College of Education

Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary)

TECP315 Language, Culture and Identity

Enhancing Educational Experiences and Outcomes for Diverse Learners
Assignment 2: Planning and rationale - PRIMARY
Due Date:

Monday 17 October, 2016

Time:

5.00pm

Student Name:

Rachel Harris

ID Number:

82599138

Word Count:

1758

(Maximum allowable = 1600 words. This does NOT include the cover page or the reference section at the
end. It also excludes the brief scene setting you provide prior to beginning Part A. It DOES include
everything in between, i.e. the essay and the lesson plans.)

Declaration
I hereby declare that this assignment is my own work. I understand that if I am
suspected of plagiarism or other form of dishonest practice, my work will be referred to
the Head of School under the terms of the General Course and Examination
Regulations Section J Dishonest Practice and Breach of Instructions. Penalties may
range from denial of credit for the item of work in question, to exclusion from the
University.
Note: By typing your name in the space provided below and uploading your assignment
to the Learn dropbox, you are agreeing to this declaration.
Signature:

R Harris

Date:

16/10/2016

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Essay:
This section has been formatted in 12 point Arial with 1.5 line spacing, 18 point spacing between
paragraphs, and left hand alignment. Type your essay below. Please do not alter the formatting.

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CONTEXT (maximum, one paragraph) Please give a brief description of the unit/learning
programme, including the year/age group it was planned for, curriculum area and topic
(Primary), time frame, etc, in order to set the scene for me. This is NOT included in your
word count.
This interdisciplinary unit was made for year 7 and 8 students. The curriculum areas that
are the focuses for this unit is Religious Education, Visual Arts, and English. The topic of
this unit, was the Holy Spirit. This unit was taught over the course of 12 days, (while I was
in full control). Children had Religious Education every day for an hour. This is where
children learnt about the Holy Spirit.
PART A (approximately 800 words)
When creating this unit plan for a class of year seven and eight students, there were no
EAL learners within the classroom. Therefore, as there were no EAL learners the need to
cater for them did not arise. However, if there were EAL learners within the classroom, this
unit would definitely demonstrate various language and cultural barriers making learning
difficult as this unit progressed.
The main focus is around Religious Education, with the topic being The Holy Spirit. For
EAL learners from differing religious backgrounds this unit presents potential barriers due
to lack of understanding around Christianity. This makes comprehension difficult for EAL
learners as it may be something they have not experienced within their own culture,
particularly if they have different beliefs associated with Religion. Therefore, discussing
The Holy Spirit in a classroom where there are EAL learners may be quite difficult as they
may not fully understand or have quite a different concept of what this means. EAL
learners often come from other countries with different cultural world views to those from
New Zealand, therefore, they have different ways of practicing their faith. As this unit was
taught at a Catholic School, it would be taught from a Catholic world view which assumes a
certain understanding of the Christian faith from all learners. However, there may be
learners attending that school with differing beliefs around Religion which may conflict with
the teaching of this unit. It is important to recognise and acknowledge their beliefs so they
themselves also feel included within the classroom and feel acceptance for their cultural
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beliefs.
The main resource used for this unit was the Faith Alive website. This website consists of
existing interactive PowerPoints that teach students about The Holy Spirit which is
predominantly in English. This could be a language barrier for EAL learners causing them
to struggle with reading the slides, or reading them as fast as other students within the
classroom. This possibly results in learners missing out on vital information associated
with the PowerPoints, therefore, failing to improve their learning and understanding. EAL
learners may find this resource very challenging to keep up with as there is a lot of reading
involved. It would also be very challenging as those EAL learners would struggle with
comprehension and be unable to answer questions associated with these PowerPoints.
This would impact on my overall teacher understanding of where these EAL learners are at
as it would make it difficult to understand what my EAL learners were taking in and getting
from these learning experiences.
Another resource that would have been a potential barrier for EAL learners during this unit
was the use of The Bible. Throughout the duration of this unit, students were often required
to read bible verses to further their own understanding around the Holy Spirit and answer
questions, which allowed me to assess where they were at. EAL learners would really
struggle with this, especially because The Bible used was written in formal english which
may be difficult for EAL learners, possibly making it more difficult to interpret the meaning
behind what is being read.
In terms of organisational aspects within this unit, students were often required to work
alongside a partner or in a group. This may be very challenging for EAL learners as they
could struggle to get their points or ideas across within the group setting. This could be due
to a language barrier making it difficult for EAL learners to communicate with other
students within the class, particularly when the subject is a hard concept to grasp. This
could be quite nerve wracking for EAL learners as they are placed in a setting where they
are unfamiliar and may have already struggled to make friendships within the classroom
due to the language barriers between them and their classmates.

