Ways to Boost the Speaking Competence Using Imagery, Holism and
CreActivity in the Language Learning and Teaching Process
Gilberto
Hernández Quirós, Ph.D.
School of Modern Languages
University of Costa Rica
Abstract
This article refers to the pedagogical and
holistic aspects that should ideally be taken into account when planning and
teaching an EFL/ESL class. It focuses on
the ways students may benefit upon dynamically exploring and being engaged in
activities related to the richness of daily real life imagery. Aspects such as synesthesia, photisms, and
iconography will be presented as effective ways to boost students’ speaking and
learning competence as a whole. It also
presents an emerging paradigm in language instruction, where cyberspace seems
to be a great deal of humanity’s new habitat, and where, in order to learn, it
is necessary to unlearn and relearn being in the XXI century, globalized
society.
Key
words: imagery, synesthesia, iconography, photisms,
gustative.
Introduction
By
large and far, language instruction has changed in times where, oftentimes and
almost everywhere, chalk or whiteboards have been replaced by smart boards,
smart phones or flat screens with millions of colors and images that appeal to
different senses, and which may boost or
hamper the learning or teaching process.
It is a fact that students are now learning differently and at a faster
pace, thus as language professionals, we need to find ways to ensure successful
learning experiences in accordance with today’s “plugged and unplugged”
realities.
The
above consideration to make language instruction as appealing and effective as
possible is probably every teacher’s concern or goal to seek continuous
improvement and remain updated as for the latest and most efficient trends in
global education. For this purpose, ELT
professionals are urged to include imagery in their daily lesson planning and
teaching, aided by the use of technological gadgets (“plugged world”),
sensations and even students’ PLE’s (personal learning environments), including
social networks, blogs, phlogs or even wikis.
The Inclusion of Imagery in Lesson Planning and Teaching
When planning, training and/or teaching a lesson, the
main goal should be the needs of the target population. As Long (in Belcher, 2009, p. 1) stated,
English or any language, should be taught with specific purposes in mind. Therefore, the inclusion of imagery may help
students map, reinforce and make meaningful connections with those specific
purposes or aims for learning a given language or expressing a given thought,
idea or feeling.
Imagery refers to the use of vivid and descriptive
language to add depth to memorable and meaningful learning experiences. It appeals to human senses to deepen into
understanding. The following chart
summarizes the different kinds of images, among others, that human beings may
experience on a daily basis, and which ELT professionals may employ to foster
more enjoyable learning experiences. The
latter means that students should be allowed to openly experience and share
sensations such as those in visual literary which may prompt to recall moments
of childhood and evoke other sensations or feelings.
OLFACTORY: odor
AUDITORY: sound
ORGANIC: feeling of the body such as thirst, fatigue and hunger
KINESTHETIC: movement, action
VISUAL: sights
GUSTATIVE: taste
EMOTIONAL: feelings
TACTILE: touch
Synesthesia, photisms and iconography as part of an emerging paradigm in
education
Synesthesia (also spelled synaesthesia, plural
synesthesiae), from the ancient Greek σύν (syn),
"together," and αἴσθησις (aisthēsis),
“SENSATION”," refers a neurological condition in which STIMULATION of
one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in
a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
Photism or colored hearing, for example, is a condition
in which one type of sensory stimulation creates perception in another sense.
The most common form of synesthesia is called "colored hearing,"
where a person experiences a visual sensation when receiving an auditory signal. Photisms may lead to seeing taste, tasting
sound, feeling a color or even smelling a taste.
Synesthesia
has been utilized as a literary device by poets as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe,
Arthur Rimbaud, Hart Crane, and Dame Edith Sitwell to enrich their novels and
writing. ELT professionals can also
improve and maximize teaching and learning experiences by incorporating
activities that appeal to the above mentioned senses. In this sense, creactivity (not to confuse
with sole creativity) is to be called up and embrace the wealth of creativity
plus action, termed as creactivity. Dare to be creactive and give teaching a
synesthetic push and touch. Iconography
may also be a wonderful source to be creactive in the EFL/ESL learning
environment and empower students to project themselves freely through
technological means.
From Mere Academicism to Holism in the Classroom
The
inclusion of holism (from ὅλος holos,
a Greek
word meaning all, whole, entire, total) in education relates to the idea that
natural systems, including biological, social, physical, chemical, social,
economic, mental, and linguistic, among others and their properties, should be
viewed as wholes, not a collections of parts.
In other words, systems function as wholes and their functioning cannot
be fully understood in terms of the component parts. Gallegos (2001) asserts that holistic education
should guide us towards the integration of knowledge of science, spirituality and
traditions which consolidate the identities of people worldwide.
Education
has traditionally been administered from mere academicism, and we have been
raised and taught to adhere to rules in art, literature, values, as well as in
other conventionalisms that aim at mere, standardized formalism. Nevertheless, from a current globalized
linguistic view and standpoint, language instruction goes beyond academicism
considering and applying a holistic approach where interpersonal, academic and
physical vital aspects may be addressed as shown in the below graphic.
Some Recommendations Suggested Activities
The following are some recommendations and suggested
activities to help boost students’ speaking competence through the use of
imagery and a holistic approach to education.
- Include imagery in your lesson planning and
teaching.
- Dare to be creActive. Be creative and activity simultaneously!
- Explore and experience synesthesia, photisms and
iconography.
- Be aware of LEARNING TEACHING and TEACHING
LEARNING.
- Teach HOLISTICALLY. Do not take ownership of the “truth” and
respect differences as to not to attempt to always standardize.
- Respect students’ differences and diversities.
- Dare to be NEW and not REPEATED.
References
Delgado, Alberto. (2012). La CreActividad.
Revista de Lenguas Modernas, Universidad
de Costa Rica. No. 17 / julio-diciembre 2012.
Gallegos
Nava, Ramón. (2001). La educación del corazón. México: Fundación Internacional para la Educación Holística.
Gutiérrez,
Francisco y Prado R. Cruz. (2001). Ecopedagogía
y ciudadanía. Publicación virtual de
la Facultad de Psicología y Psicopedagogía de la USAL. Año II No. 2. Disponible en www.salvador.edu.ar/psic/ual-9pub02-8-05.htm
Hernández Quirós, Gilberto. Auto-organización, interconectividad y mediación pedagógica a través de
espacios tecno-sociales. 2010. Fecha de consulta: 15 de setiembre, 2013. Disponible en: http://www.gilbertohernandez.blogspot.com
