The course ‘BES-124 Language Across the Curriculum’ is one of the core courses studied in the first year of IGNOU B.Ed. programme. This is a two-credit course. The concept of Language Across the Curriculum emphasises the key role language plays in learning. It is based on the understanding that language and thinking are deeply connected and promotes learning. Learning takes place when new facts are assimilated through listening and talking, reading and writing about what is being learnt, and by relating this new learning to what has been learnt before or the previous knowledge. Speaking and writing involve thinking, what we write and speak is a manifestation of that thinking.Language helps in conceptualising and expressing our thought clearly. The task of the teacher is that of developing language abilities into subject specific thinking and communication in every subjects. Teachers need to build cognitive and communicative competencies in learners while teaching their specific subjects. Language Across the Curriculum, advocates an understanding and transaction of the curriculum based on the following premises:Language is more than communication skills.Language is also linked to the thinking process.Language is a tool for conceptualising, for thinking, for networking.Language supports mental activity and cognitive precision.Language for academic purposes helps to express thoughts more clearly (this is especially true for writing)Language helps to structure discourse and practice discourse functions.This Course attempts to sensitise the teachers to the linkages between language and learning and to motivate them to adopt such practices in teaching of their specific disciplines so that language becomes a tool for facilitating learning. This Course has two Blocks, namely, Understanding Language Across the Curriculum and Teaching and Assessing Language Across the Curriculum.
Overview
Syllabus
Week
E-Content
E-Tutorial
Assessment
Week-1
Unit-1
Language and Society
Linguistic Diversity in India: Contributing Factors
10 MCQs
Standard Dialects and Language of Instructions
Development of Language: Dialects, Regional Variation and Scripts
Week-2
Unit -2
Language and Learning
Home Language and School Language
10 MCQs
Language Learning: from mother tongue to other tongue
Language Learning: Role of a Subject Teacher
Week-3
Unit -3
Understanding Language Across the Curriculum (LAC)
How Language varies: Everyday Registers and Academic Registers
10 MCQs
Language as a tool of communication: Features and Structure
Language Across Curriculum (LAC) Approach: Basic Assumptions, Characteristics and Need
Week-4
Unit -4
Language as a Space for Discourse
Classroom Discourse and its Features
10 MCQs
Negotiated Interactions and Classroom Interaction Competence
Classroom Discourse- repair, Speech Modification, and Scaffolding
Week-5
Unit -5
Teaching Listening across the Curriculum
Various forms/types of listening
10 MCQs
Listening Across the Curriculum: Developing Strategies
Assessing Listening: Tools and Strategies
Listening Comprehension
10 MCQs
Week-6
Unit -6
Developing the Speaking Abilities
Understanding Spoken Discourses
Speak to Learn and Learn to Speak
Speaking abilities across the Curriculum
Week-7
Unit -7
Reading Comprehension
Developing critical reading skills
10 MCQs
Reading Visuals, KWL Chart
Reading comprehension
Features of a text, various forms of text
Week-8
Unit -8
Writing across the Curriculum
Writing as a Process
10 MCQs
Forms of writing
Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing Speech Thinking
Week-9
Unit -9
Assessing Language Across the Curriculum
Assessing writing: Tools and strategies
10 MCQs
Taught by
Ms. Poonam Bhushan and Dr. Niradhar Dey
