The Effects of Bilingual Teaching on Learners

Juliane KriesmannEuropäisches Gymnasium – Bertha-von-Suttner, Berlin, 2013

0 Introduction

PROBLEM /CHALLENGE

?

Bi-/Multilingualism leads to a greater potential for multicompetence, creativity and innovation.

Bi-/ Multilingual staff !!!

Outline1 The Contribution of Bilingualism to Creativity

and Multicompetence1.1 The Flexible Mind1.2 The Problem-Solving Mind1.3 The Metalinguistic Mind1.4 The Learning Mind1.5 The Interpersonal Mind

2 Added Value – The Quality CLIL Potential2.1 Quality CLIL2.2Towards Quality CLIL2.3 Added Value – The CLIL Potential

3 Conclusion

4 Challenge

The Creative & Innovative Mind

1.1 The Flexible Mind

Bilingualism increases cognitive flexibility, adaptability and the capacity to think.

The flexible mind: offers alternative ways of perceiving the surrounding world is one which can adapt itself to the demands of different situations is a multicompetent mind gains energy from ‘creative tension’

Result: Different ways of thinking enhance the potential for creativity.

1.2 The Problem-Solving Mind

Bilingualism increases the ability to control attention.

The problem-solving mind: can separate important from irrelevant information can separate distracting alternatives which interfere with thought determines planning and categorising has higher concept formation skills can analyze information

Result: Bilingualism has an impact on creative problem-solving competencies.

1.3 The Metalinguistic Mind

Bilingualism increases the awareness of language as

a tool for thinking and communication.The metalinguistic mind: analyzes how language is used to achieve specific goals identifies ambiguity in communication shows:

- improved reading skills- increased phonemic awareness- sensitivity in interpersonal communication- an increased ability to ‘go beyond the words’

Result: Language awareness gives the potential for enriched information processing.

1.4 The Learning MindBilingualism increases the memory function of

the brain.

The learning mind: shows a functional plasticity & changes in the brain’s

electrical activity has an increased ability to build up new knowledge is more efficient in retaining, organizing, storing and retrieving information

Result: Bilingualism has a great impact on constructing new knowledge (= creative process) and learning in

general.

1.5 The Interpersonal Mind

Bilingualism increases interpersonal communication

awareness and skills.

The interpersonal mind: understands and responds to the communicative needs of

others possesses interactional competence in communication possesses contextual sensitivity differentiates languages in sensitive ways

Result: Multi-skills in interpersonal interaction can affect the potential of creativity.

An Interim ResultBilingualism results in the expansion of certaintypes of human potential: the potential of creativity thinking learning problem-solving communicating

Bilingualism opens up forms of added value whichgo beyond the languages themselves and lead to creativity, higher order thinking and

multicompetence.

2.1 Quality CLIL – The 4Cs-Framework

• BICS• (Basic

Interpersonal• Communication

Skills)•

CALP(Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency)

•Learning skills•Literacies•Learning styles•Study skills•Higher order thinking•Multiple intelligences

•Awareness• Knowledge• Skills•Empathy

• Subject-Specific Knowledge

CONTENTCULTURE

COMMUN-ICATION

COGNITION

2.2 Towards Quality CLIL

Input meaningful, authentic, challenging, multi-modal

Tasks student interaction authentic communicaton subject specific study skills

Scaffolding higher order thinking

Output cross-cultural communication fluency, accuracy, complexity BICS ⇒CALP Figure: CLIL Core Elements, O. Meyer ,

2010

2.3 AddedValue – The CLIL Potential

Raising linguistic competence and confidence Promoting higher order thinking Raising expectations – raising motivation Developing a wider range of skills Raising awareness: cultures and global

citizenship

Result: Bilingualism has the potential to play a key role in responding to challenges of the present and future.

4 Challenge

Competence-building through lifelong learning is of acute significance because of the speed of change in

our societies.

The major future challenge in the educational field is how to reform our learning systems to prepare our young people for

jobs that do not exist yet using technologies that have not been invented yet solving problems that haven’t been identified yet

SourcesEuropean Commisson (2009): Multilingualism and Creativity.

Towards an Evidence-base – Compendium Part I, Europublic, Brussels

Meyer, Oliver (2010): Towards Quality-CLIL: Successful Planning and Teaching strategies, Puls, p.11-29

Meyer, Oliver (2011): Quality CLIL Matrix, Seminar Material