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Coursebook

In-Service Teacher Professional Development

Післядипломна педагогічна освіта вчителів іноземних мов

In-Service Teacher Professional Development Післядипломна педагогічна освіта вчителів іноземних мов

УДК 373.091.12:005.963]:81’243(07) ББК 74.268.1р7я77 П34 Післядипломна педагогічна освіта вчителів іноземних мов Керівники проекту: О. Я. Коваленко, О. П. Шаленко Укладачі: Т. В. Гора, Л. М. Костецька, С. М. Куриш, Х. Б. Левицька, Т. Г. Пахомова, Т. В. Редченко, Т. В. Свиридюк, М. С. Тріфан, Л. В. Уруська Редактор: О. П. Шаленко Макет та оформлення: А. С. Переводчик Навчально-методичний комплекс складається з Програми післядипломної педагогічної освіти вчителів іноземних мов, методичного посібника для викладачів-тренерів та посібника для вчителівслухачів курсів фахового удосконалення. Програма враховує основні українські та європейські концептуальні документи з мовної освіти та ґрунтується на професійних компетентностях вчителів. Вона покликана задовольнити професійні потреби всіх категорій вчителів завдяки гнучкій модульній організації запропонованих навчальних матеріалів. Програма сприятиме професійному розвитку вчителів впродовж усього життя, подоланню стереотипів щодо ролі вчителя як ретранслятора інформації, а також заохочуватиме використання інформаційних та комунікаційних технологій в освіті. Навчально-методичний комплекс розрахований на вчителів всіх категорій та рекомендований до використання в системі післядипломної педагогічної освіти вчителів.

Рецензенти:

П34

І. М. Романишин — Кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент кафедри англійської філології Державного вищого навчального закладу «Прикарпатський національний університет імені Василя Стефаника» І. В. Самойлюкевич — Кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент кафедри методики викладання іноземних мов та прикладної лінгвістики Житомирського державного університету імені Івана Франка

Рекомендовано Міністерством освіти і науки, молоді та спорту України.

УДК 373.091.12:005.963]:81’243(07) ББК 74.268.1р7я77 П34

ISBN 978-966-1579-14-8 ISBN 978-966-1579-15-5

© Британська Рада в Україні, 2012 © Міністерство освіти і науки, молоді та спорту України, 2012

Table of contents

CORE COURSE Module 1. Getting Started Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language........................................................................................................................................................3 Unit 2. Learning Styles.......................................................................................................................................................................................19 Unit 3. Lesson Planning.....................................................................................................................................................................................31 Module 2. Language Awareness Unit 1. Teaching Vocabulary...........................................................................................................................................................................45 Unit 2. Teaching Grammar...............................................................................................................................................................................61 Unit 3. Mistakes management.................................................................................................................................................................................. 85 Module 3. Skills Unit 1. Teaching Listening.............................................................................................................................................................................101 Unit 2. Teaching Speaking............................................................................................................................................................................115 Unit 3. Teaching Reading..............................................................................................................................................................................133 Unit 4. Teaching Writing.................................................................................................................................................................................149 Unit 5. Integrated Skills...................................................................................................................................................................................169 Module 4. Classroom Issues Unit 1. Classroom Management................................................................................................................................................................185 Unit 2. Learner-Centred Classroom.........................................................................................................................................................205 Unit 3. Task-Based Learning........................................................................................................................................................................219 Unit 4. Introduction to Learning Technologies.................................................................................................................................239 Unit 5. Testing......................................................................................................................................................................................................249 Module 5. Reflective Practitioner Unit 1. Reflective Practice.............................................................................................................................................................................267 Unit 2. Teacher Portfolio................................................................................................................................................................................277

ELECTIVE UNITS Unit 1. Motivating Teenagers......................................................................................................................................................................293 Unit 2. Mixed Abilities.......................................................................................................................................................................................319 Unit 3. Culture......................................................................................................................................................................................................343 Unit 4. Project-Based Learning (PBL).....................................................................................................................................................361

CORE COURSE

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Module 1. Getting Started Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

3

1 Personal experiences 1.1 – Sharing You have learnt more than one language and your own experiences are valuable to you as a language teacher. You will share your experiences now. Your trainer will ask you to discuss the following questions with different partners: 1 How did you learn your mother tongue?

2 How did you learn English?

3 Have you learned any other foreign languages?

4 Is it easier for children, or adults, to learn a language?

5 How do bilingual people learn languages?

6 What are the differences between learning your mother tongue and learning a second/third language?

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

1.2 – Reflection • Did you enjoy the discussion? Why/why not? • Could you use an activity like this with your own learners? Why/why not? Notes:

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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2 Language acquisition vs. language learning Now complete this table by putting the features of language acquisition and language learning in the correct place. Your trainer will give you the missing information. Content Stage

Language acquisition (mother tongue/s)

Language learning (second or third language)

When?

a Begins at birth (or before)

b

The learner encounters the target language for a few hours per week

c The process takes many years to complete Where?

d

Who?

e Parents, relatives, friends, often one-on-one

Why?

f

Mainly in the classroom

To pass exams

g To satisfy the basic human need for communication How?

h

Learners often speak right from the beginning, in full sentences

i Learners do not explicitly learn language rules j

Learners make lots of vocabulary and grammar errors

k Learners get lots of praise for communicating meaning successfully and little feedback on grammatical errors This table is adapted from information presented in The TKT Course by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and Melanie Williams, Cambridge University Press, 2005

Should teachers adopt any of these features of language acquisition in their classrooms?

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3 Increasing learners’ exposure to English In language acquisition, learners are exposed to a huge amount of language. Work with your group to complete this mind map with your own ideas for increasing your learners’ exposure to English.

posters in English

… inside the classroom

… inside the school

Increasing learners’ exposure to English

… with authentic English

… outside the school

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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4 Learners’ errors What are the differences in the making and treating of errors in language acquisition and language learning? Read the following statements and decide by yourself whether they are true (T) or false (F). If you think a statement is false, rephrase it to make it true. Learning Process

True or false

1 Children make grammatical errors in their mother tongue until their teenage years.

2 All language learners go through stages of interlanguage development.

3 Some errors are unavoidable, as learners figure out how language systems work.

4 All learners’ errors should be corrected, otherwise the errors will become fossilised.

5 Learners can’t correct errors themselves.

6 Teachers should praise learners for communicating meaning successfully, even if they make grammatical errors*.

7 Teachers should avoid giving their learners activities where they may make errors.

8 Some errors show that learners are making progress.

* See Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis in the Glossary to find out about the importance of boosting confidence.

Now choose two of the above statements that are new to you. Will you put them into practice in your classroom? If so, how?

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

5 Characteristics of teenage learners 5.1 – Comparing age groups Your trainer will tell you how to complete the table below. Children …

Teenagers …

Adults …

1 … learn by doing.

1

1 … are able to learn in more abstract ways.

2 … are more interested in communicating meaning than accuracy of form.

2

2 … are concerned about using accurate form to communicate meaning.

3 … are only interested in themselves and things in their own lives.

3 … become more aware of and interested in the wider world.

3 … are interested in the wider world.

4 … enjoy age-appropriate activities, such as colouring, singing, pretending, role playing, simple games, etc.

4

4 … enjoy age-appropriate activities, such as reading newspapers, discussing current affairs, playing card games, etc.

5 … have short attention spans.

5 … are able to concentrate for longer time spans.

5 … are able to concentrate for a long time.

6 … need to move around regularly.

6

6 … can sit still for a long time.

7 … need detailed guidelines about how to behave.

7 … need clear and enforced behaviour rules, but don’t need reminding so often.

7 … can control their own behaviour.

8 … are not able to plan ahead.

8

8 … are able to plan their own time.

9 … are not self-conscious.

9

9 … are able to control their self-consciousness.

10 … are usually happy and will respect adults.

10

10 … are able to control their emotions and will respect other adults.

This information is adapted from The TKT Course by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and Melanie Williams, Cambridge University Press, 2005

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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5.2 – Classroom activities to suit teenagers Below are some classroom activities. Which ones are suitable for your teenage learners? Think about the activity and the topic. Complete the table below using the letters, as shown in the example. a Producing a class magazine about famous people whom the learners admire b A running dictation to get information about baby animals c A group project about dinosaurs d A weekly journal where learners record their thoughts and reflections e Re-ordering a text about the lifecycle of a butterfly f Finding examples of past tenses in an article about Michael Jackson g A dictation to practise past tense h A role play of a job interview i A game where learners have to mime sports to classmates j Listening comprehension exercises based on a pop song that the learners chose Activities suitable for younger teenagers

a

Activities suitable for older teenagers

Unsuitable activities for teenagers

a

• Can you change any of the unsuitable activities to make them more suitable? • Can you add any activities to the ‘suitable’ boxes? • Do you use any of these activities with your learners?

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6 Theory into practice You have explored several theories about learning language. Now it’s time to put theory into practice. Your trainer will give you a language point that you should plan to teach to your learners. • Complete Activity 6.1 – Simple lesson plan. When choosing activities to teach your language point, think about: increasing learners’ exposure to English, the characteristics of teenagers and the benefits of background music. • After writing the short lesson plan, predict three/four language errors that you think your learners will make during the lesson. Complete Activity 6.2 – Dealing with my learners’ errors.

6.1 – Simple lesson plan Language point:

Procedure

In-Service Teacher Development Core Course  Coursebook  Module 1. Getting Started

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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6.2 – Dealing with my learners’ errors In the left-hand column, give examples of errors your learners may make in your lesson (6.1). When completing the middle column, think about what to do and who should do it. In the right-hand column, give reasons why you would deal with the errors in that way. Description of the predicted error

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How to deal with the predicted error

Core Course  Coursebook

Reasons for your actions

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Module 1. Getting Started

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

Recommended Reading How Languages are Learned, Lightbown and Spade, Oxford Handbooks for Teachers, OUP, 2002 – a comprehensive and very readable introduction to how people learn their first and second languages; this book is written for language teachers and trainers. The Practice of English Language Teaching, Harmer, Longman Handbooks for Language Teachers, 1983 – this classic introduction to teaching is still relevant and clearly puts theory into practice; chapter four explores theory. Dictation: New methods, New possibilities, Davis and Rinvolucri, Cambridge University Press, 2002 – a practical book detailing many learner-centred variations on dictation, it also explains why these activities are so beneficial. D www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm – an article summarising Dr. Stephen Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and related teaching methods, by Reid Wilson. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/using-dictation – an article giving a general overview of why different types of dictation can be effective activities in the language classroom, by Amy Lightfoot, 2005. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/activities/stop-go-back-dictation – an easy-to-follow description of an effective dictation activity, by Marta J. Sabbadini, 2007. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/questions/dictation-activities – a discussion detailing various dictation activities that teachers have used. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/questions/using-music-classroom – a discussion about using background music in the English language classroom. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/multiple-intelligences – a clear and concise explanation of Multiple Intelligences Theory, by Jo Budden, 2005; this article includes a good ‘quiz’ for the reader to find out her/his own dominant intelligences.

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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Additional material Activity 2 – Language acquisition vs. language learning – answer sheet Content Stage

Language acquisition (mother tongue/s)

Language learning (second or third language)

When?

a Begins at birth (or before)

Begins in childhood, or teens, or adulthood

b The learner is exposed to the target language constantly

The learner encounters the target language for a few hours per week

c The process takes many years to complete

The process is often never completed

Where?

d At home and most other places

Mainly in the classroom

Who?

e Parents, relatives, friends, often one-on-one

Mainly teachers, rarely one-on-one

Why?

f To survive in their community

To pass exams

g To satisfy the basic human need for communication

To satisfy parents’/schools’ requirements

h Gradually – learners just listen for about two years, then say words before attempting sentences

Learners often speak right from the beginning, in full sentences

i Learners do not explicitly learn language rules

Learners explicitly learn language rules

j Learners make lots of vocabulary and grammar errors

Learners make lots of vocabulary and grammar errors

k Learners get lots of praise for communicating meaning successfully and little feedback on grammatical errors

Learners get little praise for communicating meaning successfully and lots of feedback on grammatical errors

How?

