Summary Quality teaching in NSW

Introduction

• Quality teaching = central challenge

•Teaching practices to be linked to:

A. The school life and its organisational practices

B. Curriculum

C. Communities

NSW model of pedagogy

Best quality teaching in NSW
Main points of the DET document /

Theoretical framework

Past and current trends / From theory to language pedagogical practices
Quality teaching in the area of languages
1.  Intellectual quality
Depth of understanding
Higher order thinking

Substantive communication

Elaborated written communication/ interactive instruction / authentic pedagogy (Newmann) / Examples:
metalinguistic activities (e.g., grammar explanations)
Problem solving activities (information gap exercices, matching, jigsaw etc…)
Instead of memorising vocabulary lists, setting context for reusing vocabulary
Communicative approach ( e.g., role-play, simulations, pair-work)
2. Quality learning environment
environment suitable to learning:
Students/teachers interactions?
Balance between teacher/ student-centered classroom
Explicit quality criteria
Supportive classroom
Student engagement : psychological investment in learning
Building social support
Students’ self regulation (difficult task)
Student direction : monitoring activities done in class / Constructivist theory
Vigotsky / Feedback from peers
Group work
Self-evaluation
Choice of activities/ student working at their pace: promoting learner’s autonomy
3. Significance
Taking into account student’s background knowledge : connecting the know and the new.

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration : interdisciplinary learning/ integrating curriculum knowledge
Inclusivity : personal and social involvement
Connectedness: Connection to the world beyong the classroom
narratives : metadiscourse. For abstract reasoning.
Exposure to different generic practices : not lonely narrative but also expository prose / Plurilinguism in Europe
(guidelines Council of Europe)
Intercultural approach
Cross-cultural communication
Claire Kramsch
Byram, M. & Fleming M.
Language learning in intercultural perspective / Pre-lessons activities (e.g., pre-writing, pre-reading etc.)
Language and culture awareness/ developing inter-cultural competence
School and overseas exchange
Out of school contacts: e.g., contact with the language community
Exposure to different genres: descriptive, narrative, expository, argumentative
Written and oral discourses
Dialogues (real-life situations)
Oral presentations
Debates
Keywords:
productive pedagogy (Ladwig and Lingard)