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Fake News and Alternative Facts: Critical Digital Literacy in the Classroom Successful Foreign Language Learners and Use of Lear IATEFL Slovenia Magazine, Winter issue 2019, no. 75 Fake News and Alternative Facts: Critical Digital Literacy in the Classroom by Kirsten Hempkin Successful foreign language learners and use of learning strategies: at the crossroads between theory and practice by Urška Petrevčič Mapping the written wor(l)ds of classic novels by Nora Nagy They Call This (C)rap! by Hazelynn Anak Rimbar My immigration story (TED Talk Lesson) by Klavdija Krempl Slana Student Showcase To be up-to-date with what is going on, visit our website: www.iatefl2.splet.arnes.si 1 Critical thinking at a glance (3) Case Study: When the fake news is the news Nada Đukić Contemporary British and American media discourse is very pro- ductive and rich in terms of its range of catchy or at least interesting phrases. One of these is “fake news”, which became extremely popular and widely used after being repeatedly used by a certain world leader. But what is really at the core of this phrase? Through the lens of critical thinking, we can at least “detect” an extremely important distinction that needs to be made, i.e. the ability to point out what facts (“truth”, “reality”) are and what opinions (“interpretations”) are, and especially not to mix them up…! Fake News and Alternative Using songs with young Student showcase 4 28 40 Facts: Critical Digital language learners In the presence of the moon Literacy in the Classroom by Janja Androić nobody sees stars by Kirsten Hempkin 30 Our plenary speakers at the 44 Lesson Plan 7 Successful foreign language 26th International IATEFL My immigration story learners and use of learning Slovenia Conference 2019 (TED Talk Lesson) strategies: at the crossroads #empowerED by Klavdija Krempl Slana between theory and practice by Urška Petrevčič 31 They Call This (C)rap! 47 European Day of Languages by Hazelynn Anak Rimbar 2018 18 How can I say it in English? Some strategies to How to Be a Great Teacher Report from 28th compensate for lexical gaps. 34 49 from A to Z IATEFL-Hungary conference by Antonella Percara by Nataša Intihar Klančar by Sandra Vida Mapping the written wor(l)ds 20 From Rogaška Slatina to the The Macedonia Experience of classic novels 36 50 British English Olympics by Danny Singh by Nora Nagy by Catherine Earles IATEFL Slovenia Events Promoting multiculturalism 53 22 Teacher Thoughts opinion column and language learning with 38 My Friend the Calculator ERASMUS +: Youth in Action by Lea Koler by Barbara Lukač Patarčec Student showcase Students’ practical work 39 24 An exploration of art, and vocational training in culture and the unspeakable the 1970s and 80s school by Tina Šajn reform – Keeping in touch with reality, knowledge and skills for a quality life and the world of work by Mirjana Došen 2 To stay up-to-date with what is going on, visit our website: www.iatefl.si Editorial IATEFL Slovenia Magazine Vol. 16, No 75, Winter issue 2019 Published by: IATEFL Slovenia, p. p. 1677, 1001 Ljubljana Email: [email protected], www.iatefl.si IATEFL Slovenia President: Janja Čolić IN editor: Lea Koler Public relations: Sandra Vida Primary school coordinator: Metka Lovrin Secondary school coordinator: We all know the drill. Nataša Meh New Year rolls around and we all make our lists, promising ourselves that this year Seminars: Martina Volk – this year – will be different. This year our New Year’s resolutions will stick. This year we’ll make time for our hobbies. We won’t be left looking sheepish sometime in May, Printed by: Design Studio, d.o.o. not a book read nor a hill climbed nor a new country visited. We’ll enrol in that pottery Graphic design: Petra Turk class and we just noticed those language classes they do just round the corner... Articles, letters and According to the University of Scranton’s study on New Year’s resolutions, only 8% of other contributions should people who make them stick to them for the entire year. Some sources claim that 80% be addressed to IATEFL, of all resolutions fail by February, which should be when you’re reading this. That is, p. p. 1677, 1001 Ljubljana if I kept to my New Year’s resolution to organise my time better and learn to prioritise tasks... Email: [email protected] So, what can we do to stick to the resolutions to live our best life this year? IATEFL Slovenia Board Members: Janja Čolić, President, responsible Perhaps, instead of New Year’s resolutions, we could try making more everyday reso- for sponsors, tenders lutions? Of course, we can resolve to be better people, better thinkers, better teach- Sandra Vida, Public relations ers every single year. That, after all, is the whole purpose of these resolutions – to Metka Lovrin, Primary school