Using Social Practices in Language David Murphy English Language Fellow Toluca, Mexico

Language in Social Practice Definition Language in social practice theory – Concerned with the practice of language use in daily situations

Language in Social Practice and TESOL The Relationship Learning is influenced by social relationships inside and outside the classroom English teaching involves recognizing and working with social relationships and learners’ identities

Language in Social Practice and TESOL The Relationship Language must be relevant to learners’ lives. Learners must be aware of the proper social conventions for language Teachers should use authentic materials

Language in Social Practice and TESOL The Relationship Learners should be given time in the class to talk about the things that interest them Teachers should be aware of learners’ backgrounds, experiences, and interests, and take these things into consideration

Language in Social Practice The Iceberg Make a list of social conventions of a job interview Write them on the hidden part of the iceberg

Language in Social Practice Iceberg Example Arrive 15 minutes before the interview You should wear sharp clothes Maintain eye contact with interviewers

Language in Social Practice Iceberg Example Discuss the implications for teaching and learning and how you might approach the topic of job interviews in the classroom. Write down how you might teach students to interview. Write down social practices that students need to know during interviews

Language in Social Practice  ESOL learners need to develop the language skills needed at interview, such as question formation and how to construct personal narratives. Alongside this they need to know what kind of questions are asked and the degree of politeness required.  ESOL learners will also need to know about non-linguistic conventions, such as hand- shaking, what to wear.  Many ESOL learners already work and will have experience of interviews that they can share.  ESOL learners will need to know that Interview conventions will vary across cultures, and learners may not be aware of this or may not know the conventions in the USA.

Language in Social Practice Expressing Identities The aim of this activity is to stimulate discussion about:  Who chooses topics in the classroom – the teacher or the learners  How topics are chosen – as part of a negotiated curriculum or unplanned as a result of discussions that emerge in the classroom  The use of controversial topics to stimulate discussion

Warm Up Women should NOT change their last name when they get married REASON Love is more important than money REASON It is better to be married than single REASON Writing by hand is better than writing by a computer REASON Write a reason that supports EACH of the following statements.

Why Social Practice? Engages students in a variety of cognitive and linguistic ways Provides meaningful listening, speaking, and writing practice Highly effective for developing argumentation skills for persuasive speech and writing

Social Practice Debate Structure Controversial issue or topic – High interest – Relevant to age and experience Pros and Cons – Students conduct research – Helps show both arguments of issue Proponent’s argument and reasoning Opponent’s Rebuttal (Response to Proponent) Proponent’s Response

Types of Reasoning Personal Anecdote – “From my own personal experience, I cannot read as fast on a computer screen as on printed paper.” Statistic/Historical Fact – “The brain interprets printed and digital text in different ways, and people generally read digital text 20-30% slower than print.” Appeal to Common Sense – One can better interact with text on paper through a kinesthetic experience of holding, touching, highlighting, and underlining paper.

Strong Arguments vs. Weak Arguments A strong argument – Logically supports the opinion – Is specific and states the idea clearly – Is convincing to a majority of people Which is stronger? – “Smoking is bad.” or…. – “Smoking is dangerous because its carcinogens can cause cancer.”

Your Task Your group is assigned a position on a particular cultural issue Read background information Write 3 logical arguments with good reasoning (vary your reasoning strategies) (5 min) Prepare for your debate with your group (5 min) Mock debate (5 min)

Reflect and Debrief What did u learn by participating in a debate today? What did you learn about teaching culture through debate today? What are controversial topics your students would be interested in debating? Why is teaching debate an effective skill for English learners?

TopicRelatively Uncontroversial Slightly Controversial Very Controversial Family life Government Unemployment Textbook Usage Role of women Smoking Religion Teacher’s Unions Drinking sodas Obesity Cell phones in class

What are the benefits and problems of using controversial topics in class? Are there any topics in the list that you would avoid? How do you deal with controversial topics when they arise? Language in Social Practice Dealing with Controversy

A social practice approach recognizes the importance of social and emotional aspects of teaching and learning and takes account of the differences in peoples’ lives - their culture, language, class and status. It uses these as the starting point for learning and connects what people know and use outside the classroom to what they learn inside. This makes it possible to achieve a ‘closer fit’, making the learning relevant and useful. (Appleby and Barton,2008:27) Social practices differ across groups within society and across cultures. ESOL learners may, therefore, need explicit teaching about social conventions in the USA. This relates not just to literacy practices, but also spoken communication. Language in Social Practice