In lo mthamo, teachers will look more closely at the languages you use in your classroom. These are called the Languages of Learning and Teaching (LOLT). The term previously used was 'medium of instruction'. Discussion will be held as to which language is the LOLT which helps learners to learn best.
In the first year of this course we will think about the different ways we communicate through language.
In this part of the course we will look at different aspects of language: thinking, talk, reading and writing and how it fits into our daily lives. Then we will look at ways of teaching language which brings all the different aspects together.
In this umthamo, we are going to look at a way of teaching language which fits in with Outcomes Based Education. This approach to language and teaching does not divide language into different parts. It is about the links between all the aspects of language. The ideas and activities in this umthamo combine a whole language approach with a literature-based approach to language teaching and learning.
In this third umthamo we are going to think about how we first learn to speak. Teachers will do research on how they think we acquire spoken language or learn to talk.
This umthamo focuses on the strong role families play in helping their young children become part of the local speaking community. It also shows how when teachers involve families in the education of their children, the children's education is enriched and developed.
This module discusses the different types of literacy. In unit 1 we look t the process of reading and writing. In Unit 2 there are four studies which demonstrate what young readers and writers do as they make sense of the process of reading and writing print. In Unit 3 we provide suggestions and ideas of ways in which a teacher can create a classroom environment which encourages her learners to use their print literacy for real purposes and in real contexts.
The focus of this umthamo is on helping learners to communicate in and use an additional language, in particular English.
The audiotape includes interviews and discussions that cover three key questions: What is learning? Is there a difference between everyday learning and school learning? How do we teach to enable learning?. For the most part of the 84 minutes of recording we listen to the views of experts who provide interesting and valuable insights and debates. These require careful listening, though, and probably re-listening! They are certainly worth the effort.