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Many of the activities within this unit would have been a barrier for EAL learners as they
required a fairly good comprehension of the English language. This was evident in the fact
that there was a lot of reading, writing, presenting and discussions involved. Through
critically examining this unit, it was obvious there were opportunities where EAL learners
can explore and speak other languages in the correct context which could help to support
them with their own English learning. Overall, this unit had very little support for EAL
learners, mostly because there were no EAL learners in the class when it was created.
This meant the unit was predominantly English-based and required a good knowledge and
understanding of the English language to gain and maintain an understanding around the
Holy Spirit. However, if there were EAL learners within the classroom, it would be important
to ensure their needs are being met, to ensure they are getting the most from their learning
as well as those who speak English as a first language.
PART B (approximately 800 words)
It was evident that EAL learners cannot fully participate in the lessons if they cannot locate
a bible verse within the bible. As this unit often requires students to develop their
understanding around the Holy Spirit by reading verses from the bible, students need to
have a good understanding of how to access the information they need to enhance their
learning. To do this, they need to be explicitly taught through the use of phonics and wholeword approaches. This will encourage learners to hear the sounds of the language.
According to Gibbons (2015) a vital foundation for decoding words and developing
alphabetic knowledge is the capacity to distinguish the distinctive sounds of the language.
According to Met (1994), content-obligatory language is language so closely associated
with specific content objective where students cannot master objectives without learning
the language also. Therefore, the language goal encourages phonemic awareness before
meeting the content-objective of reading. Another learning aid to use to support EAL
learners would be a Bible in their first language. This would allow them to feel more
included and enhance their comprehension of the English language.
When students were actually required to read the bible, it was interpreted differently by the
reader, however, there are actually true meanings behind what is written. An approach that
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could enhance learners understanding around reading would be to use activities before,
during and after reading. This will engage learners in the lesson from the very beginning.
According to Gibbons (2015) most reading activities that take place in classroom settings
occur after the text has been read, mainly focusing on assessing students comprehension
and how much has been understood. However, by engaging students in activities, before,
during and as well as after reading, allows students to make connections between their
lives and the text they are going to read.
In order to lessen the chances of potential barriers, as discussed in part a, there are ways
to allow EAL learners to fully participate in a lesson. For example, students were required
to sing a song, and say a prayer before and at the end of every lesson. To ensure
participation and inclusion from EAL learners, I think it would be good practice to read a
line of the chosen song, or prayer and have students repeat what I have said, this provides
a reading model for students. (Gibbons, 2015). It also allows students to learn vocab and
hear correct pronunciation, enhancing their language learning. Explaining meaning behind
songs/prayers or translating to native language will encourage learners to make
connections and feel welcome and accepted within the class.
Another strategy that would support EAL learners during this unit would be to allow
students to express their own beliefs around religion and have confidence to share these
with the class. This will show students that there are no prejudices made towards
individuals beliefs and everyone within the classroom is valued and respected. However,
as this lesson was taught at a Catholic School it would be very difficult to allow students to
express their beliefs if they differed from the Catholic denomination because Catholicism
was predominately what this school practiced. To get around this barrier, there could be the
opportunity to have students explore another culture and the religions associated with that
culture to see how they are similar or differ from the Catholic Faith. Allowing EAL learners
to explore their own beliefs and share them with their peers, informing them of other
cultures globally.
Another change I would make to this interdisciplinary unit would be the learning journals,
which were created to assess students at the end of the unit. By using a writing framework
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as stated in Gibbons (2015) this allows students to scaffold their writing in a way which will
encourage participation and learning as the framework is all set out for them. This would
enhance language development and understanding of all EAL learners. The framework
could involve the use of symbols/pictures which could reinforce the idea of what is written
in the framework. It is vital learners are taught about the meanings of symbols at the
beginning and revisited throughout the duration of this unit, this will ensure learners are
aware of what they represent.
Another change I would make to this unit would be to ensure groups are set up to support
EAL learners in their language development and their understanding around this topic. In
order to break down language barriers between EAL learners and other students within the
class, it would be beneficial to have a student who is confident in English to mentor and
assist EAL learners. According to Howard (2016) group work is really good for EAL
learners because they are hearing the language they need. By organising students in
groups, it allows them to have discussions in English which improves the language
development of EAL learners. It also encourages inclusion and participation from all
members of the group as student voice from everyone is important. In order to engage all
members of a group, I think it would be helpful to assign every group member with a role.
This would require every child to talk, as talking encourages the use of language that is
needed for the specific task. Overall enhancing their language development and requires
inclusion from all group members. (Gibbons, 2015). According to Gibbons (2015) a welldesigned and well-run group offers opportunities for language learning and has benefits for
second language development. By allowing students to work in groups, they will have
more chances to interact with others and therefore increase the amount of language they
use. They may also discover that their peers can explain a task in terms they understand
more easily than what the teacher has said.

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LESSON NUMBER

Objectives
Learning Intention (Primary):
Learning rationale (ECE):

Activities/Tasks

Recognise how God was

perceived by people of the Old
Testament.
Identify how the Spirit of God was
named and referred to and can
be recognised in Old Testament
events.

