TOPICS FOR INDIVIDUAL EXPOSITION ON THE

MODULE ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

DIDACTICS

LANGUAGE AND:
1-CULTURE 20- READING
2-EDUCATION 22-NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION
3-TEACHING 23-SOCIOLINGUISTICS
4-LEARNING 24-SELF-ESTEEM
5-SOCIETY 25-TRADITIONS
6-MUSIC 26-SUPERSTITION
7-MOVIES 27-CIVILIZATION
8-ENVIRONMENT 28-RELIGION
9-MOTIVATION 29-REPRESSION
10-SOCIAL SCIENCES 30-MODERNITY
11-DAILY LIFE
12-SOCIAL GROUPS
13-PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
14-ABILITIES-SKILLS
15-FUN (FOR)
16-GAMES
17-WORK (AT)
18-FOOD
19-COOKING
PARTS OF MESSAGE ANALYSIS

-WHO SAYS WHAT?

-IN WHICH CHANNEL? THROUGH WHICH CHANNEL?
-BY MEANS OF WHICH CODE?
-TO WHOM?
-IN WHAT DATE?
-IN WHAT SITUATION? CONTEXT?
-IN WHAT PLACE?
-WITH WHICH PURPOSE?
-WITH WHAT SHORT RESULTS?
-WITH WHAT LONG RESULTS?
LINKS FROM THE MATRIX
ABOUT COMMUNICATION
AND LANGUAGE DIDACTICS
-http://www.slideshare.net/aneshiabeach01/lesson-
1-defining-language
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1318785.f
iles/10%20characteristics%20of%20language.pdf
https://www.uio.no/studier/emner/hf/ikos/EXFAC0
3-
AAS/h05/larestoff/linguistics/Chapter%201.%28H05
%29.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/amna-shahid/what-is-
language-22508509
http://www.slideshare.net/StarHolder/relationship-
between-brain-and-language-learning-
7574755?related=4

http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/files/2011/06/Languag
e_overview-2guhtyv.jpg
http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415537902
/data/learning/11_Communication%20Skills.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCplLPe9zjyKFt
wm_FSCKRug

http://www.slideshare.net/LdiaSzab/jill
-hadfield-elementary-communication-
games
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE DIDACTICS

10 Ways to Promote the Language

and Communication Skills of Infants
and Toddlers
Why Promote the Language Development and
Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers?
Early language and communication skills are crucial for children’s success in school
and beyond. Language and communication skills include the ability to understand
others (i.e., receptive language) and express oneself (i.e., expressive language) using
words, gestures, or facial expressions. Children who develop strong language and
communication skills are more likely to arrive at school ready to learn.1They also are
less likely to have difficulties learning to read and are more likely to have higher levels
of achievement in school.2
During the first years of life, children’s brains are developing rapidly and laying the
foundation for learning. The interactions that children have with adults influence how
children develop and learn.3 As a result, early childhood educators have a prime
opportunity to provide children with interactions that can support children’s growth
and development, particularly their language and communication skills.
As past research shows, when teachers provide children with higher levels of language
stimulation during the first years of life, children have better language skills.4,5 When
teachers ask children questions, respond to their vocalizations, and engage in other
positive talk, children learn and use more words. A study found that one third of the
language interactions between teachers and children were the type that support
children’s language development, while the other two-thirds included less complex
language such as directions, general praise, and rhetorical questions.6 Promoting more
high-quality language interactions between children and adults provides children with
the kinds of experiences that can foster their growth in language and communication.
This guide describes 10 practices that early childhood educators can use to support the
development of language and communication skills of infants and toddlers. Because
research supports the importance of adult-child interactions for infants and
toddlers,5 the practices are designed to be done one-on-one or in small groups.
 Each practices draws upon the types of interactions that research suggests promotes
language and communication skills. These interactions include:

 Responding to children’s vocalizations and speech

 Engaging in joint attention with children
 Eliciting conversations with children
 Talking with children more
 Using complex grammar and rich vocabulary
 Providing children with more information about objects, emotions, or events.
These interactions benefit children from a variety of language and cultural
backgrounds, including children who are dual language learners. Children who are
dual language learners may sometimes feel socially isolated and have difficulty
communicating their wants and needs.7 Educators may find the practices presented in
this guide useful for helping dual language learners feel more socially connected and
communicate better. Educators interested in learning more about supporting dual
language learners will find additional information in the resources presented at the
end of the guide.