This table is adapted from information presented in The TKT Course by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and Melanie Williams, Cambridge University Press, 2005

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

Activity 3 – Increasing learners’ exposure to English – answer sheet Here are some suggestions for increasing your learners’ exposure to English. You may have thought of different ideas that are suitable. Perhaps some of the suggestions below wouldn’t work in your context? But we hope they will give you some ideas! Suggestions for increasing learners’ exposure to English … • … inside the classroom: hang English language texts/posters on the walls, label classroom features in English (e.g. desk, computer, window, etc.), have a vocabulary box that contains new words on individual cards which the learners can play with whenever time allows, have English language newspapers available for learners to browse, invite English language native speakers to talk to the learners (about current school topics), have English language books about other subjects (geography, history, science, etc.) available for browsing. • … inside the school: organise English-speaking days (everyone speaks English for the whole day, including teachers. There may also be special lessons/games in English), invite English native speakers to perform/talk to whole school, hold competitions in English, e.g. quiz, poetry writing, debating, etc., label parts of the school in English (e.g. door, stairs, office, etc.), ask the library to stock English language newspapers and books, and encourage learners to borrow them, organise an English Club which holds activities for members in English. • … outside the school: encourage learners to read English language books and watch English language movies/TV by having them write reviews about what they see for the benefit of fellow learners, take learners out to interview tourists in English about their visit, set homework tasks that involve looking at age-appropriate websites (with/out video). • … with authentic English: anything that is age appropriate and available in your context. Think about TV, videos, movies, music, texts, newspapers, magazines, books, radio, the internet … Try to find texts that are at the right level for your learners, i.e. comprehensible +1. See Krashen’s Input Hypothesis in the Glossary for more details.

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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Activity 5.1 – Comparing age groups – answer sheet Children …

Teenagers …

Adults …

1 … learn by doing.

1 … begin to learn in more abstract ways.

1 … are able to learn in more abstract ways.

2 … are more interested in communicating meaning than accuracy of form.

2 … become more aware of accuracy of form and its importance in language.

2 … are concerned about using accurate form to communicate meaning.

3 … are only interested in themselves and things in their own lives.

3 … become more aware of and interested in the wider world.

3 … are interested in the wider world.

4 … enjoy age-appropriate activities, such as colouring, singing, pretending, role playing, simple games, etc.

4 enjoy age-appropriate activities, such as reading about pop stars, writing text messages to friends, etc.

4 … enjoy age-appropriate activities, such as reading newspapers, discussing current affairs, playing card games, etc.

5 … have short attention spans.

5 … are able to concentrate for longer time spans.

5 … are able to concentrate for a long time.

6 … need to move around regularly.

6 … can sit still for a while, but still need to move around sometimes.

6 … can sit still for a long time.

7 … need detailed guidelines about how to behave.

7 … need clear and enforced behaviour rules, but don’t need reminding so often.

7 … can control their own behaviour.

8 … are not able to plan ahead.

8 … are sometimes able to plan ahead and manage their own time.

8 … are able to plan their own time.

9 … are not self-conscious.

9 … are sometimes selfconscious and concerned about what others think about them.

9 … are able to control their self-consciousness.

10 … are usually happy and will respect adults.

10 … can be moody, and can question adults’ authority.

10 … are able to control their emotions and will respect other adults.

This information is adapted from The TKT Course by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and Melanie Williams, Cambridge University Press, 2005

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Core Course  Coursebook

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Module 1. Getting Started

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

In-Service Teacher Development Core Course  Coursebook  Module 1. Getting Started

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Unit 1. How Learners Learn Language

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Module 1. Getting Started Unit 2. Learning Styles

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1 Enjoyable learning Think about a learning experience you have enjoyed. This could be a subject you studied at school, something you did at university, or professional training. Alternatively it could be a hobby such as swimming, painting, or something practical such as learning to drive. Your trainer will give you a post-it note. Write your choice on it, then stick it onto yourself. Now move around the room explaining what made the experience enjoyable and asking the other participants about their enjoyable learning experiences.

2 Learning styles – what do you know now? Work with your group and discuss the following questions. • What do you know about learning styles? • Do you know what your learning style is? • Why are learning styles important?

3 Our learning styles 3.1 – Learning style quiz This is a quiz to help you work out what your learning style is. Answer the questions and work out your score. Then read about your learning style. Tick A () if the statement is always true for you, B if the statement is sometimes true for you and C if the statement is never true for you. Question

A

B

C

1 You like to think through problems whilst exercising or walking. 2 You are good at co-ordinating colours. 3 You don’t like sitting listening to lectures. 4 You have a good sense of rhythm. 5 You are good at understanding verbal instructions and explanations. 6 You picture words in your mind to help you spell.

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Core Course  Coursebook

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 2. Learning Styles

Question

A

B

C

7 You can easily identify what people mean from the intonation they use. 8 You have good ‘dress sense’. 9 You ‘sound out’ words to help you spell. 10 You are good at doing reading tasks. 11 You enjoy participating in discussions as a listener and a talker. 12 You find it difficult to stay still! 13 You are good at processing information from lectures and talks. 14 You use gestures when you are speaking. 15 You have a very active ‘mind’s eye’. 16 You see pictures in your head when you are reading. 17 You learn best when you are doing ‘hands-on’ work. 18 You like listening to music when you are working. 19 You prefer looking at a map to following spoken directions. 20 You prefer to find out for yourself how things work rather than following instructions. 21 You often read information aloud to help you understand it. 22 You need variety to keep you motivated. 23 You use images, drawings, diagrams to help you learn. 24 You recall events, information etc through remembering what was said. 25 You enjoy activities where you can move around. 26 You are not very keen on reading. 27 You prefer to use the phone instead of having formal face to face meetings. 28 You prefer to dress for comfort rather than style. 29 You prefer face to face contact to using the phone. 30 Your mind tends to ‘wander’ if you have to listen to someone speaking for more than a short period.

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Now work out your scores • If you chose A for numbers 2, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16, 19, 23, 29, 30 you are a Visual learner • If you chose A for numbers 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 21, 24, 26, 27 you are an Auditory learner • If you chose A for numbers 1, 3, 12, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28 you are a Kinaesthetic learner • If your answers were mainly Bs you have a mixed learning style. Learning style descriptors • Visual learners. In a learning context you learn best through seeing. Flash cards, videos, diagrams and charts work well for you. To assimilate learning and information you always need to see something written, eg handouts, worksheets. You prefer illustrated materials, preferably in colour. When you make notes they are well-organized and often illustrated by diagrams and drawings and you are good at detail. When you need to remember something you visualize how it looked, eg, place and people. You are good at remembering faces, but forget names. You are sensitive to ‘body language’ and understand meaning, emotions, moods from facial expressions and posture. You are not good at following oral instructions, preferring to see something demonstrated, or written down. You ‘switch off’ if you have to listen to others’ speaking for prolonged periods and you have a tendency to daydream. • Auditory learners. In a learning context you learn best through listening. You have a good ear and do well in pronunciation work. You are confident about speaking out and answering in class. You can follow lectures quite easily without becoming distracted and are able to assimilate spoken information efficiently. You are usually successful in oral exams. You also like to read things aloud to yourself to help you understand. You prefer spoken instructions and explanations. You find written instructions difficult. When you need to remember something, you think about sounds and things people said. You can memorize facts and information easily and you are good at telling jokes and stories. You like working in groups, brainstorming, discussing and exchanging information. You are not keen on reading, making notes or writing things down. • Kinaesthetic learners. In a learning context you learn best through moving, doing and touching. You need to have ‘hands-on experience’ to assimilate learning. You like to take things apart to find out how they work, rather than reading instructions or studying diagrams. In class you respond well to discovery techniques. You are good at drawing and you often doodle during listening activities. You perform well in role plays and activities where you can move around and talk to others. You are easily distracted and have a tendency to fidget during lectures and talks. You get bored quickly if you have to sit for too long. You remember things by recalling actions. You like to think things through and work out problems while you are taking exercise. • Mixed style. In a learning context, these learners are very lucky as they can adapt to any learning situation. You benefit from visual stimuli such as diagrams, charts pictures. You use visualization to remember things and you can pick up meaning from body language. You are equally comfortable with listening to lectures and spoken information as you are with written instructions. You are an able communicator – a good listener as well as a good speaker. You also enjoy moving around, for example doing mingle activities and you enjoy role plays. Now read the descriptors for the other learning styles and listen to your trainer’s instructions.

3.2 – Our learning styles Your trainer will give you a post-it note. • Write your learning style on it, then stick it onto yourself • Now find out what the other participants’ learning styles are • Form a group with participants who have the same learning style as you.

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Core Course  Coursebook

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 2. Learning Styles

4 Why are learning styles important? Work in groups. • Why is an understanding of learning styles important and helpful for teachers and learners? • Brainstorm all the reasons you can think of.

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5 Identifying learning styles Look at the ideas suggested by teachers for finding out about learners’ learning styles. Work in groups: • What do you think of these ideas? • Can you suggest any other techniques you could try?

1 Explain learning styles in L1 then ask them to keep learning diaries which they can use to identify their learning style

3 Observe your learners when they are engaged in an activity. You will be able to identify from their performance what kind of learner they are

2 Give them definitions of each style and ask them to choose the one which most closely resembles their preferred way of learning

4 Give them a task and ask them to reflect on how they did it

5 Give them a task suited to visual learners. Repeat the task modified for auditory learners, then for kinaesthetic learners. Ask them to assess which version was most effective for them. 6 Involve them in a project to find out about the learning styles of the whole class 7 Ask them to complete a learning styles questionnaire

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Core Course  Coursebook

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 2. Learning Styles

6 Learning styles in my class Reflect on the techniques from the previous activity. • Which ones would you like to try with your learners? Why? • Would you prefer not to try any of these techniques? Why not? Your trainer will give you a post-it note: • Write on the number of the technique you have chosen and stick it on to yourself. • Mingle, ask the other participants about their choices and explain yours. • How many participants have chosen the same one as you? • Have you decided to try any other techniques as a result of speaking to the other participants?

7 Reflection Look again at the questions you discussed in the first activity: • What do you know about learning styles? • Do you know what your learning style is? • Why are learning styles important? Work in pairs and discuss the following: • Have your answers changed? How? • What new information have you learned? • How will you use what you have learned? • What learning styles have people been able to use in this workshop?

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8 Learning styles and activities 8.1 – Types of activities Work in groups. Discuss the activities in the table: • Which activities are suited to the different learning styles? Place ticks in the appropriate columns. (See examples) • Are there any activities which would appeal to all three learning styles? • How can activities suitable for one particular style be adapted to make it suitable for other learning styles? (See examples in the table of suggested ways to adapt the activities for different learning styles) Activity

Visual

Brainstorming words and ideas on the board



Making presentations to class

use pictures or slides

Auditory

Kinaesthetic



get learners to write on the board



manage slide projector/ show pictures

Information gap activities

Making posters to illustrate a topic, eg famous people



‘Find someone who’ activities Video activities – watch without sound and describe what is happening

Dictation

Writing tasks eg, describe your town

Reading texts with comprehension questions

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 2. Learning Styles

Activity

Visual

Auditory

Kinaesthetic







Reading texts with comprehension questions

Games such as snakes and ladders

Making sentences from word prompts

Completing tables, diagrams and charts

Discussions

Role plays

Matching words to meanings



Quizzes and questionnaires

Completing sentences with missing words Pronunciation tasks such as identifying the correct word stress

Writing a holiday post card

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Unit 2. Learning Styles

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8.2 – Adapting tasks for different learning styles Work in groups. Your trainer will assign you one learning style. • Using the sample task below, or a task from your textbook, adapt the task to suit the learning style your trainer has assigned you. Sample task Vocabulary review Choose the correct word to complete the sentences below. Dress

pairs

sandals (2) shoes (2)

jeans

shorts (2)

trainers

sun hat

dresses

skirt

jacket

bikinis

shirts

short-sleeved flip-flops

trousers

Tina and Tony are packing their cases for a holiday at the seaside. Tony likes wearing , so he is taking 3 white. He prefers

: blue, green and t-shirts during the day and is taking five with him.

He is also taking a pair of

. For the evening he is packing smart black , two white

a weather, Tina is taking 3 casual 1 long 2 pairs of

and

. For his feet he has got

for sunny

for cool weather and black

.

, 1 long

and

. For the beach she is taking two

,

. And a pair of

. She is taking

for sunny weather and She is also taking a

for cool weather.

to protect her from the heat.

Now write about what you take when you go on holiday.

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8.3 – Presentations Prepare a short presentation of your task for the other groups. • Decide in your group how you will do the presentation • Following each presentation you will have time to complete a short feedback questionnaire. Remember to keep your feedback brief and constructive – do not be negative! • Work together to prepare your presentation • When you receive your feedback, discuss it with your group and decide if you would like to make any comments. Audience Feedback Questionnaire Group: 1 Is the task appropriate for the learning style represented? 2 Did the task suit your learning style? If not, how could it be adapted? 3 What advice or comments would you like to give to the group? Remember to be constructive.

Presenters’ Feedback Questionnaire Group: 1 How do you feel about your presentation? 2 Is there anything you would change in your modified task?

9 Reflection Work with a partner: • Review the two workshops – do they offer ideas to suit different learning styles? • Discuss how you will make use of what you have learnt.

Recommended Reading D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/links/ld-pride-multiple-intelligences-learning-styles

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Module 1. Getting Started Unit 3. Lesson Planning

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1 Board race Write the words you had on the board here:

Work with your group and make sure you understand the meaning of each vocabulary item and how it is connected to lesson planning.

