Overview

Attention teachers worldwide! Get ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of language diversity in classrooms. As the global landscape changes, more and more children are speaking languages different from the ones used for instruction. You might have already noticed the rich tapestry of languages spoken by your students and their families, creating a wonderfully diverse environment within your school. We are thrilled to present to you an extraordinary opportunity: the Language Friendly Teacher MOOC, part of the Language Friendly School initiative. This Massive Open Online Course aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to become a Language Friendly Teacher, empowering you to embrace and accommodate the linguistic diversity in your classroom and school. Throughout this immersive MOOC experience, we will delve into the profound significance of language and identity in a child's development. You will discover effective instructional approaches that enable you to support and include diverse home languages in your teaching practice. By understanding and valuing the languages spoken by your students, you can create an inclusive and empowering learning environment that celebrates their cultural heritage. But it doesn't stop there. We will also highlight the essential role of parents and families in the learning process. Recognizing the crucial impact caregivers have on a child's language growth, we will explore strategies to engage and collaborate with them effectively. By fostering strong partnerships with caregivers, we can maximize a child's language learning potential and create a supportive network for their educational journey. Furthermore, in this MOOC, we will explore the world of multilingual digital resources. By leveraging technology, you can enhance your teaching practice and provide engaging learning experiences for your students. We will guide you through the vast array of digital tools available, equipping you with the skills to integrate them seamlessly into your lessons and empower your students' language development. This MOOC is the result of a collaborative effort stemming from the Erasmus+ project ALCOR, funded by the European Union. Together, we can revolutionize education and create Language Friendly Schools that embrace and celebrate linguistic diversity. Are you ready to embark on this transformative adventure? Join us as we journey together towards becoming Language Friendly Teachers, shaping the future of education for all students. Let's create inclusive, vibrant, and empowering classrooms where every child feels valued and heard. Together, we can make a difference!

Syllabus

Module 1: Language, Identity and Inclusion

How are language and identity connected? This module will help you to understand the concept of language identity, why it is important and how teacher’s attitudes and behaviours influence the development of language identity. You will explore your own and your colleagues opinions on plurilingualism and home languages at school and rethink how those opinions influence children learning.

Module 2: Language Friendly Teaching

Are you looking for ways to validate your students in their language and identity, and make your classroom language friendly? In this module you will learn what key strategies are for teaching in a diverse classroom. You will also acquaint yourself with language friendly materials and you will learn how to use them. Finally you will learn how you can adopt a school-wide language friendly approach and involve your whole school community.

Module 3: Parental Involvement

Why are caregivers important to the learning process of children? In this module you will learn why parents are caregivers are an essential part of the learning process of children. You will also hear stories from parents and learn about the nuances about multilingual parents and caregivers from different contexts.

Module 4: Digital Resources to enhance multilingualism

Why would you use digital devices when talking about multilingualism? In this module, you will learn how digital solutions in the classroom can benefit multilingual learners. We will look into the specific ways how using digital tools and strategies complement traditional teaching and learning by supporting students’ autonomy and providing opportunities for deeper learning. You will also learn about multilingual digital storytelling - a digital strategy which provides opportunities for bridging subjects, developing students’ digital competences and exploring students’ identities and cultures.