Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher from Coursera

Attention teachers worldwide! Get ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of language diversity in classrooms. As the global landscape changes, more and more children are speaking languages different from the ones used for instruction. You might have already noticed the rich tapestry of languages spoken by your students and their families, creating a wonderfully diverse environment within your school.

We are thrilled to present to you an extraordinary opportunity: the Language Friendly Teacher MOOC, part of the Language Friendly School initiative. This Massive Open Online Course aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to become a Language Friendly Teacher, empowering you to embrace and accommodate the linguistic diversity in your classroom and school.

Throughout this immersive MOOC experience, we will delve into the profound significance of language and identity in a child's development. You will discover effective instructional approaches that enable you to support and include diverse home languages in your teaching practice. By understanding and valuing the languages spoken by your students, you can create an inclusive and empowering learning environment that celebrates their cultural heritage.

But it doesn't stop there. We will also highlight the essential role of parents and families in the learning process. Recognizing the crucial impact caregivers have on a child's language growth, we will explore strategies to engage and collaborate with them effectively. By fostering strong partnerships with caregivers, we can maximize a child's language learning potential and create a supportive network for their educational journey.

Furthermore, in this MOOC, we will explore the world of multilingual digital resources. By leveraging technology, you can enhance your teaching practice and provide engaging learning experiences for your students. We will guide you through the vast array of digital tools available, equipping you with the skills to integrate them seamlessly into your lessons and empower your students' language development.

This MOOC is the result of a collaborative effort stemming from the Erasmus+ project ALCOR, funded by the European Union. Together, we can revolutionize education and create Language Friendly Schools that embrace and celebrate linguistic diversity.

Are you ready to embark on this transformative adventure? Join us as we journey together towards becoming Language Friendly Teachers, shaping the future of education for all students. Let's create inclusive, vibrant, and empowering classrooms where every child feels valued and heard. Together, we can make a difference!

What's inside

Syllabus

Module 1: Language, Identity and Inclusion

How are language and identity connected? This module will help you to understand the concept of language identity, why it is important and how teacher’s attitudes and behaviours influence the development of language identity. You will explore your own and your colleagues opinions on plurilingualism and home languages at school and rethink how those opinions influence children learning.

Module 2: Language Friendly Teaching

Are you looking for ways to validate your students in their language and identity, and make your classroom language friendly? In this module you will learn what key strategies are for teaching in a diverse classroom. You will also acquaint yourself with language friendly materials and you will learn how to use them. Finally you will learn how you can adopt a school-wide language friendly approach and involve your whole school community.

Module 3: Parental Involvement

Why are caregivers important to the learning process of children? In this module you will learn why parents are caregivers are an essential part of the learning process of children. You will also hear stories from parents and learn about the nuances about multilingual parents and caregivers from different contexts.

Module 4: Digital Resources to enhance multilingualism

Why would you use digital devices when talking about multilingualism? In this module, you will learn how digital solutions in the classroom can benefit multilingual learners. We will look into the specific ways how using digital tools and strategies complement traditional teaching and learning by supporting students’ autonomy and providing opportunities for deeper learning. You will also learn about multilingual digital storytelling - a digital strategy which provides opportunities for bridging subjects, developing students’ digital competences and exploring students’ identities and cultures.

Final Assignment

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches language strategies for diverse classroom environments, which is standard in education

Taught by Afke Weltevrede, who is recognized for their work in linguistics

Examines language and identity, which is highly relevant to education

Develops multilingual education approaches and strategies, which is a core skill for modern classrooms

Taught by Tomislav Tudjman, who is recognized for their work in multilingualism

Taught by Dr. Ellen-Rose Kambel, who is recognized for their work in linguistic diversity

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher with these activities:

Read 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

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Read this classic book on writing style to improve your writing skills.

View The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition on Amazon

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Read the book carefully.
Take notes on the key points.
Apply the principles of the book to your own writing.

Watch video tutorials on writing skills

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Watch video tutorials on writing skills to learn from experts and to improve your writing skills.

Browse courses on Writing Skills

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Find video tutorials on writing skills that are relevant to your needs.
Watch the tutorials carefully.
Take notes on the key points.
Apply the principles of the tutorials to your own writing.

Practice writing different types of essays

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Practice writing different types of essays to improve your writing skills.

