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Understanding language and learning

Learning is understood broadly as any kind of activity, whether in a formal or informal context, that enhances an individual’s knowledge or skills in one way or another. The relationship between language and learning is approached in three ways: learning a language, learning about language and learning through language. This free course, Understanding language and learning, explains and illustrates the different relationships between language and learning, and these are illustrated through videos, activities and other examples.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- understand key issues in the relationship between language and learning
- understand the importance of language in learning
- understand the different ways in which language features in learning
- reflect critically on language and on learning.
First Published: 27/10/2016
Updated: 17/05/2017
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Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Is this course for me?
- 2 Learning language and learning about the world
- 3 Language and learning as cognitive or social processes
- 4 Learning a language, learning through language and learning about language
- 5 Learning language and mental development: an introduction to Vygotsky
- 6 The zone of proximal development (ZPD)
- 7 Learning through language in bilingual education
- 8 Problematising the L1/L2 dichotomy
- 9 English as a global language and World Englishes
- Conclusion
- References
- Acknowledgements
- This site has Copy Reuse Tracking enabled - see our FAQs for more information.
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10 hours study
Level 3: Advanced
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