Language Educators Assemble

𝗟𝗘𝗔'𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲! If you’ve been to LEA recently, you likely noticed some significant transformations. I’ve revamped the colour scheme and enhanced the architectural design to better accommodate fellow language educators. My goal is to keep the interface minimalistic and functional, reducing navigation difficulties. Let me know if you have any feedback. Pretty sure there might be some bugs hiding around - do alert me if you catch one!

𝗧𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲(𝘀) 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴? In this opinion piece, the thesis that indigenous language(s) should be prioritised in education, in the context of South Africa, to empower children of diverse backgrounds has its merits in recognising the different speech communities and the inclusion of their languages for equitable educational opportunities. This is especially so in the formative years, where children are experiencing cognitive growth alongside linguistic development. Increasing the load to learn both language and content without a thriving external environment where there are plenty of opportunities to use that target language organically can be extremely demanding for the child. In that sense, the child should be allowed to access content and learn about the world in a language of relevance. Immersion models such as the Canadian versions can succeed only because the target language(s) are usually very much present in society. Educational success and economic implications aside, languages of identity are also crucial. The critical stance adopted by the author is also such that the state-imposed target languages are not representative of their local communities. However, I'm not so convinced that radical changes can be achieved easily by a flip of the switch. For indigenous languages to thrive, they will still need to gain economic relevance at least locally, such that content taught in the classrooms can easily find relevance beyond them (e.g., for transfer of learning). Where communities have not used such languages for the teaching of academic content, I can foresee loads of work ahead to also negotiate the use of indigenous languages as an academic one. Remembered reading elsewhere that some of such languages need to create terms (e.g., vocabulary) to match certain concepts to be taught. And teachers need to be trained to be skilful in doing this too. Hope to see a positive development with the BELA bill ahead.

💡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 🤓 From the 1980s to the turn of the millennium, Welsh \(or Cymraeg\) was moving on a rapid decline with more and more speakers only knowing English. Thanks to the Welsh government's unwavering commitment to reviving the language, a series of initiatives were then launched in a comprehensive approach that included educational reforms, community engagement, and institutionalisation of Welsh-medium public services. Coupled with concerted efforts of the community, Welsh language has made a gradual comeback, with recent language surveys yielding findings of more young speakers able \(and willing\) to speak the language. Personally, I see three major factors that support the revitalisation: government support \(e.g., public services, linguistic landscape\) that provides a strong ecosystem for Welsh to thrive and be used as "living languages"; availability of welsh-medium schools that then allow systemic and systematic development of the Welsh language among a critical mass of young learners \(who can then grow to transmit the language organically\); and the shared vision of the community which inspired collective efforts to enable this \(e.g., parents who have lost the language willing to learn Welsh to communicate with their children\). 🤔Can this be replicated elsewhere? I'm not sure. But language revitalisation projects in other regions have demonstrated similar patterns. I'd explore this in a future blog entry, and hopefully we can all learn from communities that have made the seemingly impossible possible.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧? I can relate to the disappointment felt when we attempt to share the deeper elements of our craft, only to be dismissed by students who seem focused solely on efficiency and style. However, if we reframe our perspectives, we can appreciate that finding one’s voice as a student (or even ourselves on an ongoing basis) is an iterative process - regardless of whether the language used is a L1 or L2. This was the case before the emergence of ChatGPT. We guide students through their struggles. Even when they leave us, there is still space for improvement (I mean, who don't?). Their exploration and discovery must continue on their own, influenced by the relevance of writing in their lives. With ChatGPT and similar LLM-powered tools, there is a false sense of readiness among students after they submit assignments. My sense is that they are submitting with the mindset that it is the best representation that they can garner with whatever available tools they have (akin to before nevertheless). How do we then give feedback that it is not? Is it a problem with the process or the product, or both? Do our learners even genuinely assume that they have attained the desired learning outcomes by the submission? Bringing our learners through these processes of inquiry and discovery is our mission as an educator. These are pedagogical challenges that could be thought through the pedagogical frames, in collaboration with our colleagues too (we need not be alone). I can recognise the frustrations and challenges involved, but I will not endorse the quitting. Because once we quit, the status quo will just flow as it is and we have failed to embody the struggling that we hope our students will. I'm not so sure that's what we want. If you are one such language educator who is also finding your way through this, let's talk and struggle together. No, not quitting for this reason.

Each book we dive into is a new adventure, a chance to step into someone else’s shoes, and a way to expand our understanding of different perspectives. Yes, I speak that even for those books that are oriented to exposition and argumentation - they speak to us a view of another individual that is worth exploring. So, what’s on your reading list? Most importantly, what's on our learners' reading list?

