I started my UK career with Birmingham Industrial Language Training Services. I later moved to the Hebrides via ESOL positions at Kilmarnock and Clydebank Colleges. I am now a Project Manager and Researcher with the CIALL project for Collaborative Inter-disciplinary & Applied Linguistic Links at the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Language Sciences Institute, which maintains close community links through the Island Voices/Guthan nan Eilean project.
Divergent views on the relative value or status of spoken and written language skills may contrib... more Divergent views on the relative value or status of spoken and written language skills may contribute to a disconnect between lay community members and language professionals, activists, or academics, and conflicted approaches to language support, teaching and/or revitalisation. Taking the bilingual Outer Hebrides as a case study, an online language capture and curation project is described which attempts to engage with these issues, acknowledging an important place for Reading Aloud in the range of strategies employed.
The main purpose of this document is to supply a printable copy of all the transcripts in the "Sa... more The main purpose of this document is to supply a printable copy of all the transcripts in the "Saoghal Thormoid" series of conversations between Norman Maclean and Gordon Wells, in cases where online access is not preferred, or is difficult or not available. A brief description of the project method and acknowledgements are given, followed by short synopses of each day’s conversation. These are followed by the transcripts themselves in the final section. The volume also includes a Foreword by Professor Conchúr Ó Giollagáín.
In the context of NATECLA's "Language Issues" focus on Community Languages, this article gives an... more In the context of NATECLA's "Language Issues" focus on Community Languages, this article gives an overview of the Guthan nan Eilean/Island Voices project. The emphasis is on Scottish Gaelic, together with how the project interacts with new technologies in a community setting. There is also discussion of how similar approaches might be adopted and utilised with other community languages.
The aims and products of the TOOLS for CLIL Teachers project are outlined, with links to sample m... more The aims and products of the TOOLS for CLIL Teachers project are outlined, with links to sample materials, further evaluation and analysis of issues relating to dissemination and training, and to technical description. Particular attention is drawn to differential approaches to support material production between Irish and Scottish Gaelic. In the Irish context emphasis is placed on an immersive approach for the benefit of relatively high numbers of speakers and learners. In the Scottish context absolute and relative numbers are lower, and the rationale has been pragmatic and skills-based with a focus on community use.
This study follows on from a 2011 exploration of perceptions of Gaelic learning and use in the sa... more This study follows on from a 2011 exploration of perceptions of Gaelic learning and use in the same Uist community. It examines the local use of multimodal digital literacies as a social practice. The Guthan nan Eilean language capture and curation project is presented as a case study in the development of User Generated Content with a community focus. Online viewing statistics indicate a constantly growing audience that extends far beyond the islands.
Specific research questions put to a sample of Gaelic-supporting residents address digital literacy practices and preferences in the contexts of multimodality, bilingualism, and community impact. Participants find value in capturing spoken language in digital format, irrespective of their written skills in Gaelic. They are comfortable using their bilingualism to support the production of Gaelic output. Indications are also obtained that placing digital content in the public domain can encourage wider use of Gaelic in community settings where English might normally be the default language of communication.
Individual community members are liable to develop their own creative preferences within the range of possible activities that digital literacies enable. Project participants took a positive view overall of their engagement with new approaches to content generation, and had many suggestions for further development. It is felt desirable to have a level playing field in relation to broadband connectivity for all areas. A wide range of Gaelic and community interests and projects stand to gain from further development of this field of work.
This study elicits and documents a range of views in the Uists, in the Outer Hebrides, among comm... more This study elicits and documents a range of views in the Uists, in the Outer Hebrides, among community members with an interest in Gaelic, both speakers and would-be speakers. Particular attention is paid to perceptions in relation to bilingualism and literacy, and their possible impact on willingness to converse in Gaelic. Feelings of some ambivalence in these areas may result in underconfidence in speaking. Prevalent bilingual code-mixing also raises questions of definition and acceptability. Interaction between fluent speakers and learners makes demands of the former which may not be generally acknowledged. Successful learners develop strategies for community engagement in Gaelic, in a context where fluent speakers are generally well disposed to help to the extent that they feel able. A process of positive re-evaluation of existing bilingual skills may help raise consciousness and boost confidence in both learners and fluent speakers, so stimulating increased use and learning of Gaelic in a range of community contexts.
