The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning
I find The Journal of Imagination in Language Learning particularly useful because it approaches language and literature on an integrated front, and also because its articles share the classroom experience of practitioners on a wide variety of topics. I also like this journal because it is handy -- it is online and its articles are focused and relatively short!
We browse The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning for topics related to our Curriculum Study, sharing ideas that will be useful to everyone.
We browse The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning for topics related to our Curriculum Study, sharing ideas that will be useful to everyone.
posted by Cynthia James | 7:41 AM
9 Comments:
Hello everyone,
One of the articles I read from the Journal of The Imagination is “Reading and Responding to Novels in the University ESL Classroom” by Stephanie Vandrick. (Volume IV)
In this article Vandrick highlights the benefits of using Literature in her ESL classroom:- improving her students English Language by increasing their vocabulary, improving their critical reading and thinking skills, their analytical and summarizing skills and their ability to explore their feelings.
Vandrick facilitates the development of her students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to relate to fiction, by discussing the novel’s theme, style, characters and problems with them. Students often can relate to the characters and the problems or challenges that they are experiencing, and this encourages them to speak about their own problems. Students also have the opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills by making oral presentations and being a good audience during the presentations. In addition, when students have to make oral presentations to the class, they have the opportunity to not only communicate their feelings with classmates, but also to learn and practice the elements of good speech delivery such as good posture, pace, volume, tone, eye contact and spontaneity.
Vandrick states that her ESL students get nervous about reading a novel in English and making oral presentations. However, as they engage in the process they show remarkable improvement in their reading and comprehension skills, critical reading skills and oral communication skills and they gain confidence.
This article emphasized to me the importance of Literature on the curriculum. It not only exposes students to novels, poetry and drama, but it is a teaching tool which can be used to develop many other critical linguistic skills.
The second article I read was “Martians Invade the Classroom: A Workshop in Language Learning” by Carmine Tabone and Robert Albrecht. (Volume VII)
I found this article interesting because it dealt with the benefits of using drama in the classroom to develop students’ imagination and oral communication skills. The authors developed a workshop using drama activities for fifth graders in Jersey City public schools, to stimulate their imagination, encourage them to ask questions and speak with comfort before the group.
According to Wagner (1998), drama is very effective for language learning because it “directs the attention of the students not just to the subject of the discussion but to the very language they are using.” This is because drama in the classroom allows students to use oral language more than in formal classes as it provides the opportunity for dialogue and expression.
Tabone and Albrecht state that drama encourages students to be spontaneous in thought and speech which is what takes place in real life situations. Another benefit of using drama in the classroom is that it allows students who are uncomfortable speaking in front of their classmates, to assume a persona which allows them to feel more comfortable speaking in front of others. Drama is a powerful tool for language development as Wagner (1998) states, “classroom drama is one of the most effective ways to stimulate lively and apt conversation.”
Drama/role play is one of the strategies that I would like to use to improve and develop oral communication skills in sixth formers,(my curriculum study topic), hence my interest in this article. I gained important and useful information which I can integrate in my classes.
The title "Mixed Level Language Class: An Unlikely Formula for Success" by Dennis Sjolie caught my attention because of the diversity of my classes. I had quietly hoped that my 3 ESL students would lie low for the duration of the curriculum study, but their unique language problems were noticed by Dr. James (definitely not what I had intended).
Sjolie’s reflections remind me of myself frowning upon the increasing diversity of my classes and thinking myself incapable of meeting their language needs – mixed levels of ability, diverse cultures and an increasing number of non-native English speaking students some of whom are able to speak as many as 3 other languages and incapable of writing fluently in their first spoken language. In the article, Sjolie concludes that the diversity in his ESL English-learning classroom was a blessing in disguise, for in the end it contributed to improved student (and teacher) learning and scores.
Though Sjolie’s class is different to my class in various ways, his techniques are useful to my curriculum study and all teachers of English. n.b. 1. the teacher’s role to meet students’ communicative needs outside the classroom on matters of concern to them 2. the use of language activities outside of the text and from real-life contexts 3. the use of student interaction in paired and small group activities to create an open “risk-taking classroom” where (ESL) students feel challenged but not overwhelmed, expand their range of language use (one of my problems is to teach students to use the argumentative language), communicate frequently (many students only speak once or twice a week in their English class) and learn from each other 4. peer-tutoring by top students 5. the importance of valid assessments that include students’ profiles (language ability & backgrounds, interests etc.) so as to identify students’ needs rather than to permit streaming of like-ability/low-ability classes.
Terry and Michelle
I like the acuity of your comments and the way you evaluated the relevance to your particular classroom situations. In the case of Terry, Drama for improving oral communication skills. In the case of Michelle, really good summary notes!!! on approaches to ESL teaching. To me the Journal articles seemed at two extremes. One could find really very good ideas for lessons plans, even in discussions that were not in one's immediate area of interest. On the other hand, I found some of the articles pretty lightweight. I suppose this is pretty normal for quite a few journals.
Hi everybody,
one article i read was Storytelling: A Way of Freeing the Imagination An Interview with Dvora Shurman
by Tova Ackerman
An interview with Dvora Shruman who uses storytelling to make English language learning more appealing, in the context of ESL students. She believes that language learning is more than simply understanding grammar or words, children especially, become wrapped up in plot and do not listen at words but, the who, when and where of the story. Unknowingly they are learning a language. She speaks about the benefits of the story telling process to cognitive thinking and the difference between reading a text and telling a story. Telling a story involves using techniques that engage and includes readers.
I once thought I was story telling when I read a story to my class straight from the text, very soon I was uninterested and my girls were slouched over their desks.
I thought some of her points where interesting and children enjoy having their imagination tickled. I don’t know how many kids still create their own imaginary worlds when there’s so much to do and see with technology. Movies often do the job for them. Story telling seems to be only associated with little kids but the interviewee proposes it’s a way of unlocking the imagination for anyone.
Another interesting article was Shakespeare for ESL? “Hamlet” through Imaginative Writing by Todd Heyden
Although the article addressed the issue of making Shakespeare reachable for ESL students, some of the approaches seemed familiar. Students often complain about not understanding Shakespeare, it is almost like a foreign language to them. Allowing them to put some of the famous soliloquies into modern language often makes it more appealing. The article suggests using group work so that students feel less daunted by the challenge, some of these practices I have applied to my class and students do realize that the language is less of a challenge. The comments about re phrasing were interesting- if done properly students are taught how to carefully select languge to convey the intended meaning. I enjoyed reading the example of a letter to a character, I’m going to try that with my class. i found other articles that used some interesting strategies to motivate and stimulate inagination.
The article on "Spellbound in the Language Class" was something else.What a fantastic article! I mean it was so simple yet applicable as Ms Moskowitz describes.
Now I can see how my remaining Teaching Practice sessions will be guided.Using the "Teacher-in-role" strategy is entertaining, creative and adds a new vista to the multiple-disciplinary repertoire of Sir/Miss.
The article itself is written in a "writer-in-role" style that makes it easy to follow, and credible. Ms Moskowitz showed that she really knew her stuff-as she herself says:"All it takes is imagination, a spirit of adventure, and the suggestion of a culture to begin."
Although the article ‘Humanistic Imagination: Soul food for the Language Class’ is simple and easy to understand it touches on a very important topic. Many students suffer from low esteem. We all have wonderful memories of our days in drama club. What a pity my students are denied this opportunity. Drama does help the overly introverted child. Yes it brings out creativity and it may be a way of giving children the attention they want. The “messages” that many Trinidadian students face is one of verbal abuse and this lowers their self esteem. Many of us suffered a repressive post colonial education. The poem ‘Colonial Girl School’ echoes this very well. True I understand the value of proficiency in Standard English but shouldn’t we take an approach that Prescott Elementary school (Oakland) took towards Ebonics which acknowledges the ‘Black English’ while helping children to learn Standard English.
The writer touches on the importance of letting the imagination flourish – creative energy. She sees the need for the imagination playing a bigger part in higher levels of education where emphasis is placed solely on the cognitive.
Sharing leads to opportunities for students to talk about themselves. Sometimes the most recalcitrant child has a touching story. Humanistic activities give rise to great literary works. Some ways in which we can encourage these activities would be in literature where students can use charts, drawings or role playing.
One way we can incorporate critical literacy in the classroom is through the use of song lyrics. Teachers need to understand the role of popular culture in their students' lives and bring it into the classroom. students can identify with and with guidance, critique the piece at the same time. We can use songs that portray events that promote critical literacy through their storytelling or poetic presentation of issues.
In the article " Song Lyrics as Texts to Develop Critical Literacy" by Carol V. Loyd. the teacher used song lyrics that dealt with specific topics e.g. economy, environment, racism, to name a few.
The selections were well researched and tied in to the theme being taught.
While the article does not cite specific english classroom examples, we can be creative in our appliction in the classroom.
Teachers have to decide whether to give students 'texts, tools and spaces in the classroom to develop critical literacy" and song lyrics are examples of texts that students and teachers can use to accomplish this goal.
Very good affective insights, Sandra. Both you and Terry found interesting articles on drama in the classroom. Drama is an area very much overlooked in our curriculum .... except for Shakespeare .... so it is refreshing to see you observe its links to building the "humanistic imagination" and self esteem. Terry meanwhile noted the use of drama in building language competence.
On the whole, I found The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning light reading. However, there was much to learn within its pages. For instance, I like the article that Kayrein found on using song lyrics to develop critical literacy. These are very insightful discussions on classroom practice.
Hi everybody,
I found this website full of so many interesting teaching methods and theories that it was difficult to read just one. I liked the use of drama activities in teaching Hamlet (which I can easily adapt to any Shakespearean play); the use of art/drawing for creative writing; the use of music in teaching poetry; and finally, the use of media (commercials and junk mail) for writing techniques.
One of my favourite articles is “Creativity with a small ‘c’” by Alan Maley. It highlights five commonly used heuristics, namely reversal (students teach the class), expansion/contraction (create haiku or detailed descriptions/commentaries), re-ordering (rearrange sequence of events), combine (find connection between texts, pictures, people & objects with no obvious connection) and reformulate (express same material in a different genre/mood/perspective).
Also offered are five ideas for using oral/spoken texts. I find this especially interesting for me since I am addressing the problem of oral communication in Form Three. These ideas are as follows:
1. Permutations – Students re-read sentences in different orders with varying emotions/moods.
2. Reading in Mood – Teacher reads a short paragraph in varying ways while students listen with eyes shut. (whisper, angry, bored…)
3. Orchestrated Choral Reading – Students choose a choral from play or a poem to recite. Different lines may be rendered by different students. The focus is on the “how” rather than the “what” and articulation becomes more interesting.
4. Reading in Role – Students choose text with several “voices” and prepare a dramatized reading of it.
5. Motivation – Story from novel or newspaper is chosen and students act as questioners where they ask characters from the story questions relevant to the situation.
Five ideas for using written texts are as follows:
1. Word Arrays – Words from a text are re-arranged to form new sentences and stories.
2. Mining a text – Striking vocabulary, phrases or images are selected and used in original sentences.
3. Text Transformation – A text is transformed into another genre (e.g. from prose to poem)
4. Reconstructing a text – A text is dictated and students must be as accurate as possible in recording it.
5. Simplifying a text – Linguistically dense text is chosen for students to simplify.
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