Defining issues in Ed Ling

[Bernard Spolsky]

Dick
I agree we are on the way. An expanded Common European Framework (for first
as well as other languages and with plurilingualism built in) would be an
excellent start on the "what it is" although still lacking the needed
connection between structures and functions. It would also give Dan his
specifications for possible assessing. The how to teach presumably is how to
encourage the expansion of control of that framework.
No more complex than the genome.
Bernard

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:owner-edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Dick Hudson
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 11:40 PM
To: edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Subject: RE: Defining issues in Ed Ling


Dan: Thanks. That's what I hoped you meant. That "rich repertoire of
linguistic choices" is the heart of the matter. What we need to understand
better is (a) what it is and (b) how to teach it. A challenging agenda, but
I think we're on the way (even if we're still far nearer the beginning of
the road than its end).
Dick

At 14:21 15/12/2003 -0600, you wrote:


Dick:  You raise an important issue, and help clarify the problem, I think.
When I suggest that we need to understand the nature of language use in the
educational context, I mean that we need to know more about not only the
learners' language use, but what the expectations of the educational system
are as well.  What is this "cognitive academic language proficiency" /
school language we educational linguists are interested in?  Helping our
learners develop a rich repertoire of linguistic choices, appropriate for
the many contexts they'll find themselves negotiating as they move through
the system and enter the workplace as adults is what we're about, it seems
to me.  

Cheers,
Dan 

At 07:26 PM 12/15/2003 +0000, you wrote:


Dear Dan,
I'm not sure what you mean by this:


 The bottom line is understanding the nature of language use in the
educational context, it seems to me, and, as you suggest, tests can be used
to encourage teachers to discover the complex language systems pupils
already control.


You seem to be assuming that educational language is just a particular way
of using a child's existing language resources. While agreeing that there
has been a tendency for teachers to underestimate these resources, I also
think there's a danger of overestimating them. One of the foundations for
language work (in L1 English) over here in England is the (Hallidayan)
belief that those resources need to grow - schools teach new language, in
fact a very great deal of it. New vocabulary, new syntax and new meanings
that the children wouldn't have without schooling. Maybe you wouldn't agree,
but if you do, would that be covered by your "language use"?

Dick

Richard (= Dick) Hudson

Phonetics and Linguistics, University College London,
Gower Street, London WC1E  6BT.
+44(0)20 7679 3152; fax +44(0)20 7383 4108;
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm


Professor, TESL/Applied Linguistics Program
Co-editor, Language Testing
English Department
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011, USA
Phone: (515) 294-9365
Fax: (515) 294-6814



Richard (= Dick) Hudson

Phonetics and Linguistics, University College London, 
Gower Street, London WC1E  6BT.
+44(0)20 7679 3152; fax +44(0)20 7383 4108;
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm 

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