Using a cross-curricular approach for organizing language learning

How do children learn more effectively?

1) What is topic work?

2) How topics can be used as a abasis for planning and organizing language learning. 3) How to organize topic work
4) The benefits and problems of using topic work.

AIM: The aim of this chapter is to anable you to decide on the relevance of topic work for your own context.

To provide you with ideas on implementing topic work. To encourage you to reflect on your own approach to teaching young learners.

Its a way of organizing childrens learning and language learning around topics or themes of interest to children. A topic web might be very useful.

In the process, children are using English in a purposeful way to find out and do things which have meaning and interests for them and to communicate the results to others. It integrates language learning with childrens subject learning. It involves students in activities which focus on meaning, experiencing things at first hand using their senses and which capitalize on their desire to socialize with others.

We will consider how to organize and plan for a whole series of lessons all linked to one topic.

Whatever the situation might be there will always be some decisions or choices that teachers can make:

The order in which to do the topics. What activities to include. How long to spend. How to involve children.

TASK 1: Work on the questions on pg. 120 (Task 1)

Talk to a partner about how these factors may influence your choice of activities:

Students interest. Ss. Conceptual level Time avaliable to do the topic work Level of language needed to do the activity Level of cognitive challenge Potential for encouraging pupil involvement and participation. Pupils language needs. Resources avaliable to do the activity. Syllabus Potential for linking with other activities.

Task 2: SEQUENCING ACTIVITIES Look at pg. 122 and work with a partner on task 2

The way we sequence activities may affect the way children respond to and process information in the activities. Some criteria to be used in sequencing activities:
Moving from receptive to productive skills. Activity dependency Cognitive complexity. Moving from linguisitically controlled to more free. Going from concrete to abstract.

When working on different activities children will produce different kinds of outcome:
A story, a drawing, a play, a correct guess etc.

Work on task 3 on pg. 124 in your textbook