Developing a creative foreign language reader: in search of a theoretical approach and didactic techniques

The paper discusses different conceptions of creativity in relation to reading in a FL. It looks at psycholinguistic approaches that view creativity as a mentalistic individual creative thought. Further, it discusses sociocultural theories that take in account social, cultural and environmental factors. Special attention is given to a critical aspect of creativity. In the next section, the author looks at how psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic approaches view literacy and what they can offer for both FL/L2 research and pedagogy. The presentation argues for viewing the FL/L2 reading situation as an interaction of cognitive and social factors and emphases the importance of developing skills to critique texts. It suggests a set of tasks to be applied in a FL classroom aiming at improving creative reading skills

Developing critical reading skills : a coursebook evaluation study

The aim of the paper is to discuss the importance of teaching critical reading skills, particularly in a foreign language context. The paper consists of two parts: theoretical and empirical. In the first part, the theoretical considerations underpinning this aspect of reading are discussed. Two theoretical perspectives are focused on: a psycholinguistic-cognitive orientation, which views reading as a mental process during which the reader constructs their own representation of the text and a socio- cultural orientation, which emphasizes the importance of varied social and historical contexts in text production and text reception. Within each theory, practical possibilities on how to develop critical reading skills are explored. The practical part of the article presents the results of a small-scale coursebook evaluation study, whose main aim was to examine to what extent the Pioneer Plus coursebooks can help learners develop critical reading skills. The results of the study point to didactic materials and teaching activities that have the potential to facilitate this important component of language proficiency.peer-reviewe

Wizyta studyjna w Rudolf Steiner University College w Oslo

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Teaching practice tasks

Publikacja recenzowana / Peer-reviewed publicationTeaching Practice Tasks has been designed for students of initial teacher training courses who are about to start their teaching practice. The book contains a set of materials that provide guidance and enable trainees to keep record of their development at the beginning of their teaching career. The book may be used by institutions which organize their students’ teaching practice in cooperation with school-based mentors. The tasks offered in the book may be used by teacher trainers and mentors as a tool to check and assess trainees’ progress. The book may be particularly helpful in supervision of extra-mural and distance learning students, who because of geographical and time constraints may wish to take up their teaching practice at their local schools. Teacher training institutions may find visiting student teachers in their home places almost impossible and a written record of teaching experience can provide a reliable alternative. What does the book contain? The book contains a range of tasks that will help trainees to develop skills necessary in the teaching profession. The materials may be divided into the following: Reflection tasks, Observation tasks, Team / solo teaching tasks, Materials for Teaching Practice supervisor

Real-Time Dengue Forecasting In Thailand: A Comparison Of Penalized Regression Approaches Using Internet Search Data

Dengue fever affects over 390 million people annually worldwide and is of particu- lar concern in Southeast Asia where it is one of the leading causes of hospitalization. Modeling trends in dengue occurrence can provide valuable information to Public Health officials, however many challenges arise depending on the data available. In Thailand, reporting of dengue cases is often delayed by more than 6 weeks, and a small fraction of cases may not be reported until over 11 months after they occurred. This study shows that incorporating data on Google Search trends can improve dis- ease predictions in settings with severely underreported data. We compare penalized regression approaches to seasonal baseline models and illustrate that incorporation of search data can improve prediction error. This builds on previous research show- ing that search data and recent surveillance data together can be used to create accurate forecasts for diseases such as influenza and dengue fever. This work shows that even in settings where timely surveillance data is not available, using search data in real-time can produce more accurate short-term forecasts than a seasonal baseline prediction. However, forecast accuracy degrades the further into the future the forecasts go. The relative accuracy of these forecasts compared to a seasonal average forecast varies depending on location. Overall, these data and models can improve short-term public health situational awareness and should be incorporated into larger real-time forecasting efforts

Striking Dialectical Sparks from the Stones of our Cities

In his methodology as well as his political thought Benjamin remains faithful to the principle to proceed “always radically, never consistently”. Therefore, the greatest challenge for a contemporary city researcher inspired by Benjamin is to operationalise his materialist methodology. Benjamin’s anthropological materialism cannot be reached within the fixed limits of any discipline, but rather places itself “on the crossroads of magic and positivism” (Adorno); the dialectical image is not a tool of his methodology but its culminating point where positivism turns to magic. To reach this point, Benjamin conducts perceptive and analytical experiments that can be treated as dialectical études, exercises in seeing. The paper examines some of these techniques, exploring their philosophical context and testing them on a contemporary example: the Ernst-Thälmann-Monument in Berlin

The use of the Iteman program in designing a General Foreign Language placement test

The paper is a report on the project which involved the process of designing and piloting a General Competence Test intended to serve as a placement test in teaching Polish intermediate foreign language learners. All the actions taken to design and pilot the test are d iscussed in detail. The use of Iteman 4, a program designed to do a detailed item test analysis, is described. Problems encountered by the teacher during the process of designing, piloting and preparing the final version of the test are discussed. It is hoped that this paper will elucidate the advantages of tests constructed by foreign language teachers themselves and will encourage them to produce their own tests tailored for their teaching needs

Coursebook evaluation in foreign language education

The aim of the paper is to discuss the role of course book evaluation in foreign language education. Coursebooks are presented as the most common learning material s used in institutionalized education. First, the way coursebooks can enhance or inhibit the process of foreign language teaching and learning is addressed. Then, several types of coursebook evaluation are analyzed, along with various roles that coursebook evaluation can play in foreign language education. To emphasise the importance of evaluating coursebooks, a selection of checklists applied in the process of coursebook evaluation is discussed. The author of the paper draws on her experience as a co-author of foreign language coursebooks used in Polish secondary schools, a reviewer of coursebooks employed by the Polish Ministry of Education and a foreign language teacher trainer