Publication details
Sculpting Students´ Skills
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Humanising Language Teaching |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | Humanizing Language Teaching August 2017 |
| Field | Pedagogy and education |
| Keywords | language teaching; sculptural art; communicative tasks; creativity; personalization |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The aim of this text is to share the author´s experience with developing and teaching language activities based on statues, sculptures or installations. It has been observed that those activities have enormous communicative potential and by emphasizing the visual, creative (or even physical) dimension of the tasks students are able to apply their language skills in a very natural way. The sample activities presented in this text should demonstrate various possibilities to include three dimensional artworks into language classes. Furthermore, it is argued that it is worth experimenting with creative tasks, with less traditional sculptural art and with teaching outdoors. The statues and sculptures related to historical events or cultural controversies can provoke students to express their personal views and share their ideas; debating expectations and roles related to art in public spaces develops students´ critical thinking and cultural awareness. Activities related to abstract sculptures or installations can stimulate students´ imaginative and critical potential, and thus contribute to a more personalized and engaging foreign language practice. |