Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen -

Thank you for joining me on this momentous occasion as we look beyond traditional language learning methods and explore a world where English language learners are encourage to create, interact, and engage. Through years and years of critical examination of the world's most creative people, the following will present the 7 different thinking tools that aim at getting the most out of students both inside and outside the classroom.  These 7 different thinking tools are based on the findings of Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein, but as you will see, many of the examples and analysis below have been derived throughout a challenging graduate course taken by an aspiring educator. Please follow below as we delve a little bit deeper into these 7 thinking tools of creative people and discover how this proposed curriculum for English language learners can help enhance the learning environment and experience for those involved. 

Thinking Differently
Learning a new language is no easy feat. It can be a daunting task that requires lots of time and patience. Fortunately, the art of language learning has been constantly evolving since the concept of language was first realized. In order for students to get the most out of their time in this program, they have to look at English differently and think about it in ways they've never done before. Since English is somewhat foreign to them already, it should only be a matter of training them to be artists and scientists of the language; to look beyond the words in order to feel and scrutinize as if they were painting a picture or inspecting an microscopic organism. (p.11) It is through this skill that we want students to not only know the material, but to understand and think deeply about it. 


For this section we would like students to think differently about an object they are familiar with and understand. This can be as simple as something like a book or radio or flower. Now we want them to look at that object differently. How can they manipulate it or use it in a way that's its not intended for. This exercise requires them to think differently about something they already know and expand on it, and will ultimately help in developing greater vocabulary as it forces them to think about all the unique ways the object can used for.


Perceiving
Observing and imaging are two important skills we hope to build on in this section of our curriculum. Too often a classroom can get caught up in the idea that if students aren't speaking or reading then learning isn't taking place. For this section we'd like students to consider a simple image like the one pictured below.

By just a glance at this picture one can see that this is a stone garden surrounded by several trees. But if we were to ask students to spend some time studying the image and its surrounding, what might come of it? What might pop up in their minds? Maybe they'll see something that they hadn't originally. Are they able to describe it? What do they see? These are questions that we hope will arise in this section, as students devote time and energy to observation and imaging. This skill will continue to broaden their understanding of simple images or object and allow them to dig deeper into the language.

Patterning
The recognition and formation of patterns can play a critical role in the early stages of learning English. For many beginners, it can be as simple as learning that each sentence has a subject, a verb, and an object. Being able to recognize the difference between each will allow students to move on to creating their own sentences. For students who come from a language that consists of symbols and characters (e.g. Chinese), just learning the letters of the alphabet and the corresponding phonetics can be a challenge. In this section pattern recognition is an important skill to master because, as Root-Bernstein note, "one must know what to expect and how to compare things before patterns become evident." (p.101) By devoting time towards this patterning skill set, students will be able to recognize ideas, grammar points, and vocabulary that they might not have been able to grasp otherwise. Take, for instance, the pictures below. If one were to quickly glance at the first picture, they may not be able to see anything other than oil on concrete. But, with time and patience, one may be able to begin to see something different. That something different may open the door to further and deeper understanding.

Abstracting
English grammar is full of lots and lots of rules. For any student of English, from beginner to advance, the grammar rules of English can be discouraging and upsetting to say the least. For this section we would like students to step away from the rules and structure of English and create using words and symbols that they are already familiar with. We want them to use what they already know and create something new with it. Poetry, for example, allows writers to break rules and use the language in a way that they would not ordinarily be able to do so. Poetry gives writers a chance to break away from the constraints of the grammar rules to formulate and construct new ideas and thought patterns. 


For this section we want students to break the rules, create using the language in anything they like. This will inspire them to change, misrepresent, manipulate and exercise with the letters, words, and symbols that make up the English language. It is in these activities that we hope students will begin to feel comfortable with using English differently, and hopefully further their understanding for grammar rules and for times when it's OK to break them.

Embodied Thinking
The ultimate goal of this curriculum is to improve the communicative ability of students, ensuring they can converse with others in an efficient and meaningfully way. This, of course, is easier said than done as much of communication is done in non-verbal ways. To address this particular point, the skill in this section concentrates on how one communicates in terms of body thinking and empathizing. For an English learner to say aloud "I am sad" and have a happy expression on his or her face doesn't exactly match up. Physiologist Walter Cannon called this our "internal milieu" - our posture and movements reflect our moods, and our moods are related to how we feel in our guts and minds. (p.165) 
 
Modeling 
One of the first things students get frustrated about when learning English is their inability to correctly pronounce words. A clear articulation of terms and sentences is something that can generate a great deal of confidence within an individual. Here is where we turn to modeling, particularly as it relates to accurately pronouncing challenging words. Taken from Root-Bernstein, "the point of a model is to make accessible something that is  difficult to experience easily." (p.229) English is full of different sounds and phonetics that are not easily absorb by non-native speakers. For this section we will spend time with numerous models and examples of pronunciation that demonstrate the correct movements and positions for the body parts involved in speaking. 

Playing
For this section in our program we want to focus on something that is often left out of an individual's learning - playing! "Play is simply for the fun of it, for the enjoyment of doing and making without responsibility." (248) We often hear students say they learn more outside the classroom than they do inside. In many cases this is because students have stepped out of the role of student and into a role of just using the language as they sit fit. This can happen during a soccer game or at lunch or when mingling with friends. It's taken playing place almost unconsciously. 


Here we want to simulate that same experience for students so they are able to let go of the reigns and feel no pressure to learn. Instead, create an atmosphere where they are learning and playing at the same time. As Root-Bernstein put it, we want students to "find valuable things not sought for." (247) Providing ample time to just "play" with the language can provide a lasting and profound effect on students and will encourage them to find new ways to use the language.