Overview of 10 Practices to Promote Language and

Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers
Practice Description

1. Get Chatty Engaging in conversations with children

2. Be a Commentator Giving descriptions of objects, activities or events

3. Mix It Up Using different types of words and grammar

4. Label It Providing children with the names of objects or actions

5. Tune In Engaging in activities or objects that interest children

6. Read Interactively Using books to engage children’s participation

7. Read It Again and Again and

Reading books multiple times
Again!

8. Props, Please! Introducing objects that spark conversations

9. Make Music Engaging in musical activities

10. Sign It Using gestures or simple signs with words

 Each practice is presented with a description of the practice, research evidence that
supports the use of the practice, and examples of how educators may use the practice
with infants and toddlers. Although each practice is presented separately, many of the
practices can be used in combination with each other. For example, educators can
practice focusing on children’s interests (Practice #5, “Tune In”) while providing a
running commentary (Practice #2, “Be a Commentator”) and labeling the names of
objects (Practice #4, “Label It”).
At the end of the guide is a list of resources that may be useful for finding more
information on supporting the language and communication skills of infants and
toddlers. These resources include books, articles, and websites that contain more
detailed information on the practices presented in the guide.
The practices presented in this guide can be used when working with any child.
Educators should keep in mind, however, that children develop at varying rates and
differently depending upon a number of factors, such as personality and age. These
factors and home language exposure affect children’s development of language and
communication skills. By using these practices early childhood educators can provide
all children with the rich language exposure and opportunities children need to
enhance their language and communication skills.

Keywords:

 Activities
 Communication
 Conversations
 Dual language learners
 Finger play
 Gestures
 Interactions
 Language
 Vocalizations
Related Resources:
Creating Language-Rich Preschool Classrooms and Environments
Indicators of Individual Growth and Development for Infants and Toddlers (IGDIs)
My Toddler Talks: Strategies and Activities to Promote Your Child’s Language
Development
Strategies to Promote Communication and Language in Infants and Toddlers
BOOK----Having Fun With Language: A
resource package for developing language
and communication through groups in Early
Years settings---Leed community
Healthcare--Leeds Speech and Language
Therapy Service----
file:///D:/Archivos%20de%20Usuario%20no
%20borrar/Downloads/Having%20Fun%20
with%20Language%20(October%202011%2
0ref%20%200246%20CF%20as%20on%20W
ebsite).pdf
Communication and Languages Activities for Supply
Teachers in EYFS

These C&L activities, supply teaching ideas for EYFS, are taken
from the book EYFS Supply Teaching Made Simple.

Read a story with the children related to their topic. Chalk key characters around the outdoor area
and ask the children to find them, recalling key words and phrases and details from the story as
they do so. The children could then chalk their own characters or relevant words from the story.
(Links to L, PD, EAD)

Sing a range of nursery rhymes, action songs and number rhymes. You could make and laminate
some number song props – five little monkeys, ducks, currant buns etc. – to carry around in your
supply bag. (Links to PSED, L, M, EAD)

Miss rhyming words out of a story and ask the children to fill them in. (Links to L and EAD)

Place an object in the middle of the circle (appropriate to the developmental age of the children)
and ask questions about it. (A soft toy abandoned outside/a suitcase full of clothes/an unusual
fruit) Encourage the children to build their own story about it and write (older children) or draw
pictures (younger children) of their story as an extension. (Links to L, EAD, UW)
Use a range of objects for sorting. (If you are stuck, then compare bears are a common EYFS
resource, just ask someone!) and discuss as you are sorting. Encourage children to sort according
to their own criteria, e.g. the big ones and the small ones, and suggest more challenging ways in
which they could be sorted. (Links to M and UW)

