© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
SLA RESEARCH: A RESOURCE FOR CHANGING
TEACHER´S PROFESSIONAL CULTURES
Read the following summary and get ready to
participate in……
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
SLA RESEARCH
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SLA RESEARCH is usually hard to read because the ideas that
researchers discuss are too distant from teachers everyday classroom
concerns.
THEORIES are abstract constructs that seem to expand the frontiers
of knowledge.
Theories are practically driven, experimentally based attempts to
solve everyday problems. “Small -scale intervention in the
functioning of the real world and a close examination of the effects
of such intervention” Mansion (1985)
This is clearly an unhealthy situation. Aplied Linguists, teachers,
and other stakeholders in language education need to understand
how social change happens.
This involves developing some familiarity with with a type of
sociological enquiry known as the diffusion of innovations (Rogers
1983,1995)
The importance of comprehensible input in SLAhas been developed
by a number of RESEARCHERS in the last 15 years to form the
THEORETICAL basis for the innovation of task-based language
teaching (TBLT)
By using the potential diffussion of TBLT, how innovation in
language education works will be out lined in order to show the
issues and problems to solve to have a social change happen.
•
•
•
•
•
Comprehensible input or i+1 , language that is
slighly beyond a learner`s current level of
competence in the target language is a suficient
casual variable in SLA, according to this THEORY,
learners initialy understand i+1 from contextual
clues in the environment. This input destabilizes
their interlanguage in such a way that language
learning occurs.
Comprehensible input is a necessary but insufficient
condition for language learning to occur.
Learners are thouight to receive comprehensible
input by activelly negiciating information with their
conversational partners.
Students may also receive the opportunity to learn
new language and eventually produce
comprehensible output, that is language that
incorporates new linguitic kwoledge into their
evolving interlanguage systems (Swain, 1985,1995)
TBLT is an analytic approach to syllabus design and
methodology in which chains of informationgathering, problem –solving and evaluative tasks are
used to organize language teaching and learning;
these intrerdependent pedagogical tasks are designed
to methodologically simulate the communicative
events which learners encounter in specific second
language- using environments.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
TBLT
•
•
•
•
•
It uses an analytical rather than a synthetic
approach to course design; that is, it is based on
a behavoiral rather than a liguistic organization
of a contend.
It does not distiguish between the processes and
products of learning rather , process and product
are two sides of the language learning coin
which experience shows cannot be separated
from each other.
The selection grading, and sequencing of
contend in TBLT is accomplished by using
chains of macrotasks (information-gathering,
problem-solving, and evaluative tasks).
These macrotasks subsume more microtasks
types: one and two-way information gap task,
reasoning gap tasks, and information-transfer
tasks, etc. Are derived from sociolinguistic
analyses of learners`objective needs and
psycholinguistic research on students subjective
wants complemented by psycholinguistic
RESEARCH on the properties of different types
of tasks.
•
•
Instruction is not only based on experientialy
and empirically derived criteria for course
design, it is also socialy situated in specific
language learning environments.
SLA RESEARCH plays a key role in the
continuing THEORETICAL development of
TBLT. However it does not give any clues
corcerned how teacher might interpret these
ideas and associated behaviors and beliefs or
why they might wish to adopt or reject these
innovations.
We cannot assume that leaders will necessarily
react favorably to TLBT therefore some
understanding of the variables that come into
play when teachers decide whether to adopt or
reject innovations must be developed.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
A Framework for Understanding
Educational Innovation
•
•
The most important references include Fullan
(1982ª,1982b,19939, Fullan & Hargreaves (1992), Fullan
& Ponfreet (1977), Miles (1983), Nichols
(1983),Radduck (1991),and Stenhouse (1975).
This framework is constructed by asking the questions
“Who adopts what,where, when, why and how?”
•
•
•
•
•
•
WHO : Using the distinctions proposed by Lambright
and Flyan (1980) stakeholders may act as change agents,
clients, adopters or resisters, implementers, or suppliers
of innovations. Of course these roles are not mutually
exclusive. Individuals may play several of these roles.
Internal change agents are members of the same
educational system as potential adopters.
