Staff development

1. LANGUAGE ACROSS THE
CURRICULUM
TRAINING THE TEACHERS OF THE
FUTURE: LANGUAGE AND
LITERACY AT CPUT

2. Rationale
• Language Across the Curriculum (LAC),
Disciplinary Literacy (DL) for teaching every
subject across the curriculum.
• No language effectively learnt without a context.
• Language and content closely interrelated.
• Teachers use language to explain concepts and
content to learners.
• Learners use language to internalise and
demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired
(Lucas, 2011).

3. An De Moor 3
21st century skills: information- & communications society
Impact of language profiency on study success
Gap between daily language use, and academic and professional
language skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking)
Socially diverse student intake
> active support
> inclusive language policy
Why pay attention to language
competencies?

4. An De Moor 4
Vocabulary knowledge
= predictor for academic success
Strong correlation between vocabulary and
- reading ability / text comprehension
- listening ability / listening comprehension
- writing skills

5. Academic language skills and
achievement
An De Moor 5
Language is the vehicle or
instrument that enables the
understanding of how
knowledge is structured and
how meaning is negotiated
(Van Dyk, 2015)

6. In short
An De Moor 6
“The development of the language proficiency of students is the
responsibility of everyone involved in education, and not only from the
language teacher or the student himself. [...]
Moreover, experience has taught us that remediation that is
integrated into the curriculum has a positive effect on the motivation
of the students.”
(Van Houtven & Peeters, 2014); (Hebbrecht, Depoorter, & Delbaere, 2008; Kuiken, 2014;
Beijer, Panday, & Haijer, 2014; Van Gorp & Verheyden, 2005; Cajot, 2014)

7. An De Moor 7
"The big gain in recent years is that it is accepted
university-wide that working on language proficiency
[...] is related to the study results.“
(Beijer, Panday, & Haijer, 2014)
Students do no make the transfer between what
they have learnt in language classes and what they
need in subject lessons & for their future profession.

8. What is Language across the
curriculum as a pedagogy?
8
 Attention to spelling or grammar
 Lesson English in a lesson of Mathematics
 Only important for language teachers
 Something extra
... NOT
An De Moor

9. What is LAC as a pedagogy?
9
 A teaching methodology
 Important for all subject
lecturers
 Result: better transfer of subject
content (integration)
 Attention to the language of
teaching
 Diversity is the norm
(weak ánd STRONG)
An De Moor

10. 10
An De Moor
Definition of LAC
LAC is a way of teaching in which every
lecturer (including the non-language
lecturer) explicitly plays a role in
stimulating and supervising the process
of language development of students ”
(based on van der Westen, 2009)

11. Context Interaction
Language
support
11
An De Moor
Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) = 3 pillars

12. Context Interactie
Language
support
Main target: integration of content and language
 purposefully looking at the subject using language ‘glasses’
 being aware of cognitively demanding language
 working on student language development
12
An De Moor

13. 13
Pillar 1: context
• Connect with prior knowledge
• Connect with the world of students
• Connect with the work field
• Give concrete examples
• Frame lesson in a larger lesson unit
• Create provocative and challenging
environments
An De Moor

14. 14
Pillar 2: interaction
How do students learn in an active way during class?
= This means more than simply asking questions
= Create a safe climate for interaction
= Build in thinking time and concept check
= Make connections explicit, learn how to formulate
thoughts
Deep level learning = writing/talking about the content of a lesson
An De Moor

15. Pillar 3: Language support
15
 What are the language challenges of the lesson?
 Which language skills are expected of the students?
 How are students supported in acquiring the course
material and to get started with it?
An De Moor
= Language feedback on applied language learning strategies
= Visual language support
= Language learning strategies
= Clear instructions

16. Ensure coordination and mutual reinforcement for a
shared language practice:
• through cross-departmental tasks
• through team teaching and exchange of good
practices, e.g. for the use of abstract instruction
language
• through joint checklists for a common approach and
follow-up of crucial language skills by the entire
teacher team
Effective language stimulation
measures
16
An De Moor

17. Language conscious team of lecturers
Proficient and motivated students ready for
the linguistic requirements of the academic
and professional field
Students have more study success
An De Moor 17
Results > LAC

18. CPUT Online Multilingual
Glossaries
(CIET & Fundani-Language Unit)
Linda Manashe

19. Outline
• Introduction
• Producing glossaries
• Website accessibility

20. Multilingual Glossaries
• The online MLG project started in 2012 at Fundani (ETU)
• The project aims provide academic support to students.
• Stakeholders involved in the project include: Lecturers, Students, Faculty
Language Coordinators, CPUT Language Specialists, External Linguists, and
Industry Personnel.
• Current online multilingual glossaries: Biotechnology, Ecology, Horticulture,
Microbiology, Nutrition, Sociology, Law of Contracts, Family Law, Maritime
Studies, Architectural Technology, Public Relations, Foundation of Nursing
Practice , Mental Health, Primary Care Psychiatry.