Act out a familiar story in small groups. Encourage the children to use the language from the
story. (Links to L and EAD)

Sort objects according to initial sound/final sound/rhyming sound/alliterative sound. Objects can
usually be found around the classroom, or you can use picture card prompts which you could add
to your supply bag (with younger children objects work better) (Links to L, EAD)

Present children with a problem and encourage them to discuss what they could do to solve the
problem. You could have a range of resources ready for them to choose from, or you could ask
them to draw pictures or write (small or large scale). Ideas might include: How could the giant
visit Jack now the beanstalk is cut down/how can Goldilocks fix baby bear’s chair/how can the
three pigs make their houses/ strong etc. depending on the topic – it need not be story related!
(Links to PSED, PD, L, M, UW, EAD)

Talk about something that happened to you and encourage the children to ask questions to find
out more. You could also use a character in a story or a person related to a topic. “What would
you like to ask if you met someone who was a fire fighter?” Older children could write their
questions down and younger children could draw pictures. (Links to L, UW, PSED)

Start a discussion by asking the children what they know about a particular topic. Make a simple
list of facts they come up with and read through them together. Link this with the above
suggestion. You could read a simple story or non-fiction text related to the topic to extend. (Links
to L and UW)
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD: SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE GAMES FOR KIDS
Speech development unfolds in a predictable sequence for most children, beginning with cries, grunts, and
babbles in the first few months and progressing to those anticipated first words around a baby’s first birthday.
Parents tend to intuitively foster language development through everyday moments of talking, singing, and
reading to their children. In this article, Bright Horizons’ educational experts offer a few more intentional
activities and games for speech and language development for your infant, toddler, or preschooler. Do these
educational activities and learning games with your child to help jumpstart language acquisition.

Vocabulary Activities for Infants and Toddlers

Nursery Rhymes and Finger Plays. Nursery rhymes and lullabies have been a part of parenting culture for
hundreds of years. Young children delight in the rhythm of language and find comfort and interest in simple
songs and poems, such as “Itsy, Bitsy Spider,” or “The Wheels on the Bus.” Sing nursery rhymes in the car, at
bedtime or bath time, or during quiet moments. These activities build vocabulary and introduce children to the
patterns of language.

Look and Say. Once young children begin to speak, they often want to label everything in their world. Your
toddler might point to an animal or object and look to you for an answer. You can help teach words for things
by labeling objects in the environment as your child expresses interest, e.g., cat, plane, flower, bird. Read
simple board books with pictures and photographs of everyday objects.

Word Expansion. Young children tend to use one or two word sentences, e.g., “Me cup.” Or “Kitty.” You can
build language development and improve your child’s vocabulary by responding to early attempts at talking
with a smile, encouraging nod, and expanded response. For example, “That is your cup. Do you want a drink?”
or “Yes, there’s the kitty. You can pet her gently.”

Language Games for Preschoolers

Rhyming Games. Around the age of four, young children begin to become aware of phonemic awareness
concepts, such as rhyming. They giggle over wordplays, alliteration, and silly rhymes. This awareness paves
the way for later reading tasks. In the meantime, you can capitalize on this tendency by playing rhyming word
games for kids. For example, say, “Let’s see how many words we can think of that rhyme with the word “bat.”
Or, see how many words you can think of that begin with the sound /b/. Songs like “Down by the Bay” by
Raffi are irresistible to young children and offer a fun, entertaining way to build language.

Rubber Band Words. To play with “rubber band words,” say a simple word such as “gate” clearly. Now
slowly say the word again, “stretching” it out so you say each sound distinctly. At the same time, move your
hands apart like a rubber band stretching. Then snap your hands back together and say the word quickly. Or
you can try clapping words to identify syllables. For example, say “rainbow.” Then say it again, clap once for
each syllable, and ask your child if she can remember how many syllables were in the word. This simple word
 game builds vocabulary and sound recognition, and is a good choice for those times when you’re waiting in
line at the grocery store or waiting at the doctor’s office.

