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<DIV><SPAN class=062230805-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Dick</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=062230805-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>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.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=062230805-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>No
more complex than the genome.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=062230805-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Bernard</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
owner-edling@ccat.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:owner-edling@ccat.sas.upenn.edu] <B>On
Behalf Of </B>Dick Hudson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 15, 2003 11:40
PM<BR><B>To:</B> edling@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Defining
issues in Ed Ling<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>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).<BR>Dick<BR><BR>At
14:21 15/12/2003 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">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. <BR><BR>Cheers,<BR>Dan <BR><BR>At 07:26 PM 12/15/2003 +0000,
you wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">Dear Dan,<BR>I'm not sure what
you mean by this:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"> 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.</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>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"?<BR><BR>Dick<BR><BR>Richard
(= Dick) Hudson<BR><BR>Phonetics and Linguistics, University College
London,<BR>Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT.<BR>+44(0)20 7679 3152; fax
+44(0)20 7383 4108; <A href="http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm"
eudora="autourl">http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>Professor,
TESL/Applied Linguistics Program<BR>Co-editor, <I>Language
Testing<BR></I>English Department<BR>Iowa State University<BR>Ames, IA
50011, USA<BR>Phone: (515) 294-9365<BR>Fax: (515)
294-6814</BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>
<DIV>Richard (= Dick) Hudson</DIV><BR>
<DIV>Phonetics and Linguistics, University College London, </DIV>
<DIV>Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT.</DIV>+44(0)20 7679 3152; fax
+44(0)20 7383 4108; <A href="http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm"
EUDORA="AUTOURL">http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm</A>
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