Language Functions

Start lesson with a song

and prayer, reading line
by line. Also explain
what each line means
so EAL learners can
make connections. Vary
the songs and prayers

to other languages of
those learners within the
class.
Each group will share to
the class how God is
described in the Old
Testament.

Repetition

Explaining

Passing on
information

Learn how to find bible verses

within the bible by themselves,
through learning phonics to
identify the right chapter.

Telling ones past

In the same groups,

students make a
statement about what
people in the Old
Testament thought God
was like. Allow students
in groups to have a

discussion to use
language which will help
them with their overall
language learning.

Expressing
understanding

Giving reason

Answer the questions on

pre-made learning
journals, which will have

Repea
Your tu
I said..
say..

Can yo
What d
mean?
This song

Language Goal:

Language

Identifying Topic

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People
God wa
describ
People
God wa
We ide
the bib

In the p
God wa
describ
Old Tes
People
say..

Throug
researc
discove
We lea
We now
unders
We thin
though
becaus
God ha
differen
becaus
The rea
this..

What d

symbols which will help

children interpret the
tasks easier. These
symbols will be
explained to students at
the beginning of the unit
and constantly revisited
to inforce their
meanings.

Interpretation

Children then pick

favourite image from the

slides and explain why it
appeals to them, what it
tells them about God.

Expressing likes

Explaining

Sing a song in te reo

Mori.

Repetition

Explaining

questio
How w
answer
questio
I believ
becaus

What d
symbo
represe
These
mean..
These
relate t

This im
appeal
becaus
I dont
I like..
I love..
This te
Explain
like the
I like th
becaus
I find th
interes

Repea
Your tu
I said..
say..

Can yo
What d
mean?
This song

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LESSON NUMBER

Objectives
Learning Intention (Primary):
Learning rationale (ECE):

Activities/Tasks

Identify ways the spirit of god guided

the judges and kings in the old
testament.

Language Functions

Start lesson with a song

and prayer, reading line
by line. Also explain
what each line means
so EAL learners can
make connections. Vary
the songs and prayers
to other languages of
those learners within the
class.

Repetition

Children will have a

class discussion around
the information on the
slides.

Asking for meaning

Explaining

Can yo
What d
mean?
This so
Can you re
what it me

Answer the questions on

pre-made learning
journals, which will have
symbols which will help
children interpret the
tasks easier. These
symbols will be

What is
meanin
these s
I think.
I believ
These
mean..

Expressing purpose

Repea
Your tu
I said..
say..
Can yo
remem
said?

Language Goal:

Interpret the meaning behind bible

verses. Understand how the
language relates to what students
are learning around the holy spirit.

Language

Identifying Topic

Page 10 of 12

What is
purpos
PowerP
What is
purpos
learnin
Holy S
The pu
I believ
purpos
It tells u
The sli

What d
questio
How w
answer
questio

explained to students at
the beginning of the unit
and constantly revisited
to enforce their
meanings.

Interpretation

I believ
becaus

Sing a song, line by line.

What d
symbo
represe
These
mean..
These sym
to the task

Repetition

Repea
Your tu
I said..
say..

Can yo
What d
mean?
This so

Explaining

References
This section has been formatted in 12 point Arial with 1.5 line spacing, 12 point spacing
between paragraphs, and hanging indentation. Please type your references here.
Remember to use APA 6th edition conventions. Here is an example.
Howard, J. (2013). Cultural Studies lecture 2 [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from TECP202
Language, Social and Cultural Studies website:
http://learn.canterbury.ac.nz/course/view.php?id=3934&topic=15

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Gibbons, P. (2015). Chapter Three: Collaborative Group Work and Second Language
Learning. Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching English Language
Learners in the Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed., pp. 49-78). Portsmouth, United
States of America: Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2015). Chapter Five: Learning to Write in a Second Language and Culture.
Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching English Language Learners in
the Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed., pp. 96-134). Portsmouth, United States of
America: Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2015). Chapter Six: Reading in a Second Language and Culture. Scaffolding
Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching English Language Learners in the
Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed., pp. 135-181). Portsmouth, United States of America:
Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2015). Chapter Six: Reading in a Second Language and Culture: Barriers and
Bridges. Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching English Language
Learners in the Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed., pp. 135-181). Portsmouth, United
States of America: Heinemann.
Howard, J. (2013). Language, Culture and Identity: Enhancing Educational Experiences
and Outcomes for Diverse Learners Lecture K10. Retrieved from TECP315
Language, Culture and Identity website
https://lecture.canterbury.ac.nz/ess/echo/presentation/a6e25a78-0e31-45a1-8706b119b0a42440?ec=true
Met, M. (1994). Teaching Content Through a Second Language in Genesee, F (Ed.),
Educating Second Language Children. Cambridge: CUP.
The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand. (2016). Faith Alive. Retrieved 10/10/2016,
from http://www.faithalive.org.nz/

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