Teaching Remote Foreign Languages: Odense Working Papers in Language and Communication, 1994
In Britain today there is a large multilingual South Asian population, including speakers of Hind... more In Britain today there is a large multilingual South Asian population, including speakers of Hindi and Urdu, the national languages of India and Pakistan respectively. This paper briefly sketches the social and educational context of Hindi and Urdu in Britain, and describes in some detail the development and delivery of one initiative to exploit/address the situation - the BBC TV project, "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal", for which the writer acted as consultant and co-writer.
Current trends in language teaching lay emphasis on learner autonomy and language as communication, and "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal" aims to teach spoken Hindi and Urdu to adult beginners with an emphasis on independent learning in a local community context. In doing so it adopts new approaches to the romanisation of Hindi and Urdu, and to the pedagogical description of their grammar. It also attempts to stimulate the development of learner-speaker networks, and challenges established perceptions (among both learners and speakers) of the roles and status of these languages.
The approach described raises general questions concerning transcription versus transliteration, regional versus national/standard varieties, the learner-speaker dynamic etc, which may be of interest to teachers of other "remote" languages.
1991 Paper for Fasgnag: Seminar/Conference on Social and Related Research on Gaelic Language and ... more 1991 Paper for Fasgnag: Seminar/Conference on Social and Related Research on Gaelic Language and Community, at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
Perhaps of historical interest to those engaged in more recent NEST/NNEST and other related debat... more Perhaps of historical interest to those engaged in more recent NEST/NNEST and other related debates:
"'Mother Tongue' and 'Native Speaker' are subjects of theoretical and professional controversy. This paper combines a discussion of various theoretical formulations with a survey of usage and opinions in a range of adult learning contexts. The survey report documents a variety of learners' and teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and rationalisations. Survey evidence appears to support the contention that group identity or loyalty may play an important role in the identification of 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker'. Methodological weaknesses however cast doubt on the validity and reliability of crude indications that 'native speaker' teachers are preferred by language learners.
Some methodological, theoretical, and policy implications for language teaching are considered, highlighting potentially dangerous associations between 'native speaker' and 'monolingual', 'native speaker' and 'proficient', and 'native speaker' and 'ethnic'. It is suggested that language teaching institutions themselves have a special interest or responsibility in using the terms 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker' with care."
Divergent views on the relative value or status of spoken and written language skills may contrib... more Divergent views on the relative value or status of spoken and written language skills may contribute to a disconnect between lay community members and language professionals, activists, or academics, and conflicted approaches to language support, teaching and/or revitalisation. Taking the bilingual Outer Hebrides as a case study, an online language capture and curation project is described which attempts to engage with these issues, acknowledging an important place for Reading Aloud in the range of strategies employed.
The main purpose of this document is to supply a printable copy of all the transcripts in the "Sa... more The main purpose of this document is to supply a printable copy of all the transcripts in the "Saoghal Thormoid" series of conversations between Norman Maclean and Gordon Wells, in cases where online access is not preferred, or is difficult or not available. A brief description of the project method and acknowledgements are given, followed by short synopses of each day’s conversation. These are followed by the transcripts themselves in the final section. The volume also includes a Foreword by Professor Conchúr Ó Giollagáín.
In the context of NATECLA's "Language Issues" focus on Community Languages, this article gives an... more In the context of NATECLA's "Language Issues" focus on Community Languages, this article gives an overview of the Guthan nan Eilean/Island Voices project. The emphasis is on Scottish Gaelic, together with how the project interacts with new technologies in a community setting. There is also discussion of how similar approaches might be adopted and utilised with other community languages.
The aims and products of the TOOLS for CLIL Teachers project are outlined, with links to sample m... more The aims and products of the TOOLS for CLIL Teachers project are outlined, with links to sample materials, further evaluation and analysis of issues relating to dissemination and training, and to technical description. Particular attention is drawn to differential approaches to support material production between Irish and Scottish Gaelic. In the Irish context emphasis is placed on an immersive approach for the benefit of relatively high numbers of speakers and learners. In the Scottish context absolute and relative numbers are lower, and the rationale has been pragmatic and skills-based with a focus on community use.