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 3. Lesson Planning

2 Why write lesson plans? Record the ideas in the appropriate circles. Add more if necessary.

Makes

Acts as

Lesson planning

Ensures

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Unit 3. Lesson Planning

Helps to

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3 Lesson plan content Look at the components of a typical lesson plan – cover and procedural pages. Match the headings with their description. The first one has been done as an example. Cover page Heading

Definition

1 Timetable fit

a This includes age, level, nationality, strengths/weaknesses, difficult learners, atmosphere.

2 Anticipated problems and solutions

b Any coursebooks, references, tapes/CDs, pictures, board drawings, handouts, realia, etc.

3 Learning outcomes

c What comes before and what comes after the lesson.

4 Description of learners

d These should be clear, unambiguous, realistic and achievable.

5 Materials and references

e Size of classroom, facilities/resources available, time of day, lesson length.

6 Context, location and time

f Problems anticipated in these areas: meaning, form, phonology, level of skill, classroom management, difficult learners, etc. and suggested ways of dealing with them.

Procedure Heading

Definition

1 Stage aim

a Give approximate timings for each stage. Build in a flexible slot that can be used or dropped if time is there.

2 Interaction

b Include details of a suitable homework task.

3 Materials

c A breakdown of what the teachers and the learners actually do.

4 Time

d Note brief but clear instructions, especially for complex activities.

5 Procedure

e State your aims to make it clear why you are doing something and make sure you don’t confuse aims and activities. Presenting new language/highlighting pronunciation/less controlled practice/ personalisation are some of the stages you could use.

6 Instructions

f Aids and materials (i.e. coursebook, cut-ups, overhead projectors, etc.) used in that stage.

7 Whiteboard plan

g Teacher–learner, learner–learner, group work, pair work, individual. This ensures variety of focus.

8 Homework

h Show how you will use the whiteboard.

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 3. Lesson Planning

4 Lesson aims and learning outcomes 4.1 – Decide on the aim of the task Decide on the aim of the task below. Share your information with your partner. This activity is based on an activity in Adrian Doff’s Teach English, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (1988) pp34–5

ride a bicycle Yes I can.

swim Can you

play cricket

?

cook

No I can’t.

speak French Read what three teachers say about the aim. Which is the best and why?

B – It’s to practise ‘can’ for ability

C – It’s to practise asking and answering questions using ‘can’ so that learners can talk about their abilities

A – It’s a question and answer practice using a substitution table

Based on activities in Adrian Doff’s Teach English, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (1988) pp34–5

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4.2 – Learning outcomes and language points Your trainer will give you cards with aims and language points. Match them. Based on activities in Adrian Doff’s Teach English, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (1988) pp34–5

4.3 – Write learning outcomes Work with a partner who uses the same coursebook. Look at three activities from your coursebook. Write learning outcomes for them below. Make sure they are precise and achievable.

5 Lesson plan Work in groups. Your trainer will give you cut-ups of a lesson plan. The learning outcomes are below. Work together and put the lesson plan together. By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to: • say their name and ask others for their names (‘Hi, my name is ... What’s your name?’) • understand and produce the spoken form of five sports and the verbs that collocate with them (play cricket, do karate, swim, play football, run) • ask and answer questions about what learners can do (‘What can you …? I can …’)

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Here are the headings of the plan and the stage aims in order. Time

Teacher activity

Learner activity

Interaction

Stage aim For learners to recognise and produce ‘Hello, my name’s ...’ and the question form ‘What’s your name?’ and to be able to reproduce it orally.

For learners to become familiar with the spoken form of five sports.

To further reinforce the spoken form of the five sports and to aid memory.

For learners to become familiar with the spoken form of ‘I can …’ and ‘What can you do?’

For learners to produce target language at random.

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6 Tips for lesson planning 6.1 – A–Z of lesson planning Listen to the secondary school teachers talking about lesson planning and circle the words below that they use. D www.bit.ly/zuhaku flexible

strait jacket concise needs analysis crucial

plan it well

restriction

clear instructions

start with the aims

simple

thinking time

fun

integral part of the job

6.2 – Successful strategy Write down the successful strategy the teachers are discussing, then note some of their reasons and tips. Successful strategy for lesson planning

 or 

Reason/tip

Reflection Do you agree or disagree with them? Write  or  in the space above. Now share your ideas with a partner.

6.3 – Make a poster Make a poster for the staffroom of tips for lesson planning for novice teachers.

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 3. Lesson Planning

7 Reflection on learning Think back over the session. Make a note below of the following: • The most useful thing you learnt • The most surprising thing • Something you will try • Something you will not try

Now stand up and talk to as many people as possible and share reflections.

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Recommended Reading These websites provide a wealth of existing lesson plans for use in class. Well worth a look. D www.esl.about.com/od/englishlessonplans D iteslj.org/Lessons D www.lessonplans4teachers.com/eslforeign.php D www.philseflsupport.com/lesson_planning.htm – this provides theory and support on the topic of lesson planning. D www.onestopenglish.com – the website has a huge lesson planning section; some examples are below: D www.onestopenglish.com/156599.article – this section called Staff room resources has a wealth of lesson plans on different topics, D www.onestopenglish.com/146578.article – this article by Jim Scrivener is about different methods of writing lesson plans. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – this website also has a number of articles on this topic; some examples are below: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lesson-plans – this section has a collection of lesson plans to try out in the classroom, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/planning-1 – this article looks at why lesson planning is important, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/planning-a-grammar-lesson – this article looks at planning a grammar lesson.

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 3. Lesson Planning

Additional material Activity 4.2 – Learning outcomes and language points – answer sheet

– How old are you? – I am eight years old. eleven / twelve / thirteen / fourteen

– May I go to the library? office / toilet / canteen

– I’ve got a dog cat / hen / fish / goat

– What did you eat for dinner yesterday? – I ate rice and curry bread / fish / biryani

– What does your mother/ father do? – S/he is a farmer housewife / driver / trader

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Unit 3. Lesson Planning

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and tell their age.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask for permission to go to a specific place.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to talk about their possessions.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and tell what they ate yesterday for dinner. By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and tell what their parents’ jobs are.

41

– My house is big small / white / brown

– What’s the time now? – It’s one o’clock two / three / four

– His/her hair is short long / curly / black / grey

– How much is this? – It’s 5 hryvnyas 20 hryvnyas / 150 hryvnyas / 580 hryvnyas

– I get up at 6:00 – I have breakfast at 6:30 – I go to school at 7:30 – I leave school at 14:00 – Can you play tennis? play badminton? swim? do karate? do the high jump?

42

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to describe their house.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and tell the time.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to describe someone’s hair.

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to say the price of things. By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to talk about the things they do everyday and when they do them. By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and tell what sporting abilities they have.

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In-Service Teacher Development Module 1. Getting Started  Unit 3. Lesson Planning

In-Service Teacher Development Core Course  Coursebook  Module 1. Getting Started

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Unit 3. Lesson Planning

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Module 2. Language Awareness Unit 1. Teaching Vocabulary

45

1 Reflection on vocabulary teaching and learning 1.1 – Reflective practice Reflect on the questions and note your answers in the table below: Reflective practice Reflective questions

Answers

What do you think is important when presenting vocabulary?

How much new vocabulary do you teach? Why?

Do you have any teaching techniques you regularly use when presenting vocabulary? What are they? How do learners respond to them?

Is there a difference in the techniques you use with higher and lower level learners?

Do you spend time in class looking at ways to help learners record or store new vocabulary?

Share your group’s reflections with other groups. Are they similar to yours?

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. Teaching Vocabulary

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1.2 – Strategies for learning vocabulary Work together with a partner. Make notes of strategies teachers or learners use to help with learning vocabulary. One example is given:

Draw pictures

Have you got any interesting strategies to use with learning vocabulary? Share with your group. Do others have similar strategies? Are their strategies useful? Will you try them? Note down any new strategies you hear above.

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2 Presenting vocabulary 2.1 – Learning styles Discuss the following with a partner: • What learning style are you? • Do you know your learners’ learning styles? • Do you cater for these different styles in the classroom when looking at vocabulary? Look at the activities below and number them according to your preference; ‘8’ – the most preferred, ‘1’ – the least preferred. Looking at pictures and colours …… Having time to be alone and think …… Being with others …… Listening to and telling stories …… Listening to music …… Thinking mathematically …… Playing or doing sports …… Studying things in the natural world …… Share with your partner, and comment on your choices.

Look at the list above and match each activity to the learning styles below: Bodily/kinaesthetic …… Naturalistic …… Visual/spatial …… Linguistic/verbal (auditory) …… Interpersonal …… Intrapersonal …… Logical-mathematical …… Musical/rhythmical …… Compare your answers with your class.

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. Teaching Vocabulary

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2.2 – Picture and dictation method Form groups. Group A look at Task A, and group B look at Task B (in Additional material for Activity 2.2) Find a partner (one person from group A and one from group B). Tell them about your method and listen to the method they read about. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method? Have you used similar methods in your teaching? Together, complete columns two and three – what materials were required and what were the stages of both methods? Three examples are given. 1 Method

2 Materials

3 Stages

Show picture and elicit action

Picture

Dictation

4 Learning styles supported

Dictionaries

Think about possible words for gaps

Quickly read each method again; have you missed or forgotten anything? Think about each method again and note any learning styles they support in column four. Compare your ideas with your group.

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3 Working out meaning 3.1 – Gapped sentences Listen to your trainer’s instructions for the A/B activity.

3.2 – Working out meaning Look at the words in bold in the text below, and answer the following questions. Danny Smith was developing into a rather arrogant young man. True, he was among the top five achievers at his school, but he was the only one of them who would regularly remind the other 150 students at St. Bridge High School of this fact. Yes, he was a keen mountaineer, probably the best for his age in the county, but he sometimes forgot to thank those people who guided, supported or dragged him up towards his latest peak. Danny’s mountain artwork was proudly displayed along school corridors, but the minute anyone stopped him to say ‘well done’ he would tell the viewer not to get too close to his designs, in case they damaged them somehow. Adapted from April Fools Day by Pete Humphreys: D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/node/502

If you didn’t know the meaning of the words in bold … • Could you guess the meaning of all of them from context? • Which words could you guess the exact meaning of and which could you only guess the meaning generally (guessed a similar word/synonym)? • Which other words helped you guess the meaning? • Which words couldn’t you guess the meaning of? • Now work with a partner. Discuss your answers. Do you both agree? Look at the subsequent follow-up activity and comment on how useful it is. In pairs or groups, ask and answer these questions: a Think of three things that can develop? b Are any of your friends or family arrogant? c What was the last thing you were keen on? d Think of two reasons why you need to drag something? e Have you ever been up a peak? f What can you see in the corridors of your school? g When was the last time you damaged something?

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4 Recording vocabulary 4.1 – Find someone who … Talk to everyone in the class and find someone for each situation below. (Remember to change the sentences into questions! e.g. Do you encourage your learners to record their vocabulary? And ask follow up questions e.g. How? How often?) Find someone who …

Name and notes

… encourages their learners to record their vocabulary … spends time in class looking at ways to help their learners record and store vocabulary … pins up vocabulary posters on the walls of the classroom … gets learners to look back through their notebooks and review vocabulary they have stored … encourages learners to put new words in groups or on clines … gets learners to buy or gives them a notebook for vocabulary … regularly adds the phonemic script to new words on the board … pushes learners to write an example sentence with a new word when they record it

… … … • What have you learnt about your group? • What do you think of the activity? Did you enjoy it? Did you find it useful? Did the follow-up questions help to make it more communicative? • Discuss how you could use ‘find someone who …’ with your classes.

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4.2 – Recording words Look at the following table of words, and discuss the meaning of each with a partner Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

frightened

broad

browse

concentrate

platform

portion

manage

beg

suspect

worth

wheel

civil

novice

press

mean

moist

consider

blissful

spare

clean

Choose one word with your partner. Look at the ‘Recording activities’ your trainer has given you (or in Additional material for Activity 4.2) and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each method for the word you have chosen. Decide on the best method of recording for your word and remember to discuss with your partner why you think it’s the most suitable. Notes:

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 1. Teaching Vocabulary

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5 Recycling and reviewing activities 5.1 – Common phrases Look at the following words; work with a partner and choose one from each box to make common phrases, and give an example sentence for each. Example: be able to do something – The learner was able to finish the exercise able (adj) practice (n) plenty (n)

to

supported (v)

with

enable (v)

in

involved (adj)

of

use (v)

them

opportunity (n) encouraged (adj)

Read the statements about recycling and revising vocabulary below, and complete the gaps with the most suitable phrase from above. a Learners need

opportunities to use the new vocabulary they have learnt.

b Learners need to be be

visualise, hear, work on their own, share, as well as some sort of physical movement exercise, with new vocabulary.

c Learners should be

initial use of vocabulary e.g. gap fill exercises,

stand up texts or songs, total physical response (TPR) activities, etc. d After presenting and controlled

vocabulary, learners should be asked

to produce it in their own personalised sentences within the same topic. e Learners should be

find other topics to

f Learners should have the

their new vocabulary.

future lessons to review new vocabulary they have

encountered e.g. blockbusters, 20 questions, back to the board, etc. g Learners should be taught autonomous skills/methods to

to record

and revise vocabulary. What do you think? Do you agree with the above statements?

