Plurilingual Classrooms in Action

Develop your understanding of learning and teaching languages to explore the transformative role of languages in and for education, from the University of Glasgow.

Duration

4 weeks

Weekly study

4 hours

100% online

How it works

Unlimited subscription

Learn more

Established

1451

Location

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

World ranking

Source: QS World University Rankings 2020

Create great teaching opportunities in your culturally diverse classroom

Today’s cultural diversity means there can be several languages in a single primary school classroom. That can pose a teaching challenge, but it also offers some great learning opportunities.

On this four-week course from the Scottish Council of Deans Languages Group in conjunction with the University of Glasgow, you’ll learn how to maximise the advantages these situations offer whilst celebrating and supporting the languages within your classroom.

Witness the transformative power of plurilingualism and pluriliteracies

Plurilingualism and pluriliteracies refer to the ways in which languages can be learned and used not only to communicate but also to make meaning in thematic or subject areas. With a focus on multimodality and relevant language resources, pluriliteracies take account of how school children - with scaffolding - can use other languages as well as their first to broaden and deepen their understanding of the world.

Harness the learning power of language and cultural diversity

You’ll also learn how to use different language exchanges as scaffolds for more linguistic teaching, evaluating the aims of 21st-century language learning and developing your knowledge of language learning strategies.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a firm grasp on current language pedagogy and will feel confident in delivering effective, engaging lessons.

Develop shared resources along with language pedagogy

Throughout the course, you’ll also get to collaborate on resources and develop your own ideas.

You’ll be actively engaged from the moment you start, creating a better learning experience for you and ensuring you are able to create better language learning strategies and experiences for your students in turn.

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  • Week 1

    Plurilingualism and pluriliteracies

    • Welcome to the course

      This set of steps will introduce you to the teaching team and inform you what is involved in the course.

    • What is plurilingualism?

      Professor Do Coyle from the University of Edinburgh discusses plurilingualism and pluriliteracies.

    • Plurilingualism in language teaching and learning

      Here we will consider why plurilingualism is fundamental to language teaching and learning.

    • What are pluriliteracies?

      Here we will examine what we mean by a pluriliteracies approach to language learning and teaching.

    • Pluriliteracies in action

      Here we will consider some examples of a pluriliteracies approach in the classroom.

    • Review and reflect

      Here we review what we have covered this week.

  • Week 2

    Diversity

    • Recognising language and cultural diversity in our lives

      This week we will examine how to celebrate and support linguistic and cultural diversity.

    • Language and Identity

      Here we will examine what frames our identity and sense of who we are.

    • Recognising the importance of valuing linguistic and cultural diversity

      Here we will consider the role different languages play in the lives of individuals.

    • Valuing linguistic and cultural diversity in classrooms

      Here we will examine how we can value diversity in our classrooms.

    • Review and reflect

      Here we will look back at what we've covered this week.

  • Week 3

    Policy and Legislation

    • What is progress in language learning?

      In this section we will look at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and examine how it may help us to monitor our level of language and progress in our learning.

    • What types of 'competences' do we need in language learning?

      Here we will consider what different types of knowledge and skills may be needed as we consider language learning and teaching holistically.

    • How does our previous learning experience influence us today?

      Here we will consider how the way we learned languages in the past may impact on how we teach them in the present.

    • Alternative perspectives in policy

      Here we consider the ACTFL's policy structure as well as Scotland's 1+2 policy.

    • Review and reflect

      Here we will look back at what we've covered this week.

  • Week 4

    Transformative Pedagogies

    • Transformative Pedagogies

      Transformative practices challenge individuals to consider how they see themselves and others, and how they might engage in and contribute to society.

    • Taking storytelling further

      Here we will consider storytelling in more detail.

    • Participation in the languages classroom

      Here we will consider how pupils can develop agency through the use of languages in the daily life of the classroom.

    • Review and reflect

      Reflecting on what we have covered this week.

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