Reading Magic. And finally, don’t forget the power of reading. Perhaps more than any other activity, reading
together has the power to build vocabulary and spark language development for children of all ages. Even
thumbing through books independently can build language skills for a non-reading child. Make reading a
regular tradition in your home and make it easily accessible by keeping books for all ages and magazines in
various places, such as the car, the living room, and your child’s bedroom.

Speech and language development is individualized; some children are precocious talkers and develop a large
vocabulary quickly. Others may gain oral (expressive) language more slowly. In general, though, most children
understand more than they’re able to say (receptive). With these language games and activities, you can help
your child’s language develop.

While each child develops language at his or her own rate, by the age of 15 months, most children have
around ten words that they can speak or communicate using sign language. Please talk with your pediatrician
if you have any concerns about your child’s speech. Delayed speech might indicate a need for speech therapy
or other interventions.

More on This Topic

 Learn strategies for supporting your child through typical toddler behaviors and this critical stage of their
development.
 Most children experiment with back talk at one point or another. Get tips for guiding your child when this
happens.
 As your children begin talking, they can say some pretty hilarious things. Read on for our favorite quotes from
kids.

From hearing those heart-melting coo’s and goo’s to interpreting first

words and celebrating full sentences, the adults in a child’s life play an
important role in enhancing a child’s language development. Music and
music activities provide a simple and fun way not only to bond with your
child and inspire a lifelong love of learning, but also to encourage and
greatly enhance language development too.

Here are three music activities

that you can use to develop
children’s language skills:
Name (or label!) that Movement
This one’s easy, but maybe so obvious that we forget how important it
is. Whether moving to recorded music or singing a favorite song with
movement, label the movement. Many children’s songs include
movement words right in them, but you can also repeat that word or
emphasize that movement word. For example, before singing a song
about marching, introduce the song by saying, “March, march, march,
march” as you march.
Dancing with a recording gives many opportunities for labeling movement
words while also exploring a variety of movement. Sliding, twirling,
bouncing, tiptoeing, zig zagging, stomping, galloping… wonderful words
to learn and oh-so-fun as a whole-body experience!

Back-and-Forth We Go!
This echo game is a great time-filler – in the car, waiting in line, transition
times, etc. It also works well with words or rhymes. Simply say a word or
phrase from a rhyme and wait for your child to repeat it. You can even
play with silly nonsense words. Once you get into the back-and-forth
rhythm, it can get really fun. Simpler and slower for little ones; more
complex and faster for older children.

Pick a Song and Sing-Along

There’s nothing much better for enhancing language development than
singing. The flow of the music helps the flow of words, and the powerful
combination of melody and words, especially songs with repetitive
phrases, gives children exposure to and practice with forming
words. Yes, they are the songs that get stuck in your head, but some
favorite children’s songs that are especially good for language
development include songs like:

 The Wheels on the Bus

 The Muffin Man
 If You’re Happy and You Know It
 I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas
 Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush
 Baa Baa Black Sheep
 A Ram Sam Sam

5 Board Games To Promote Speech In Children:

1. Cariboo, a creative game made by Cranium, promotes turn-taking,
requesting, and conceptual skills. Personal pronouns can be targeted by
asking, “Whose turn is it?” while requesting skills can be targeted by having
your child ask for game materials such as a card or key. After requesting a
playing card, you and the child can discuss colors, shapes, letters, and
numbers (for example, “Wow, this door has 4 yellow butterflies on
it!”). Cariboo can be played individually, but it is highly recommended to

play it with friends!