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5.2 – Recycling and reviewing activities With a partner, prepare a checklist to evaluate vocabulary recycling and reviewing activities – what is important? One example is done for you.

• personalisation (does the activity give learners the opportunity to write or say their own sentences using the target vocabulary?)

• Look at the table your trainer has given you and add your main ideas to it. • With a partner, look at the vocabulary recycling and reviewing activities your trainer has, and complete your table. • Now work in mixed groups. Tell them about your ideas and listen to the ideas they have. Have you used similar recycling and reviewing activities with your learners? Did they enjoy them? • Compare and share any new ideas and opinions with your class.

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Recommended Reading D www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-business-multiple-intelligences-intro.htm – has a podcast to listen to, a reading to describe intelligences and a match up activity to check comprehension of intelligences. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/tips/making-time-new-words – provides information on how many words to teach, etc. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/presenting-vocabulary and D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/seven-steps-vocabulary-learning – gives further reading on how to present vocabulary and additional reading on the theory behind how vocabulary is learnt. D www.eslflashcards.com and D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-kids/abc-zoo-flashcards – useful links to find flashcards for vocabulary or, alternatively D www.testprep.about.com/od/tipsfortesting/ht/Make_Flashcards.htm – is good to help provide information required to make flashcards. D www.vocabulary.co.il/vocabulary_flash_cards – can be used to make flashcards to print out. D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine – can be used for extra practice for learners, blank out glossary words, and to get learners to read and try to complete the gaps by looking at the context. Alternatively D www.memorizenow.com can be used to look at a text and remove words to then work out the meaning. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/graphic-organisers and D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/tips/vocabulary-bag – contain lots of ideas for storing as well as reviewing and revising vocabulary. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/resources/pronunciation/vocabulary-recycling-revisionphonemic-symbols – a list of activities you can try for revising and reviewing vocabulary using phonemic symbols. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/language-assistant/teaching-tips/recycling-vocabulary and D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/tips/personalising-example-sentences – lots of tips and tricks to help learners recycle vocabulary. D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar-and-vocabulary D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/how-useful-are-comprehension-questions and D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/tips/vocabulary-bag – the British council website has lots of ideas for practising vocabulary. D www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker – word searches as well as lots of other puzzles.

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Additional material Activity 2.2 – Picture and dictation method Task A • Read ‘picture method’ • What are the main points? • Make notes summarising the main points • Decide together how you can explain the ideas ‘picture method’ to the other group Picture method Pictures are wonderful for teaching vocabulary. Use pictures to teach your learners some jobs. Get them to sit in a circle and show them the pictures; ask them to respond to the pictures without speaking, but with an action. Ask learners to touch the card when you say the word and then ask them to repeat words for pronunciation practice. Point to a card and ask them what it is and turn it over so they can’t see It, when they give you an answer. Mix the picture cards and ask learners to guess what they think the top picture is. Finally, get them to match words to the pictures. Afterwards you can give learners a gap-fill exercise that they can complete using the words so they have a written record.

Here are some examples of pictures you can use, and a gap fill exercise.

For more pictures visit D learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/parents/learning-resources or D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/links/efl-frog

There are many different jobs. Many people work in hospitals, in the past it was common for women to work as

and men as

, although nowadays

men and women do both jobs. When you eat in a restaurant a or

makes the food and a

brings it to your table. work in schools and

In many jobs people wear uniforms. protect people and And when you need to get to work a

56

help look after your teeth. fly planes, the

help

help to put out fires. can drive you there.

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Task B • Read ‘Dictation method’ • What are the main points? • Make notes summarising the main points • Decide together how you can explain the ideas in ‘dictation method’ to the other group. Dictation method Dictations can be interactive and enjoyable and help support learners by providing vocabulary in context. Read a short text to learners, or even get them to complete a running dictation in pairs but have gaps in the text. After they have finished, ask them to think about words that would go into the spaces and then, looking at a list of words, to complete the text. Encourage discussion of why words fit or not. Get learners to put words into groups; for this example, jobs that women do, men do or both. Also ask them to add any additional words they know. Put dictionaries on their desks so that when they share this information, learners can look up any words they don’t know, and encourage them to say why they grouped words where they did. Get them to discuss which career they would like/not like to do in small groups. Finally play a ‘back to the board’ game in teams where one learner has their back to the board, a job is written on the board and his/her group have to explain the job before the other team to win points.

Here is an example text you can use.

When I was a teenager I worked part-time as a

looking after the

neighbour’s kids, but when I became eighteen I got a job as a

in

the village pub serving drinks. After university I spent a summer working in an office as a

, but I

didn’t like answering the phone and I forgot to take messages. My sister said I should become an

, but I didn’t want to do that, as I wasn’t good at maths, and I didn’t want to be a either, even though I studied chemistry at university. I wanted an exciting job! are exciting, they search for clues and solve mysteries. Or being

photographed and dressed in beautiful clothes like a a

, or even

and making the beautiful clothes.

I decided to continue my education and become a

, I was good

with children and I liked tutoring them, and I knew I would be happy with my chosen career.

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Activity 4.2 – Recording words Word card Word

Picture

Part of Speech Synonym Antonym

Definition Example sentence

Word cards are organisers that can be useful in helping a learner learn new vocabulary. For each new word, the learner writes the word, its definition, its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.), a synonym (a word or phrase that means the same), an antonym (a word that means the opposite), draws a picture that shows the meaning of the word, and writes an example sentence using the word. Network or cluster diagram

Network or cluster diagrams can help to arrange and organise ideas based upon a central topic. Using this type of diagram, learners can easily brainstorm a theme, link ideas, or explore a new subject. Start with a star diagram (major traits/characteristics) and then extend. Clines or scales

fu n

interesting

pa rk

pub

museum

café

school

boring

bus stop

Clines or scales can be useful in helping a learner rank or order words. The scale can be anything from big/small or old/young for factual ordering, to learners using like/dislike or good/bad to give/show their own opinions.

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Charts and tables beard

moustache

eyelashes

eyebrows

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 



 

bushy

thin

long

bushy

biscuit

cookie

cracker

cake

sweet

0–2

2

0

2–3

Contains chocolate

0–3

2

0

0–3

Eat with butter

0

0

0–3

0

Eat with cream

0

0

0

0–3

contains cream

1

0

1

1–3

hair on the face Above nose level Below nose level man woman remove it Thin it Synonyms

0 = none

1 = a little

2 = medium



3 = a lot

Charts or tables can be used to organise information associated with many items or topics. Charts can be used to show features of items, to compare and contrast topics, and to evaluate information. Charts can also be used to show similarities and differences of a group of items, and can be used to show whether items have similar characteristics. Venn diagrams Male

Female

niece

ew neph

cousin

uncle

aunt

parent

brother dad

sister

mum

A Venn diagram is made up of two or three overlapping circles. They can be used by learners to visualise the relationship between two or three sets. Venn diagrams can also be used to compare and contrast the characteristics of items.

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1 Grammar terminology You will be given a ‘grammar card’ with a term or a definition. Follow the instructions that your trainer gives you and find the person who has your ‘match’.

2 Personal experiences Answer the questions below individually and then compare with your partner. 1 What areas of English grammar do learners often find difficult?

2 Why do you think these areas often pose difficulty?

3 What areas of grammar did you find difficult when you were learning English or another foreign language?

4 Who, in your opinion, has more problems learning grammar: adults or teenagers?

5 Do you need to know grammar rules to communicate effectively? Why? Why not?

6 Are native speakers (who are not teachers) good at explaining grammar rules? Why? Why not?

Notes: Write any interesting comments you or your partner made during your discussion here:

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3 Inductive and deductive grammar teaching and learning 3.1 – Opinions of teaching grammar Look at the opinions of teaching grammar that your group has been asked to read: A, B, C or D. Highlight the main idea(s) in the statement and then list them on the chart. Next to each main idea on your chart, write your own views as an English teacher. Also try to identify whether the methodology being described is ‘inductive’ or ‘deductive’. A. You don’t really need to teach grammar explicitly, saying things like: ‘This is the past perfect and you form it like this’. That’s unnecessary. Learners will pick it up for themselves. If they want grammar, the teacher can give them exercises to do outside class, but don’t waste precious class time teaching it. I think it’s better to teach learners to communicate, to practice as much as possible in class with real language. Grammar will look after itself.

B. I always look over a new unit in a book and then teach my pupils the grammar rule before we even begin the unit; I explain the rules that are going to come up and then do some exercises with the class. That really helps them to be clear about what the unit is about and they can do the activities in the unit better. I think they learn better that way.

C. Whatever you teach, you have to include fun in it! Even if it is grammar, I believe teachers should somehow link it with real-life situations. Experiencing is the best way of learning. So it must be something visual and aural. The more concrete it is, the better the result would be. The thing is, the learner should link the language with a real experience.

D. I think grammar should always be practised in context. Using tasks that develop the four skills, learners should be working with meaning so that they produce the structure freely before passing to the next grammar structure. After the task-based activities, you can follow on with an analysis of the structure used and try to elicit the form and use from the learners. Adapted from Tasks for Teacher Education, © R. Tanner and C. Green, Longman, 1998

Main ideas

Inductive/deductive

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Main ideas

Inductive/deductive

My opinions

Now share your ideas with the other groups. This can be done orally in open session or by using the board at the front of the class.

3.2 – Uses of the present perfect Briefly brainstorm the principal uses of the present perfect. In small groups, discuss ways you have presented the present perfect in class.

Now expand your discussion and brainstorm techniques you have used for introducing any grammar. One member from your group writes the group’s ideas on the board at the front of the room.

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4 Verbal forms 4.1 – Regular and irregular verbs Why are regular verbs called ‘regular’? Why are irregular verbs called ‘irregular’? Can you add more verbs to the categories below?

begin drink ring

began drank

begun drunk

(a) wake break

(a) woke broke

(a) woken broken

buy fight

bought fought

bought fought

(a) rise

(a) rose

(a) risen

lay

laid

laid

blow

blew

blown

cling dig

clung dug

clung dug

bend lend

bent lent

bent lent

bet cut

bet cut

bet cut

bleed mean

bled meant

bled meant

bind

bound

bound

bear

bore

born(e)

Irregular verbs are often presented at the end of many coursebooks in an alphabetical list. Do you think it would be helpful to highlight patterns of regularities among them and get your learners to sort them into groups like you did in the activity above?

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Unfortunately, the most common verbs do not follow any of the patterns above. They are truly irregular. be

was/were

been

beat

beat

beaten

come

came

come

do

did

done

eat

ate

eaten

fall

fell

fallen

go

went

gone

hold

held

held

lie

lay

lain

see

saw

seen

run

ran

run

4.2 – Teaching the verb phrase Look at the three exercises below, practising tenses. Which one do you find most effective? a Underline all the examples of present perfect and past simple. Why is this particular form used in each case? I was born in Cameroon, a small country in Western Africa. In 1997 I moved to the USA and have lived here ever since. When I first came here I was surprised at the number of cars in the streets. I had never seen anything like that in my own country. b Complete the blanks below.

People here

(drive/are driving) even very short distances, which I (have found/found) strange at the beginning. However, I am used to it now.

I

(have/am having) my own car.

c Complete the blanks below using the correct form of the verbs given (present simple, continuous or perfect). develop I we

work

for a big company, which produces airbags for the car industry. At the moment a new airbag with special chest protection. I am quite happy here.

My brother and his wife

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move

to America too now.

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Discuss with your partners the differences between the three different task types and their effectiveness. Write any notes you have here: a

b

c

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5 Thinking of the future 5.1 – Dialogue Look at the dialogue below. Underline all the references to the future. Nick:

Hi. How are you?

Jenny: Fine, thanks. And you? Nick:

I can’t believe this week’s over. I’ve been rushed off my feet.

Jenny: So you’re planning a quiet weekend in then? Nick:

Oh no. Quite the opposite. Party, party, party!

Jenny: Oh really? What are you going to do? Nick:

I’m meeting this friend of mine for a pint later and then we might be going to this new club that’s just opened – The Warehouse. Have you heard about it?

Jenny: No, I’m not really into clubs. Nick:

Oh no? So what are you doing tonight?

Jenny: I’m supposed to meet a friend of mine who has just split up with her boyfriend, but to be honest I don’t feel like listening to her moan the whole evening. So I’m gonna try and convince her to go to the cinema. Nick:

What do you wanna see?