Browse courses on Argumentative Essay

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Choose a topic and write an outline for your essay.
Write a rough draft of your essay.
Revise and edit your essay.

Four other activities

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Join a writing workshop or critique group

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Join a writing workshop or critique group to get feedback on your writing and to learn from others.

Browse courses on Peer Review

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Find a writing workshop or critique group that meets your needs.
Attend meetings regularly.
Share your work with others.
Give feedback to others on their work.

Volunteer as a tutor or mentor for students learning English

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Volunteer as a tutor or mentor for students learning English to practice your writing skills and to help others.

Browse courses on Language Learning

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Find a volunteer opportunity at a local school or community center.
Meet with the students regularly.
Help the students with their writing skills.
Provide feedback and encouragement to the students.

Start a blog or website where you write about your experiences learning a new language

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Start a blog or website where you write about your experiences learning a new language to share your journey with others and to reflect on your progress.

Browse courses on Language Learning

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Choose a name for your blog or website.
Set up your blog or website.
Write a post about your reasons for learning a new language.
Write regular posts about your progress.
Share your blog or website with others.

Create a blog post on a topic related to the course

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Create a blog post on a topic related to the course to demonstrate your understanding of the material and to share your insights with others.

Browse courses on Language Learning

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Choose a topic for your blog post.
Research your topic.
Write a draft of your blog post.
Revise and edit your blog post.
Publish your blog post.

Career center

Learners who complete Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Classroom Teacher

In the role of a Classroom Teacher, you will help children learn and grow in the classroom setting. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher will help equip you with knowledge and tools to ensure that your classroom is an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds.

See salaries and explore the career path for Classroom Teacher

Educational Consultant

An Educational Consultant helps schools and other educational institutions improve their educational programs and services. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher will help you understand the significance of language and identity in a child's development, and you will learn effective instructional approaches that enable you to support and include diverse home languages in your teaching practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Consultant

Language Arts Teacher

In the role of a Language Arts Teacher, you will help students develop their reading, writing, and communication skills. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you learn effective instructional approaches that enable you to support and include diverse home languages in your teaching practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Language Arts Teacher

Curriculum Developer

As a Curriculum Developer, your role is to design and develop educational programs and materials. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you better understand the needs of diverse learners and develop inclusive curricula that meet the needs of all students.

See salaries and explore the career path for Curriculum Developer

ESL/EFL Teacher

As an ESL/EFL Teacher, your role is to teach English to students who are not native speakers. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher will help you understand the challenges that English language learners face and learn effective teaching strategies to help them succeed.

See salaries and explore the career path for ESL/EFL Teacher

Reading Specialist

As a Reading Specialist, your role is to help students who are struggling with reading. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the challenges that struggling readers face and learn effective teaching strategies to help them succeed.

See salaries and explore the career path for Reading Specialist

Literacy Coach

A Literacy Coach provides support and guidance to teachers in order to help them improve their literacy instruction. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support teachers in creating inclusive and effective literacy instruction for all students.

See salaries and explore the career path for Literacy Coach

School Administrator

As a School Administrator, you are responsible for the overall operation of a school. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive school environment for all students, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds.

See salaries and explore the career path for School Administrator

Teacher of Students with Disabilities

In the role of a Teacher of Students with Disabilities, you will help students with disabilities learn and grow. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the unique challenges that students with disabilities face and learn effective teaching strategies to help them succeed.

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Speech-Language Pathologist

In the role of a Speech-Language Pathologist, you will assess and treat speech and language disorders. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the importance of language and communication in a child's development.

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Kindergarten Teacher

In the role of a Kindergarten Teacher, you will help young children learn and grow. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the importance of language and play in a child's development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Kindergarten Teacher

Preschool Teacher

As a Preschool Teacher, you will help young children learn and grow. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the importance of language and play in a child's development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Preschool Teacher

Instructional Designer

As an Instructional Designer, your role is to design and develop educational materials and programs. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher can help you understand the importance of creating inclusive and effective learning materials for all students.

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Educational Psychologist

An Educational Psychologist helps children and adults with learning and behavioral problems. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher may be helpful in understanding the psychological factors that can affect language learning and development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Psychologist

Social Worker

As a Social Worker, you help people mengatasi problems and improve their lives. The course Becoming a Language Friendly Teacher may be helpful in understanding the social and cultural factors that can affect language learning and development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Worker