Transcript A Task-based curriculum for reversing language loss

A task-based curriculum for reversing language
loss
Elizabeth Gatbonton
Concordia University, Montreal
Centre for the Study of Language and Performance
Toni White,
Harriet Andersen, Janine Lightfoot, Christine Nochasak
Torngâsok Cultural Centre
Torngâsok IlikKusiligijingita SuliaKapvingani
XVIIe Congrès d'études Inuit/XVIIth Inuit Studies Conference
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Nunutsiavut
Labrador: 26,000
Beneficiaries: 6,500
Inuit
Settlers:Kablunângajuit
Nain
Hopedale
Makkovik
Rigolet
Postville
Goose Bay
History
•1973: Labrador Inuit Association (LI)
Promote Inuit culture
Advance rights of Inuit to their traditional lands
•1977: LIA submitted land claims
•1988: Negotiations began
•2001: Agreement in principle signed: Inuit, Federal, & Provincial
•2003: Agreement- ratified, overwhelming support
•2005: Labrador Inuit Constitution came into effect
History
•2007 (?): Torngâsok Cultural Centre
-Under community base advisory committee
-Close ties with Labrador School Board, provincial dept of
Education, and other heritage groups
-Develop programs and services for Inuit
-Work with artisans to expand cultural industry
•2009: Curriculum development project began
Hired: 3 curriculum developers
Hired: Curriculum Consultant, Project Manager
(November, 2009)
History
Curriculum Development Project: Mandate
Develop and implement curriculum for adult learners – 18 to 55
Staff
Language Development coordinator: Toni White
Project Coordinator: Janine Lightfoot
Curriculum Developers: Harriet Andersen, Christine Nochasak,
(third to be hired)
Curriculum Consultant: Elizabeth Gatbonton
Goal of presentation
Describe a curriculum development project with a
two-pronged goal:
•Help adults learn or improve their Inuttitut
•To contribute to slowing down the decline of
Inuttitut in Labrador
CD project-different
Most CD projects focus on language improvement
only.
Background
Most language preservation projects involve.
Collecting language samples (from native speakers)
Doing a linguistic analysis on these samples.
Compiling a grammar, dictionary, etc..
Teaching the grammar in language lessons
The Curriculum
However, we depart from usual practice
By not aiming to teach grammar, per se
And by developing an utterance-focused, taskbased curriculum.
Where the primary focus is teaching utterances
because they are useful tools for communication.
The Curriculum
Utterance-focused and task-based
•Teach common everyday utterances
That people can put to immediate use
•through pedagogical tasks that resemble
what they are likely to perform in their lives.
Pedagogical task: Teaching activity with a concrete
goal (e.g., create a chart, produce an interview, arrive at a consensus).
Rationale
•Why utterance-focused, task-based curriculum?
1. Learning grammar takes a long time.
2. Adults don’t have much time to spend learning.
3. Inuit elders do not have much time to wait.
•What they need: A course that teaches them
utterances that they can put to immediate use.
Language component of curriculum
What do we teach?
Common everyday utterances such as:
•Nani inolisimaven? (
Where were you born?(
•Kanga inolisimaven? ()
When were you born?(
•Nani pigutsalaukKen?
Where did you grow up?(
•Kanga maungalaukKen? When did you move here?(
Language component of curriculum
How do we teach
•Give them tasks to force them to use the utterances.
Tasks
Immediate goal
Interview your
teacher
Find out in what ways she is like or Keep a written
not like you.
record for
Interview your
classmates
Create a class profile (Average
age, common birthplace, where
most grew up, who is a
“relocatee”?)
Interview an elder Eventually, prepare a bio of these
in the community. people
Ultimate goal
The archives
“Them Days”
The Methodology
How do we organize the lesson?
•We explain the main task and goal:
You will interview an elder in the community.
You will record her speech. We will transcribe it.
•We test what they know about the task and topic•
What questions will you ask? etc
If learners do not know what to say – we teach them.
The Methodology
How do we teach?
Help learners learn the questions they need.
Target Questions
English
Gloss
Nani
inolisimaven?
Kanga
inolisimaven?
Nani
pigutsalaukKen?
Where were Nani
you born?
Where
inoli
sima
ven
born
Past marker
you
When were
you born?
Kanga Inoli
sima
ven
where
born
Past marker
you
Where did
you grow
up
Nani
pigutsa
Lauk
Ken
where
Grow up
Past marker
you
Kanga
Maunga
Lauk
Ken
When
come
Past marker
you
When did
Kanga
maungalaukKen? you come
here?
