Learning English while Doing Art

1
Learning English while Doing Art

• Rebekah Sidman-Taveau, ESL Coordinator/Lecturer,
  SFAI

2
Myths

• To improve your English
• you must receive systematic instruction in a
  language class
• your English a teacher must break down the
  grammar concepts for you
• you must devote hours studying ESL textbooks and
  repeating exercises

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Weve come a Long Way

• Behaviorism
• Learning is a system of behavioral responses to
  physical stimuli. Learning requires
  reinforcement, practice, and repetition
• Transmission oriented views of learning, learning
  as passive
• Break down content into parts and sequence by
  difficulty
• Constructivist Learning theory
• Learners play an active role in the construction
  of their own knowledge
• Motivation, Anxiety, Strategy Use, and learning
  styles have an impact
• The use of different mediational means like the
  visual arts helps us to reflect upon concepts
  (Socioconstructivist theory) (Vygotsky, 1978)
• (Fostnot, 1996 Reagan, 1999)

4
Reality

• People learn best when they are motivated and
  engaged
• A memorable moment can be as powerful as phrases
  repeated a hundred times
• As artists in an art school in the U.S. ESL
  students at SFAI are in a great situation for
  learning relevant English skills

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Learn English while Doing Art

• STRATEGIES
• Utilize memory strategies
• Take advantage of memorable moments
• Interact with what you want to learn
• Have fun, get silly, enjoy the sounds
• Practice active listening

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Memory and Language Learning

• Kids Versus Adults
• Kids higher memory capacity, less inhibition,
  constant exposure to L1
• Adults lower memory capacity, more inhibition,
  less exposure to L2
• What to do? Make use of Authentic resources, be
  childlike curious and uninhibited- and practice
  memory strategies

7
Use authentic artifacts and situations
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Memory Strategies

• Help to store and retrieve information
• Mnemonics
• CARE
• Creating Mental Linkages
• Applying Images and Sounds
• Reviewing Well
• Employing Actions

9
Memory Strategy Creating Mental Linkages

• Grouping photography terms, painting terms
• Associating elaborating learn groups of words
  Block buster exhibition and associate them with
  others, block buster movie
• Placing new words into a context create and
  take down sentences rather than simple
  definitions, draw a picture, or tell a story.

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Memory Strategy Applying Images and Sounds

• Use Imagery visualize in your mind or make a
  drawing a picture of an object, or a mental
  representation of the letters of a word (IPA)
• Use Keywords- auditory and visual links.
  potage/pot, Minnesota/mini soda
• Represent Sounds in Memory- itch, knee, sun, ski,
  go ,rock (to remember numbers in Japanese).
  Brat Russian for (brother)

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Visual/Auditory Link Example

• North (never)
• West (worms) East (eat)
• South (soggy)

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Memory Strategy Reviewing Well

• Spiraling reviewing at gradually longer
  intervals
• Put what you have to learn into a song
• Move (gesture, jump, etc) as you recite or
  practice
• Make rhymes
• Le petit chat gris qui faisait pipi ca maman lui
  dit ce nest pas poli.

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Memory Strategies Employing Action

• Physical Response or Sensation
• Physically act out a new expression dabbing the
  canvas, broad strokes on the canvas, relate to a
  sensation
• Move around words and phrases Paint words big
  and small, photograph words, doodle with words,
  put words on note cards or in notebooks

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Memorable moments

• Pain, engagement, laughter, embarrassment,
  excitement, surprise, disgust, anger emotions
  may contribute to your English language learning
• Necessity is the mother of invention! You will
  learn what you need. Doctors visits,
  administrative tasks, errands, or even arguments
  are all great opportunities for learning
  language.

15
Interact to Learn

• Proven Vocabulary building Method
• 1. Say it (visualize the sound)
• 2. Define it
• 3. Find a synonym or antonym
• 4. Make a meaningful sentence or draw a picture

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Have fun, get silly, enjoy the sounds

• Listen to the radio in your car or while doing
  something else imitate the speaker
• Copy an American you know
• Pay attention to rhythm and stress during boring
  lectures
• Choose an expression a day
• Choose one TV show and watch it regularly

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Active Listening

• EASEL Engage, Anticipate, Summarize, Evaluate,
  and Learn
• Take notes Put unknown words in left column or
  underlined. Choose 2 a day to interact with
  (see slide 15)

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Conclusion

• The world is your language classroom
• Be strategic
• Never underestimate a boring moment!