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SUMMARY:Using metaphorical representations to discern young learners’ be
 liefs about foreign language learning - Linda Fisher\, Faculty of Educatio
 n\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20110307T163000Z
DTEND:20110307T180000Z
UID:TALK29785@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ewa Illakowicz
DESCRIPTION:The beliefs a student holds are widely accepted as important i
 n influencing the learning choices that he or she will make. It would seem
  important therefore that teachers are aware of the beliefs of the learner
 s in their classrooms so as to integrate such beliefs more fully into lear
 ning. \nHow\, though\, do we access student beliefs and how can a teacher 
 bring beliefs and classroom practice into closer alignment so as to improv
 e learning outcomes?  This seminar explores the construction of beliefs in
  the foreign language classroom. I discuss the potential of metaphor as a 
 way of accessing beliefs and of raising learners’ epistemological awaren
 ess of the basis of their beliefs. Findings are presented from a longitudi
 nal\, empirical project set in two secondary school foreign languages clas
 srooms in England. Metaphor elicitation tasks were used to discern the lea
 rners’ beliefs and the resulting metaphors used to structure a classroom
  intervention with one class. Metaphor elicitation was again carried out a
 t the end of a nine-month period.  \nAs well as presenting the results of 
 this study\, I discuss the feasibility and potential pedagogical benefits 
 of teachers carrying out tasks that might go some way towards eliciting st
 udents’ beliefs about language learning.\n\n
LOCATION: Faculty of Education\, 184 Hills Road\, Cambridge\, CB2 8PQ\, DM
 B\, Room GS5
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