2. S’Matchencourages the development of conceptual skills, such as
similarity, colors, and numbers. When your child flips over two cards,
phrase your questions so that you provide choices. For example, “Are blue
and green the same or different colors?” or, “Do cows belong with animals
or transportation?” Like Cariboo, S’Match also practices requesting and
 turn-taking skills by encouraging your child to ask for game pieces and
declare each partner’s turn.
3. Guess Whois a classic game that promotes grammar (e.g., do/does,
has/have) and syntax (word order) skills by asking questions. If your child
has a difficult time phrasing a question, you can model the question first
and have him/her repeat it (e.g., Does your person have facial hair?).
While Guess Who is designed for ages 6+, younger children can play this
game too. Guess Who is fun to play with teams of partners!
4. Zingo brings a new spin to BINGO. While you and your child take turns
matching tiles to the board, encourage your child to name distinctive
features of the pictures (for example, “Look, you matched a sun. Where do
you find the sun? What color is the sun? How is the sun different from the
moon?”). Zingo can be played independently, but it is more fun when you
and your child play together.
5. Scattergoriesis designed for adolescents and adults, and promotes
vocabulary, word retrieval, and organizational skills. For example, name
something you can find at a beach that starts with the letter /s/, such as
“swimming suit.” If your child is having word retrieval difficulties, use
strategies such as identifying the category/function, describing what it looks
like, or drawing a picture.
All these games can be found at:
1. Target
2. www.hasbro.com
3. www.amazon.com
These games are so fun that your child will not even be aware that they
are learning! The list of language learning games is endless, so if you
have any games that you would like to share with our North Shore
Pediatric Therapy families, please share and comment below.
Activities to Encourage Speech and Language
Development
There are many ways you can help your child learn to understand and use words. See
a speech-language pathologist if you have concerns.

Birth to 2 Years
 Say sound like "ma," "da," and "ba." Try to get your baby to say them back to
you.
 Look at your baby when he makes sounds. Talk back to him, and say what he
says. Pretend to have a conversation.
 Respond when your baby laughs or makes faces. Make the same faces back to
her.
 Teach your baby to do what you do, like clapping your hands and playing peek-
a-boo.
 Talk to your baby as you give him a bath, feed him, and get him dressed. Talk
about what you are doing and where you are going. Tell him who or what you
will see.
 Point out colors and shapes.
 Count what you see.
 Use gestures, like waving and pointing.
 Talk about animal sounds. This helps your baby connect the sound and the
animal. Use words like "The dog says woof-woof."
 Add on to what your baby says. When your baby says, "Mama," say, "Here is
Mama. Mama loves you. Where is baby? Here is baby."
 Read to your child. You don't have to read every word, but talk about the
pictures. Choose books that are sturdy and have large colorful pictures. Ask
your child, "What's this?" and try to get him to point to or name objects.

2 to 4 Years
 Speak clearly to your child. Model good speech.
 Repeat what your child says to show that you understand. Add on to what she
says. Use words like, "Want juice? I have juice. I have apple juice. Do you want
apple juice?"
 It's okay to use baby talk sometimes. Be sure to use the adult word too. For
example, "It is time for din-din. We will have dinner now."
 Cut out pictures of favorite or familiar things. Put them into categories,
like things to ride on, things to eat, and things to play with. Make silly pictures
by mixing and matching pictures. Glue a picture of a dog behind the wheel of a
car. Talk about what is wrong with the picture and ways to "fix" it.
 Help your child understand and ask questions. Play the yes–no game. Ask
questions such as, "Are you Marty?" and "Can a pig fly?" Have your child make
up questions and try to fool you.
  Ask questions that include a choice. "Do you want an apple or an orange?" "Do
you want to wear your red shirt or your blue shirt?"
 Help your child learn new words. Name body parts, and talk about what you do
with them. "This is my nose. I can smell flowers, brownies, and soap."
 Sing simple songs, and say nursery rhymes. This helps your child learn the
rhythm of speech.
 Place familiar objects in a box. Have your child take one out and tell you its
name and how to use it. "This is my ball. I bounce it. I play with it."
 Show pictures of familiar people and places. Talk about who they are and what
happened. Try making up new stories.

