interactive glossary

INTERACTIVE GLOSSARY

Deep Learning

combination of crystallized and fluid intelligences which builds complex understanding and meaning.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

level of potential learning a person can achieve with sufficient scaffolding and support (see Lev Vygotsky).

The Comprehension Hypothesis

that a person learns language through acquisition when engaging with and understanding content which is meaningful (see Stephen Krashen The Monitor Model; see Noam Chomsky The Language Acquisition Device).

Mind and Brain

whereas the brain is a physical organ, the mind includes what happens within the brain such as mental processes, thought and consciousness. It is difficult to separate these when examining specific research data.

Critical Thinking

intellectual process enabling a person to objectively analyse and evaluate an issue

Translanguaging

The bilingual mind has two languages which form a unitary linguistic system. Translanguaging involves using this greater capacity for thinking and action. In education it involves the systematic use of two languages for learning content. (see Cen Williams; see Ofelia García & Li Wei)

Creativity & Innovation

terms frequently understood differently within and across languages and cultures. Creativity relates to imaginative activity envisioning a new system, a new way of doing things. Innovation relates to realizing a new system, a new way of doing things.

Psychological Distance

as defined in Construal Level Theory where there is distance between a person and something which may be in terms of time, physical space, interpersonal relations, and the gap between something being actual or hypothetical (see Yaacov Trope and Nira Liberman).

Divergent and Convergent Thinking

generating new ideas by exploring different potential solutions represents divergent thinking. Convergent thinking involves exploring potential solutions by following a sequence of logical steps and rational thinking (see Joy Paul Guilford).

Crystallized Intelligence

ability to make deductions in developing secondary relational abstractions by drawing on primary relational abstractions - what a person has already learnt as prior knowledge (see Raymond Cattell).

Conceptual Expansion

expansion of a person’s conceptual system which can lead to enhanced creativity and the formulation of new ideas

Critical Thinking

making judgements by analysing what is factual objectively and rationally (see Socratic questioning).

Fluid intelligence

the capacity to think logically, identify patterns and relationships, to be reactive and proactive in understanding features and processes in new and emergent situations with and without dependency on prior knowledge. Colloquially it can be thought of as adaptive knowledge and skills (see Raymond Cattell)

Executive Function

cognitive processes that consciously control our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours to achieve goals. These include inhibitory control, attention control, cognitive flexibility amongst others. Higher order executive functions include reasoning and problem-solving which are a part of fluid intelligence (see Michael Posner, Joaquin Fuster, Tim Shallice).

Multicompetence

the different languages people know form a connected system, a unique resource for thinking and action, rather than each language being a separate system (see Vivian Cook).

Standardized Tests

questions, time allocated for answering, scoring procedures, and interpretations of right and wrong are generally managed in a single consistent way.

Affective Dimensions

feelings and emotional aspects of learning and being a learner that can trigger the affective filter and reduce the capacity to successfully learn which include self-direction, lack of purpose, anxiety, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and negative thinking

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language (see David Marsh)

Maximum Exposure Hypothesis

originally linked to political discussion in North America, it is used to explain something that is intuitively sound but not supported by evidence, namely that that the amount of time-on-task is a determiner for successful or unsuccessful language learning (see Jim Cummins).

Affective Filter Hypothesis

affective filter is a metaphor for an imaginary barrier that is said to block learning when it is up and enable successful learning when it is down. When a person learns language they may understand the surface meaning of something, but if s/he has negative feelings or emotions resulting from stress, low-self-esteem, anxiety, or disengagement, their capacity to understand is hindered and learning is ultimately unsuccessful (see Stephen Krashen The Monitor Model; see Noam Chomsky The Language Acquisition Device).

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

that a person can learn language in two ways, through largely subconscious language acquisition, and through largely conscious explicit language learning (see Stephen Krashen The Monitor Model; see Noam Chomsky The Language Acquisition Device).

Global Competences

knowledge and understanding of global issues, skills for analytical and critical thinking, attitudes such as openness and respect towards other people, and values appraising human dignity and cultural diversity (see OECD PISA)

Cross-language Interactivity

potential for bilingual advantage when two languages are co-activated during language processing and there is interaction between two linguistic systems (see François Grosjean).

Morphological Awareness

recognition and understanding of how words are made up of useful units which enables deeper lexical skills within and across languages and is a significant contributor to helping people read and spell.

Cognitive Flexibility

higher order cognition processes enabling a person to think about something from different perspectives, mentally adapt to context, and restructure knowledge (see Jean Piaget).

Constructivism

knowledge constructed through interaction with other people (see Jerome Bruner, John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).

Digital Literacy

ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. American Library Association (ALA).

Systems Thinking

seeing patterns and interdependency of how one thing is related to and influences another (see Donald Hebb).

Pragmatics

the study of meaning in context leading to understanding of the contexts in which people communicate to help interpret the intended meaning of how they use language in certain ways (see J. L. Austin; Paul Grice; Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson).

Semantic and Episodic Memory

semantic = remembering general facts, factual and conceptual knowledge of the world; episodic = memories of events that the person has experienced in life (see Endel Tulving).

Flow of Learning

a highly focused mental state that people experience when they are engaged in an activity with a high level of concentration which can lead to deep learning (see Mihály Csíkszentmihályi).