Dr. Astrid Ebenberger, Med KPH Wien/Krems, Austria
English Language Teaching in Inclusive Settings and the Use of Stories/Story Books
(Theory and practice of a research and development project) University of Warsaw, May 2018
Theory:
Definitions: Integration – inclusion
European and national strategies
Theories for teaching inclusively
Theories for English language teaching (ELT)
The current research and development project
Practice:
Work with stories and story books
Story: The Little Red Hen
Contents
What do you know about
“inclusion/integration?”
“Inclusion … is a vision for a new
society which wholeheartedly embraces
diversity. All human beings are part of
the community. The community takes
care of the needs of each single
member without labelling or segregating
them in any way” (Bintinger, Eichelberger, Wilhelm 2005: 21).
Theory
Theoretical background - defenitions
English language: integration = inclusion
In German language:
“Inclusion” (fig. right): different material for all the
individual pupils with all their different abilities and
needs, they all have access to everything, the
teachers care for all of them.
“Integration” (fig. left) : teaching disabled children in
regular classes towards a special curriculum by
grouping them separately and supporting them by
specially trained and educated teachers using special
material (Boban, Hinz 2005) 146).
Theoretical background – European strategies
UNESCO world conference in Salamanca “on Principles, Policy and
Practice in Special Needs Education and a Framework for Action”
(UNESCO 1994) Salamanca declaration
In 2010 renewed by the European Commission
The UN convention of Human Rights (1948) and the European
Charter of Fundamental Rights the EC provided a framework to
implement national strategies. The goal is to guarantee full
participation to everybody in every part of life, society and
economy.
National strategies have to cover eight paradigms and areas:
Accessibility, participation, equality, employment, education and
training, social protection, health, and external action (EC, 2010:3).
In the area of education it postulates lifelong inclusive teaching and
learning. Disabled people should have the chance to attend the
same schools and educational organisations as all the others.
Theoretical background – Austrian strategy
National plan (BAMSK 2012) – for education:
Creation of model-regions for inclusive education
In-service training for stakeholders and school
supervisors as well as monitoring people and teachers.
Abolishment of the separate education of teachers for
children with special needs (BMBF 2015a)
General paradigm in schools: Dealing with
heterogeneous classes as well as differentiation and
individualization in teaching and learning.
Creating material that supports individual development of
children e.g. for English language teaching (ELT)
Theoretical background – ELT-curricula
E.g.: different competences for ELT in primary schools (OESZ 2013)
skill level regular cognitively handicapped
Listening/
Understan
-ding
2c Can understand age-
appropriate, simplified
longer texts (stories, fairy
tales)
Can understand age-appropriate,
simplified texts (stories, fairy
tales)
Speaking
coherently
2b Can retell very simple,
short stories
Can retell very simple, short
stories with linguistic support
Joining
communi-
cation
2c Can perform simple
dialogues, dramas and
stories
Can perform linguistically
simplified dialogues and stories
after intensive preparation
Reading/
Understan
-ding
3c Can read along, read and
understand simple texts
(e.g. out of popular
storybooks)
Can read along and understand
very simple texts (e.g. out of
popular storybooks) after
intensive preparation
Writing 2b Can modify simple written
dialogues by the use of
given lexis
Can copy and modify very simple
written dialogues by the use of
given words
Social,
personal
skills
2b Can join cooperative work
actively
Can join cooperative work by
getting support and instructions
Theoretical background – inclusive teaching
Theories for inclusive teaching
Feuser (1989): model that follows the development and the
progression of the child
Internal differentiation does not mean a different topic, but it
provides different goals, different methods
Cooperation means collaborative, communicative and integrative
work on the same topics in an appreciative and motivating way.
A common subject is regarded as a common process, a common
idea.
Seitz (2005)
An explicitly subject-based didactical approach: The core is to
communicate between the technical perspectives of the subject
taught and the personal perspective of a child.
Theoretical background – inclusive teaching
Framework of inclusion (Kiel, Weiß 2016)
Successful inclusive teaching depends on the participants.
Teaching inclusively should require consistent and constant teams
of teachers.
Theoretical background – ELT
Differentiated Instruction
“Differentiation is a proactive response to learner needs” (Tomlinson
2016).
Multi-sensual-learning
Children learn by visual, auditive and kinaesthetic support. Multi-
sensory-learning is related to the method of Total Physical Response
(TPR) by James Asher (Zaade 2014)
Multiple intelligences in language learning
Especially disabled children are often gifted in one specific area and
not interested in any others. Tasks may activate interpersonal,
intrapersonal, logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical, kinaesthetic or
spatial intelligences. They will stimulate motivation and thus lead to a
successful learning process and progress (Puchta, Rinvoluccri 2010)
Theoretical background – ELT
Approaches to English language teaching (ELT)
following Feuser´s (1989) and Seitz´s (2005) suggestions about the
requirements for successful inclusive teaching
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL)
“CLIL is a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional
language is used for the learning and teaching of both content AND
language.” (Coyle et.al. 2010)
Task Based Learning and Teaching (TBL)
TBL can be considered as “a classroom undertaking … where the
target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose
in order to achieve an outcome.” (Willis, Wills 2001).
Action Based Learning
Learning and teaching in primary school has to provide creativity,
play, action and experiment and exploration. It focusses more on
language acquisition than on accuracy. The use of a handpuppet can
be an appropriate means (Böttger 2010)
Story Based Approach
Approach and goal of the project:
Creating settings and material for high-quality
inclusive English language teaching (IELT) in
primary and secondary schools (8-12ys)
Main questions:
In how far can findings about successful inclusive
teaching be transferred into the context of inclusive
language teaching?
