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LOTE and Literacy

The benefits of LOTE learning for students' literacy will be seen not only in their enhanced intellectual skills, but also in their increased intercultural competencies, which will contribute to their becoming effective global citizens.

The embedded, task-based nature of current LOTE methodology has great potential to integrate with, and enhance:

Literacy in the students' first language;
Whole-school literacy programs;
Multiliteracies.

1. Literacy in the students' first language

For a paradigm useful in developing literacy skills:
Literacy and The Four Resource Model (new window) 53k

For a generic example of reading processes and strategies/activities applicable to a Sourcebook module on Curriculum Exchange: 'A Reading Framework'

For three examples of literacy activities on
Curriculum Exchange :

Reading the Story 'Two Brothers' (Chinese)

Reading the Story 'Siti Nurbaya' (Indonesian)

'Save our Planet' (Japanese)

For a brochure on the benefits of 'Linking Languages and Literacy': National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools Strategy (NALSAS)'s Reports and Publications

2. Whole-school literacy programs

Literacy is integral to effective learning, teaching and assessing in all curriculum areas and across all phases of learning.

Education Queensland has set an agenda for literacy that is leading the nation. Literacy - the Key to Learning: Framework for Action 2006-2008 (new window) 318k builds on the Literate Futures initiative. It includes 17 actions that provide the basis for an extensive coordinated program to improve literacy outcomes for all students including those who are educationally disadvantaged. The Framework identifies four areas for focused attention and action:

Literacy learning
Literacy leadership
Literacy in the curriculum
Literacy teaching

Associated with the implementation of the Framework is intensive professional development for all teachers from Prep to Year 9 and all early years teacher aides.

The Literacy - the Key to Learning website provides more information on the actions and links to resources.

LOTE teachers contribute actively to whole-school literacy programs by:

practising and reinforcing the same process skills and strategies which students need for communication in their major language across the curriculum;
exposing students to strategies to find and appraise information, make choices, and become autonomous learners;
encouraging students to become critical consumers of a range of texts, leading to a cross-cultural understanding of language and literacy.

3. Multiliteracies

Multiliteracies are not just about new technology and hybrid texts, they also require the ability to engage in the social responsibilities and interactions associated with these texts in a linguistically and culturally diverse society.

Literate Futures: Reading, p. 14.

LOTE teachers can employ a broad array of multiliteracies in order to:

provide students with the comprehensible input that supports language acquisition;
help students to appreciate the cultural and linguistic diversity that informs the construction of texts;
encourage students to explore innovative, multifaceted composition formats.

For suggestions about how to relate LOTE to multiliteracies:
Multiliteracies in the LOTE Classroom

For further information: Multiliteracies Hot Topic on the Curriculum Exchange.

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