The semiotics and ecologyof language learning - perception, voice, identity and democracy

Abstract

This presentation will outline the principles of a semiotic and ecological approach to language learning, and the practical consequences for classroom teaching and learning that follow from taking such an approach. A semiotic and ecological view of language and of learning entails that the context – physical, social and symbolic – is a central element in teaching and learning, and that issues such as embodiment of language and spatio-temporal structures are instrumental in the creation of learning opportunities. The approach emphasizes the development of the learner’s social self and identity within the context of a democratic community of learning. At the practical level the presentation will discuss project-based learning and the roles of modeling, scaffolding and collaborative learning.