Task 2: Teaching different languages in Saint George School

Hi bookworms!

Today, I am going to show you what have been my observations after having analysed the linguistic context of the academy where I work. These observations have been done in a chart format so that it could be appreciated the differences between the different teachers’ methodology.

First of all, I should mention that more or less 40% of students are sons or daughters of immigrants from South American, China or Morocco; the other 60% are Spanish. However, it is not a problem for learning English because all these children are totally integrated in Catalan schools; therefore, students speak either Spanish or Catalan without difficulties.

Teachers	Group-age	Group Level	Language in use	Materials	Plurilingual strategies
1	1st  -  4th E.S.O.	English reinforcement	30% English 70% Spanish	-Book + CD -Photocopies made by the teacher	-Translations -Translanguaging - Preview view review
Observations	All grammar explanations are made in Spanish, but exercises are expected to do in English (preview view review). The communication students-teacher is a mix of English and Spanish or Catalan. Heteroglossic pedagogy: Both teacher and students understand each other either use English or Spanish/Catalan to explain formal aspect of English language (structures).
2	4th E.S.O. – 1st “bachillerato”	PET Pre-FIRST	100% English Just Spanish for translations or jokes	-Book + CD -Photocopies made by the teacher -Films and songs in English	-Translations
Observations	Monoglossic pedagogy: this teacher uses a communicative approach, which is positive for students’ learning. However, she does not let pupils speak in Spanish nor Catalan. Therefore, she considers English teaching must be separated from other languages.
3	“bachillerato” and university students	FIRST CAE	100% English	-Book + CD -Digital board (oral activities, examples) -Songs	- Translations - Paraphrasing - Transfer knowledge strategies.
Observations	Heteroglossic pedagogy: If students make a mistake, she let them express their ideas without correcting; she only corrects them if it is a huge mistake. The teacher also allows students to express difficult ideas in Spanish or Catalan and motivates them to look for strategies to express these complex ideas in English. Sometimes, students speak among them in Spanish, Catalan and English at the same time. There is no difficulties to change from one language to another. Nevertheless, the teacher only uses English or a little bit of Spanish to make some translations.
4	1st -  3rd Primary	Flyers Beginners	50% Spanish 50% English	-Book +CD -Interactive activities on computers -Songs, films -Oral presentations -Cultural activities	-Translations -Preview view review
Observations	Monoglossic pedagogy: All activities done in class are bounded to learn vocabulary, basic grammar structures and promote oral communication. The teacher focuses more on pronunciation and fluency than communication in class. As teacher 1, some explanations are done in Spanish or Catalan, but exercises and other activities in English.
5	4th-6th Primary 1st and 2nd E.S.O.	PET Pre-First	90% English 10% Spanish	-Book + CD -Interactive activities on computers, -Songs, films -Oral presentations -Cultural activities	-Translations -Paraphrasing -Guessing games -Mimics
Observations	Monoglossic pedagogy: The teacher try to use just English for communicating ideas to students. Her objective is promoting communication spaces in class. That’s why, she puts into practice strategies where she has not to use so much Spanish or Catalan languages.
6	2nd “bachillerato”, university students and adults	CAE PROFICIENCY	100% English Native teacher from U.S.A.	-Book + CD -Computer activities -Speaking dynamics	-Paraphrasing -Mimics -Students translations (dictionaries) -Translanguaging
Observations	Heteroglossic pedagogy: He teaches in a meaningful and communicative way. All the class is in English, so students may make an extra effort to adjust their minds to a real English context (the teacher does not speak Spanish nor Catalan). There are a lot of plurilingual strategies in these classes. The teacher only corrects huge mistakes that can make difficult communication; other mistakes such as pronunciation ones are corrected just in specific cases. I must highlight that this teacher allows students to communicate in their L1 or L2 and sometimes he tries to be integrated in pupils’ conversations in order to learn some Spanish/Catalan expressions or words. Therefore, students help one each other in Spanish/Catalan, but often they start solving their doubts in English without noticing it. The teacher usually ask pupils to translate their conclusions or conversations to English, but it is important to state that there is no languages prohibitions.

As I could observe, there is a mix of monoglossic and heteroglossic pedagogies, since each teacher has different conceptions about teaching English. Generally talking, Saint George School academy aims to prepare their students to take Cambridge official exams. That’s why, the majority of teachers are expected to use formal approaches in order to teach English. However, teachers try to introduce communication approaches and other activities that motivate pupils to learn English in a meaningful way. For example, some teachers plan classes where students watch a film and then discuss some aspects of it; I consider that this is a good task for implementing English without following formal book activities.

 However, what it is really important is how it is treated plurilingualism in class. Teachers who follows a monoglossic pedagogy try to use just English because they feel that the best way to achieve a good command of language is being immersed in it. Teacher feel that speaking in Spanish/Catalan is not a good strategy to introduce some formal concepts (as teacher 1 does). In my case, I understand such feeling of guiltiness when I use Spanish for translating or explaining a formal aspect to children. However, some researches state that “bilingualism has a great positive influence in third language acquisition” (Cenoz & Genesee, 1998).  Actually, these benefits comes from “linguistic interdependence, the major metalinguistic awareness development and strategies of languages learning” (Cenoz, n.d.). Therefore, what is the problem to use Spanish or Catalan in class? What’s more, why shouldn’t we allow our students to speak their L1 and L2 in class?

Some plurilingual strategies I could observe are extremely interesting. For example, teacher number 6 comes from U.S.A. (Los Ángeles, California), so he does know a little bit of Spanish and Catalan. His classes are absolutely plurilingual which is positive for developing lots of strategies. Students speak Spanish/Catalan and even English among them for making clear some formal aspects of grammar or vocabulary; there is no languages prohibitions, so communication is essential in this class, independently the language you use. 

The unique rule this teacher sets is trying to communicate ideas in English; it doesn’t matter how long you take to build your ideas in your brain, the objective is learning to set connexions. In fact, I have evidences of adults that had a rusty English and they have improved a lot their communication skills in just 6 months by following such approach. For instance, in my case, I was enrolled in a 4 months intensive course with this teacher because I wanted to pass my Advanced Exam. Not only I got my Advanced Certificate in English, but I also improved a lot my English communication skills.

In case of translanguaging strategies, I think they are positive for students so that they can set links between their L1/L2 and English in an easier way. However, the objective of learning a language is communication. That’s why, I consider that formal aspects sometimes should be integrated as a part of oral communication activities in class, as it is the case of teacher number 6. Yet, we must take into account that this teacher is English native speaker and students are who solve their doubts among them by using Catalan/Spanish.

In conclusion, Saint George School academy mixes heteroglossic and monoglossic pedagogies, but I have evidences explained above that heteroglossic pedagogy works better. On the one hand, children set links between their L1/L2 knowledge and English (L3). On the other hand, they feel comfortable and don’t doubt to express themselves either English or Catalan/Spanish.

I also must highlight that Saint George School academy offers language exchanges for adults and cultural activities during the course for kids. In fact, there is offered a summer camp in July and August for children and teenagers where they can practice their English through communicative activities. In these cases, we can observe an heteroglossic pedagogy, since during all summer camp children communicate among them in Spanish or Catalan (it is unavoidable) and English in specific activities done with teacher’s control and guidance.

 More information about Saint George School: http://stgeorgeschool.es/