Page 11 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

Lifelong Language Learning
Ontario’s students bring a rich variety of languages and cultures to the language classroom. This prior linguistic and cultural knowledge is part of who the student is. By acknowledging and validating the student’s proficiency in the language(s) that he or she already knows, the classroom teacher reflects the belief that all language knowledge is important and that language learning can be a lifelong endeavour.
Learning another language is an advantage for life. Students who learn a second or additional language develop the skills to learn yet another language in the future. They also develop an appreciation of the similarities and differences among languages and cultures. This awareness broadens as they learn more about other languages and cultures as well as their own, while making connections between their local community and global contexts. They can then seek out opportunities to immerse themselves in language and continue their learning beyond the classroom.
Authentic Communication
The main purpose of learning a language is communication. Communication involves reception skills (listening and reading), production skills (speaking and writing), and interaction skills. Communication is a social act and students need to see themselves
as social actors communicating for real purposes. When using a second language, they focus closely on what it is they are trying to communicate; what they need others to understand, and why; how their oral or written expression is received and interpreted; and what others are trying to communicate to them, and why. They take control of their learning through observation, listening, and rehearsing with others.
One of the key concepts in second-language learning is “comprehensible input” – that is, oral or written messages that students receive from the teacher and are able to understand. In order for input to be effective, it must be not only comprehensible but interesting, relevant, personalized, and meaningful. It must also be slightly challenging in order
to provide the scaffolding that students need to be able to begin “producing” – that is, speaking and writing – language in an authentic way. Equally important in the language classroom is “output”: students need multiple opportunities to engage in meaningful language production and interaction, both orally and in written form, through real-life tasks.
For students of classical languages, oral communication in the classical language is not the primary focus; however, their reception skills in listening to and reading the language are developed. Students also experience the benefits of studying a classical language in the improvement of their English reading and writing skills. The study of classical derivatives and grammatical structures and concepts, for example, can be a very effective way of improving language skills in English and of developing the necessary skills for learning additional languages. Another important aspect of classical language learning is the study of authentic texts, which can challenge students to apply their grammatical knowledge and make connections as they read.
For students of international languages, research indicates that to be effective, language instruction must provide meaningful communication and feedback from the teacher and peers in the target language in order for students to develop language and cultural proficiency. It is therefore recommended that language educators and their students use
INTRODUCTION
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