Becoming the Puppeteer: Reflections on Global Language and Culture by Puppetry Students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Ayala ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Hip Hop ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
Art Teachers ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Puppet Theater ◽  
Global Language

Puppet theater on the island of Java is an ancient art which has maintained some of its characteristics considered traditional, but has also been transforming innovations such as the wayang with hip-hop music among other popular expressions. The art of puppetry has also been institutionalized and is itself a degree program at the National Institute of Arts of Indonesia. In this paper, I show the outcomes of my research among students and shadow puppet art teachers in Java, Indonesia. There are two special characteristics in training puppeteers: The main use of Jawanese language and the development of communities of practice as ways of working in the teaching and learning process. As such, these contexts motivate students to be constantly reflecting on the Javanese language and culture. I note the process and the reflections of the participants on the Javanese language shift, and the uses of language in puppet performances which consider the reception of young Javanese. To analyze the data, I draw from fieldwork and interviews, I use the theoretical concepts of discursive genres and dialogism proposed by Bakhtin and I propose that the art of puppetry is a social field that encourages vitality and linguistic diversity on the island of Java.

Bilingual Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aria Razfar
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Global Language

Bilingualism broadly defined is the ability to communicate in two languages, often denoted as L1 and L2. “L1” is generally applied to a person’s native language, which is the language they acquired from birth, and “L2” refers to the target language that is learned and/or acquired in school and society. Communication includes traditional school-based literacy functions like reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension (i.e., biliteracy), as well as broader meaning-making practices including nonverbal and informal literacy practices. Bilingual education is the formal teaching and learning of two languages for academic functions, purposes, and discourses. It generally consists of a primary national and/or global language as well as a secondary language associated with a student’s heritage, national origin, or ethnic minority status within a more dominant linguistic and cultural context. Depending on the program model and a nation’s language ideology vis-à-vis nondominant linguistic and cultural practices, varying amounts of each language are utilized for instructional purposes within formal educational contexts. Bilingual education models vary from weak forms that are transitional and assimilationist to strong forms that are egalitarian and empowering of nondominant languages. Bilingual education around the world is marked by controversies rooted in the dominance of the nation-state and its language and culture vis-à-vis a minority group. Bilingual education across the globe is informed by the pervasive beliefs and attitudes about the nature, function, and purpose of language(s), issues of status and solidarity with nondominant language communities, and perceived benefits and/or potential harms of bilingualism.

scholarly journals Arabism in Arab(ic) Rap : local languages, translocal references and virtual networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Felix Wiedemann
Keyword(s):  
Hip Hop ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Final Conclusion ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Hip Hop Culture ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Starting Point

One of the hip-hop networks that has gained influence in Arab countries since 2011 has emerged around the Arabic language and culture. This (new) "Arabism" manifests itself in various forms: The Arab(ic) rap scenes that are the subject of this study include rappers who rap in Arabic, rappers of Arab ethnicity who express themselves in other languages, and rappers who belong to local hip hop scenes in Arab countries. This study focuses on the role of Arabic language and Arab culture as a unifying element. The question of the role of Arabism in these communities serves as a starting point for the study to ask more specific questions about mechanisms of community formation and the construction of group identity. This thesis addresses the related questions at three different levels. The first level is networks between artists, collaboration, mutual musical influence, and connections to other regions and countries. The second level is language use, the role of Standard Arabic, the languages and scripts of music production and reception. The third level is intertextual references that link rap to other forms of Arabic literature and culture. Methodologically, the work relies on ethnographic and netnographic field research, active participation in the field and in social networks, interviews with artists, song and battle rap text analysis, and social network analysis. It is organized as follows: First, key theoretical concepts are explained. Ensuing is a brief overview of hip hop culture and Arab(ic) rap. Then, three case studies focusing on different aspects of Arab rap are presented before a final conclusion is drawn.

scholarly journals Social and historical factors contributing to language shift among German heritage-language migrants in Australia: An overview

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (7) ◽  
pp. 159-180
Author(s):  
Jaime Hunt ◽  
Sacha Davis
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Historical Factors ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
The Face ◽  
Societal Changes ◽  
Post War ◽  
Global Language

Australia is a multicultural society in which over 300 different indigenous and migrant languages are spoken. While its cultural diversity is often celebrated, Australia’s linguistic diversity is still at risk due to the inherent monolingual mindset (cf. Clyne 2005) of its population. In this paper, we use a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing on both historical and sociolinguistic sources, to investigate some of the major causes of language shift among first- and subsequent generations of post-war German-speaking migrants in Australia. While historical and societal changes have provided greater opportunities for German to be maintained as a heritage language in Australia, these developments may have come too late or have not been effective in the face of English as the dominant language in Australia and as a global language. Our investigation indicates that Australians with German as a heritage language, like many other migrant groups, are still at a high risk of shift to English, despite recent opportunities for language maintenance provided by modern society.

Pro linhvistychni pokaznyky vzayemodiyi mova – kulʹtura na prykladi analizu polʹsʹko- ukrayinsʹkoho pohranychchya XV-XIXst.

2020 ◽  
pp. 129-148
Author(s):  
Halyna Маtsyuk
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Subject Field ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The Social ◽  
Polish Language

The article is devoted to the formation of a linguistic interpretation of the interaction of language and culture of the Polish-Ukrainian border territories. The material for the analysis includes nomic systems of Ukrainian and Polish languages, which are considered as a cultural product of interpersonal and interethnic communication and an element of the language system, as well as invariant scientific theory created in the works of Polish onomastics (according to key theoretical concepts, tradition of analysis, and continuity in linguistic knowledge). The analysis performed in the article allows us to single out the linguistic indicators of the interaction of language and culture typical for the subject field of sociolinguistics. These are connections and concepts: language-territory, language-social strata, language-gender, language-ethnicity, social functions of the Polish language, and non-standardized spelling systems. Linguistic indicators reveal the peculiar mechanisms of the border in the historical memory and collective consciousness, marking the role of languages in these areas as a factor of space and cultural marker and bringing us closer to understanding the social relations of native speakers in the fifteenth-nineteenth centuries.

The Influence of Assessment on Learning and Teaching

2019 ◽  
pp. 166-185
Author(s):  
Susan Hallam
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Peer Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Summative Assessment ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Assessment Research

It is debatable whether it is appropriate to assess performance in the arts. However, formal education institutions and the systems within which they operate continue to require summative assessment to take place in order to award qualifications. This chapter considers the extent to which such summative assessment systems in music determine not only what is taught but also what learners learn. The evidence suggests that any learning outcome in formal education that is not assessed is unlikely to be given priority by either learners or teachers. To optimize learning, the aims and the processes of learning, including formative, self-, and peer assessment procedures, should be aligned with summative assessment. Research addressing the roles, methods, and value of formative, self-, and peer assessment in enhancing learning is considered. A proposal is made that the most appropriate way of enhancing learning is to ensure that summative assessment procedures are authentic and have real-life relevance supporting the teaching and learning process, to ensure that learners are motivated and see the relevance of what they are learning. This might take many forms depending on musical genre, communities of practice, and the wider cultural environment.

scholarly journals Enacting alternatives to nationalist essentialising in language learning: Students’ voices

2021 ◽  
pp. 001458582098650
Author(s):  
Gloria De Vincenti ◽  
Angela Giovanangeli
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Alternative Approaches

Researchers examining nationalistic conceptions of language learning argue that nationalist essentialism often shapes the way languages are taught by educators and understood by learners. While numerous studies focus on how frameworks informed by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and intercultural education offer alternative approaches to national stereotyping, these studies tend to focus on theoretical approaches, teacher perspectives or innovative teaching and learning resources. The literature to date, however, does not provide case studies on student responses to activities designed by the teacher to open up the classroom with opportunities that move beyond essentialist representations. This article responds to the need for such scholarship and presents a case study involving a focus group with tertiary students in an Italian language and culture subject. It reveals some of the ways in which students enacted and reflected upon alternatives to nationalist essentialising as a result of language learning activities that had been informed by the discursive processes of CDA. The findings suggest that students demonstrated skills and attitudes such as curiosity, subjectivities and connections with broader social contexts. Some of the data also indicates student engagement in critical inquiry and their potential for social agency.