4 to 6 Years
 Pay attention when your child talks to you.
 Get your child's attention before you talk.
 Praise your child when she tells you something. Show that you understand her
words.
 Pause after speaking. This gives your child a chance to respond.
 Keep helping your child learn new words. Say a new word, and tell him what it
means, or use it in a way that helps him understand. For example, you can use
the word "vehicle" instead of "car." You can say, "I think I will drive the vehicle
to the store. I am too tired to walk."
 Talk about where things are, using words
like "first," "middle," and "last" or "right" and "left." Talk about opposites
like "up" and "down" or "on" and "off."
 Have your child guess what you describe. Say, "We use it to sweep the
floor," and have her find the broom. Say, "It is cold, sweet, and good for
dessert. I like strawberry" so she can guess "ice cream."
 Work on groups of items, or categories. Find the thing that does not belong in a
group. For example, "A shoe does not go with an apple and an orange because
you can't eat it. It is not round. It is not a fruit."
 Help your child follow two- and three-step directions. Use words like, "Go to
your room, and bring me your book."
 Ask your child to give directions. Follow his directions as he tells you how to
build a tower of blocks.
 Play games with your child such as "house." Let her be the parent, and you
pretend to be the child. Talk about the different rooms and furniture in the
house.
 Watch movies together on TV or a tablet. Talk about what your child is
watching. Have her guess what might happen next. Talk about the characters.
Are they happy or sad? Ask her to tell you what happened in the story. Act out
a scene together, or make up a different ending.
 Use everyday tasks to learn language. For example, talk about the foods on the
menu and their color, texture, and taste when in the kitchen. Talk about where
to put things. Ask her to put the napkin on the table, in your lap, or under the
spoon. Talk about who the napkin belongs to. Say, "It is my napkin." "It is
Daddy's." "It is Tamara's."
  Go grocery shopping together. Talk about what you will buy, how
many things you need, and what you will make. Talk about sizes, shapes, and
weight.

To find a speech-language pathologist near you, visit ProFind.

Didactic Principles
This is an overview of the didactic principles that the Language Centre
uses in its language teaching.

Didactic Principles
 Language of instruction = target language: The target language, i.e.
the language that the participants want to learn, is used as the
language of instruction.
 Language teaching is as concrete as possible. In courses for
specific groups, the content must dovetail with situations that the
participants will face in the new language.
 Language is a communication instrument. Being able to
communicate in the relevant language is what matters most.
  The aims of language teaching are described in terms of
the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
 Pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar are not goals in
themselves but are used as tools to enhance the students’
communication skills.

Student
 The student should be at the centre of the educational process.
 The student must have an active learning attitude and an active role
in the educational process.
 Students are responsible for their own learning process.
 Students should reflect on their own learning process, using
instruments such as DIALANG, the CEFR, a portfolio or personal
learning objectives.

Teacher
 The teacher must let the students work as actively as possible
during contact hours.
 The teacher must organize the lessons in such a way that the
students are given an active role in the educational process.
 Teachers should use teaching methods that stimulate an active
learning attitude in students, for example cooperative learning and
peer assessment.
 The teacher’s use of language must be correct and must match the
students’ level.
 The teacher speaking time amounts to about 30% of the teaching
time; students should do the talking during the other 70%.
 Teachers should make students aware of what learning a language
involves: they should help students to reflect on their own learning
process and stimulate a critical attitude towards this process.
 Teachers must enable students to apply what they have learnt in
meaningful situations.
 Teachers should act as sounding boards. They should provide
feedback in line with the CEFR, correct students’ questions and
remarks by repeating them correctly and ask test questions.
 Teachers should respond to the diversity within groups (different
learning styles, learning objectives, backgrounds).
  Teachers must have a clear course plan and lesson plan in mind,
discuss the importance of the aims and activities with the students
and provide regular feedback about this.
 Teachers must stimulate independent and semi-independent
learning, for example by providing advice on language learning
outside contact hours, offering extra exercises via Nestor, offering
electronic notice boards for communication purposes, giving
feedback, providing links to high-quality websites, communicating in
the target language even outside contact hours and referring
students to the language-learning facilities in the University Library.

Fellow Students
 Fellow students play an active role in the educational process.
 Students and fellow students must take an active role and attitude
when using working methods where cooperation is involved, such
as peer assessment and cooperative learning.

Contact Time
 The teacher contact time must be optimally used; lessons will only
include activities that actually need a teacher to be present.

