Course Guide: Learning Languages with Senior Learners

1 Introduction

This guide outlines the various components of the course. You are introduced to efficient ways of studying the materials, including how to use and benefit from the various online resources and communication tools for your learning. We recommend that you read this guide before beginning your study, and then refer to it as necessary as you progress.

Objectives

This course covers a variety of study materials revolving around the theory and practice of learning languages with senior learners. As someone who works either in paid or unpaid care settings or care situations you can become drivers of change by implementing what you learn here and starting a positive move towards a joined language learning journey with senior learners. While studying this course you will have the opportunity to apply your new skills in your care setting with your senior learner/s, and we hope that your confidence in this aspect of your practice will increase.

After studying this course and participating in the tasks you will have an awareness of:

• How senior learners learn

• How wellbeing and healthy ageing through joined learning can be supported in your own care context

• Criteria for good practice in social care

• Planning and sequencing a simple Language learning session

• Creating suitable materials and contexts for a Language learning session

• Reflection on the delivery of a Language learning session

• Effective and inclusive communication in your own care context

• Evaluation of a Language learning session for quality assurance

• Regional and national language learning projects and initiatives

• Current research and practical support strategies

Meet the group

You will interact with the other students in the discussion forum as well as during the synchronous online tutorials.

The online conferencing tool Zoom enables you to talk to and work with other students in your group in ‘real’ time. Online tutorials are held at regular intervals during the course.

2 Content

This course comprises six units as follows:

• Unit 1: Induction and Introduction

• Unit 2: Senior Learners and the Concept of Wellbeing

• Unit 3: Learning and Memory

• Unit 4: The Power of Language

• Unit 5: Creative Ageing - Opportunities and Outlook

• Unit 6: Evaluation

Each unit includes engagement with research, application of knowledge activities and exchanges with other students in the forum and in tutorials, as well as formative reflective tasks in the Reflective Learning Log.

As students from the various UK nations can study this course, we have included information about the different policy landscapes regarding standards of care in these nations. It might be of interest to you to explore the policy landscapes in the nations your fellow students work in and to compare these with your own nation’s framework.

3 Tutorials

The tutorials are important for completing the work on each unit. Please note that all tutorials will be recorded for students who might not be able to attend. However, as listening to the recording cannot fully replace the experience of taking part in person, we advise you to attend as many of the tutorials as possible.

There is no expectation that participants use the camera during the live tutorial sessions. Yet, we do welcome all who are keen to use this tool as it supports engaging and interactive tutorial experiences.

4 Structure

Most units are structured as follows:

1: Input

Here you study some audio-visual and text-based materials to activate your thinking about the theme of the unit. You will be asked to reflect on aspects of these materials and can compare your reflections with the model answers provided. You should also be prepared to discuss aspects of the materials further in the tutorial.

2: Tutorial

Here you will be able to engage in deeper discussion inspired by the materials. A central aspect of your tutorial will be the opportunity to start planning for and discussing approaches to learning languages with senior learners.

3: Application and reflection

This takes place in your care setting, with your learner/s. You will try out the task you started designing during the tutorial and completed afterwards. Part of the application task is to reflect on the challenges and successes of your planned activity in the Reflective Learning Log. In order to gain a certificate stating that you have successfully passed the course, you will have to successfully undertake all aspects of at least four out of the five Application and Reflection tasks. Please note that this will have to include the Application and Reflection task in Unit 5. Your tutor will monitor your work on the Application and Reflection tasks throughout the course.

In addition, in units 2 to 5 this section includes the task to produce a short reflective account of your own and your learners’ experiences during the language learning and the impact of this learning you observe. This part is not assessed, but the insights you share there will be important information for the research project this course feeds into. You will receive feedback from your tutor and the researchers on these accounts.

4: Community link

This provides information on an existing language learning initiative in the wider community. The purpose of this element is to inspire thoughts for collaboration with these or other community groups with an interest in language learning. The aim is to highlight how you can take language learning beyond your own care setting and link up with others in the languages community.

5: Further Engagement

This includes suggestions for further related academic and other reading, practice or learning that you may wish to undertake.

5 How to study this course

The course is designed to cater for different study approaches and intentions. You can study this course by, for example:

• following the chronological order of the units and going through all parts of the units step-by-step

• studying the core unit materials first of all and then returning to the Further Reading sections at a later stage.

We estimate that you will spend 3 to 4 hours studying per week, depending on your previous knowledge of language teaching, your level of academic skills, and the intensity of your engagement. Please note that the study time estimate only takes into account the engagement with the core study materials.

6 How to record your learning and monitor your progress

Each unit starts with an introduction and a list of its key learning objectives. This is followed by a number of activities. Each unit has a similar format.

As you go through each unit, we suggest you keep a learning diary by taking notes on paper, in a Word document, in the Reflective Learning Log, or any other format of your choice on aspects that are of particular interest to you. This will then constitute your summary of key things to take away from each unit. In addition, you might want to take a note of some of the weblinks and other resources introduced in each unit for future reference.

7 Discussion forum

The discussion forum is the central space in this course for you to interact with your fellow students and your tutor. Here you can ask questions or engage in discussions with others. Your tutor will post information about tutorials here and also provide a quick overview each week of important unit activities. This space will also be used to complete the Application and Reflection activities. It is important to check the discussion forum regularly and contribute as often as possible.

8 Study level

This part requires academic skills at Higher Education introductory level.

Study level language

OU  SCQF  FHEQ

1         7         4

9 Assessment

Please read the Assessment Guide to see which tasks you need to do in order to receive a certificate for this course.

1: Forms of assessment

All assessment is formative. You are encouraged to learn from the contributions of other students and tutors, engaging with feedback you receive and giving feedback yourself.

The types of feedback include:

• the model answers to the activities you engage with in each unit,

• your posts in the discussion forum in response to the application task in each unit,

• tutor comments on your forum posts,

• your constructive comments on other people’s posts in the discussion forum

2: Assessment deadlines

You will have deadlines for the submission of the application tasks at the end of each unit, and the timetable of this can be found in the Assesment Timetable. Please adhere to these deadlines so that tutors can submit their feedback to you in a timely manner.

Tutors have ten working days from the date of your submission to provide their feedback.

If you need an extension for the submission of the application tasks, please contact your tutor in advance of the set submission date to arrange this.

Please ensure that you engage in forum interactions with the group in as timely a manner as possible, since a meaningful exchange can only happen when all students engage with each other in the dedicated time frame. Your tutor/s will remind you of these time frames and moderate the forum discussions.

If you are reading this as part of Unit 1, click here to continue to Activity 1.2  Video introduction to the course.

Otherwise, click the back button to return.