Which didactics and methods are appropriate for
inclusive language teaching?
The project –findings
The gap of the personal and mental development
between the children in one class will increase through
the years of education
Discussion about
same or different curricula?
different models due to different stages or one general model
that may contain all aspects?
Importance of music, interpersonal and multi-sensory
strategies in classrooms.
The first evidence- based results will be published in spring 2018.
First examples for inclusive English language teaching ELT will be
published in autumn 2018.
The project – criteria for inclusive language teaching
Inclusive language teaching
Instructions:
open learning (stationplan, freework,
weekly plans), collaborative learning
(projectwork)
Didactical diversity:
action-based, story-based, task-based,
content-and-language integrated learning,
role-play
Variety of methods:
multi-sensual, ICT-assisted, creative,
musical...
Ressources: multi-professional teams,
constant teams, space, material ....
General criteria for successful teaching:
supportive environment, clarifying
goals, structures; cooperation,
repetition, training
Content :
general subject, authentic topics, current occasions
Story based approach
Discussion: Reading out or telling a story? Principles
Children like stories, escpecially if they are told!
Stories may motivate, stimulate creativity and imagination
Children can identify with characters
Stories may transport cultural specifics
Stories provide new vocabulary and new structures in an authentic context
Stories may lead to interdisciplinary learning and teaching
Stories can be combined with multi-sensory learning
Storytelling
Responding non-verbally, responding through repetition, responding with single
words
Give written support (words, phrases, sentences)
Language: As often as possible English, when necessary mother tongue; Not
the whole text has to be understood; in some cases simplifying is useful”
Story based approach
Which stories/ story books do you know? … have you
already worked with? David McKee, Elmer´s weather/ Elmer´s colours
Jonathan London, Froggy learns to swim/gets dressed/ goes to school/ goes to the doctor
Julia Donaldson, What the ladybird heard
Bill Martin Jr/ Eric Carle, Brown Bear, brown bear
Julia Donaldson, The Gruffalo
Julia Donaldson, The Gruffalo activity book
Julia Donaldson, The Gruffalo´s Child
Werner Holzwarth, Wolf Erlbruch, The story of the little mole
Julia Donaldson, The smartest giant in town
Julia Donaldson, Superworm
Eric Carle, The very hungry caterpillar
Maria Cleary, Freddy, the frog prince
James Dean, Pete the cat
Helen Nikoll / Jan Pienkowski, Meg and Mog
Story based approach Advantage of using stories/ storybooks
•Part of English-speaking culture (authentic material)
•Motivation
•Identification with main characters
•Introducing new vocabulary, repeating language structures
•Basis for learning projects and cross-curricular teaching (networking with other
subjects)
•Connection with creative and artistic activities
•Providing learning strategies (guessing, predicting, ...)
Criteria for choosing stories/ storybooks
•Appropriate vocabulary
•Complexity of structure
•Support (visual, audiovisual), attractive pictures (according to the age of children)
•Identification with the idea of the story
•According to the children´s environment
•Possibility of involving the children, activating them
•Basis for networking (other subjects) and creative work
•Intercultural approach
•Based on values
Story based approach Telling or reading aloud?
• Reading aloud:
+ you don´t have to learn the story, you don´t worry about making mistakes in English;
the children always hear exactly the same text;
- you must be careful not to read too quickly,
• Telling:
+ children feel you give them something personal; nowadays children have little
experience in telling stories, so they will like it; it´s often easier for them to understand;
you can use language children know; you can see the children´s faces and bodies and
their response; you can move your body effectively; your role is richer;
- you have to learn the story well enough to tell it without the book.
The little red hen (a story)
Procedure.
Beforepre tasks
Whilecore task
Afterpost tasks
Analysing/ evaluating
Story based approach - examples
The little red hen (a story)
procedures Tasks// methods differentiation
Unit 1:
introduction
Anchor
“Big Ben” announcing English lesson
Pre task
time 9 min.
Checking pre-knowledge: Animals
Activity: what is it? Making a sound/ miming an animal
Work with flashcards:
What do you see?==>animals of the story (mixed!)
More new words: work with flashcards
Mill, sack, wheat (chop wheat), corn
Pronunciation: wheat…. ”say it after me”
Children tick the FC they will
learn
core task
Story: Little Red Hen
prediction: What do you think the story is about?
Presentation by the teacher:
Reading out ….
Telling with flashcards
Telling with the presentation
Call and response: chorus work
Cut the story into pieces and act out without any words
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VRi8HVSwes (start 1.31)
Who has heard new words? Which?==>
lazy/ sleepy/ noisy/ tired/seeds/harvest// grind/ flour
Each child = special object
post task Retell the story according to the pictures -
Unit 2 -
Introduction Song: I’M A LITTLE CHICK (Tune: “I’m A Little Teapot”)
1) I’m a little chicken.
Yellow and soft.
I was born
In a hay loft.
2) I play all day
And cheep, cheep, cheep.
Then back to the barn
I go to sleep!
-
Core task
= post tasks
Creating a lap book
1. Mini book: Prepare a mini book
2. Bandolino: Words
3. Domino: draw the pictures and cut it out
4. …….
Modification of the story with other animals/ other plot
(CLIL: preparing puppets on a stick in
Act out the story: Find a group of 4 children, prepare it and act it out the paragraph given
-
Story based approach – examples https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=megg%c2%b4s+eggs&qpvt=megg%c2%b4s+eggs&view=detail&mid=8558E5E11CFDA68E4
2F88558E5E11CFDA68E42F8&&FORM=VRDGAR