Jenny: I don’t know yet. We might go and see that new one with Brad Pitt. Nick:

Sounds good. So what are you up to tomorrow then?

Jenny: Unfortunately, my exams are next week so I’ve got to study tomorrow. Nick:

Oh no!

Jenny: Yes, I’ll probably stay at home all day revising for my exam. But then in the evening my brother is coming over with his wife. She’s lovely. I’m thinking of taking them to this new Chinese place around the corner. Nick:

So it’s not so bad then.

Jenny: No. I’m looking forward to it. Nick:

Well, have a nice weekend then.

Jenny: You too. See you on Monday.

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5.2 – Focus Put all the examples you have underlined into the categories below. Present

Modal verbs

Other

You’re planning

• What conclusions about futurity in English can you draw from this exercise? • Why do learners tend to use ‘will’ most? Look at these two quotes:

English has no future tense: ‘will’ and ‘shall’ belong grammatically with ‘must’, ‘may’ and ‘can’, and are modal auxiliaries, not tense auxiliaries.

‘Will’ is ‘the only way to form futures with all verbs, and other ways of expressing near future cannot be used with cognitive verbs and other verbs.’

Huddleston & Pullum 2002, p. 51–52

Declerck, 1991, p. 12

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6 Multi-part verbs (MPVs) 6.1 – Features of MPVs Do you agree or disagree with the statements below? Compare with your partner(s).

Multi-part verbs are common in English.

The meanings of multi-part verbs are completely different from the meaning of the verb they are formed from.

I teach learners the difference between separable and inseparable multi-part verbs.

I teach MPVs alongside their more formal one-word equivalents. (e.g. set up = establish)

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6.2 – Three exercise types Below are three different exercises aimed at practising multi-part verbs. • What is the difference between them? • What organising principle does each one use? • Which one would you prefer teaching to a group of intermediate learners? Fill in the gaps using the particles below: for a Our neighbour is looking

after

into

up

our cat while we are away.

b If you don’t know a word, look it c – What are you looking

in the dictionary. ?

– I can’t find my keys. d I made a complaint and they promised to look

the matter.

Complete the gaps using the phrasal verbs below: drop off

pick up

set out

a Of course we can go to IKEA together. What time should I

you

b Look, if you want to get to the campsite by midday we have to c I’m turning right now. Where do you want me to

? at six in the morning.

you

?

Phrasal verbs with ‘off’ Fill in the gaps using the verbs below: break a She got cold feet and decided to b The meeting was c Don’t

laid

put

called

off the engagement.

off. off ‘til tomorrow what can be done today.

d As a result of the worsening financial situation, more workers have been

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7 Grammar activity types 7.1 – Techniques for presenting grammar The following is a list of some techniques that teachers use for presenting grammar. Work in pairs. The headings for each technique are missing. Refer to the vocabulary in the box underneath to put the correct heading above each technique. Using visuals

Using realia

Comparing L1 and L2

Personalising

Using a timeline

Using a song

Using a chart

Explaining directly

Dictogloss

Guided discovery

Using a reading or listening

Practising and then presenting

1 The teacher finds a song, which has examples of the target language. S/he does a lead-in and plays the song once for gist. S/he then does a second listening with a task that focuses on the target language, e.g. a gap-fill. After feeding back on the gap-fill the teacher then focuses learners on the form and use through guided discovery, elicitation techniques or by explaining.

2 The teacher uses this to show how a tense is related to time. E.g. for the present simple: I walk to work every day.

PAST Sun

NOW Mon

Tue

Wed

FUTURE Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

3 The teacher uses a picture(s) to set the context and elicits the target language. See the example from Macmillan’s Play Games with English 2 photocopiable resource pack, p.63 and 93 for ‘used to’.

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4 The teacher uses things already in the classroom or brings in things that can be used to draw out the target language. For example, the teacher puts a range of things under a towel, e.g. keys, a pencil, pens, a mobile phone, etc. S/he tells the learners s/he is going to lift the towel for a few seconds and they should remember everything they can. In teams, they brainstorm a list. S/he elicits pencil but models and drills, There’s a pencil and then does the same for There are some keys. Teams then take turns to add to the list of things until everything has been recalled but the teacher only accepts correct sentences with ‘There is a ...’ and ‘There are some …’

5 The teacher provides some model sentences related to themselves or their friends/family. For example, in one lesson, everyone brings in a photo of themselves and their family. The teacher begins by showing her photo and describes who is the oldest, the youngest, the most intelligent, the funniest, etc. S/he then re-elicits the sentences onto the board and elicits and highlights the grammar. Learners then use their own photos to prepare sentences and then tell each other about their families.

6 The teacher writes the form of the grammar point onto the board and explains to the class its use. S/he adds some examples to illustrate the grammar.

7 The teacher gives a very structured exercise such as a substitution table and the learners work together to produce sentences/questions and answers. The learners are familiar with the vocabulary but not with the like + noun/gerund structure. S/he does some open class examples before the learners start. … swimming? … playing tennis? Do you …

… cooking?

like

… pop music?

enjoy

… reading magazines?

– Yes, I do. – No, I don’t.

… taking photos? … playing computer games? The teacher then focuses the learners on the structure and elicits the form onto the whiteboard. S/he checks the use.

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8 The teacher uses a text to highlight the target language. For example, the text includes examples of the grammar point in context, and the teacher writes true or false questions using the grammar and the learners write short answers. The teacher then elicits the language from the learners and checks the form and meaning before moving on to a practice activity.

9 The teacher draws the following on the board: Name

Book/read

Film/see

Person/call/ mobile

TV programme/ watched

Ahmed

Sport/played basketball

Maria Jose

brother

Isobel S/he asks learners questions with the form What/Who was the last …? and writes short answers in the boxes. Once s/he has asked about five learners, s/he asks the class what question s/he was asking. S/he elicits it onto the whiteboard and then focuses on the form and use. S/he rubs off the answers; learners copy the empty table and then ask each other questions. After this activity, learners write five sentences in their notebooks.

10 A bilingual teacher introduces the grammar point, pointing out the differences between the use and form of the structure in English and in Arabic.

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11 The learners are asked to look at some examples of the target language in context, such as in a reading text. The learners answer questions that guide them to discovering the form and/or use of the target language for themselves. The following example was designed to introduce was and were to a group of Egyptian learners: Quickly read these paragraphs about two famous men and write on the line who they are. a He was born in 1918. His father was a postman and his mother was a housewife. They were a poor family. After school he went to military college and then he became a general in the army. Then, together with a group of army officers he formed the Free Officers, a secret organisation. In 1952, they overthrew the King and formed a government. From 1954 to 1956, he was the Prime Minister. Then, in 1956, he became the second President of Egypt. He was Egypt’s leader until 1970. He was one of the most important Arab leaders of the twentieth century and he was very popular with the Egyptian people. He was only 52 when he died. b He was born in 1918 in Monafeya. He went to military college and then became an officer in the Egyptian army. In the 1940s he was also a businessman and a journalist. He was one of the Free Officers too. He became President in 1971. He was very successful in the 1973 war against Israel, but after that his peace policies with Israel weren’t very popular in the Arab world. He was killed in 1982. 1 Check with your partner. Do you have the same answers? Now talk about which of these men you like most and why. 2 Look at the readings again and underline all the examples of the verb to be (was and were). 3 Do ‘was’ and ‘were’ describe the present time or past time? 4 For which subjects (I, you ...) do we use was and were?

+ was

+ were

5 What kind of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) come after was and were? Look at the paragraphs above for examples. e.g. e.g. e.g.

was/were+

e.g. e.g.

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12 Dictogloss is a classroom dictation activity where learners are required to reconstruct a short text by listening and noting down keywords, which are then used as a base for reconstruction. In the classroom, dictogloss is often regarded as a multiple skills and systems activity. Learners practise listening, writing and speaking (by working in groups) and use vocabulary, grammar and discourse systems in order to complete the task. Example: The teacher writes or selects a short passage that includes one or more examples of the new grammar. The first time s/he reads it s/he may only give a gist task. S/he then tells the learners s/he will read it again and their task is to write down keywords and then work in groups to reconstruct the text. S/he dictates the text but reads at normal speed. Learners have to focus on both meaning and form to do these tasks. After they have reconstructed the text, the teacher focuses on the target language. Example text for introducing the passive: The pyramids are visited by millions of people every year. They were built thousands of years ago by the Ancient Egyptians, although some people believe aliens built them! The pyramids have been badly damaged over the centuries. The Great pyramid was once covered with limestone but it was all removed in the fourteenth century to build the mosque of Sultan Hassan. Some Egyptologists believe the pharaoh is still buried inside it, and at the moment special cameras are being developed to look inside his tomb. There are several websites that give lesson plans for dictogloss, such as: D www.onestopenglish.com/144984.article Also see Resource Books for Teachers: Grammar Dictation, R. Wajnryb, Oxford University Press, 1990

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7.2 – Advantages and disadvantages Working in groups of three or four, look at the four techniques assigned to you and try to complete the chart with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Brainstorm what grammar/circumstances it may be appropriate for. Remember this is grammar in general you are thinking about now. Technique

Advantages

Possible problems

Using a song

Appropriate for: Using a timeline

Appropriate for: Using a visual

Appropriate for: Using realia

Appropriate for: Personalising

Appropriate for: Explaining directly

Appropriate for:

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Technique

Advantages

Possible problems

Practising and then presenting

Appropriate for: Using a reading or listening

Appropriate for: Using a chart

Appropriate for: Comparing L1 and L2

Appropriate for: Guided discovery

Appropriate for: Dictogloss

Appropriate for: • Groups give their feedback to other groups by moving around to sit together – not across the class. • Add any new or useful information to your charts.

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8 Spoken grammar 8.1 – Text messages Compare these two text messages (SMS). Which one do you think was sent by a native speaker of English? How can you tell? b

a

8.2 – Features of spoken grammar Match the features of spoken grammar with the examples. Can you think of one more example for each feature?

a I’ve failed my test! – Oh dear. I’m sorry.

b Well… I’m afraid that’s all I have.

d I don’t remember really. It’s sort of blue-ish.

c Sleep well? – Yep, thanks. You?

e My neighbour, the one who has just moved in, he has this dog and…

b

1 Discourse markers

4 Use of formulaic expressions

2 Ellipsis (leaving certain words out)

5 Historic present

3 Additive nature

6 Vagueness

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Can you think of other features not mentioned above?

8.3 – Exposing learners to spoken grammar Below is an example of an exercise aimed at highlighting spoken grammar. Can you think of other exercises you can do in class to highlight the features of spoken grammar?

Short questions in spoken language In spoken language it’s common to leave out certain words (very often auxiliary verbs or pronouns) in general questions. Can you put back the missing words in the short dialogues below? a ‘Hungry?’ – ‘No. I’m fine thanks.’ b ‘Sleep well?’ – ‘Yes, thanks.’ c ‘You going to the party tomorrow?’ – ‘Might be’ d ‘Tired?’ – ‘Yes, I’ve been working all day.’ e ‘More coffee?’ – ‘Yes, please.’ f ‘Any luck?’ – ‘Nope. I’ll try again tomorrow.’

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Recommended Reading About Language, Scott Thornbury, OUP, 1997. The Cambridge Grammar of English, Ronald Carter and Michael McCarthy, CUP, 2006. Tasks for Teacher Education, R. Tanner and C. Green, Longman, 1998. D www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar – a guide to English grammar. D www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/askaboutenglish – all your questions about English grammar answered by experts. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/grammar-vs-lexis-or-grammar-through-lexis – an article discussing and giving examples of how certain grammar structures can be taught lexically. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/uk-publishers/oup/introducing-your-students-spoken-grammar – an article introducing some features of spoken grammar with classroom ideas. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/multi-word-verbs-learner-problems – an article and practical suggestions on how to introduce MPVs with collocations. D www.onestopenglish.com/144986.article – an article about MPVs with particular emphasis on how not to teach them.

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Additional material Activity 4.1 – Regular and irregular verbs – answer sheet begin drink ring sing stink swim

began drank rang sang stank swam

begun drunk rung sung stunk swum

(a) wake break choose freeze speak steal

(a) woke broke chose froze spoke stole

(a) woken broken chosen frozen spoken stolen

buy fight bring think catch seek

bought fought brought thought caught sought

bought fought brought thought caught sought

(a) rise drive write

(a) rose drove wrote

(a) risen driven written

lay make pay

laid made paid

laid made paid

blow grow know draw fly

blew grew knew drew flew

blown grown known drawn flown

cling dig stick hang strike swing

clung dug stuck hung struck swung

clung dug stuck hung struck swung

bend lend send smell spend

bent lent sent smelt/-ed spent

bent lent sent smelt/-ed spent

bet cut cast hit hurt put split

bet cut cast hit hurt put split

bet cut cast hit hurt put split

bleed mean feed keep sleep sweep

bled meant fed kept slept swept

bled meant fed kept slept swept

bind find wind

bound found wound

bound found wound

bear swear tear

bore swore tore

born(e) sworn torn

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1 Experience Work in pairs. Look at the pictures. Tell your partner about mistakes that you have made while learning to do the things shown in the pictures. Share the funniest, silliest and most terrible mistakes that your partner has made with the class.