This study follows on from a 2011 exploration of perceptions of Gaelic learning and use in the sa... more This study follows on from a 2011 exploration of perceptions of Gaelic learning and use in the same Uist community. It examines the local use of multimodal digital literacies as a social practice. The Guthan nan Eilean language capture and curation project is presented as a case study in the development of User Generated Content with a community focus. Online viewing statistics indicate a constantly growing audience that extends far beyond the islands.
Specific research questions put to a sample of Gaelic-supporting residents address digital literacy practices and preferences in the contexts of multimodality, bilingualism, and community impact. Participants find value in capturing spoken language in digital format, irrespective of their written skills in Gaelic. They are comfortable using their bilingualism to support the production of Gaelic output. Indications are also obtained that placing digital content in the public domain can encourage wider use of Gaelic in community settings where English might normally be the default language of communication.
Individual community members are liable to develop their own creative preferences within the range of possible activities that digital literacies enable. Project participants took a positive view overall of their engagement with new approaches to content generation, and had many suggestions for further development. It is felt desirable to have a level playing field in relation to broadband connectivity for all areas. A wide range of Gaelic and community interests and projects stand to gain from further development of this field of work.
This study elicits and documents a range of views in the Uists, in the Outer Hebrides, among comm... more This study elicits and documents a range of views in the Uists, in the Outer Hebrides, among community members with an interest in Gaelic, both speakers and would-be speakers. Particular attention is paid to perceptions in relation to bilingualism and literacy, and their possible impact on willingness to converse in Gaelic. Feelings of some ambivalence in these areas may result in underconfidence in speaking. Prevalent bilingual code-mixing also raises questions of definition and acceptability. Interaction between fluent speakers and learners makes demands of the former which may not be generally acknowledged. Successful learners develop strategies for community engagement in Gaelic, in a context where fluent speakers are generally well disposed to help to the extent that they feel able. A process of positive re-evaluation of existing bilingual skills may help raise consciousness and boost confidence in both learners and fluent speakers, so stimulating increased use and learning of Gaelic in a range of community contexts.
Teaching Remote Foreign Languages: Odense Working Papers in Language and Communication, 1994
In Britain today there is a large multilingual South Asian population, including speakers of Hind... more In Britain today there is a large multilingual South Asian population, including speakers of Hindi and Urdu, the national languages of India and Pakistan respectively. This paper briefly sketches the social and educational context of Hindi and Urdu in Britain, and describes in some detail the development and delivery of one initiative to exploit/address the situation - the BBC TV project, "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal", for which the writer acted as consultant and co-writer.
Current trends in language teaching lay emphasis on learner autonomy and language as communication, and "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal" aims to teach spoken Hindi and Urdu to adult beginners with an emphasis on independent learning in a local community context. In doing so it adopts new approaches to the romanisation of Hindi and Urdu, and to the pedagogical description of their grammar. It also attempts to stimulate the development of learner-speaker networks, and challenges established perceptions (among both learners and speakers) of the roles and status of these languages.
The approach described raises general questions concerning transcription versus transliteration, regional versus national/standard varieties, the learner-speaker dynamic etc, which may be of interest to teachers of other "remote" languages.
1991 Paper for Fasgnag: Seminar/Conference on Social and Related Research on Gaelic Language and ... more 1991 Paper for Fasgnag: Seminar/Conference on Social and Related Research on Gaelic Language and Community, at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
Perhaps of historical interest to those engaged in more recent NEST/NNEST and other related debat... more Perhaps of historical interest to those engaged in more recent NEST/NNEST and other related debates:
"'Mother Tongue' and 'Native Speaker' are subjects of theoretical and professional controversy. This paper combines a discussion of various theoretical formulations with a survey of usage and opinions in a range of adult learning contexts. The survey report documents a variety of learners' and teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and rationalisations. Survey evidence appears to support the contention that group identity or loyalty may play an important role in the identification of 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker'. Methodological weaknesses however cast doubt on the validity and reliability of crude indications that 'native speaker' teachers are preferred by language learners.
Some methodological, theoretical, and policy implications for language teaching are considered, highlighting potentially dangerous associations between 'native speaker' and 'monolingual', 'native speaker' and 'proficient', and 'native speaker' and 'ethnic'. It is suggested that language teaching institutions themselves have a special interest or responsibility in using the terms 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker' with care."