The Methodology
How do we teach?
Help learners learn the English meanings.
Target Questions
English
Gloss
Nani
inolisimaven?
Kanga
inolisimaven?
Nani
pigutsalaukKen?
Where were Nani
you born?
Where
inoli
sima
ven
born
Past marker
you
When were
you born?
Kanga Inoli
sima
ven
where
born
Past marker
you
Where did
you grow
up
Nani
pigutsa
Lauk
Ken
where
Grow up
Past marker
you
Kanga
Maunga
Lauk
Ken
When
come
Past marker
you
When did
Kanga
maungalaukKen? you come
here?
The Methodology
How do we teach?
Help learners discover the “grammar”
Target Questions
English
Gloss
Nani
inolisimaven?
Kanga
inolisimaven?
Nani
pigutsalaukKen?
Where were Nani
you born?
Where
inoli
sima
ven
Born
Past marker
you
When were
you born?
Kanga inoli
sima
ven
When
Born
Past marker
you
Where did
you grow
up
Nani
pigutsa
lauk
Ken
Where
Grow up
Past marker
you
Kanga maunga
lauk
Ken
When
Past marker
you
When did
Kanga
maungalaukKen? you come
here?
come
The Methodology
How do we teach?
Help learners discover the “grammar”
Target Questions
English
Gloss
Nani
inolisimaven?
Kanga
inolisimaven?
Nani
pigutsalaukKen?
Where were Nani
you born?
Where
inoli
sima
ven
Born
Pa marker
you
When were
you born?
Kanga inoli
sima
ven
when
Born
Past marker
you
Where did
you grow
up
Nani
pigutsa
lauk
Ken
Where
Grow up
Past marker
you
Kanga maunga
lauk
Ken
When
Past marker
you
When did
Kanga
maungalaukKen? you come
here?
come
The methodology
Help them learn the replies!
Target Answers
Eng
Gloss
Nainimi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
Nain
Nain+mi
inoli
sima
vunga
[Place]
born
Past
marker
i
Junimi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
June
Juni+mi
Inoli
sima
vunga
[Month]
born
Past
marker
I
Nainimi
pigutsalaukKunga
I grew up
in Nain
Nani+mi
pigutsa
lauk
Kunga
[Pace]
Grow up
Past
marker
I
maungalaukKunga
sâtsinik jâri
KalikKunga
When did
you come
here?
Maunga
lauk
Kunga
Come
Past
marker
I
Ka
lik
Kunga
Sâtsinik jâri
The methodology
Their English meanings
Target Answers
Eng
Gloss
Nainmi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
Nain
Nain+mi
inoli
sima
vunga
[Place]
born
Past
marker
i
Junimi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
June
Juni+mi
Inoli
sima
vunga
[Month]
born
Past
marker
I
Nainmi
pigutsalaukKunga
I grew up
in Nain
Nani+mi
pigutsa
lauk
Kunga
[Pace]
Grow up
Past
marker
I
maungalaukKunga
sâtsinik jâri
Kalikkunga
When did
you come
here?
Maunga
lauk
Kunga
Come
Past
marker
I
Ka
lik
Kunga
Sâtsinik jâri
The methodology
and their “grammar”
Target Answers
Eng
Gloss
Nainimi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
Nain
Nain+imi
inoli
sima
vunga
[Place]
born
Past
marker
i
Junimi
inolisimavunga
I was
born in
June
Juni+mi
Inoli
sima
vunga
[Month]
born
Past
marker
I
Nainmi
pigutsalaukKunga
I grew up
in Nain
Nain+imi
pigutsa
lauk
Kunga
[Pace]
Grow up
Past
marker
I
maungalaukKunga
sâtsinik jâri
Kalikkunga
I came
here
when I
was six
years old
Maunga
lauk
Kunga
Come
Past
marker
I
Sâtsinik jâri
Ka
lik
Kunga
[six years]
have
Now
I
The Methodology
How do we make the target utterances stick?
CREATIVE AUTOMATIZATION
Use tasks that are inherently repetitive. Whose goals
can only be obtained through repetition.
An example: Create a class profile
Task: Interview classmates.
Goal: Find out if everyone was born in same place,
same decade, & what city most were born in to.