External change agents are outsiders who cannot
legitimately impose change on the system members.
SLA RESEARCHERS may act as internal and external
change agents.
Teachers are potential clients of this RESEARCH, but
they may choose either to adopt or resist its pedagogical
implications. Teachers who carry out research (or
RESEARCH) on TBLT in their own classrooms are not
only change agents , they also take on resposibility of
supplying themselves with the information that is
relevant to solve the problems they wish to investigate.
Administrators play a key role because they mandate or
forbid, change.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
WHO ADOPTS WHAT
•
•
•
•
•
The process of adoption involves potential
adopters evaluating the worth of an innovation.
Gain knowledge about an innovation.
Become persuaded of its value.
Make preliminary decisions whether to reject or
to adopt and implement the innovation.
Confirm or disconfirm their previous decisions.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Innovations – that is, any changes in beliefs that
potential adopters percieve to be new.
They may be devided into primary and
secondary.
TBLT materials, methodologies and an
underlying ideology of experimental learning are
examples of primary innovations of TBLT
viable.
It is frequently necessary to develop secondary
innovation.
Such innovations develop the infraestructural
capacity of an organization to sustain and
nurture primary innovations.
Infraestructural development includes a broad
range of activities developing or strengtening the
knowledge base that underpins TBLT by
developing courses in key areas such as
curriculum development, methodology,SLA,
evaluationand testing.Monitoring and evaluation
protocols .
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
WHERE AND WHEN
• It is not so much a geographical
question .
• It is always the product of a
particular cultural, political,
administrative, educational, and
institutional milieu.
• The likelihood of an innovation
being adopted is therefore always
contigent on its ecological
appropiateness is a specific
context of implements.
• This sociocultural systems are not
static and may change over time.
• It may take anywhere from 8 to
50 years for successful
innovations to be adopted on a
systematic basis
• Diffusion of new ideas or
practices always takes a long
time.
• The adoption of an innovation is
characterized by a slow , cautios
start of a small minority of
potential adoptwers explore the
possible advantages of the
innovation.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
WHY AND HOW
• The reasons why change occurs or
does not occur are immensely
complicated.
• Innovators are such high risk
takers that other potentia adopters
perceive their adoption behaviors
as too uncritical and, above all,
too dangerous to serve as a viable
model for them to follow with
confidence.
• The reason for adoptin innovation
are very personal and variable.
Relative advantages, innovation
compatitibility, trialability, and
observability.
• Problem-solving normally has
teachers adopt changes because
they have themselves identified
problems that affect them directly
consecuently they respond to
these problems by reeducating as
necessary and by developing their
own solutions.
• Teachers are not often trained to
formulate and execute
RESEARCH or research and the
extra effort required to developp
such skills may be prohibitive in
terms what they have to do in
their “real” jobs therefore SLA
RESEARCH should be
implemented among teachers.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
Conclusions
• The main goal of the action research movement is to engage
teachers in a self-motivated process of professional
development.
• Teachers must receive the necessary administrative support
and incentives from the appropiate educational authorities so
thety can engage in the professionalization that action
research can provide.
• Although it is true that such support rare or nonexistent.We
should remember that language teaching is a world-wide
profession. We should therefore not dismiss such proposals in
order to improve our teaching.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
Round 1
Round 2
Final
Jeopardy
$
$
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
SLA
TBLT
Framework
RESEARCH
Who adopts
what?
