Internal: The research group FULK – Multilingualism Teaching and Learning in a Critical Perspective

Information session

Date: Wednesday 13 November 2024

Time: 11.00 – 12.00

Location: E904, Södra huset and Zoom (see contact below)

Jenni Marjokorpi and Ella Väätäinen from the Centre for Educational Assessment (CEA) at the University of Helsinki, present how a digital assessment tool can be used to support newly arrived students' disciplinary literacy.

 

Abstract

In Finland, the educational path of a newly arrived student begins with approximately one year of preparatory education. After that, the student transitions to basic education. This is a critical phase as the curricular objectives in basic education (NCC, 2014) differ from those in preparatory education (NCC, 2015). Strong linguistic support is needed to meet the objectives.

We have developed a digital assessment tool, Valu, aimed at identifying student’s needs in different school subjects. In this presentation, we introduce the development process and background theory of the Valu tool. We especially focus on the theory of language socialization (Ochs & Schiefflin, 1984), dynamic assessment (Lantolf & Poehner, 2010), and the research on disciplinary literacy (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2012). Additionally, we discuss a critical perspective on the theory of academic language proficiency (see Cummins, 1979) and the fairness of assessment.

 

To get the Zoom-link

Contact j.rosen@su.se if you want to join the zoom meeting.

References:

Cummins, J. (1979). Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism, 19. 

Lantolf, J. P. & Poehner, M. E. (2010). Dynamic assessment in the classroom: Vygotskian praxis for second language development. Language Teaching Research, 15(1), 11–33. 

NCC (2014). National core curriculum for primary and lower secondary (basic) education. Helsinki: National board of education.

NCC (2015). National core curriculum for preparatory education for primary and lower secondary (basic) education. Helsinki: National board of education.

Ochs, E. & Schieffelin, B. B. (1984). Language socialization: three developmental stories. In R. A. Shweder & R. A. Levine (Eds.), Culture theory: essays on mind, self, and emotion (pp. 276–320). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Shanahan, T. & Shanahan, C. (2012). What is disciplinary literacy and why does it matter? Topics in Language Disorders, 32(1), 7–18.