Brain Research and Language Learning: First

Steps and Beyond.

ILILC Conference, February 2013

www.johnbald.typepad.com

Brain cells and connections(from The Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005)

As we learn, brain cells form connections with each other that build into networks. These connections are strengthened with practice.

Brain cell(from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007)

Brain cell connections(from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Six months

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Three years

The brain adapts itself to different languages

Reading Aloud in English and Italian, evidence from brain scans (active areas in black)

• Left: reading system of English and Italian combined• Centre: sound processing more active in Italian• Right: word form area more active in English

(fromThe Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005)

As we learn a new language…

• We add to and adapt the structures formed in our brain as we learned our first language.

• These structures influence the way we learn the new language, both the parts we find easy, and the errors we make (Swan and Smith, Learner English.)

English speakers need to adapt to:

• New relationships between written and spoken

language, including spelling and pronunciation.

• Gender in nouns that have no physical gender, and in associated pronouns and adjectives.

• Greater variation in verb forms than in English (except for Mandarin!)

We promote the formation of networks in children’s minds by

• Understanding the adjustments they need to make to their thinking

• Explaining these clearly in terms children understand.

• Clear and attractive presentation

• Teaching spoken and written language together, so that children can see the links between them.

• Encouraging and answering questions

• Encouraging them to practise

We hinder the formation of networks by

• Copying, which requires children to switch their

attention continually between the master version and their own. These jerky movements fragment thinking and new connections.

• Overloading, either by giving too much new written material at a time, or presenting spoken language that is too fast for children to understand.

Copying, c1700 BC(From The History of Writing, S.R Fischer)

Copying errors from a Year 7 mixed-ability class

• Quel as âge tu. Quel âge as-tu?• O habite tu Ou j’habites-tu Où habites-tu?• Où habite a Londres. J’habite à Londres.• Common t’appelle tú_ Comment t’appelles-tu?• Je onzo age J’ai onze ans• Ja un douze J’ai douze ans

(experienced teacher, pupils had models of the sentences they were trying to write, from which they could copy.)

Key Features of French…

• The French like their spoken language to flow, and their written language to be precise.

• All nouns have a gender. (Very occasionally, two – le or la professeur)

• The form of verbs varies more than in English, and the negative is tricky.

... a suggested first order...

• Colours have key features – vert, bleu, rouge, blanc, jaune, orange, noir, violet, marron. Say together, study, look away, write on sleeve.

• Bonjour! (G’day). Drop the tongue to pronounce.

• Sing and point (to self and people) pronouns

• Sing and point être. I usually do negative first.

• Sentence building with family and pets introduces gender and avoir, positive and negative.

…and a way of teaching flow

• Explain that vowels are voice sounds, and that two together can be jerky – say je ai . Can they hear the jerk?

• Demonstrate the technique of dropping the first vowel and replacing it with an apostrophe. Write apostrophe on the board. Who thinks it’s an English word? Explain that apostrophe comes from the Greek word for gap, and that we have a gap when we take out a letter. So, we have j’ai.

• Have children study j’ai, then clean it off/minimise it, and have them trace it with their finger on their sleeve or desk. Nearly all will get it right. Praise.

• Write and explain the sentence J’ai un chat, noting the letter at the end of the word that is not pronounced. Repeat the tracing.

Some Key Features of Spanish.

• Regular spelling. There are hardly any silent letters, and few double letters. Listen carefully, write what you hear, and you will not go far wrong.

• Fairly simple verbs, word order and sentence construction. For

example, to construct a negative sentence, you just begin with “No”.

• The Latin, or Romance, link, allows us to convert many words from English – situation, situación, relation, relación,

 • Clear pronunciation patterns, with one stressed syllable per

word...but you have to put the stress in the right place! 

My First Steps in Spanish.

• Colours. Rojo, azul, verde, amarillo, marrón introduce most of the variations between Spanish and English pronunciation, and the accent. As with French, say together, study, look away and write on sleeve.

• Explain ¡Buenos Días! as a greeting, and what it means.

• Sing Ser to 10 green bottles, with actions, explaining how Spanish takes advantage of its word endings to omit the short words we have to put in front of verbs.

• Introduce masculine/feminine, via the idea of boys’ and girls’ words for younger children. Eg soy una niña/un niño.  

• Build sentences about family/pets, around tengo/no tengo.

... and beyond...

• Extend outwards from family and pets to other areas of interest.

• Encourage expression through recording, playbacks, blogging, podcasting.

• Make and cultivate links to a school in a country that speaks the language.

• Develop understanding of the shared Latinate and Greek words that are the foundation of much European public language.

• Explore software, internet connections and websites, Youtube, Wickipedia, Taught By Song, Little Tails, BBC sites, news sites...google translate ...(discuss...)

• Introduce children’s books, make talking versions using Mantralingua (or other) talking pens, Mantralingua talking tablet, IPC.

• Set up a languages section in the library.

• Start a club. Please, start a club. And invite parents.

• Think about Flame/CLIL, perhaps beginning with Take 10 (Devon)

• Sign the staff up for British Council Comenius Courses in the holiday. Generous grants, good teaching, good food, good learning.

With Clicker…

Extensions suggested by Y4

Sentence Modelling…

• Presents new structures clearly and simply

• Extends opportunities for study, explanation and questions

• Lets children compose written sentences as they do spoken ones,

• Eliminates the to-and-fro brain switches involved in copying • Letting us teach written and spoken language together

• Allows children to say what they want to say

• Lets us present advanced language clearly and flexibly

• Raises achievement in reading and writing

• Is easy to use

Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, before sentence building work

Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, after six weeks’ sentence building work

Year 7, boy assessed as dyslexic

Year 4, higher-attaining girl

Je     (point to self, whole hand –finger pointing is rude)Tu     (point to a friend, whole hand – they can’t help smiling !)Il      (point to a boy, not your tu friend)Elle   (ditto a girl) Nous    Big circular sweep with both handsVous     Point to teacher with both hands – explain that vous is a mark of respect to a grown up. Ils       Point to two boys both handsElles    Point to two girls both hands

French Verb song(song copyright ©Joe Biswell and John Bald)

A possible order for verbs

• Pronouns only with actions

• Etre (negative with shaking of head)

• Etre positive (might try with nodding head)

• Some regular verbs - eg regarder, écouter, jouer, penser, manger (these bring out regular patterns)

• Any other verb the children would need to use to say something.

Some patterns in French verbs

• Tu ends in s

• ils/elles end in nt

• Nous ends in -ons (not nous sommes)

• Vous ends in –ez (not vous êtes and vous faîtes)

• These patterns recur in almost all tenses, including those made with auxiliary (helping) verbs, conditionals and subjunctives.

Some References

http://richannel.org/christmas-lectures/2011/meet-your-brain

Clicker 6 + Acapello voices + app +dropbox: www.cricksoft.com

The Learning Brain, Blakemore S and Frith U Blackwell 2005

Neuroscience and Education, TLRP 2007

Spell it Out. D Crystal, 2012

Learning Disabilities, Fletcher J et al, Guilford Press 2007

Learner English, Swan M and Smith B, CUP 2001