Where,when
why
Why and
conclusions
Round 2
$100 $100
$100
$100 $100
$100
Final
Jeopardy
$200 $200
$200
$200 $200
$200
Scores
$300 $300
$300
$300 $300
$300
$400 $400
$400
$400 $400
$400
$500 $500
$500
$500 $500
$500
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
They do little to promote change in
language education because they
do not address the real life concerns
of teachers and policy-makers
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
What are SLA THEORY AND
RESEARCH ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
Small -scale intervention in the
functioning of the real world and a
close examination of the effects of
such intervention” Mansion (1985)
“
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What is theories (low base)?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
• It is a necessary but insufficient
condition for language learning to
occur.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
What is comprehensive input or
i+1 ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
language that incorporates new linguitic
kwoledge into their evolving
interlanguage systems (Swain,
1985,1995)
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
What is output?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
It is an analytic approach to syllabus
design and methodology in which
chains of information-gathering,
problem –solving and evaluative tasks
are used to organize language teaching
and learning
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
What is TBLT?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
The selection grading, and sequencing
of contend in TBLT is accomplished by
using chains of them.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
What are macrotasks?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
one and two-way informationtransfer tasks, etc. Are derived from
sociolinguistic information gap task,
reasoning gap tasks, and analyses of
learners`objective needs and
psycholinguistic research on students
subjective wants complemented by
psycholinguistic RESEARCH on the
properties of different types of tasks.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What are microtasks?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
It is not only based on experientialy and
empirically derived criteria for course
design learning environments, it is also
socialy situated in specific language
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
What is instruction?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
It plays a key role in the continuing
THEORETICAL development of
TBLT. However it does not give any
clues corcerned how teacher might
interpret these ideas and associated
behaviors and beliefs or why they might
wish to adopt or reject these
innovations
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
What is SLA RESEARCH?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
The understanding of them that come
into play when teachers decide whether
to adopt or reject innovations that must
be developed
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
What is variables study?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
He has stated the most important
references.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
Who is Fullan?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
It is constructed by asking the
questions “Who adopts what,where,
when, why and how?”
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What is the framework?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
In 1980, They stated tha stakeholders
may act as change agents, clients,
adopters or resisters, implementers, or
suppliers of innovations. Of course
these roles are not mutually exclusive.
Individuals may play several of these
roles.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
Who are Lambright and Flyan ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
They are outsiders who cannot
legitimately impose change on the
educational system members.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
Who are External change agents ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
They are potential clients of this
RESEARCH, but they may choose
either to adopt or resist its pedagogical
implications.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
Who are the teachers?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
It involves potential adopters to
evaluate the worth of an innovation.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
What is the process of adoption?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
Any changes in beliefs that potential
adopters percieve to be new.
They may be devided into primary and
secondary
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What are innovations?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
• They are examples of primary
innovations of TBLT viable.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
What are TBLT materials,
methodologies and an underlying
ideology of experimental learning ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
It includes a broad range of activities
developing or strengtening the
knowledge base that underpins TBLT by
developing courses in key areas such as
curriculum development,
methodology,SLA, evaluationand
testing.Monitoring and evaluation
protocols .
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
What is Infraestructural
development ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
It is always the product of a particular
cultural, political, administrative,
educational, aInd institutional milieu.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
What is The when?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
This are not static and may change over
time.
.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
What are sociological systems?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
It is characterized by a slow , cautios
start of a small minority of potential
adopters who explore the possible
advantages of it.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What is The adoption of an
innovation ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
They are such high risk takers that
other potential adopters perceive their
adoption behaviors as too uncritical
and, above all, too dangerous to serve
as a viable model for them to follow
with confidence.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
Who are Innovators?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
They are very personal and variable.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
What are the reasons for adopting
innovation ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
It normally has teachers adopt
changes because they have
themselves identified that they affect
them directly. Consecuently they
respond to these by reeducating as
necessary and by developing their
own solutions
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
What is Problem Solving?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
Teachers are not often trained to
formulate and execute it.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$100
What is research?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
It is to engage teachers in a selfmotivated process of professional
development
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$200
What is The main goal of the action
research ?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
Teachers should receive them from
the appropiate educational
authorities so they can engage in the
professionalization that action
research can provide.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$300
What are the necessary support
and incentives?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
We have remember it is a world-wide
profession. We should therefore not
dismiss such RESEARCH proposals in
order to improve our teaching.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$400
What is laguage teaching?
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
They are the four characteristics
of the constructivist classroom.
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$500
It implies innovations and
investigation TBLT was used as
an example on how it can be a
source of solutions for everyday
classroom problems.
Scores
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
$1000
What is SLA RESEARCH?
© Mark E. Damon - All Rights Reserved
Scores
Final
Jeopary
Question