Introduction to Part III: Empowering teachers and teachers’ use of knowledge

Citation

Ellis S & McCartney E (2011) Introduction to Part III: Empowering teachers and teachers’ use of knowledge. In: Ellis S & McCartney E (eds.) Applied Linguistics and Primary School Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 201-202. http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/applied-linguistics-and-second-language-acquisition/applied-linguistics-and-primary-school-teaching?format=HB&isbn=9780521193542#S45VqXi0dtQMMwdr.97; https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921605.020

Abstract
Authors in Part III have applied linguistic knowledge in ways that are directly useful to teachers in the classroom to support their understandings of children’s language and literacy development. For all authors, the common aim is for linguistic understandings to become part of teachers’ professional knowledge, to be used as practical and functional analyses and teaching methodologies. To these ends, Henrietta Dombey and Jane Briggs outline the Knowledge about Language strand at the University of Brighton, introducing student teachers to linguistic knowledge in the context of texts used by and with children, aiming to provide powerful tools for graduates to develop children’s language, reading and writing. Greg Brooks makes the case for teachers understanding the rudiments of the internationally recognised phonetic alphabet, in order to appreciate, discuss and analyse the complexities of English phoneme-grapheme correspondences. Kenn Apel and his colleagues deal with word-level literacy, teaching to develop children’s phonemic, orthographic morphological and semantic awareness and mental imagery in order to spell, and pinpointing the precise learning needs of children with language-learning difficulties. Mary Hartshorne notes that teachers are one group amongst the wider children’s workforce who require extensive knowledge about speech, language and communication. She outlines the development and use of a self-assessment Speech, Language and Communication Framework that allows individuals to assess their own level of competence in these areas, from a universal level needed by the whole workforce to a postgraduate, extension level.

People

Professor Elspeth McCartney

Honorary Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences