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International Conference, “Language in a Changing World” Dec. 9 – 11, Language Center of the University of Athens: 

International Conference, “Language in a Changing World” Dec. 9 – 11, Language Center of the University of Athens Elephants into Eagles: Text to Graphics and Back again in Content-based Second Language Learning Richard Berwick, EdD (rba99126@apu.ac.jp) Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) Lecture © R. Berwick, 2005

The ‘elephant’ in this story -: 

The ‘elephant’ in this story - A metaphor for the foreign language text— presented in all of its dense, ponderous formality allowed to occupy a course of study without serious adaptation

The ‘eagle’ here -: 

The ‘eagle’ here - … an alternative way of rendering texts that depends on the power of graphics to communicate the logic structure, or affective content of texts of all sorts comprehensibly Total land on earth Rainforest Non- Rainforest

What characteristics of text are we talking about?: 

Idea No. 1: What characteristics of text are we talking about? ‘degree of cognitive involvement’, ‘range of contextual support’ Jim Cummins (OISE) has given us a couple:

Slide5: 

Cognitively demanding Cognitively undemanding Context reduced Context embedded 1 2 4 3 Range of contextual support and degree of cognitive involvement in communicative activities (adapted from Cummins, 1984)

Next, let’s look at a bit of text that looks like the passage from hell to some readers: 

Next, let’s look at a bit of text that looks like the passage from hell to some readers without an apparent context inaccessible to people who don’t or won’t play a psycholinguistic guessing game (Goodman, 1967)

… a quick look at [1], ‘cognitively demanding, context reduced’ …: 

… a quick look at [1], ‘cognitively demanding, context reduced’ …

And then at [4]: ‘cognitively undemanding, context embedded’ In general, this is what that text is about …: 

And then at [4]: ‘cognitively undemanding, context embedded’ In general, this is what that text is about … cause           Rapid development Modern lifestyles Destruction of the environment (example: dangerous seafood and water around Japan)

The challenge: rendering text into graphic formats: 

The challenge: rendering text into graphic formats Can elephants fly? Many of us use Microsoft Word … Have you tried adding the ‘drawing’ toolbar to your desktop?

Slide10: 

Visual Notation: From text (1) to key visual (4)

visual notation : 

visual notation alters the qualities of context and complexity in given texts allows readers to work through the ideational structure, affective force, and communicative value of texts ordinarily encountered in academic or school settings Avoids learners’ slavish attention to lexis

But what kinds of generalizations can visual notation encompass? How useful is it?: 

But what kinds of generalizations can visual notation encompass? How useful is it? Let’s start with several knowledge structures and the key visuals that accompany them. Idea No. 2:

Slide13: 

The Knowledge Framework for content-based learning (adapted from Mohan, 1986)

For instance - Classification (in principle): 

For instance - Classification (in principle) Total land on earth Rainforest Non- Rainforest Tropical Temperate Desert Plains Etc.

Classification and causation (in context): 

Classification and causation (in context) (1a) “Forests are invaluable sources of medicines and foods. About 80 percent of all medicines come from plants, and many of these plants are from rain forests. Not only do rain forests provide medicines, but they are also the sources of popular and nutritious foods. Mangoes, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and corn all came from rain forests originally. Every day, as rain forests are destroyed, we lose plant species that could save lives and feed people..”(Goodmacher and Fukuda 1999: 18)

Slide16: 

(1b) “Every year more chemicals enter our environment. These chemicals enter our water, air, food, and bodies. Increases in many types of cancer are connected with manmade substances entering the environment. For example, people who live close to where garbage created from manmade substances, such as plastic, is burned have more cancer than other people. People living far from cities, even in the Arctic, also have dangerous chemicals in their bodies. Chemical pollution is worldwide.”(Goodmacher and Fukuda 1999: 2) and cause And here’s another: Sequence and causation          

Slide17: 

Meaning across multiformats Idea No. 3:

From graphic to written text, or speech, and back: 

From graphic to written text, or speech, and back Environmental Components of Disease in Humans A Thesis in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science By Tremulo Cantata B.Sc. Asia Pacific University December 9, 2005 enter and cause

Slide19: 

Bibliography Berwick, R. (2006).Text, interculturality and graphic multiformats. Polyglossia, 11, 37-42. Corbett, J. (2003). An intercultural approach to English language teaching. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Cortazzi, M., Rafik-Galea, S., and Li, Xian Jin. (1998). Seeing through texts: Developing discourse-based materials in teacher education. The English Teacher, 27. http://www.melta.org.my/ET/1998/main4.html Cummins, J. (1984). Bilingualism and special education. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Early, M. (1991). Key visuals: Links between language and the context in which it occurs. Prospect, 6(2), 16-24. Goodmacher, G. and Fukuda, K. (1999). Nature and the environment. Seibido: Tokyo. Goodman, K. (1967). Reading: A psycholinguistic guessing game. Journal of the Reading Specialist, 6, 1, pp. 126-35. Mohan, B. (1986). Language and content. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Mohan, B. (1989). Knowledge structures and academic discourse. Word, 40(1-2), 99-114.

Slide20: 

Mohan, B., & Beckett, G. H. (2001).  A functional approach to research on content-based language learning: Recasts in causal explanations.  The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 58(1), 133-155. Mohan, B., Leung, C., and Davison, C. (eds.). (2001). English as a second language in the mainstream: Teaching, learning and identity. London: Pearson. Mohan, B., Slater, T., Kobayashi, E., Luo, L., Kobayashi M., and Ji, K. (In press). “Multimodal scientific representations across languages and cultures?” In W. Bowcher & T. Royce (eds.) Multimodal Discourse. Hillsdale, NJ.: Erlbaum. Oxford, R. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle. Tang, G. 1992. The effect of graphic representation of knowledge structures on ESL reading comprehension studies. Second Language Acquisition, 15, 77-16. Tang, G. (1997). Teaching content knowledge and ESL in multicultural classrooms. In M.A. Snow & D. Brinton (eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 69-77). New York: Longman.

See you next year!: 

See you next year!