Benefits of Bilingual Blogs
When teaching strategies for cultural competence it is important to use real-life materials.
And, blogs are a real-life resource.
Bloggers use real-life language. I call it unguarded language.
It is not grammatically correct.
It is not organized like a book.
But, it is someone bleeding on a page.
Multi-lingual bloggers bring in different cultural perspectives and dimensions.
Imagine getting to code-switch between languages like a natural?
Who wouldn’t want to do that especially if you want to travel to Bora Bora or Ibiza one day?
This results in so many options to choose from when teaching language!
And videos! Vlogs, lifestyle blogs, and travel blog videos are great for testing listening comprehension, too!
Here is an example of a bilingual blog.
Blogging Your Life
So, why are language consultants and educators excited about blogs? Because blogs use real-life experiences with real unguarded language.
Can I prepare someone for the DLPT or the IELTS via a blog? Yes! Why not?
Blogs are essentially stories about someone’s day or life.
And, the best way to facilitate lasting learning is through stories.
While I can teach my student to dissect and analyze a sentence in Hindi from the grammatical point of view, nothing prepares my student for real-world language experiences like real-world language.
And teaching English as a Second Language is a whole other kettle of wax!
In fact, the idioms used in English can make someone’s head spin.
But, when you blog it and we read it in the context of culture it is easy to understand.
Because people who write blogs are actually journaling they use unguarded language.
Using real-world language.
And blogging has real-world language with its cultural references and nuances.
So, how do we teach language through a blog?
Check out my guide on how to create a bilingual blog on Amazon!
If you are already convinced, you can download my instructions on how to go ahead and create that blog here.
Teaching Language Through Blogs Helps Find Your Voice
Both the student and teacher create a safe space while teaching/reading a blog.
Why? Unlike academic writing, blogs take the pressure off and let the student find their voice through their writing.
Teachers can use blogs to help students master content and hone their writing skills.
Provides Authentic Target Language
I for one, like the authenticity that a blog offers. It reflects the author’s voice so to speak. The grammar may not be pure or the sentence structure may be skewed, but this is the real world.
If someone started speaking with correctly structured sentences that used only textbook Hindi words, no loanwords from English, Urdu, or Punjabi, I would literally run away!
In this era of make-believe, fake news, and a lot of faux writing, we need reality. We need authentic content.
Now, I am not saying all blogs are authentic but they can be close. Plus it is easier than having to put up with grammatical jargon from a textbook while learning a language.
Blogs make for interesting reading for sure.
Easier to Obtain Copyright
If you are a curriculum writer or instructional designer, it is easier and sometimes cheaper to get copyright permission from a blogger than from an established news source or editorial.
Ask me. I know.
As an educator, I have spent hours searching for content that has the right permissions for copyright provided.
Whereas, a blogger seeking to get publicity for the blog would more easily negotiate a great set of terms for using their blog.
More Colorful than a Textbook
Blogs allow for teaching authentic language through the culture they reveal.
As coaches and mentors, we often look for fresh ideas and content for our classes. Plus relevant content is more easily found in a blog.
I can read a travel blogger’s account on a little village in Goa with a real authentic and colorful perspective than one that I can from a Travel Channel that may be insipid.
Not everyone is an Anthony Bourdain.
The content is not constructed like a textbook for learners but it is the real world and teaches critical thinking.
One has to infer a lot more from a blog than a textbook. The student cannot find this content in a typical textbook but is forced to actually use the language as it is meant to be used, in the context of culture.
Contact us to find out more at info@amarisconsultants.com
