MFL & INCLUSION

LEARNING & TEACHING
active and multisensory learning

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WHAT IS MULTI-SENSORY LEARNING?

All of us learn through all our senses. Some of us learn better through one sense than another. Some pupils learn best through visual approaches; others through auditory approaches; yet others through a combination of the two. For some pupils the written word is not an optional extra but an integral part of their learning process. Many pupils enjoy work which involves an active, physical response and learn well where such methods are employed. One of the advantages of using visual, audio and tactile materials to support textual ones is that the resulting mixture of styles means that teaching will be appropriate for a wider range of learners. It's not all that difficult, just look at what you're already doing, see what senses are already being used, see how the task could be extended to use at least one other sense too. Try to involve all the senses from time to time. Some examples:

Sight text, pictures, graphics

Sound listening to teacher and others, to recordings, videos;

talking, shouting, whispering, singing, rhymes, story-telling, clapping rhythmically to indicate syllabic stress, etc.

Touch handling objects, making things, describing shapes, gesturing, using computer keyboard, etc.)

Taste sampling food and drink, 'savouring the language' (articulation? intonation)

Action manual and physical activity; games involving manipulating objects or moving about.

WHY SHOULD WE PROVIDE MULTI-SENSORY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES?

• We need to accommodate different learning styles; not everyone learns best in the same way.
• In the past, language too often just meant text, and increasingly learners are finding text difficult and de-motivating.
• Research tells us that just telling someone something is not the most efficient way of getting them to learn it.
• For learners with special needs, understanding of concepts depends on experience rather than on 'telling'.
• Pictures provide a 'peg' to hang language on and as an aid to memory and recall.
• Frequent change of activity prevents boredom, sustains interest.
• Learners need lots of practice in manipulating the elements of the language (consolidation) before attempting to use the language to speak, listen, read or write.

CONSOLIDATING LEARNING

The most common reason for failure to progress in second language learning is lack of opportunity for consolidation. Insufficient familiarity with core material makes it impossible for a pupil to perform as desired and quickly results in lack of confidence, often leading to lack of motivation and behavioural problems. It is better to offer learners half a dozen two-minute activities which will allow them to consolidate what they have learned rather than one ten-minute activity which may not sustain their attention. The keys to success are: small steps, frequent repetition, and a wide variety of consolidation activities before productive use is expected.

Games are particularly useful in mixed ability classes since they are essentially repetitive in nature - thus aiding consolidation of language recently presented by the teacher. Their randomness and unpredictability help to maintain motivation and to sustain the interest of quicker pupils. However, it is important to ensure that all the generic language (rules, instructions etc.) is clearly understood and can be used by all pupils. Unless learners are confident of their ability to use the games-specific vocabulary they will be tempted to stop playing the game or to revert to using English.

Some pupils find face-to-face communication very difficult and do not like to be the centre of attention. Using games in language work helps to divert attention away from the individual to the materials being used and this can allow pupils to participate who would otherwise be too self- conscious to do so.

WHAT MATERIALS CAN I USE?

Almost anything that learners can handle can be used to engage and motivate them. Some examples:
 

Puppets can be bought or made inexpensively, and can be used with learners or all ages provided that their 'street cred' is respected: e.g by asking them to make up plays and dialogues that can be used to teach younger learners. Puppets can:

• carry the fiction that they speak only the language that is being learned;
• can be blamed for mistakes;
• provide a focus of attention which is appreciated by learners who are self-conscious and reluctant to speak, or those who find it difficult to make eye-contact.

Picture cards can be used in a number of ways:

• singly, in packs, in selected groupings, in sequences;
• combined with other elements, such as dice, spinners, text to provide practice with simple or more complex linguistic structures;
• to stimulate various activities: speaking, listening, reading, writing, mime etc.;
• to provide work for individuals, groups or the whole class.

Photocopiable visuals can be used instead of (or to supplement) the cards, in any of the ways listed above. In addition, they can be:

• copied in whole sheets to serve as boards for games;
• copied, cut, and used in new combinations for games of the teacher's or pupils' devising;
• used to make a picture dictionary; this will both create a record work done and serve as a source of reference and revision;
• enlarged for use as flashcards, worksheets, aides-mémoire, wall displays, etc;
• copied onto acetate for use with the OHP;
• provide a bank of visual material that can be used to illustrate a wide range of textual products.

Dice and spinners and other 'randomisers' can be used:

• to add an element of unpredictability to tasks;
• on their own, individually, to prompt certain linguistic responses;
• in combination with one another, to prompt more complex structures;
• in conjunction with cards or photocopied visuals.

Stile Trays can be used in conjunction with sheets of 12 visuals:

• to encourage group or independent learning;
• to teach the skills of self-assessment;
• as a challenge, to see who complete the most quickly.

Language Master systems and cards can be customised to provide a source of practice and revision of all the core vocabulary for a unit of work. They can:

• provide a model of correct pronunciation and/or spelling;
• provide, on one card, pictorial, audio and textual support for learning;
• provide practice in listening, reading and speaking
• encourage independent learning and self assessment.