Inclusion of L2 (Basque) learners in Dialogic Literary Gatherings in a linguistically diverse context

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882199414
Author(s):  
Maite Santiago-Garabieta ◽  
Rocío García-Carrión ◽  
Harkaitz Zubiri-Esnaola ◽  
Garazi López de Aguileta
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Dialogic Teaching ◽  
Collaborative Interactions ◽  
Diverse Context

The increasing linguistic diversity of the students in schools poses a major challenge for inclusive educational systems in which everyone can learn the language of instruction effectively and, likewise, can have access to contents, being language the necessary tool to the latter end. Research suggests that there is a robust connection between interaction and language acquisition. Therefore, there is a need to identify the forms of interaction that are most effective for that purpose. In this sense, a greater emphasis on dialogic teaching and learning that increases quality interactions among students may facilitate the learning process. The present study analyses the implementation of a dialogue-based educational action called Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLG) to promote teaching and learning Basque, a minority language, in a linguistically diverse context. Our research is an exploratory case study: 9 lessons were video-recorded and 2 interviews were conducted with a group of students and their teacher respectively. Results suggest that the DLG creates affordances for encouraging participation in collaborative interactions in the second language, promoting the inclusion of L2 learners, and fostering literature competence as well as a taste for the universal literature. We discuss the implications of these findings for second language learning.

The “other(ing)” costs of ESL

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena Lee
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Identities ◽  
Global Language

While the commodification of English as a global language may give rise to varying degrees of political and economic benefits for language learners, a simultaneous “cost” of this return may be a continued perpetuation of various forms of hegemony. In this vein, this one-year case study investigated a Canadian post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) program that analyzed the interconnections between language and culture through a critical dialogic approach. Classroom observations, however, revealed that disjunctions existed between the pedagogy as it was conceptualized and the practices of the instructors teaching there and suggested that the “critical” discourses mediated within the language classrooms essentialized culture and, subsequently, the identities of the students. This paper presents the voices of students from Mainland China as they attempted to negotiate their local and global identities within the larger sociopolitical contexts of the English language, generally, and English language education, in particular. I argue that classroom discourses can (re)create subordinate student identities, thereby limiting their access not only to language-learning opportunities, but to other more powerful identities. This paper thus highlights how ESL pedagogies and practices might address and contest hegemonic discourses and concomitantly reimagine student identities in more emancipatory ways.

scholarly journals Developing Little Bridge as an evidence-informed English language learning platform for 6–12 year olds

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rogers ◽  
Kristen Weatherby
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Global Language ◽  
The Relationship

English is considered by many to be the global language of business and communication and, as such, parents and educators in countries in which English is not a native language are now encouraging children to study English at a young age. Much second language teaching and learning, however, does not take into account the real-world context within which language will be put to use. Little Bridge has developed an English language learning platform for students aged 6−12 years, within which learners acquire English vocabulary and skills and are able to apply what they have learned in real conversations with other English learners around the world. As part of UCL’s EDUCATE research accelerator programme, Little Bridge worked with a mentor to design and conduct mixed-methods research into the relationship between this social aspect of their platform and students’ achievement in learning English. Findings suggested that Little Bridge users who are the most active participants in the platform’s social network also complete more of the platform’s learning activities and achieve better results than those with the lowest social participation rates. The relationship between the academic mentor and Little Bridge enabled the company to develop a research mindset, understand the value of the data that they already have, and improve their understanding of the platform.

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