10-15 minutes | For educatorsAims: To introduce you to some good practices in non-reading audience and how BIBLIODOS has taken them into consideration.
Key words: CEFR, Level A1.
Prior Knowledge: None.
Introduction
As a multicultural consortium we realize that as educators you may come from different backgrounds and education/ training systems characterised by differences e.g centralisation or decentralisation depending on whether you come from Ukraine, or Germany, or France or any other part of the EU world (Avram & Larrivee, 2016). Beyond this though there is an international standard describing language ability, also known as Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which gives us common ground and directions to work with, despite the Second Language to be learned (L2), despite the educational system and background of the educator. Having said this it is also important to mention that this common ground should always be adjusted to the language learned.
The use of multimedia CALL is more effective for acquiring vocabulary, than paper and pencil learning (Alzahrani & Roberts, 2021). BIBLIODOS can be characterised as a multimedia CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) instrument. Also in Alzahrani & Roberts (2021) we can see that summarizing the result of three other studies, namely Plass, Chun, Mayer, and Leutner (1998), Plass, Chun, Mayer, and Leutner (2003) and Yeh and Wang (2003), it seems that they all agree that reading comprehension improves if the new vocabulary is combined with verbal input and images, a combination that BIBLIODOS successfully applys.
Specific strategies within BIBLIODOS for non-reading audience
Taking into consideration that A1 (which is the lowest CEFR level) as far as the Reading ability, states that students should be able to ‘Understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues’ (Source, p.35); all e-books created within BIBLIODOS as part of Level 1 indeed entail only names, numbers or a combination of 2-3 words maximum.
Some more specific strategies taken also within BIBLIDOS are:
- The text of the e-books is in alignment with relevant (albeit patrimonial) pictures so the meaning of the words and effectively the story becomes more apparent.
- Each page of the book is accompanied by voice (close to the native pronunciation of the words.
- There is an extra function where if you click on a word, the teacher can insist on the pronunciation of a specific word.
- There is also a function allowing the listener/ reader to hear the full sentence more slowly, to become more understandable.
All these strategies should help the non-reader start its journey to the Second Language (L2). In addition, the whole philosophy and grounds of BIBLIODOS are based on storytelling which is one of the most popular, old tradition, simple ways of giving not only entertainment to the students but passing history and culture. Beyond educational in several levels of teaching this method is also enjoyable. Also, as mentioned by ‘The Learning Center’ of the University of North Carolina, focus should not be exclusively on speaking solely or reading, writing or listening but they should be combined as possible (Source, last accessed 28/12/2020).
An additional action that it is suggested to be undertaken by educators when using BIBLIODOS or any other activity with non-reading audience is to pair with a reading buddy.
It is worth mentioning that BIBLIODOS has carefully considered all the appropriate language e.g verbs, conjunctions, abbreviations, nouns, pronouns and the like, for all the partner languages (French, Italian, Greek), suggested for the lowest language acquisition level also known as breakthrough. More information can be found in the relevant practice sheet.
Desirable Outcome
- Realise the strategies to be undertaken when teaching a non-reading audience
- The benefits of using BIBLIODOS in non-reading audience
Resources
- Alzahrani, S., & Roberts, L. (2021). The effect of visuospatial designing elements of zoomable user interfaces on second language vocabulary acquisition. System, 96.
- Avram, C., & Larrivée, P. (2016). Training Foreign and Second Language Teachers : European Challenges, Successes and Perspectives. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.