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Papers by Gordon Wells
Specific research questions put to a sample of Gaelic-supporting residents address digital literacy practices and preferences in the contexts of multimodality, bilingualism, and community impact. Participants find value in capturing spoken language in digital format, irrespective of their written skills in Gaelic. They are comfortable using their bilingualism to support the production of Gaelic output. Indications are also obtained that placing digital content in the public domain can encourage wider use of Gaelic in community settings where English might normally be the default language of communication.
Individual community members are liable to develop their own creative preferences within the range of possible activities that digital literacies enable. Project participants took a positive view overall of their engagement with new approaches to content generation, and had many suggestions for further development. It is felt desirable to have a level playing field in relation to broadband connectivity for all areas. A wide range of Gaelic and community interests and projects stand to gain from further development of this field of work.
Current trends in language teaching lay emphasis on learner autonomy and language as communication, and "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal" aims to teach spoken Hindi and Urdu to adult beginners with an emphasis on independent learning in a local community context. In doing so it adopts new approaches to the romanisation of Hindi and Urdu, and to the pedagogical description of their grammar. It also attempts to stimulate the development of learner-speaker networks, and challenges established perceptions (among both learners and speakers) of the roles and status of these languages.
The approach described raises general questions concerning transcription versus transliteration, regional versus national/standard varieties, the learner-speaker dynamic etc, which may be of interest to teachers of other "remote" languages.
"'Mother Tongue' and 'Native Speaker' are subjects of theoretical and professional controversy. This paper combines a discussion of various theoretical formulations with a survey of usage and opinions in a range of adult learning contexts. The survey report documents a variety of learners' and teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and rationalisations. Survey evidence appears to support the contention that group identity or loyalty may play an important role in the identification of 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker'. Methodological weaknesses however cast doubt on the validity and reliability of crude indications that 'native speaker' teachers are preferred by language learners.
Some methodological, theoretical, and policy implications for language teaching are considered, highlighting potentially dangerous associations between 'native speaker' and 'monolingual', 'native speaker' and 'proficient', and 'native speaker' and 'ethnic'. It is suggested that language teaching institutions themselves have a special interest or responsibility in using the terms 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker' with care."
Specific research questions put to a sample of Gaelic-supporting residents address digital literacy practices and preferences in the contexts of multimodality, bilingualism, and community impact. Participants find value in capturing spoken language in digital format, irrespective of their written skills in Gaelic. They are comfortable using their bilingualism to support the production of Gaelic output. Indications are also obtained that placing digital content in the public domain can encourage wider use of Gaelic in community settings where English might normally be the default language of communication.
Individual community members are liable to develop their own creative preferences within the range of possible activities that digital literacies enable. Project participants took a positive view overall of their engagement with new approaches to content generation, and had many suggestions for further development. It is felt desirable to have a level playing field in relation to broadband connectivity for all areas. A wide range of Gaelic and community interests and projects stand to gain from further development of this field of work.
Current trends in language teaching lay emphasis on learner autonomy and language as communication, and "Hindi Urdu Bol Chaal" aims to teach spoken Hindi and Urdu to adult beginners with an emphasis on independent learning in a local community context. In doing so it adopts new approaches to the romanisation of Hindi and Urdu, and to the pedagogical description of their grammar. It also attempts to stimulate the development of learner-speaker networks, and challenges established perceptions (among both learners and speakers) of the roles and status of these languages.
The approach described raises general questions concerning transcription versus transliteration, regional versus national/standard varieties, the learner-speaker dynamic etc, which may be of interest to teachers of other "remote" languages.
"'Mother Tongue' and 'Native Speaker' are subjects of theoretical and professional controversy. This paper combines a discussion of various theoretical formulations with a survey of usage and opinions in a range of adult learning contexts. The survey report documents a variety of learners' and teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and rationalisations. Survey evidence appears to support the contention that group identity or loyalty may play an important role in the identification of 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker'. Methodological weaknesses however cast doubt on the validity and reliability of crude indications that 'native speaker' teachers are preferred by language learners.
Some methodological, theoretical, and policy implications for language teaching are considered, highlighting potentially dangerous associations between 'native speaker' and 'monolingual', 'native speaker' and 'proficient', and 'native speaker' and 'ethnic'. It is suggested that language teaching institutions themselves have a special interest or responsibility in using the terms 'mother tongue' and 'native speaker' with care."