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THE USE OF LANGUAGE TO BUILD COMMUNITY

As language teachers, one of our main functions is to provide the basis for community
building from classroom through the use of language. Consequently, to achieve this goal
the teacher should use strategies to promote a sense of community for students, such as
cooperative learning, social and emotional learning, strengthen the sense of belonging,
teacher support, motivation, peer mediated learning and classroom meetings among other.
The aim of this essay is first, to recognize and describe some problematic situations arising
in the classroom. Second, to provide solutions based on the use of language to build
community together teachers and students

To describe some of the problems that teachers may find when teaching, imagine you start
the class and the whole place is a bunch of noise, students do not stop talking, huge spheres
of paper fly across the classroom till collide with the walls. In the right corner a fight
captures the attention of half of the students, some of them are playing soccer in the
classroom, while others throw their desks from one side to another and someone breaks two
of the window blinds. There are screams emanating from every corner of the classroom and
it seems as if the walls were roaring. You turn on the light, then you turn it off on several
occasions to get their attention but nobody answer, in a couple of seconds your class goes
from calm to become complete chaos. Then, you wonder, how can it happen? You know
that right there the first problems begin to arise. Suddenly, you raise your hand and students
are silent, any desperate cry emanate from their mouths. However, the hours pass and you
realize that there are students with attention problems, indiscipline, hyperactivity, reading
difficulties and problems of impulsivity. Consequently, if as teacher one of our main goals
is to use language to build community, what can we do before such problematic situations
in the classroom?

Because of the teacher seeks to build community through the use of language, an effective
strategy for integration of all individuals on achieving goals that benefit the entire group is
cooperative work. To achieve such goal, the teacher must first teach students that we are
immersed in a world of diversity of thought and that it can generate conflicts. That is why it
is necessary till the core values that ennoble the human being, such as solidarity, tolerance,
friendship, respect for others, self-esteem and self-confidence about their abilities. In this
sense, the teacher should focus his/her attention, first, on creating awareness and teaching
values, and then assign projects that students must complete in groups where they learn to
work together, share resources, plan and create. In this way, they depend on each other,
which will strengthen their sense of community. As mentioned in chapter 7, by the author
(Johnson & Johnson, 1986; Madden & Slavin, 1983 Page 158). “Cooperative learning
provides students with opportunities for social and emotional growth as well as academic
achievement. Cooperative learning groups are effective for increasing student interaction
and mutual respect. Students learn perspective-taking and problem solving. All of these
strategies help to build a student’s sense of belonging and community in the classroom”.

As teachers, we know that we have to address the needs of a diverse group of students with
needs, strengths, abilities and individual interests. Therefore, from academic teaching, an
important work is fostering the growth of a positive community within the classroom. For
this, the first step is to generate in students a sense of belonging within the community and
motivate them to believe in themselves, so, through their influence and their efforts, they
contribute to the accomplishment of group goals directed to the benefit of the whole
community. Likewise, a healthy community in the classroom can teach students develop
social skills and personality characteristics. Another important aspect is the teacher support
and the good relationship with students. As (Goodenow, 1993; Skinner & Belmont, 1993.
Page 153) mentions "How students feel about school and their classes is in large part
determined by the quality of relationship they have with their teachers. That relationship is
supportive for the student when the teacher is caring, friendly, helpful, understanding, and
dependable". In this sense, it is essential that students look at the teacher as a friendly,
helpful and caring individual to achieve that students perceive the classroom as a
supportive environment where they also participate in making decisions on the functioning
of the class and their learning. Furthermore, for achieving this goal, (Werner & Smith, 1982
Page 156) suggest that “teachers must provide opportunities in each child’s daily routine to
experience feelings of competence, belonging, usefulness, potency, and optimism”.

As it was mentioned earlier in this essay, there are other strategies that combine together to
build community through the use of language. One of them is "Peer-Mediated Learning".
The teacher can use this type of learning to improve the performance and behavior of
students through observation, cooperative learning and peer tutoring. According to the
author (Montagu, Mecham, and McLaughlin.1991 Page 157) some of the advantages of
peer-mediated learning for students and teachers are: "Foster positive peer relationships
that can lead to a greater appreciation for all students’ strengths and weaknesses" and
"Help develop cooperative attitudes and mutual respect among students". Another strategy
used as a tool building a sense of community and belonging is based on "Classroom
Meetings”. The author (Zionts and Fox, 1998 Page 162) “noted that the goal of classroom
meetings is to teach students to communicate, to solve problems, and to accept and
appreciate diversity. This is a good strategy to concentrate the ideas of the students and the
teacher to achieve a common goal. Consequently, all individuals in the classroom learn
from each other to build models that facilitate democratic participation and mutual
cooperation as a principle of self and brotherhood, to achieve that students are democrats
and free from the own coexistence.

In conclusion, through this essay are evidenced several strategies to encourage the use of
language to build community in the classroom, such as cooperative learning, social and
emotional learning, strengthen the sense of belonging, teacher support, motivation, peer
mediated learning and classroom meetings. In addition, it also makes evident the need to
locate the teacher in the middle of the education cycle as a guide that comprise the different
behavior patterns, cultural influences, and social and psychological needs of the students.
This in order to involve the student in the creation of a learning community where all
individuals are constantly involved to get to the construction of autonomous and group
knowledge through the integration of the voices of cultural that promotes the acceptance of
the view of the other to share it and grow from the difference. In this way, the learning is
conceived as the act of accepting that our perspective is not the center of everything, and
there is great diversity of thought, which leads to acquire a sense of tolerance and open the
understanding to the possibilities of building a more equitable society.
Bibliography

- (Johnson & Johnson, 1986; Madden & Slavin, 1983. Page 158) “Cooperative
learning provides students with opportunities for social and emotional growth as
well as academic achievement” Taken from the book “Classroom communication
and diversity” Robert G. Powell and Danna L. Powell.

- (Goodenow, 1993; Skinner & Belmont, 1993. Page 153) "How students feel about
school and their classes is in large part determined by the quality of relationship
they have with their teachers…” Taken from the book “Classroom communication
and diversity” Robert G. Powell and Danna L. Powell.

- (Werner & Smith, 1982. Page 156) “teachers must provide opportunities in each
child’s daily routine to experience feelings of competence, belonging…” Taken
from the book “Classroom communication and diversity” Robert G. Powell and
Danna L. Powell.

- (Montagu, Mecham, and McLaughlin.1991. Page 157) "Foster positive peer


relationships that can lead to a greater appreciation for all students’ strengths and
weaknesses…” Taken from Book “Classroom communication and diversity” Robert
G. Powell and Danna L. Powell.

- (Zionts and Fox, 1998 Page 162) “noted that the goal of classroom meetings is to
teach students to communicate, to solve problems, and to accept and appreciate
diversity” Taken from the book “Classroom communication and diversity” Robert
G. Powell and Danna L. Powell.

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