take some time to look back and reassess our lives. However, something a bit more Nataša Meh, Secondary school short-term might be a better choice for most of us. Instead of making life-changing Martina Volk, Seminars decisions, we might just change one little thing a month. Lea Koler, IN editor If you are looking for ideas on tackling your resolutions with regard to work, perhaps Cover-page photo, you might consider attending a conference, reading some research on teaching is- page 2, 3, 15, 33, 35, 11, 25: sues (see the second instalment of the articles on successful language learners by www.freepik.com Urška Petrevčič), or trying out a new approach or idea (some ideas in this issue in- clude using rap, literary maps and TED Talk lesson plans). Or maybe you could em- brace your inner writer and send us an article for our next issue? ISSN 1855-6833 Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy our dose of motivation to be an even better teacher. Lea Koler, Editor Source: Ali, S., Ph.D. (2018, December 5). Why New Year's Resolutions Fail. Retrieved January 14, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/201812/why-new-years-resolutions-fail To stay up-to-date with what is going on, visit our website: www.iatefl.si 3 Fake News and Alternative Facts: Critical Digital Literacy in the Classroom by Kirsten Hempkin, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Mariboru Kirsten Hempkin arrived in Slovenia I’m sure that many of you will be famil- Politicians and the media have often from Scotland in 1996. She has made iar with the story of the so-called Brexit been accused of being “economical her home in Maribor, raising her kids bus. Employed by the leave campaign with” or distorting the truth, but it (and dog) with her husband in a bilingual prior to the U.K. referendum on Europe- seems in today’s world being down- household. She is a lektorica at the an Union membership, the bus drove right untruthful is commonplace – Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, around with a sign on its side claiming which presents a challenge to the edu- where she teaches a wide that by withdrawing from the E.U., the cational community and to us, as variety of courses in UK would save 350 million euros a teachers of English, in particular. Eng- speaking, writing and week (which could then be spent on the lish language classrooms have long general language National Health Service). The only prob- been the site of other types of learning, development. Her lem, however, was that the claim was such as intercultural and human research interests entirely false - which was admitted by rights,1 which go hand-in-hand with include intercul- one of the main campaign figures, Nigel language education. Although they tural issues and Farage, the very day after the vote. The differ to some extent, the content and language teacher Brexit bus story is an example of what aims of these educations are similar in identity. When she we’ve come to identify as “post-truth”, that they focus on developing the skills is not working, she the Oxford Dictionaries 2016 Word of and competences our learners need to loves running, reading and the Year, which they define as “relating function in a globalised and democrat- supporting her favourite football team. to or denoting circumstances in which ic society, especially how to live in Her ultimate ambition is to learn how objective facts are less influential in peace and tolerance with others (Audi- to sklanjati in Slovene. shaping public opinion than appeals to gier 2000; Tibbets 1996; Byram 2008; emotion and personal belief”. Starkey 2002). This is also one of the core values embodied in the White If you take an interest in American poli- Paper on Education in Slovenia (1996), tics, then you are sure to have heard on which the current Slovene educa- President Trump using the term “fake tion system is based. news” to attack media outlets he feels are trying to discredit him. Collins Dic- However, it seems that fulfilling our tionary, who selected this as their 2017 responsibilities as members of a dem- Word of the Year, define it as “false, ocratic society is becoming more chal- often sensational, information dissemi- lenging as a result of the proliferation nated under the guise of news report- of misinformation (fake news, alterna- ing”. And while we’re on the subject of tive facts) we encounter in our post- the White House, we cannot overlook truth world. As researchers from Stan- the (in)famous “alternative facts” (or, in other words, untruths) provided by Sean Spicer, then press secretary, in the row 1 Citizenship education is closely related and has shaped and informed both intercultural over attendance figures at Trump’s and human rights education, although it inauguration.
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