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2 Beliefs about mistakes 2.1 – Collocations What word collocates (goes with) with all the words in the left column? big terrible silly make a(n) did it by cannot afford any more learn from your human factual statistical unexpected grammatical make a(n) it may contain trial and

2.2 – Discuss Discuss the questions below with your partner. a What is the difference between ‘error’ and ‘mistake’ in an ELT context? b Should learners’ mistakes be corrected? Why? Why not? c When should learners’ mistakes be corrected? d Which mistakes should be corrected? e Who should do the correcting?

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3 Common mistakes Can you divide the mistakes your learners make into categories? The sentences below, which all contain errors, might help you. • I’m agree with you. • We should defend the environment. • The amount of people. • In our country exist many problems. • We stayed in a hotel. • A: Can I borrow your pen for a second? B: Please.

Grammar, e.g. I am agree with you

Errors and Mistakes

Your trainer will assign you one or more of the categories above. In your group, try to think of more common mistakes to add to each category.

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4 Oral error correction 4.1 – Correction techniques Match different types of corrective feedback with their descriptions. Your trainer will tell you where to find the names. Write down the names on the lines provided. The teacher directly elicits the correct form from the learner by asking learners to reformulate the utterance (e.g. ‘Say that again’) by pausing to allow the learner to complete the teacher’s utterance (e.g. ‘It’s a ...’) or by asking questions.

Clearly indicating that the learner’s utterance was incorrect, the teacher provides the correct form. L: ‘… but it’s not matter because they can …’ T: ‘It DOESN’T matter. We need “does” before a verb.’

By using phrases like ‘Excuse me?’ or ‘I don’t understand’, the teacher indicates that the message has not been understood or that the learner’s utterance contained some kind of mistake and that a repetition or a reformulation is required.

L: ‘We got down from the bus …’ T: ‘How do we say that in English? What do we do with a bus? We get …?’

1

2

3

Without directly indicating that the learner’s utterance was incorrect, the teacher implicitly reformulates the learner’s error or provides the correction.

The teacher repeats the learner’s error and adjusts intonation to draw the learner’s attention to it.

L: ‘… because I wake up late this morning.’

T: ‘MADE a lot of damage?’

L: ‘It made a lot of damage …’

T: ‘Oh, you WOKE up late. I see.’

4

5

Without providing the correct form, the teacher poses questions or provides comments or information related to the formation of the learner’s utterance (for example, ‘Do we say it like that?’, ‘That’s not how you say it in English’ and ‘Can it be plural?’).

6

Adapted from Research on Error Correction and Implications for Teaching, Tedick and de Gortari, 1998

Do you use any of the techniques above? Which one? Which one do you think teachers use most? See Activity 4.2 to find out.

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4.2 – Effectiveness of oral correction A study carried out in Canada showed that English teachers on communicative courses used the following types of error correction: 55%

14%

Recast

Elicitation

11%

8%

Clarification Metalinguistic Request Feedback

7%

5%

Explicit Correction

Repetition

The same research showed that elicitation and metalinguistic feedback resulted in the highest number of reformulations (46 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively) made by learners immediately after teachers’ feedback.

46%

45% 36% 31%

28%

8%

Recast

Elicitation

Clarification Metalinguistic Request Feedback

Explicit Correction

Repetition

• Are you surprised by the findings? • Why do you think recasts were not as effective? • What types of error correction do learners respond to best from your personal experience? • Has this research made you change your mind about the way you correct learner errors?

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5 More correcting techniques 5.1 – Grammar gamble Your trainer will give you instructions on how you will do this activity.

5.2 – Techniques for correcting mistakes Do you know any other techniques for correcting mistakes in the classroom? Your instructor will give you a card with instructions. Work in groups of three and demonstrate a correction technique to the class. Watch other participants demonstrate various correction techniques. Make notes below.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

What is the main difference between the correction techniques in the left and in the right columns?

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6 Approaches to error correction 6.1 – ELT approaches and error correction Different ELT approaches treat learner errors differently. Which of these approaches are your personal views on error correction most similar to?

Audiolingualism, which gained considerable popularity in the 1960s, grew out of the belief that language learning was a process of habit formation. This teacher-centred approach relied heavily on imitation and memorisation where learners had to learn carefully sequenced lists of set phrases or sentences. There was great effort on the part of teachers to get learners to produce error-free sentences. In fact, mistakes were not to be tolerated in Audiolingualism. They were a sign that the ‘good’ habits hadn’t yet been learnt.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) shifted the emphasis from accuracy to fluency. Mistakes were no longer seen as negative manifestations of learners’ performance, but rather as an indispensable part of the learning process, showing that real learning is taking place. The main purpose of language learning is the ability to use language for real communication. Error correction still has a place in the classroom but it would be less direct and intrusive; for example, it can take place at the end of a communicative activity. Error is an indication of learners’ effort in producing the language.

The Lexical Approach (LA) proposed in the early 1990s can be considered an offshoot of the CLT. While compatible with the communicative view of the language, the LA claims that grammar mistakes are often results of gaps in the lexical knowledge. Therefore, what is often needed is not error correction but rather more lexical input to enrich learners’ vocabulary. Grammar mistakes will eventually take care of themselves as learners work on developing their lexical knowledge, particularly their command of ready-made phrases, patterns and ‘chunks’.

6.2 – Lexical error correction Try to correct the following mistakes lexically. In each case, try to look beyond a grammar mistake and find what gap in learners’ lexical knowledge needs to be filled. 1 We studying in the same school.

We went to the same school – a learner is not familiar with the lexical chunk ‘went to school’ 2 I pass my interview well yesterday.

3 Last night thieves come in my house.

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4 When I learning at University I also had a job.

5 People which work in hotels should be polite.

6 Normally I sleeping very late but last night I was really tired.

7 I was at the pub and then I go back at home late.

8 In Saturday I like to stay in the bed for longer times.

9 Other children always laughed at her because her parents bring with the car to the school.

10 … and there was a man behind who knew who done it.

11 They are looking for someone from the right area of working.

12 This film is about people who live in England at the last century.

• Did you find this activity easy/hard to do? If so, why? • Do you agree with the view that every grammar mistake can be turned into a ‘lexical opportunity’, i.e. an opportunity to improve learners’ vocabulary range? In-Service Teacher Development Core Course  Coursebook  Module 2. Language Awareness

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7 Correcting written work 7.1 – Reflection Discuss these questions with your partner: a How do you correct your learners’ written work? b Do you find it effective to provide learners with the corrected version or just indicate their mistakes without correcting them? Do your learners agree with you? c Do you ever ask your learners to rewrite their first draft and resubmit their work? How do your learners feel about it?

7.2 – Correcting techniques Look at the following techniques of written error correction and decide which would be appropriate for your teaching situation. Compare with your partner. • Use different colours to underline mistakes and examples of appropriate language. • Correct errors by writing the correct forms in their place. • Use codes in the margin to identify the type of errors (e.g. Sp = spelling error). Learners then make corrections themselves. • Put crosses in the margin for the number of errors in each line (without identifying the type of errors). Learners then try to identify the errors and make corrections. • Put learners into pairs/groups. They correct each other’s work using one or more of the techniques above. • Collect some common and recurring mistakes in learners’ writing, write them up on the board and discuss with the whole class. • From time to time, give learners an individual breakdown of recurring problems in their written work.

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7.3 – Marking code Look at the following learner’s work corrected by a teacher. Can you work out what marking code s/he uses to correct the learner’s work?

Rep.

In the modern world there exist very big problem. It is the transportation problem. Sp

Coll.

Our big beautiful cities suffer becouse traffic jam and dirty environment. Every ww

day thousands of people can not reach their destinations in time. In my opinion the best solution for this problem is the wide use public transport. WF

St.

But some people think that the using public transport leads to reduce the comfort of their life and in addition it requires the huge financial resources. ww

WO

But I think that exist very important reasons to start using public tranposrt more widely. ww

Coll.

The most important reason why we have to do it is that we have to defend the ww

WF

environment. The T toxic gas of transport impacts on environment very bad and Coll.

addition leads us to health hazard. TheTthousands of people suffer allergic diseases Coll.

and the main reason is the dirty environment. ww

The second reason is that if we reduced amount of vehicles on the road we reduce the Sp. ww ww amount of road accident becouse there is the clear link between them. Coll.

p.

Finally I want pay attention ww on continually growing price of fuel. For example in my country in last month price of fuel increased by 40 cents. I think that Coll.

ww

WF

everyone want to save their budget and the using public transport is the good ww

possibility to do that. St

ww

In conclusion I want to repeat that the wide use public tranport is the real way to WF

help our cities to be more comfortable and more healthy. St

Thank you for your attention.

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Write the symbols in the boxes on the left.

Wrong word

Wrong form

Wrong word order

Collocation error

Incorrect tense

Punctuation problem

Spelling mistake

Not appropriate style

‘s’ missing

Not clear/difficult to understand

Should be connected

Repetition

Something missing

Not necessary

Do you find this way of correcting learners’ writing effective? Why (not)?

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8 Reflection • What was the most important thing you learnt in this unit? • What techniques or ideas are you going to try out with your learners? • Was there anything you don’t agree with?

Recommended Reading Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Brown, H. Douglas, 3rd Edition, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents, 1994, p.299. Corrective feedback and learner uptake: Negotiation of form in communicative classrooms, Lyster, R & Ranta, L. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 19 (1997) pp 37–66. D www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm – a summary of Krashen’s (1981) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. English Language Teaching series. London: Prentice-Hall. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/error-correction-1 – an article on different kinds of errors and some practical ideas. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/error-correction-2 – a second part of the article dealing with error correction. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/forum-topic/dealing-errors-mistakes – a forum where teachers share their views on error correction. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teacher-induced-neuroses – a somewhat ironic article about how teachers often get themselves into a state over their learners’ mistakes. D www.onestopenglish.com/146396.article – Scott Thonrnbury’s excellent article on fossilised errors and some tips on how to deal with them. D www.onestopenglish.com/146455.article – a lot of ideas on how to correct mistakes, especially how to make non-intrusive correction during speaking activities, including an extensive list of correction symbols (gestures). D edition.tefl.net/ideas/games/grammar-auction-variations – variations on a popular error correction game.

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Additional material 5.2 – Techniques for correcting mistakes 2 Using gestures 1 Class correction on the board Teacher waits until learners have finished the speaking activity and then writes down their mistakes on the board and gets learners to correct them. Learners can come to the board in turns and make necessary corrections.

While learners are speaking, the teacher indicates that they have made a mistake using symbols. For example, ‘T’ made with two forefingers or hands shows missing article ‘the’. Holding a thumb and forefinger close together indicates that an article ‘a/an’ or another small word is missing. Hands crossed over indicate wrong word order, e.g. ‘I go often to London’. A scissors motion made with a middle and forefinger illustrates that a word is unnecessary, e.g. ‘… which I like it’. 4 Sound correction

3 Booing and cheering Teacher writes six to seven sentences on the board. Some of these are correct, while others contain errors. As teacher points to each sentence, the class cheers or boos, according to whether they think it is correct or not. Teacher puts a cross next to the sentences the class thinks are incorrect, then points to these word by word until learners locate the mistake, again by booing and cheering.

While learners are speaking, the teacher indicates that they have made a mistake by using sounds. For example, teacher sings ‘do-be-do-be-do’ to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Strangers in the night’ if a wrong auxiliary is used, e.g. ‘It’s not matter’. Teacher buzzes like a bee to show missing verb ‘be’, e.g. ‘I going’. Teacher makes a ringing sound ‘(t)ing’ if ‘ing’ is missing, e.g. ‘I am wait for you.’ Teacher knocks on the table (‘wood’) if learners misuse ‘would’, e.g. ‘If I would know the answer …’

5 Correct the teacher Teacher reads the text and makes mistakes in it. These can be typical mistakes learners make or the mistakes the teachers collected during a preceding communication activity. Every time teacher makes a mistake, learners shout out the correction.

6 Slips of paper Every time a learner makes a mistake, teacher writes it on a piece of paper (or sticky note) and discreetly hands it to the learner who has made it.

7 Internet chat

8 Teacher’s shadow

Instead of speaking to each other, learners quickly pass pieces of paper back and forth with a written conversation in groups, a bit like chatting on the internet. While being similar to spoken conversation, this activity allows teacher and learners to look at the written transcript of their chat later and analyse the language they used.

While learners are speaking in groups, teacher chooses one learner to shadow her/him while s/he walks around, monitoring. When teacher hears a mistake, s/he gets the ‘shadow’ to correct it. The shadow and the learner who made the mistake then swap places and teacher continues monitoring with a new shadow until they hear a new mistake.

