Why is it so hard to ‘use your own words’? -Or, who is the ideal knower in an observed 5th grade Danish as a second language and History classroom

Description

Including second language students in the content classroom is often discussed in terms of challenges. This is also the case in Denmark, where the school subject Danish as a Second Language (DSL) aims to improve bilingual students’ chances of success. Recent evaluations indicate, however, that 75% of teachers do not include DSL in classes where DSL students are present (Thorsen & Pedersen 2012). This paper focuses on findings from the recently completed PhD thesis (Meidell Sigsgaard, 2013) researching the pedagogic practice of a specific case of Danish as a Second Language (DSL) embedded in a year five History unit, taught in a Danish public school with a high population of bilingual students. Using mainly exchange structure analysis (Martin & Rose 2007) and semantics from Legitimation Code Theory (Maton, 2014) patterns of the observed classroom discourse are analysed in conjunction with the teaching materials used. Connections between learning, language, knowledge and knowers (ibid.) are explored in the observed classroom practice, making visible what is expected of the ideal student while offering a critical perspective of the general pedagogy observed in this particular fifth grade classroom. References: Martin, J. R. & Rose, D. (2007). Working with discourse – Meaning beyond the clause. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Maton, K. (2014) Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a realist sociology of education. London, Routledge. Meidell Sigsgaard, A-V. (2013). Who Knows What?: The Teaching of knowledge and knowers in a fifth grade Danish as a Second Language classroom, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark. Thorsen, K. M., & Pedersen, K. Z. (2012). Styrk fokus på dansk som andetsprog. Pressemeddelelse, Politiken.

Period	14 Apr 2014 → 19 Apr 2014
Event title	41st Intnernational Systemic Functional Congress: Contemplating novel applications of well-established and evolving lines of enquiry to language education theory and practice
Event type	Conference
Conference number	41
Location	Mendoza, ArgentinaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International