Notes on resources mentioned above

Drake Language master System
St Fagans Road, Fairwater, Cardiff CF5 3AE.
Tel: 029 2056 0333.
Email: enquiries@language-master.co.uk
Web: http://www.language-master.co.uk

Stile trays and spinners
LDA Learning, Abbeygate House, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1DB.
Tel: 0845 120 4776
Web: http://www.ldalearning.com/scripts/detail.php?intItemCode=LL04500

Cards, dice, illustrations
MLG Publishing, PO Box 1526, Hanwell, London W7 1ND.
Tel: 020 8567 0176
Email: mlg@dircon.co.uk
Web: http://www.mlgpublishing.com
 

You can download all of the above as a PDF file:

Notes on using MLG resources and similar materials to consolidate learning

Introducing new concepts Some thoughts on multisensory support for learners who have difficulty with concepts

An example of an active learning task

POINT FOR REFLECTION

Research published recently suggests that the neurons in the brain which respond to sensory stimuli "have the capacity to amplify their signals when confronted with stimuli from multiple senses".

SOUND BITE

...as a species, we remember 20 per cent of what we hear and 30 per cent of what we see. Combine these senses and recall is dramatically increased to 70 per cent.

John Davitt in Times Educational Supplement 28.2.97

For suggestions for resources which support multisensory approaches go the the Resources page on this site.

For links to resources on other websites, see below.

LINKS

Pupils learn Spanish by dancing
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4222089.stm

Active learning
For more ideas and useful links, see: http://www.active-learning-site.com/

Colour
An intriguing scientific article on the effect of colour on ability to pay attention to detail:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1202-tracking_your_team.htm
 

Multisensory learning in inclusive classrooms
An article packed with useful ideas and further references
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Multisensory+learning+in+inclusive+classrooms-a0111848857

12.1.09 Poetry
An interesting article about reading poetry with learners, not just for meaning and structure, but for sounds, and the emotions created by those sounds.
http://nclrc.org/teachers_corner/classroom_solutions_yana/current_entry.html
 

5.1.09 Strategies for Learning: Sensory Learning Styles
There are numerous resources that will help you identify your own or your pupils' own learning styles and preferences. Here is one example. Once gained, you can use the information to broaden the multisensory scope of the learning activities you offer.
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/passxl/pdfs/Sensory_Learning_Styles_survey.pdf
 

16.2.09 Sound patterns
Exposure to the sound patterns of another language, even if it is initially meaningless, could hold the key to quickly picking up a foreign tongue, says a researcher.
http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/88492/cat/73/Default.aspx
 

16.2.09 Listening practice with vision and textual support
Videos in French from Quebec, with online activities and optional subtitles:
http://www.reelfrench.com/index.php
 

26.2.09 How music helps language learning
http://languagestudy.suite101.com/article.cfm/why_use_music_to_learn_language

More about "the Mozart Effect"
http://www.parenting-baby.com/Parenting-Baby-Music-Research/index1.html
 

22.4.09 Article: The sense of touch allows us to make a better connection between sight and hearing
With links to related articles.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318112937.htm
 

22.4.09 Tools for generating your own active/interactive activties
http://teachers.thelanguagemenu.com/
 

26.4.09 Verbs and music
John Bald  and Joseph Biswell on an approach that combines music and brain research to provide a fun way to practice French verbs:
http://johnbald.typepad.com/language/2008/09/je-suis-song-joe-biswell.html
 

19.6.09 Using mind maps and brainstorming to explore ideas
From an interesting website for teachers in sub-Saharan Africa; ideas can be applied generally:
http://www.tessafrica.net/images/stories/static_files/kr_brainstorming.pdf
 

30.7.09 The power of multisensory learning
A short item about early language learning
http://www.early-advantage.com/Articles/multisensorylearning.aspx
 

30.7.09 The Quality Improvement Agency's definition of multi-sensory teaching
http://teachingandlearning.qia.org.uk/tlp/pedagogy/assets/documents/qs_multi_sensory_learning.pdf
 

9.8.09 Researchers at the University of Michigan, investigating the effectiveness of pictured-based and word-based strategies for vocabulary learning, have concluded that the picture-based method leads to a better performance (except for cognate words). For the full report see: L2 Vocabulary Acquisition in Children: Effects of Learning Method and Cognate Status, Claudio Tonzar, Lorella Lotto, Remo Job. Language Learning, Volume 59, Issue 3, Pages 623 - 646. See the abstract here:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122540840/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
 

11.8.09 Some nicely illustrated vocabulary sheets available to download from the publisher of Collins Easy Learning Dictionaries.
http://www.collinslanguage.com/extras/resources/easy-learning/french.aspx
 

3.9.09 Songs
About 30 new tunes were recently posted to "French through Songs and Singing / Chansons françaises et francophones en cours de FLE," a free educational resource for students and teachers of French. The site, http://www.southwestern.edu/%7Eprevots/songs, features streaming MP3s, annotated lyrics, articles and links. The recordings are primarily of traditional songs in the public domain, along with an occasional original.
 

20.10.09 The Spanish-speaking bear
A strategy they use at a weekend language school to get the kids from bilingual families in USA to speak Spanish.
Read the article at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tobar22-2009sep22,0,5869385.story
 

26.10.09 Using drama to teach languages
Article and plays for you to try
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/sharingpractice/d/drama.asp?strReferringChannel=mfle
 

19.11.09 Active Learning
Thanks to Suzanne Milne of Angus Council for permission to include this PowerPoint presentation on the subject of Active Learning.

3.2.10 Twenty movement activities and games for elementary classrooms
Ideas for physical activities that lend themselves well to language practice.
http://teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/leah-davies/movement-games/
 

Page last updated: 6.2.10

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