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    Blocs modulaires pour une formation enseignante sensible à la dimension linguistique
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    Language sensitivity in a broader context

Building blocks for planning language-sensitive teacher education

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Language sensitivity in a broader context

As suggested in the Figure 1, a language-sensitive approach in education also includes giving attention to ‘transversal competences’ that focus on language and communication, as described, for example, in the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC). In this Framework, the ‘competences’ are divided into four closely related groups: ‘values’, ‘attitudes’, ‘skills’ and ‘knowledge and critical understanding’.   Each category covers many aspects of democratic citizenship, but several are relevant to or directly concern language and communication.

Figure 1: what does language-sensitive teaching involve?

TASK A Read through the following small selection of descriptors relevant to language and communication taken from Volume 2 of the RFCDC. In your view, how important is it that such competences should form part of school learning and should be addressed in teacher education?

See descriptors

TASK B Are competences for democratic citizenship, including their relationship to learners’ developing language competences, discussed in your context? If so, what views do people express?

TASK C How can teacher education enable teachers of any subject to address such transversal competences, especially those relating to language and communication, in their teaching? 

TASK D What specific guidance can be given to encourage teachers to exemplify and encourage a ‘democratic culture’ in their classroom teaching?

Read commentary

References

Alexander R. ed. (2009). Children, their World, their Education. London: Routledge.

The Bullock Report (1975) A Language for Life. London: HMSO.

Council of Europe (2018). A Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, volumes 2 and 3. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. https://www.coe.int/en/web/reference-framework-of-competences-for-democratic-culture

European Commission (2019). Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/569540

Lucas T. and Villegas A.M. (2013). ‘Preparing Linguistically Responsive Teachers: Laying the Foundation in Preservice Teacher Education’ in Theory into Practice vol. 52.2: 98-109. London: Routledge.

UNICEF (2019). Global Framework on Transferable Skills https://www.unicef.org/media/64751/file/Global-framework-on-transferable-skills-2019.pdf