21. Producing Glossaries

22. Website Accessibility
mlg.cput.ac.za

23. Website Accessibility Cont.
mlg.cput.ac.za
English Afrikaans isiXhosa
Legalsubjects
Legalsubjectsarenaturalorjuristic
personsuponwhomthelawhas
conferredlegalpersonality,inother
words,theyarethebearersofrightsandduties.
Regspersoon
Regspersoneisnatuurlikeofjuridiesepersone
aanwiediewetregspersoonlikheidtoegewys
het,met
anderwoorde,hulleisdiedraersvanregteen
pligte.
Oogunyaziwe
Abantunamaqumrhuabanamagunya
abawanikwangumthetho.
Naturalperson
Naturalpersonsareacategoryoflegalsubjects
thatreferstoallhumanbeings.
Natuurlikepersoon
Natuurlikepersoneis’nkategorieregspersone
watnaallemenseverwys.
Abantu
Nguyenawuphinaumntu.
Juristicperson
Juristicpersonsareacategoryoflegalsubjects
thatreferstoassociationsandbodiesother
thanhumanbeings,e.g.:companies.
Juridiesepersoon
Juridiesepersoneis‘nkategorieregspersone
watverwysnaverenigingsenliggamebuiten
mense,
bv.maatskappye.
Amaqumrhu,iimanyanonemibutho
Ngawonawaphinaamaqumrhu,iimanyano
nemibutho,enamagunyaewanikwa
ngumthetho,hayiumntu.

24. Disciplinary Literacy
in teaching Mathematical Literacy
Elma Fleischmann

25. Disciplinary Literacy
in teaching Mathematical Literacy
Background – why and what
Mathematical Literacy vs Mathematics
The ‘gap’
Filling the ‘gap’
Way forward

26. Background – Why ML?
Background ML vs Maths The ‘gap’ Filling the ‘gap’ Way forward
‘Only 50% of learners took
Mathematics at all, and
many of those did not
pass’ (Graven & Buytenhuys
2011)
New Curriculum –
Mathematical Literacy
•Give opportunities to ALL learners
•Every day numeracy (Cell phone
contracts, taxes etc)
•Computers and 21st century

27. Background – What is ML?
Background ML vs Maths The ‘gap’ Filling the ‘gap’ Way forward
basic mathematical content
authentic real-life contexts
familiar and unfamiliar problems
decision making and communication
integrated content and/or problem solving skills

29. The ‘gap’
Background
ML vs
Maths
The
‘gap’
Filling
the ‘gap’
Way
forward
Reading ‘feels’ important
CAPS
•Does not explicitlyrefer to reading or how learnersshouldbe taught to read
•Only ‘reading of’
Diagnostic report 2019 – teachers should:
•Giveattention to terminology
•“Enhance learners’skillsin accuratelyinterpretingspecificquestions and using
informationthat is relevant”

30. Types of text
• Narrative
(Scenario)
• Symbols
• Graphs
• Tables
• Sketches
•
•
Problem
Types of text
• Narrative
(Scenario)
• Symbols
• Graphs
• Tables
• Sketches
•
•
Solution
Literacy – gap between problem and solution

31. Types of text
• Narrative
(Scenario)
• Symbols
• Graphs
• Tables
• Sketches
•
•
Problem
Types of text
• Narrative
(Scenario)
• Symbols
• Graphs
• Tables
• Sketches
•
•
Solution
decoding
transfer
meta-
cognition
integration
Literacy – gap between problem and solution

32. Reading – Filling the ‘gap’
• Reading is used to ‘make meaning’ (Duke & Pearson, 2002)
• Making connections between prior knowledge and what is read
(Massey & Riley, 2012)
• Reading and comprehension interconnected (Duke & Carlisle,
2014)
• Subject specific – disciplinary literacy (Anker
, 2020)
• Make learners part of the discourse in the subject (Shanahan &
Shanahan, 2014)
Background ML vs Maths The ‘gap’ Filling the ‘gap’ Way forward

33. Principles
Teaching reading in the content areas
(Billmeyer & Barton 1998)
Background ML vs Maths The ‘gap’ Filling the ‘gap’ Way forward
Constructivism
Prior
knowledge
Metacognition
Reading AND
writing
Social process

34. What to do? Practically…
• Explicitly modelilng how to read…
• … and what I think while I read
• Giving time for interaction with the text
• Focus on the language of the subject
• Conversation about reading and the implications for
teachers
• Group where professor Johan Anker (reading expert) lead
discussions with subject experts (Art, Education, Life
Sciences, etc.)
z
Background MLvsMaths The‘gap’ Filling the‘gap’ Wayforward

35. ENVISAGED OUTCOME
•Integrated scaffolded generic reading comprehension
strategy programme.
•Staff development in supporting LAC and DL in specific
subject groups with literacy specialists –collaborative
approach.
•Development of multilingual glossaries in all content
subjects across the four years of the Bachelor of
Education degree.
•E - learning platform for multilingualism
•Handbook for all lecturers to use

36. CONCLUSION
•Multilingual context of Faculty of Education requires
integrated approach to LAC and DC, address academic
language needs of all students.
•Development of sustained LAC and DL in the curricula.
•Extended to LAC as writing strategy.
•Effective integration of LAC in the Faculty of Education.

37. Questions

38. Thank
You