The Deep Approach: Second Languages for Community Building

By Francois Victor Tochon

Bilingualism is not merely a "nice" addition to curriculum, but community enhancement the authors and contributors to this volume insist. Tochon is a native of Switzerland, which has three official languages, and has taught extensively in Canada, which has two official languages. In these and other settings, Tochon has experienced and researched the impact of bilingualism on schools and communities. Hanson, who is the TEACH Wisconsin Project Coordinator for Madison Metropolitan School District has also anecdotally experienced the individual and community benefits of bilingualism, joins Tochon and others in a research project designed to study the language phenomenon that they, themselves, have observed and experienced. In order to better understand the process involved, Tochon explains the idea of "deep approach": Here are the principles underlying nonintrusive action, which characterize what I call the "deep approach" to language teaching: Second languages are taught with the contribution of bilingual communities, typically those cultures and languages that are represented in the school. Action is taken with the people involved; these people participate voluntarily and freely. The approach is thematic and bottom-up. It has an ecological dimension. It is based upon projects. One does not begin with the presupposition that any one environment is superior to any other: What is at issue is the relationship between people concerned with education. Participants are conducting reflective research on their own actions. Explore with the authors the very real possibilities for developing a language learning program the benefits the students and the community.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891859471
• ISBN13: 9781891859472
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Atwood Publishing
• Length: 257 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.7" x 6.3"