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐭? I truly hope that’s not the case. The ability to engage with extensive texts—both comprehensively and critically—is essential for linguistic growth and critical thinking while also powerful supplements to emotional intelligence and general knowledge. I previously shared an article discussing the decline in reading among youths in this space. I thought this article further raises an important point: it’s not only social media competing for attention, but educators are also moving away from using books in their curricula. I understand that expecting students to read many books in a short time may seem overly ambitious today. Yet, I still remember the challenging journey my language and literature teachers took us on with longer novels—those experiences nurtured my lasting love for reading. They might seem daunting, but they are certainly achievable and well worth the effort. It’s an investment in our learners' future. So, fellow language educators, let’s 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. Let’s focus on more than just quick reads; let’s embrace the value of extended reading.

Yes, LEA should be having updates soon once I am more settled in. The hiatus will soon be over~

You might have noticed that LEA has not posted for a while. It’s not deliberate – there was still progress in content creation, but many things have since happened. In a nutshell, I’m on a significant journey of transition in my professional role from that of a curriculum specialist and instructional designer to a PhD candidate. It’s been quite a journey, in working out various possible proposals and looking for suitable supervisors. I am pleased to announce that I will be pursuing my PhD adventures at the University of Reading in the UK. This is my personal quest to immerse myself in research in linguistics and language education more deeply, with the ultimate goal of developing theoretically grounded and evidence-based approaches that can be applied effectively to various domains of practice, including policymaking, curriculum planning, instructional design, teaching, and parenting. My relocation from Singapore to Reading will involve substantial preparations and a settling-in period, further complicated by the needs of my family, which includes children of various ages. This transition, although challenging, will also provide a unique learning experience which I hope to spend more time reflecting on with my family. In light of this, LEA will experience an extended period of reduced productivity (since it is by far a one-man show), with new content creation and updates being sporadic at best. Once I have settled in Reading, I am committed to resuming regular updates as before. As I settle into my new surroundings in Reading, UK, I am also eager to engage with like-minded individuals who share my passion for language, linguistics, and education. While online interactions have been a valuable means of connecting with readers and followers, there’s no substitute for in-person conversations and the exchange of ideas that can occur in a face-to-face setting. If you ever find yourself in London or Reading, I would be delighted to meet with you and discuss topics of mutual interest. Whether it’s exploring the intricacies of language acquisition, debating the role of technology in education, or simply sharing experiences and insights, I am confident that our conversations will be enriching and thought-provoking. For those who may not be able to meet in person, I’ll continue to engage with you through email and social media. Your feedback and engagement are invaluable to me, and I look forward to continuing our online conversations. As I embark on this new chapter in Reading, I’m truly excited of the opportunities ahead to gather more wisdom, so that I can be a more powerful enabler of language, linguistics, and education. May LEA continue to be your source of inspiration – and let’s look forward to the new LEA a few months ahead!

💣Have you encountered the latest bomb dropped in publishing? Taylor & Francis, a leading global publisher, has recently decided to sell access to research articles written by academic authors to Microsoft’s AI expansion. This outrageous move (perhaps characterised as audacious for some) raises disturbing questions about how we should prepare for what could be a new age of “legalised plagiarism”. The implications of this decision are significant: it may change the dynamics of how we perceive and use academic research in the future. As these AI systems become well-trained with vast amounts of data from academic papers, there'll be a high likelihood of public using parts or ideas from these papers without explicit citation or acknowledgment. This could undermine the hard work, dedication, and scholarship of the original authors and researchers. Yet, this is a complex issue. On one hand, it seems like a clear violation of intellectual property rights. But on the other hand, AI-powered technology like this can lead to wider accessible sharing of academic wisdom. So, where do we stand? And how should we, as a community that has benefited immensely from academic research, prepare for this potentially revolutionary shift in the way we view plagiarism? How do we re-evaluate our definitions, rules, and regulations pertaining to intellectual property in the age of AI? I know this topic has been floating around for many creatives. Now it's landed right at our doorstep. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this matter. Have you faced similar situations where your work was used or replicated without proper recognition? How did you deal with it? And where do you see this new era of AI-plagiarism heading in the future?

Have our learners ever felt stuck in trying to navigate a new language? In learning anything new, especially when we already have an existing operating system, we tend to stick to the habits within that framework. Unlearning, is an essential process to cultivate new linguistic habits. What are your strategies in supporting your learners in the emergent stage? Share with us!