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7.3 – Marking code – Answer sheet

ww

Wrong word

wf

Wrong form

wo

Wrong word order

coll

Collocation error

t

Incorrect tense

p

Punctuation problem

sp

Spelling mistake

st

Not appropriate style

‘s’ missing

Not clear/difficult to understand

Should be connected

rep

Repetition

Something missing

Not necessary

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1 Why we listen 1.1 – Identifying types of listening tasks Read this extract from a teacher training article and highlight the definition of transactional and interactional listening tasks: Why we listen Because we listen for many different purposes in and out of the classroom, this has an effect on the way we listen. Yule and Brown (1983) make a useful distinction between interactional and transactional communication. McCarthy (1991), in Discourse, defines transactional talk (and listening) as communication for getting business done. Interactional communication, on the other hand, has to do with lubricating the social wheels. In Listening (1988), Anderson and Lynch describe them as (transactional) listening when the main purpose is to achieve a successful transfer of information, while interactional listening is defined as listening for social reasons and to establish or maintain friendly relations between interlocutors. From the list mentioned above in ‘defining listening’, an example of ‘transactional listening’ would be taking notes on key information in a class or a seminar, whereas an example of ‘interactional listening’ would be making small talk or perhaps discussing problems at home or work. Recognising the different purposes that listeners have and how these differences affect the way we go about listening has important implications for the language classroom. These implications deal directly with the way we design listening tasks, ask our learners to respond to listening material and how we prepare them to listen. While practice in the areas mentioned above and pointing out how they can overlap is essential, advanced classes preparing for high level exams are required to deal with tasks largely transactional in nature. We therefore need to make them aware of appropriate techniques in order to increase their chances for success with these types of exercises, such as listening for keywords or using their background knowledge to aid their understanding. Article by Scott Shelton, source: D www.developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/list1_scott.htm

Define transactional and interactional listening tasks in your own words.

1.2 – Big City Small World Listen again to series one, episode five of Big City Small World D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/big-city-small-world and answer the following questions:

1 Who thinks Harry will get the job?

2 Why is Sarah unhappy?

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3 Do you think Sarah is being mature?

4 What advice would you give Sarah?

Check your answers and discuss with your group: 1 Which of the questions above are transactional? 2 Which are interactional? Make a list of listening activities you have done recently in class and decide if they are interactional or transactional.

Do you do one more often than other or is there a balance in what you do in class? Is there a balance in real life?

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2 Making listening tasks easier or more difficult 2.1 – What makes a good teacher? Write down six things that make a good teacher. Listen and tick those of your ideas that are said by these teachers at IATEFL.

Listen again and write down the nine ideas they have.

Check your answers with the answer sheet – but be careful because one is wrong. Which one?

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2.2 – Listening skills If you were using this video with learners, it is not very easy to listen to and understand. Listen again and in the table below make a note of factors that make the video easier or harder to understand: Easier to understand

Harder to understand

Using gestures makes it easier

Watch the second video on making chocolate ice cream and add more notes to the table above. How can you use these lists when planning lessons?

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3 Designing suitable listening tasks 3.1 – Genre Brainstorm different types of listening texts that you use in class. i.e. interview, recipe, etc.

When listening and watching the ice cream recipe video, what did you naturally want to do while listening? Listen and watch the video again and do one of the following: 1 Write down four steps in the instructions

2 Summarise the instructions

3 Make a list of vocabulary that your learners will not be familiar with

Share your answers and discuss how easy or difficult your task was.

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3.2 – Evaluating tasks Add three more ideas to the checklist below. When designing a listening task, check that the tasks:

• involve the learner in a natural task linked to that genre • cannot be done through only the pictures without listening • require understanding of the overall meaning and not just recognition of some word • • • If you were to use the ice cream video, what task would you set a group of your learners? Share your ideas for the ice cream task or a listening activity in your current textbook and take notes on two of the other groups’ ideas.

Make notes on what makes a good listening task and what you can do to make it easier for your learners.

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4 Listening subskills 4.1 – Listening subskills: definitions Match these subskills to their definitions. Listening subskills

Definition

1 Listening for specific information

a When we listen to a long text over a long period of time

2 Listening for gist

b When we listen to try and extract the maximum meaning of every word in the text

3 Listening for detail

c When we listen in order to examine a piece of language; for example, to study the grammar or pronunciation of it

4 Intensive listening

d When we listen to a text only to find a particular piece or pieces of information

5 Extensive listening

e When we listen to try and get a general idea of what the text is about

4.2 – Classroom activities Complete the following table by matching the activities to the subskills in Activity 4.1. Classroom activities

Listening subskills being practised

1 A teacher sets up an after-school film club.

extensive listening

2 Learners listen to a short story in class, then write a summary of the story afterwards.

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3 The teacher plays a recording of a person arguing about the bill in a cafe and asks the students to write down all the prices they hear. 4 The teacher plays a recording of a short story and asks learners to think of a suitable name for it.

5 The teacher asks learners to listen to a short dialogue and, on the printout of the tape-script, underline the words that are stressed by the speakers. 6 The teacher plays a recording of four housemates discussing money and asks learners to identify the names of the people in the house. 7 A teacher reads a short poem aloud and asks learners to discuss what each line means.

8 The teacher plays learners a dialogue from a supermarket and asks them to complete a gap-fill with past simple forms.

Reflection Think back to a recent lesson you have taught and answer the following questions: • What subskills were being used in your lesson? • Were these natural subskills for this type of listening in real life? • How can you make your learners more aware of the skills they are using?

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5 Monitoring and giving feedback 5.1 – Interview

When I was at school studying languages I would turn off as soon as the teacher turned on the tape recorder; I don’t think she ever noticed!

Ask your partner the following questions: • In your last listening lesson, what did you do while the learners were listening? • Did you know which questions they found difficult? (How?) • What did you do to help them feel more confident about dealing with this difficulty in the future? • What might you do differently the next time?

5.2 – Do or don’t Complete the following statements with Do or Don’t: 1

listen to the text before class, anticipate problems and plan how you will respond to these and raise your learners’ awareness about them.

2

stay at the front of the room during the listening activity.

3

take note of the questions that are commonly wrong or missed out.

4

ask yourself why the learners have made this mistake and explain it to them.

5

miss out questions that allow individual interpretations of the global meaning.

6

ask learners to explain why they have chosen an answer and what they heard.

7

discuss errors/misunderstandings your learners have.

8

tell learners to go faster. Allow flexibility in your plan to respond to their needs.

9

look at the tape-script and identify features that are typical for this type of dialogue.

10

ask learners for answers unless they have had a chance to share ideas in pairs or small groups.

Mark with a

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*

those statements above you personally feel are important.

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5.3 – What problems do your learners have and what can you suggest? Think about one of your classes. Tick () any of the following problems that your learners have when listening. Add some more things that you have noticed they have difficulties with. Difficulties learners have

Solutions

Learners are confused because they have misunderstood key word(s).

Learners are confused because they didn’t hear the contracted negative in ‘haven’t’.

Learners have trouble recognising the object that is being referred to. (e.g. In the text: On Sunday I am having lunch with my boyfriend. It’s his birthday so his whole family will be there. Where does there refer to?). Learners find the speaker talks too fast.

Learners confuse two similar sounding words.

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One solution may be:

Highlight the fact that we often have to use our own knowledge, prediction and inference skills to identify between possible answers. To practise inference skills, describe someone’s job, without saying what the job is. Learners have to guess and say what clues helped them guess. Do another one, but be more obscure. Then give learners some jobs that they have to describe to the others, but they must be really creative (obscure) with their descriptions to make it as hard as possible for the others to guess.

Which problem(s) above would that help? In your group, think of more solutions for each problem. Put these ideas in a group poster that you will share with other groups.

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Recommended Reading Listening, Ann Anderson and Tony Lynch, OUP. The Practice of English Language Teaching, Harmer, J., Longman, 2007 – in unit ten, Jeremy Harmer looks at further ideas of what he calls ‘level 2’ activities that teach listening skills. Listening Extra, Miles Craven, Cambridge University Press – a photocopiable resource book with multi-level listening activities. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/listening-top-down-bottom – listening: top down and bottom up; a TeachingEnglish article on the different listening skills. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/active-listening-activities – active listening activities; TeachingEnglish activities to encourage learners to listen to each other.

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1 Back to the board 1.1 – Write the words Write the words the trainer dictates here:

The words were all used in the ‘Back to the board’ game. Work with your group and make sure you understand the meaning of each vocabulary item and how it is connected to teaching speaking.

1.2 – Reflection task Would you do this with your learners? What are the benefits of this kind of activity? Tell your partner.

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2 Real speaking 2.1 – Speaking Think about the times you spoke over the last couple of days. Choose two times and make notes in the columns below. Share your information with a partner.

2.2 – Speaking in class Now think about your pupils’ use of speaking in class. Choose two times in the last few days that they have done speaking. Make some notes below then share your information with a partner. Genre What general kind of speaking was it? (e.g. giving a speech, chatting)

Purpose Why was this speaking done?

Setting Where was it done?

Audience Who was listening?

Response Did you get from the listener: • one-way – no response • two-way • multi-way – more than two communicated spoken responses

1

2

3

4

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2.3 – Differences in speaking Do you notice any differences? Make a note of them below:

2.4 – Reflection task Tell your partner: • how often you use pair and group work in your classroom and what for • how you will now use it in your classroom and what for.

3 Observation Pair and group work. Compare your answers with the information below. Benefits: • Enables much more language practice for learners. Especially in large classes, it is essential in order to help learners develop into confident users of the language. • Some learners are naturally shy and tend to say little or nothing in whole-class work. Pair work and group work can help learners feel more secure. • Involves learners more. Learners tend to lose interest and not concentrate in whole-class work. • Pair work and group work encourage learners to help each other. They can share knowledge and ideas and begin to take responsibility for their own learning.

Problems: • Pair and group work can be very noisy and this can disturb colleagues – this is generally regarded as a good thing. It can help to explain to colleagues and principals why pair work is beneficial. • Learners make mistakes during pair and group work. This may be true but might be a sign that learners are experimenting with language and developing their competency in the language. It is a good idea to prepare learners before pair or group work and to monitor carefully during the activity so that you can correct important mistakes when the activity is finished. • Learners can be difficult to control when they are doing pair or group work. It is very important to give very clear instructions for pair and group work. Learners must have a clear task to complete. It is also a good idea to introduce pair and group work slowly over a period of weeks if your learners are not used to it.

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4 Jigsaw reading 4.1 – Preparing for communication You are going to read part of a text about speaking and how to promote real speaking in the classroom. There are 12 questions below. In your group you can answer only four of the questions. Read the questions, read your text quickly, find the questions you can answer, tell the rest of the group and see if they agree; then answer the questions in the space below. 1 What is our main aim in practising oral English according to the introductory paragraph?

2 Conversation B is probably two people talking in private, face-to-face and reacting to each other. How is conversation A described?

3 Does the writer think that traditional structure practice is a complete waste of time? Why/why not?

4 According to conversation B, what will the British Council give you?

5 In conversation A, the attention of the learner is focused on the language they are using and on getting the structure right. What is the focus on in conversation B?

6 What benefit does working in pairs and small groups have for learners’ speaking ability?

7 How many different pieces of advice are there in conversation A?

8 Conversation A is a controlled exercise where the language is completely predictable. How is conversation B different?

9 How many ways does the writer give practice that is controlled but which includes some of the features of real communication?

10 Give two examples (not ‘should’) of structures to give advice in conversation B:

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11 What two other responses does the writer say the speaker in conversation B could have used to reply to the speaker’s question?

12 Name two task types that the writer says give learners a purpose for using the language:

Text from Adrian Doff, Teach English Teacher’s Workbook, CUP Cambridge, 1988, p104-5

The full text is given at the end of the workshop. You can read this for homework.

4.2 – Who’s got…? In your new group, work together to answer all the questions. One person asks ‘Who’s got number one? to start. Continue until you have answered all the questions. Shout ‘Finished!’ when you are finished.

5 Find someone who … What do you think about speaking? What do your colleagues think? Walk around the room. Speak to as many other participants as you can. Write a different name in each space. Ask some follow up questions – turn it into real speaking… For example, If someone says ‘yes’ to number one, ask them ‘Who did you speak to?’ or ‘What did you talk about to Natasha?’ or ‘What did Andriy tell you?’ Find someone who… 1 has spoken to more than five people in the classroom already this morning 2 uses pair work and group work in the class 3 has never conducted a debate in their classroom 4 knows what an information gap is 5 has noisy classes 6 wishes they were still in their bed 7 believes strongly that speaking is the most important of the four language skills 8 thinks fluency is more important than accuracy in speaking 9 loves using role plays in class 10 thinks the ratio of pupil talking time to teacher talking time should be 75:25 11 uses snappy modelling and drilling to liven up their classes 12 uses buzz groups in their classes.

