ERIC Number: EJ1124521
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 2
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1083-5415
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Activating the Imagination inside the World Language Classroom
Mitchell, Claire
Learning Languages, v21 n1 p24-25 Fall-Win 2015
Imagination, creation, and innovation are three powerful words that present many possibilities in the world language classroom. When learners can see themselves as language users, they take ownership of their learning experience and become more invested in and engaged with the topic being studied. This heightened sense of investment in turn leads to creation and innovation, further propelling them to use the language in new and exciting ways. The possibility of interacting with people who speak different languages and are from different cultures increases on a daily basis, and learners must have cultural awareness in order to be successful in today's societies. A unique way to cultivate these skills from within the four walls of the world language classroom is through the use of technology, and more specifically, through social media. By using social media in the world language classroom, students begin to see a connection between how they learn a language and their worlds beyond the classroom. The very reason students are drawn to social media is because it offers opportunities to collaborate, connect, and interact in diverse virtual contexts. The author describes various ways she discovered to use Pinterest in her own Spanish language classroom to activate learners' imagination.
Descriptors: Second Language Learning, Learner Engagement, Intercultural Communication, Cultural Awareness, Social Media, Technology Uses in Education, Language Skills, Skill Development, Language Usage, Culturally Relevant Education, Interpersonal Communication, Computer Mediated Communication, Spanish, Imagination, Teaching Methods, Second Language Instruction, Elementary Secondary Education, Higher Education
National Network for Early Language Learning. Winston-Salem, NC. e-mail: nnell@wfu.edu; Web site: http://nnell.org/learning-languages-journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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