CARAP FREPA

A Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures

European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL)

“Crossing continents: EPOSTL around the world”

Describing language teacher competences with FREPA-descriptors? – Preliminary thoughts

Graz, 18 – 19 February 2014

Anna Schröder-Sura

anna.schroeder-sura@romanistik.uni-giessen.de

Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany

FREPA Team member, ECML, Graz

Overview

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1) Introduction into the FREPA tools

2) What are pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures?

3) Model of plurilingual and intercultural competences and resources

4) FREPA meets EPOSTL – Examples of describing language teacher competences

5) Perspectives

What is FREPA ?

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FREPA – Competences and resources A set of plurilingual and intercultural competences and a comprehensive list of descriptors operationalizing these competences in terms of knowledge (K), attitudes (A) and skills (S)

FREPA – Online teaching materials

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A database of teaching material in several languages for all levels of learning categorized by the descriptors – teachers can select an activity according to their targeted teaching and learning objectifs.

FREPA – A training kit

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It comprises four modules: a discovery module and three thematic modules encouraging a deeper understanding when dealing with language education policies, challenging situations in classrooms and how FREPA can be useful in classroom/school project designs. For use in initial and in-service teacher training.

Country pages in 17 languages

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Country pages

What are pluralistic approaches?

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Four pluralistic approaches: Intercultural approaches Awakening to languages Intercomprehension of related languages The integrated didactic approach to different languages studied

The concept of pluralistic approaches refers to didactic approaches which use learning/teaching activities involving several (i.e. more than one) varieties of language or cultures (Candelier et al. 2012: 9)

Methology of the framework: Starting point: a systematic analysis of the content of around a hundred publications with regard to pluralistic approaches, from which we collated extracts describing plurilingual and intercultural competences.

They are based on the same principle: establishing relationships through pedagogic activity between a number of different languages and cultures

How does FREPA define competences?

… units of a certain complexity, implicating the whole of the individual and linked to socially relevant tasks in the context of which they are activated; in these situations they signify the mobilisation of different resources which may be internal or external (the use of a dictionary, resorting to a mediator) (Candelier et al. 2012: 11).

Competences get evidence in the activation of different resources

in the domains knowledge, skills or attitudes

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FREPA - Competences and resources

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The FREPA describes essentially two levels of competences:• The competence to manage linguistic and cultural communication within a context

of otherness• The competence of constructing and developing a pluralistic repertoire of

languages and cultures

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Competence in making sense of unfamiliar linguistic and/or cultural features

S 5 Can use knowledge and skills already mastered in one language in activities of °comprehension / production° in another language

S 5.1 °Einen Komplex von zwischensprachlichen Hypothesen / eine Hypothesen-grammatik° aufstellen können, die vorhandene oder nicht vorhandene Korrespondenzen betreffen

A 5.3.3 Estar abierto a lo no-familiar (lingüístico o cultural )

A 12.4 Disposition to reflect on the differences between °languages / cultures° and on the relative nature of one’s own °linguistic / cultural° system

A-7.3 Bereitschaft zum Umgang mit Schwierigkeiten in °plurilingualen / plurikulturellen° Situationen und Interaktionen

K 6.10 Sapere che esistono tra i sistemi di comunicazione °verbale / non verbale° somiglianze e differenze

K 6.9 Savoir qu‘il existe des différences de fonctionnements dans les systèmes scripturaux

K 6.10 言語的 /非言語的コミュニケーション体系には、言語によって類似点・差異があるということを知っている

FREPA’s contribution to language education

to describe plurilingual and intercultural competenes as well as the learning competence (which are difficult to assess) complementing the CEFR „can do“ descriptors

to establish and use in a systematic and structured way links and synergies between several (school-) foreign languages and between these languages and the language(s) of schooling

to develop curricula within the field

to formulate and put into practice teaching and learning objectives in the domains of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism

to integrate into the teaching/learning process activities (e.g. using the FREPA database) aiming at promoting plurilingual and intercultural learning

to analyze and to design teaching materials 13

FREPA – descriptors: Which target groups?