Electronic Learning Environment

 The Electronic Learning Environment is a learning tool alongside
the teacher.
 The Language Centre aims to efficiently use computers as a
communication tool. In the coming years the electronic learning
environment Nestor will be used not only during lectures but also in
the general courses and, where possible and desirable, in specific
courses.
ANOTHER BOOK--Didactic
communication and classroom BY---
Margarita R. Rodríguez-
GallegoUniversidad de Sevilla |
US · Departamento de Didáctica Y
Organización Educativa
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio
n/269463684_Didactic_communication
_and_classroom_environment
Didactics and Questions
About Communication
26 MondayMAY 2014
POSTED BY ESPACIO VISUAL EUROPA (EVE) IN MUSEOGRAPHY, MUSEOLOGY, MUSEUMS, PERSONAL
OPINION, UNCATEGORIZED
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Tags
communication process, communications and museography, Harold Lasswell, museums communication, new
museography, New Museology

Image: Isidro Ferrer

When we write content to a museum or an interpretation centre, we have in mind a
number of factors that will help us in the didactic “construction” of such content.
Harold Lasswell, theorist of communication, formulated beyond by 1948 a famous
paradigm published in a book’s title: The communication of ideas. Lasswell theories
revolve around the communication process and in relation to five specific questions on
this process: who says what?, by what means?, in which channel?, to whom, in
what situation?, with results short and long term?

Image: ArtLog
The question “who?” says the issuer, their intentions and their purposes. When
issuing an information, can it be influenced by nature and human formation of the
person/persons that emits such information? is it a neutral person at the time of
reporting? We must assess whether the information we receive is neutral or on the
other hand, is influenced by some reason which makes that we do not receive it as a
universal truth. Ask yourself if there’s commercial purposes, ideological or aesthetic
criteria underlying who produces the message. On the second part of the
question, “what?”, is very important to help us verify not only the context in which
occurs the information but also its content. It’s reaching the receiver with the greatest
possible efficiency. As issuers, it forces us to pay attention to aspects such as the
amount of information and the form of presentation, that should be clear and direct. In
addition, it forces us to set a target of communication. This point is very important
when we need, for example, to explain didactically the mechanical performance of
something to a child audience.
Image: Shigeo Fukuda
The question “by what means?” leads us to ask ourselves what will be the best way
of presenting the contents, information: a brochure written, a poster, a photograph, a
film, a model, a computer graphics 3D…; i.e., you must choose the language that best
suits the didactic effect that we intend to achieve, taking into account that this
understanding should occur in all ages. At the same time this approach proposes the
kind of technology that we use to spread the contents, as well as viewing and audio
mode.

Imagen: Campaña Buroeng

The following question: “who, in that situation?” inquires about the public where we
are going; the level of prior knowledge, who are you supposed to, the degree of
interest, the ability to understand certain presentations of content, etc. When you add
the question of the situation, we must ask ourselves the environment surrounding a
given message. It may be competing against others many or be related to a particular
message If it is a separate part, whether it is the explanation of an idea above, if it
raises a new question. Problems of physical nature – the place where is located the
message – context social or personal problems. We must reflect much at this point to
know that degree of complexity we must print the contents. Certainly in the way in
which we work the contents are those who are scholarship grade zero and it is not
agreed that a book is purchased. Surely in the Museum Shop you will find a lot of
literature.

Image: www.birdscom.fr
For ir ending. The final question is related to physical, trying to comply with certainty,
if we have achieved the objectives in the communication process that we analyze. It
refers both to the General objectives and details of the didactic explanation. In a
museum you have to calibrate what facts and what content the visitor half – including
children and senior citizens (e.g. vision difficulties) – have been able to retain. At the
same time, it must take into account other readings – the point of view of different
races on a content referred to a certain ethnic group, for example – and many others
depending on the nature of exposure that you are going to build: war, colonization,
politics, terrorism, ethnic groups, religion, etc. are an example of very special themes
and that needs to be addressed with extreme care.

Image: Micah Panama

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

SANTACANA MESTRE, Joan / SERRAT ANTOLÍ, Núria

Museografía Didáctica
Editorial Ariel Patrimonio, Barcelona (2007)
 Our
beloved Quino. Congratulations on your well deserved award Prince of Asturias of Arts
and Humanities 2014!