Researching the benefits of integrating language and museum education on students’ linguistic, cognitive, affective, and intercultural development
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Fabiana Fazzi
Abstract
According to Richards (2015), to fully understand the process of language learning we should consider what happens both inside and outside the classroom. However, the way these two dimensions, that is the formal and informal ones, interact to contribute to the development of learners’ communicative competence still needs to be explored. In this context, several studies have demonstrated that museums can complement classroom instruction by providing students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful and enjoyable dialogue through and around objects. In fact, objects are said to trigger different memories, associations, and emotions, boosting students’ willingness to communicate in the second or foreign language irrespective of their level of proficiency and sociocultural background. Also, research shows that engaging with objects fosters both students’ intercultural awareness and socialization. Starting from an analysis of the aspects which characterize students’ language learning experience in the museum, the aim of the chapter is to discuss the benefits of the integration of language- and museum-based principles and approaches on students’ linguistic, affective, cognitive, and intercultural development. This discussion will be based on data collected by the MILE (Museums and Innovation in Language Education) research group of the University Ca’ Foscari (Venice) during two projects implemented in collaboration with the local museums and schools.
Abstract
According to Richards (2015), to fully understand the process of language learning we should consider what happens both inside and outside the classroom. However, the way these two dimensions, that is the formal and informal ones, interact to contribute to the development of learners’ communicative competence still needs to be explored. In this context, several studies have demonstrated that museums can complement classroom instruction by providing students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful and enjoyable dialogue through and around objects. In fact, objects are said to trigger different memories, associations, and emotions, boosting students’ willingness to communicate in the second or foreign language irrespective of their level of proficiency and sociocultural background. Also, research shows that engaging with objects fosters both students’ intercultural awareness and socialization. Starting from an analysis of the aspects which characterize students’ language learning experience in the museum, the aim of the chapter is to discuss the benefits of the integration of language- and museum-based principles and approaches on students’ linguistic, affective, cognitive, and intercultural development. This discussion will be based on data collected by the MILE (Museums and Innovation in Language Education) research group of the University Ca’ Foscari (Venice) during two projects implemented in collaboration with the local museums and schools.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Contents VII
- Setting the scene: Informal language learning and socialization in additional languages 1
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Part I: Informal language learning in private contexts
- The impact of family and media on L2 development in early childhood in a multilingual society: The case of the Seychelles 19
- ELF and other languages in the family: Portraying multilingual repertoires at dinner tables across Europe 51
- Dynamic language repertoires: The case of an Italian-Turkish couple in Istanbul 87
- A multimodal perspective on communicative competence in multilingual Afro-Surinamese speaker communities 111
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Part II: Informal language learning in public contexts
- Communicative competence in the virtual breathing space: Minoritized language learning in social media 149
- Researching the benefits of integrating language and museum education on students’ linguistic, cognitive, affective, and intercultural development 171
- Bringing the outside in: Attitudes towards multilingual competence in Zambia and Tanzania 199
- Student teachers’ attitudes toward translanguaging in formal learning vis-à-vis informal interaction: A survey of a university in Kenya 231
- About the contributors 261
- Index of subjects 265
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Contents VII
- Setting the scene: Informal language learning and socialization in additional languages 1
-
Part I: Informal language learning in private contexts
- The impact of family and media on L2 development in early childhood in a multilingual society: The case of the Seychelles 19
- ELF and other languages in the family: Portraying multilingual repertoires at dinner tables across Europe 51
- Dynamic language repertoires: The case of an Italian-Turkish couple in Istanbul 87
- A multimodal perspective on communicative competence in multilingual Afro-Surinamese speaker communities 111
-
Part II: Informal language learning in public contexts
- Communicative competence in the virtual breathing space: Minoritized language learning in social media 149
- Researching the benefits of integrating language and museum education on students’ linguistic, cognitive, affective, and intercultural development 171
- Bringing the outside in: Attitudes towards multilingual competence in Zambia and Tanzania 199
- Student teachers’ attitudes toward translanguaging in formal learning vis-à-vis informal interaction: A survey of a university in Kenya 231
- About the contributors 261
- Index of subjects 265
