You are here

A VISIT TO CHARACTER EDUCATION IN A LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Journal Name:

Publication Year:

Author NameUniversity of Author
Abstract (2. Language): 
The importance of a better educated youth in the coming decades can not be ignored. This is mainly because in line with the scientific and technological developments going on in the world, different societal and moral problems continue arising. Thanks to recognition of this fact, the importance of social and emotional learning and character education has started to be emphasized as much as academic learning in education. ―Findings point to new advances in understanding the human brain not as a purely cognitive information processing system, but as a system in which affective functions and cognitive ones are inextricably integrated with one another ― (Picard et al. , 2004, p.253). Language education has its share in this matter because emotions accompany all cognitive processes including teaching and learning (Fogarty, 1998; Hargreaves, 2000). So, language teachers should be well equipped with these valuable ideas to better serve their students. This study is a try to achieve this goal. It is an 8 months story of a language class at YADIM, the Preparatory School of English at Çukurova University, located in Adana,Turkey during 2008-2009 academic year. For the purpose of this study, some core virtues of character development such as honesty, responsibility, respect, understanding, caring, citizenship, etc. were infused into the daily routine of the classroom in order to facilitate language learning and teaching. These ideas were mostly shared through students` mother tongue in the first four months, but later on as their level of English improved, the students were involved in different reading, writing tasks and discussions in English. This helped them not only understand and apply these virtues in their daily lives as students but learn and practice more English as well.
88-107

REFERENCES

References: 

Brannon, D. (2008). Character Education: It‘a Joint Responsibility. Kappa Delta Pi Record, Winter, 08. Bryk, A. S., Lee, V. E., & Smith, J. B. (1990). High School Organization and its effects on teachers and students: An interpretive summary of the research .In: W.H. Clune & J. F. Witte (Eds.), Choice and control in American education. Volume 1: The theory of choice and control in education (pp.135-226). London: The Falmer Press. Davies, L. (2006). Global Citizenship:Absraction or framework for action? Educational Review,58 (1): 5-25.
Dörnyei (2007) Creating a Motivating Classroom Environment. International Handbook of English Language Teaching, 719-731. http://www.springerlink.com/content/q7981417186v51u3 Easton, L. B. (2002). Lessons from learners. Educational Leadership, 60 (1): 64-68. Fogarty, R. (1998). The Intelligence Friendly Classroom: It just makes sense. Pfi Delta Kappan, 79 (9), 655-657. Garko, M. G.,Kough, C., Pignata, G., Kimmel, E. B., & Eison,J. (1994). Myths about student-faculty relationships: What do students really want? Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 5(2):51-65. Hargreaves, A. ―Mixed Emotions: teachers‘ perceptions of their interactions with students.‖ Science Direct 16-8 (2000):811-826 [available on Line]. Healea, C. D. (2005). Character Education with Resident Assistants: A Model for Developing Character on College Campuses. Journal of Education, 186 (1), 65-77. Helterban, V. R. (2009). Linking Character Education and Global Understanding through Children‘s Picture Books. Kappa Delta Pi Record, Winter, 09.
History of Character Education. Available on line: www.greenville.k12.sc.us Knobloch (2003). College Teachers ―making a difference‖-a research review. NACTA Journal, September, 03. Lickona, T. (1997). Teacher‘s Role in Character Education. Journal of Education,179 (2) :63-80. Meyers, S. A.(2003). Strategies to prevent and reduce conflict in college classrooms. College Teaching, 51 (3), 94-98. Noddings, N. (2005). ‗Caring in Education‘, the encyclopedia of informal education, www. Infed.org/biblio/noddings_caring_in_education.htm. Picard , R. W., Papert, S., Bender, W., Blumberg, B., Breazeal, C., Cavallo, D., Machover, T., Resnick, M., Roy, D. & Strohecker, C. (2004). Affective Learning – a manifesto. BT Technology Journal, 22(4), October 04, 253-269. Shann, M. H. (1999). Academics and culture of caring: Relationships between school achievement and prosocial and antisocial behaviors in four urban middle school. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 10 (4): 390-413. Wesley, D. C. (1999). Believing in our Students. Educational Leadership, 56 (4): 42-45
Whiteley, J. M., Yokota, N. (1988). Character Development in the Freshman Year and over Four Years of Undergraduate Study. The Freshman Year Experience. Monograph
A Visit to Character Education in a Language Classroom 107
Series. No. 1. South Carolina Univ.Columbia.Center for the Study of the Freshman Year Experience. Williams, M. & Burden, R.L. (1997). Psychology for Language Teachers: A Social Constructivist Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thank you for copying data from http://www.arastirmax.com