Knowledge about language for teachers is more than knowing grammar rules

• Martha Bigelow ^[1] ; Susan Ranney ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Minnesota

     University of Minnesota

     City of Minneapolis, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics, ISSN-e 2199-3386, ISSN 1939-0238, Vol. 3, Nº. 1, 2010, págs. 217-228
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Knowledge about language (KAL) is an essential and dynamic part of language teachers’ knowledge base used for instruction. Content-based instruction (CBI) calls for the integration of KAL and complex pedagogical skills to teach language through content texts, tasks and communicative functions. This article argues that language teacher preparation should develop KAL alongside pedagogical knowledge and skills in ways that include teachers’ language learning and teaching biographies as well as facts of their teaching contexts. Given that all teachers have gaps in their KAL, cultivating a commitment to exploring language-related issues in their teaching is crucial for the integration of KAL into language teaching that is contextualized in engaging content and real communication. Fostering a spirit of inquiry about learner language and the language needed for learning and communication is more important than the impossible task of learning all of the “rules” of the language.