Language across the Curriculum

Course 4: Language across the Curriculum

Course Objectives:

The student-teachers will be able to

1. Have a conceptual understanding of language;

2. Understand the language background of students as first or second language users of the language used in teaching the subject;

3. Understand multilingualism in the classroom, school language and home language;

4. Develop sensitivity with respect to language diversity that exists in the classroom;

5. Understand the nature of classroom discourse

Unit 1: Learner and their Language

a) Meaning of Language; various forms, systems and properties

b) Understanding the knowledge of language in learners

c) Language capital of learners before school entry

d) How children learn language with special reference to Skinner, Chomsky, Piaget and Vygotsky

e) Difference between acquiring language and learning language

Unit 2: Context and Perspectives of Language

a) Social, cultural and political context of language

b) Language and identity

c) Language and power

d) Language and Gender

e) Multilingual perspective of India and Bihar

f) Constitutional provisions related to languages in India

Unit 3: Language- School Curriculum

a) Language as a ‘subject’ and as a ‘medium’ in school

b) Language, dialect and script

c) Role and importance of language in the curriculum

d) Place of mother language in present school curriculum

e) Understanding the objectives of learning languages: imagination, creativity, sensitivity, skill development

f) Medium of instruction : suggestions of different commissions

g) Major debates about languages in classroom discourse

Sessional Work

• Assignment (select any two of the following)(Concerned teacher can devise assignment as per requirement of the course)