVXHzI     ‘Students working things out for themselves.’ This principle is at the heart of Julia Lippold’s approach…

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