One can create profile only if all are interviewed.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga Hawaiimi,
Indonesiamillu. United States-imolaukKunga
21nik jâri Kalitlunga. NunaKavunga
Washingtonimi. Atiga_____________.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga Hawaiimi,
Indonesiamillu. United States-imolaukKunga
21nik jâri Kalitlunga. NunaKavunga
Washingtonimi. Atiga_____________.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepa(t)nik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga
Hawaiimi, Indonesiamillu. United States
imolaukKunga 21nikJâri Kalitlunga.
NunaKavunga Washingtonmi.
Atiga_____________.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga
Hawaiimi, Indonesiamillu. United States
imolaukKunga 21nikJâri Kalitlunga.
NunaKavunga Washingtonmi. Atiga______.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga
Hawaiimi, Indonesiamillu. United States
imolaukKunga 21nikJâri Kalitlunga.
NunaKavunga Washingtonmi.
Atiga_______.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga
Hawaiimi, Indonesiamillu. United StatesimolaukKunga 21nik jâri Kalitlunga.
NunaKavunga Washingtonimi.
Atiga_______.
The methodology
Creative Automatization
Use different tasks that focus on same utterances
An example:
Read the story and guess who is talking!
Hawaiimi inolisimavunga. Forty sepanik
jâriKalikKunga. Pigutsasimavunga
Hawaiimi, Indonesiamillu. United StatesimolaukKunga 21nik jâri Kalitlunga.
NunaKavunga Washingtonimi.
Atiga______.
Barack Obama, US President
The methodology
CREATIVE AUTOMATIZATION
Another example:
Read and guess who is talking
43nik jâri KalikKunga. Inolisimavunga 1967mi.
Inolisimavunga Churchill Manitobami.
Pigutsasimavunga Arviat, NWT-imi.
NunaKavunga Oakville, Ontariomi. OakvillemolaukKunga 40nik jâriKalitlunga. Tutsiatiuvunga.
Atiga _________
Susan Aglukark
The cultural component
How: link language teaching to culture preservation
1. Choice of tasks:
Tasks
Utterances
1. Interview a community
elder or politician.
What is your name? Are you
married? Where were you born?
2. Take pictures of
families. Create
genealogies.
This is my mother. __ is her
brother. She has two nephews…
3. Put on fashion show
of traditional and modern
clothing. Take pictures
She is wearing an silapâk. This
is a … . We wear this in the
summer.
The cultural component
How: Link language teaching to culture preservation
2. Choice of themes to talk about
Themes/topic
3. Inuit personalities, e.g.,
1st Inuit judge, painters.
4. Community Events:
The community
freezer, hunting trips,
egging trips
5. Social events:
Weddings, funerals,
festivals
Utterances
She was born in… He
grew up in.. He is well
known ____.
We went hunting, we killed
caribou, we caught…,
Names of animals
They got married. The
wedding was… She wore
a…
Deliverables
What we need to hand in at end of CD project
1. A curriculum for 8 six-weeks intensive courses
2. List of target utterances
3. A Learner Grammar (Collection of grammar
points in the modules)
4. Teachers Guide: detailed lesson plans and
possibly powerpoint presentations of lessons
5. Student/teacher Textbook.
Deliverables
Where are we with these?
•We have been working simultaneously on all
•Timetable:
December: Complete modules for
a six-week course
•January: Pilot test the course
•End of CD project: 2012
Challenges
1. Linguistic analysis of Inuttitut, still in progress;
what is available is not geared for
pedagogical purposes.
2. “Standard Inuttitut” not set yet. Dialect
variations are a challenge. Which variation to
teach? Who should decide?
Challenges
3. Team analyzing pedagogical grammar of Inuttitut
same time as developing teaching materials.
4. Team learning to teach approach at same time
as developing lessons using it.
5. Team members native speakers but not trained
curriculum developers (CD). Curriculum
consultant (CC) trained developer but not native
or fluent speaker.
Some solutions
1. Team: Talented, fast learners, dedicated.
2. We turn our weaknesses into strengths:
CC gets team to teach her, using the chosen
methodology, so CD team learns by doing.
CD ladies gain expertise in developing materials,
doing linguistic analysis, etc,, while doing.
3. We have good management & support; we
have experts who promised to scrutinize what we
produce to make sure they are good.
Some solutions
Most important of all
We are having fun!!!!!!!!
Acknowledgements
1. Torngâsok Cultural Centre leadership/staff.
2. Nunatsiavut Government
Thank you
[email protected]
Language Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Project Manager
[email protected]
[email protected]
Curriculum Developers
[email protected]
Curriculum Consultant