The descriptors were originally developed for the description of learners’ existing competences and resources,

developed within or outside the educational environment, i.e. the language(s) of schooling, regional, minority and migration languages, modern and classic foreign languages.

to be developed with the teachers’ support

To what extend can FREPA descriptors contribute to the formulation of teacher competences ?

FREPA is intended for different stakeholders in the educational field:

Decision-makers Curriculum/programme designers Textbook writers → development of teaching materials Teachers (of languages – all languages – or other subjects) Teacher trainers

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Describing language teacher competences with FREPA-descriptors?

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Analyzing the EPOSTL document, we have identified several competences dealing with plurilingual and intercultural education. For demonstation goals, we have selected descriptors of teachers competences used in the ACTOSTL observation sheet.

Different options: the first one

Examples 9. The teacher relates the content to learners‘ knowledge and previous language learning experiences.

11. The teacher helps learners to develop appropriate learning strategies.

18. The teacher uses materials and activities which make learners aware of similarities and differences in sociocultural „norms of behavior“.

19. Teacher uses a variety of materials and activities which help learners to reflect on the concept of „otherness“ and understand different value systems.

1- Subdividing the EPOSTL competences wtih reference to FREPA descriptors?

FREPA learners’ descriptors Teachers’ descriptors

S 3.7.1 Can compare sentence structures in different languages

I can enable students to compare sentence structures (e.g. modal verbs in English and German; Position of the verb in dependent clauses in German and Japanese)

S 5.3.3 Can establish grammatical regularities in an unfamiliar language on the basis of grammatical regularities in a familiar language or carry out transfers at grammatical level

I can enable students to carry out transfers at grammatical level (e.g. use of gerund in English and Spanish)

A 19.2.1 Self-questioning on adapted or specific comprehension strategies used when faced with an unknown language or code

I can encourage students to reflect on their adapted comprehension strategies when faced with an unknown language

9. The teacher relates the content to learners‘ knowledge and previous language learning experiences.

Basic formula:

16I can develop + FREPA descriptor

Examples of a student‘s work at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen

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I can evaluate and select activities which help learners‘ in using their plurilingual experiences

2- Adding competences to some sections?

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2- Adding competences to some sections?

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Plurilingual and intercultural education

Adding a new categorie?

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FREPA descriptors – Descriptors for self-evaluationwithin a scenario (Cooperation FREPA/EPOS)

FREPA descriptors Descriptors for Théo (7-8 year old learner)

S 2.5.1 Can identify languages on the basis of phonological evidence

1. I can recognise at least four languages while listening

S 2.1.3 Can identify (or recognise) a morpheme or a word while listening

2. I can recognise words in a language that I havent’t learnt while listening

S 7.2.1 Can reproduce unfamiliar aural features (e.g. simple phonetic units, prosodic features, words, etc.)

3. I can repeat words I heared in a language that I don’t know

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Summary and perspectives

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Relevance of FREPA descriptors for concretising the objectives of teachers‘ training

Demonstration of several possible ways for making use of FREPA within a portfolio like EPOSTL

Those in charge of further developements and implementation of EPOSTL to decide about the opportunity to use some aspects of FREPA within their work.We as a FREPA team would be glad to cooperate…

[...] every opportunity to encourage pupils to use knowledge and skills acquired in languages they are taught or know must be taken, in order to highlight points of convergence [...] and to help them to understand how languages work, and to develop their plurilingual repertoires in an optimal way (Beacco 2010:21)

The definition of the plurilingual and pluricultural competence “calls for the teaching of different languages to be linked to one another […]”.

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FREPA developments & persectives

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Let‘s have a look at the FREPA homepage:http://carap.ecml.at

Training and Consultancy programme: http://www.ecml.at/ECMLtrainingandconsultancyformemberstates/CARAP/tabid/1160/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Contacts

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The FREPA-team:

http://carap.ecml.at/FREPAfornationalcontactpoints/Team/tabid/2861/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Contact your contact point: http://contactpoints.ecml.at/

Have a look at your country page:

VbinLehrerich

German

(dass)

VenseignantsuisjeFrench

Japanese

V

amteacherIdesusenseiwatashi waですせんせいわたし　

は

In German too, in dependant clauses, the verb is at the end!

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