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6 Running dictation 6.1 – Dictation Listen to your partner and complete the text.

There are lots of

to inject more

into your classroom.

and end of classes,

For example, at the

the learners and

get them to tell their partner what they

in the previous or

lesson. They can also tell their partner

connected with the

of the lesson; for

, where they were

night or what their

and dislikes are. on a task, tell them to

Every time you

a partner. This will help to build in

check their answers before speaking

of the whole class. If groups are working

on a task,

, move one person from each group to

when they answers again or to share/check

their

information before eliciting feedback.

6.2 – Activities and techniques Talk to your partner about the activities and techniques in the text. • Have you tried them in your classroom? • If so, were they successful? • If not, would you like to try them?

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7 Peer teaching 7.1 – Speaking activities Speaking activities must be carefully prepared for so that pupils get the maximum language practice from them. Work in groups. Use either your own coursebooks or the activities that the trainer will give you. Use the questions below to help you prepare the activity. You will need to adapt it for a class you are familiar with. Pre-speaking activity 1 How are you going to create a context and introduce the task?

2 What language (i.e. vocabulary/grammar/functional language) do your pupils need to know before they can do the task?

3 What interaction pattern does the task require? How are you going to create this?

4 What instructions are you going to give? Write them down. Are there different parts to the task? If so, what are the instructions for each part?

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5 How are you going to ensure the pupils understand what you want them to do? Are you going to use instruction-checking questions? Do you think a demonstration or example is necessary? If so, how are you going to provide it? How are you going to start the activity?

Speaking activity 6 How are you going to monitor the activity? (e.g. remotely, by making notes on errors, by helping them, by correcting them)

7 How are you going to stop the activity? Do you have an early finisher’s task? How can you extend the task if necessary?

Post-speaking activity 8 How are you going to feed back on the task and on the language?

Focus questions and observer tasks adapted from Rosie Tanner and Catherine Green, Tasks for Teacher Education, Longman, 1998

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7.2 – Reflection task Practise setting up the task with your group. When you are ready, set up the task with the class. After the demonstrations, think back over the tasks and make notes on the following: Make some notes on the speaking task demonstrations: • How the teacher gave instructions • How much the teacher and the pupils spoke during the task (e.g. teacher 25 per cent; pupils 75 per cent) • What the teacher did during the task • How the teacher started and stopped the task • What the teacher did after the activity. Demo 1

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Demo 2

Demo 3

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Demo 4

Demo 5

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7.3 – Classroom tasks Here is your record of the communicative activities that you observed in class and some others. Read through the communicative activities below and tick the ones that you would like to try out in class. Ball throwing game …… • Throw the ball to a learner who has to say something e.g. how they are feeling, an introduction to themselves, what their future plans are, etc. • The learner then throws the ball to someone else who has to speak • This continues until everyone has had a chance to say something • You can also do this by asking learners to make a question and then throw the ball for someone else to answer it. Pyramid discussion …… • Hand out worksheets with items for ranking • Put learners into pairs • Each pair has to order the items from most important to least important so that everyone in the group of four agrees • This is done again with two groups of four getting together and trying to agree and then with two groups of eight • Finally, the whole class has to rank the items and come to an overall agreement. Role play …… • Put learners into two groups. One group is the Customer, the other is the Shop Assistant • Learners plan what they are going to say to their groups • Then pair one learner from each group together • The pairs do their role plays • Go back to the original group and discuss what happened. Class survey …… • Get learners to copy an information table from the whiteboard into their notebooks • Learners then wander around the classroom finding out information from their friends and filling in the table • Learners go back to their places and report interesting information they find out • They write up the information for homework or pool all the class information into a class report.

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Survival …… • Divide the learners into groups of five or six • Describe a survival scenario to them, e.g. crashed in a jungle miles from anywhere • Give them the task: they have to decide which eight items out of a possible 20 they would take with them on their search for help, and why. The teacher needs to decide what the 20 items are or the class can brainstorm 20 items and this can be written on the board • Either each group presents their reasoning to the class and the class votes on the best choices or they are regrouped as in a jigsaw task and they have to agree on eight things to take • As a follow-up task, the group can make up the story of their trip and then be interviewed by reporters. Balloon debate …… • Learners are put into groups and given an item or person to talk about. They have to plan a talk on why their item or person is the best • A spokesperson from each group stands up and gives their talk • Learners then have to vote on which talk had the weakest arguments • The item or person with the weakest arguments is thrown out of the balloon (the balloon will plummet to the ground if someone or something is not thrown out!) • The arguments are put forward again and, again, the weakest is thrown out of the balloon • Finally, the remaining group with the strongest arguments is the winner and remains in the balloon! Onion rings …… • Make sure you have enough space for this – you could do it outside • Divide the class into two • One half stands in a circle facing outwards; the other half stands in a larger circle around them facing inwards. Each learner should be opposite another learner • Tell them they have two to three minutes to ask and answer as many questions as possible • Tell the outer circle to move on to the next learner • Stop when they’ve come ‘full circle’ • This can be used for any functional language and for practising any language in a more interesting way.

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8 Reflection Think back over the session about the tasks that you participated in – both the content of them and how they were delivered: • Back to the board • Personalisation in your life and in your classroom • Jigsaw reading • Find someone who … • Running dictation • Peer teaching (all of the five activities). Are there tasks in your coursebook that you could do in this way? Is there a task that you would like to try? Why? Make some notes below:

Now stand up and talk to as many people as possible about what you decided.

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Recommended Reading Teaching the Spoken Language, Brown, G and G.Yule, Cambridge University Press, 1983 – this discussed the theory and practice of teaching speaking. Speaking Extra, Mike Gammidge, Cambridge University Press, 2004 – this is a learner’s book with speaking activities from beginners to advanced including detailed teachers notes. D www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/speaking-and-listening – from the popular Teachers TV, a series of excerpts of classroom teaching focused on speaking and listening. D www.onestopenglish.com – the website has a huge speaking skills section. Some examples are below: D www.onestopenglish.com/skills/speaking – selection of lesson plans and activities for speaking skills, D www.onestopenglish.com/skills/speaking/speaking-matters – series of articles by Adrian Tennant giving useful tips for teaching speaking. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – this website also has a number of articles on this topic. Some examples are below: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-speaking-skills-2-overcoming-classroom-problems – a practical article on overcoming problems in teaching speaking. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-speaking-skills-1 – a practical article with plenty of tips for teaching speaking.

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1 Beliefs about reading Read the following statements about reading and decide whether they are true or false. Be ready to explain the reasons for your decisions to your partner. True

False

1 The main reason for reading in the classroom should be to test learners’ understanding of English.

2 Teenagers only read when they are studying.

3 Authentic English language materials are too difficult for my learners.

4 The English language texts, which teachers give to learners, should be the same type as those the learners enjoy reading in their own language.

5 It is necessary for learners to know every word in order to understand a text.

6 Reading is a passive skill.

7 When teachers provide a written text to present new language, the learners are practising reading.

8 We use a variety of strategies when we read, which learners need to learn and practise.

9 A good way to practise reading skills is to read aloud.

10 Most teenagers find reading activities boring.

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2 What and why? Teenagers may read many different text types in their mother tongue, and have different reasons for reading them. In order to develop our learners’ reading skills in a motivating and meaningful way, we should use the same text types and reasons for reading, in the English language classroom. Work in a group to make a list of either what teenagers read or why they read. Base your list on what your learners read in their mother tongue, as well as in English. What do learners read?

Why do learners read?

Have you ever given your learners any of these text types to read in English?

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3 How we read You are going to find out how people read, by reading about six strategies. Before your trainer gives you the text, complete the following table in order to activate your schemata about the subject and predict what’s in the text. This will help you to tune into the topic and understand the text more easily.

3.1 – What do I know? Write down three things you already know about how we read:

1. 2. 3.

Write down three questions you have about how we read:

1. 2. 3.

After you have read the text, you will refer back to this table to see whether the things you already know about were included and whether the questions you have were answered.

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3.2 – Reflection on how we read 1 Which reading strategies did you use when you re-ordered the text?

2 Would you prefer to do the re-ordering activity alone, with a partner or in a group? Why?

3 Why was the text cut in those particular places? Why wasn’t it simply cut after each paragraph?

4 If you were to use a re-ordering text activity with your own learners, what changes would you make so that the activity was more suitable for them?

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4 Classroom activities to practise reading strategies The text below has some information missing – part of the headings, which identify the reading strategy being practised, and some of the activities. Use the ‘Reading strategies and classroom activities‘ table to fill in the gaps.

Activities to practise (1) • Give learners the question sheet and ask them to guess the answers before reading the text • Tell learners the title and ask them to write questions they have about the topic • (2)

Activities to practise (3) • Give learners a newspaper or magazine and ask them to find which pages the following are on: weather report, TV schedule, business news, readers’ letters, etc. • Ask learners to read the first sentence of each paragraph, then say what the whole text is about. Give them a time limit to discourage intensive reading • Give learners a set of different short texts and ask them where they would find them, e.g. a shopping list (in a handbag), an advert (in a magazine), a public notice (in a park), a text message, etc. • (4)

Activities to practise (5) • Ask learners to read the questions and identify what kind of answer they should look for, e.g. a date, amount of money, someone’s name, a city, etc. before reading the text • A reading race, where learners have to find specific information from a text faster than other learners • Give learners a timetable and ask them questions, e.g. what time does the train to London leave? • (6)

Activities to practise (7) • Give learners an article and ask them to provide a title for it • Give learners a text with a few sentences removed. They put the sentences back in the correct places. • Give learners a news story and ask them what they would have done if they had been in that situation • (8)

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Activities to practise (9) • Give learners a cut-up text to put in order • Give learners a text with reference words underlined (this, it, he, she, those, etc.). Have them identify the noun that each word refers to. • (10)

Activities to practise (11) • Give learners some definitions and ask them to find corresponding words in the text • (12)

Reading strategies and classroom activities a using cohesive devices b skimming c guessing meaning of unknown words from context d predicting e scanning f reading intensively g Choose difficult words from the text and ask learners to choose the correct meaning for each of them, from choices a, b, c, d. h Give learners some short news articles and ask them to categorise them into international, national, local and business news. Give them a short time to do this. i Give learners the genre/title/illustrations/key words from the text, or the cover/blurb from a book, and ask them to guess the content. j Give learners a set of instructions to follow (directions/making a paper aeroplane …) k Give learners a brochure/website advertising various products and ask them to find particular details about the product, e.g. price, size, etc. l Give learners a text with connectives removed (however, therefore, on the other hand, although, etc.). Ask them to put these words back in the right place.

Can you think of any more activities to practise each strategy?

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5 Producing questions You will now experience some reading tasks and questions. After you have completed Activity 5.1, you will identify which reading strategy each question gave practice in. You will then write some questions yourself.

5.1 – A text about teaching reading Pre-reading task 1 You are going to read a text with the following phrases in it. What do you think the text will be about? expose yourself to the target language range of vocabulary read independently tasks, questions and answers self-defeating reading cycle self-motivating reading cycle While-reading task 2 Which paragraph is about: i) the vocabulary learners need in order to read by themselves? ii) how to write questions for a reading text? iii) why some learners don’t enjoy reading in a foreign language? iv) the reasons for implementing certain tasks? 3 How many words are needed for independent reading? 4 Find a phrase in paragraph B that describes a situation where learners become discouraged to read in English. 5 According to the article, what situation does this diagram represent? Learners read more challenging, age-appropriate texts

Learners learn new vocabulary and develop reading strategies

Learners enjoy reading

Learners’ confidence grows

6 Which of the following is the best title for this text? a) Setting up an Independent Reading Scheme b) The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary c) The Value of Teaching Reading d) How to Design Reading Tasks

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Title: A The best way to support language learning is to expose yourself to the target language – ideally by living in an environment where the target language is the main means of communication. Unfortunately, this option is not available to every language learner. There is another, more accessible way to gain exposure to a language though – reading. By reading texts in the target language, the learner is exposed to how language is used to express meaning. In fact, we learn a lot about the usage of our mother tongue by reading extensively. Therefore, it is very important for a language teacher to encourage and guide learners to read. B Unfortunately, learners can find reading in a foreign language frustrating. They may attempt to read something without using appropriate reading strategies and perhaps with too many unknown words in it. They therefore find it difficult or impossible to get meaning without a dictionary (even with a dictionary sometimes!), which slows the whole process, resulting in a disappointing experience. Consequently, the learner avoids reading and therefore doesn’t develop the skills needed to enjoy it. A teacher should aim to help learners break out of this self-defeating reading cycle. C Clearly, learners will need a range of vocabulary in order to read even the simplest texts. It has been said that most people recognise about 50,000 words in their mother tongue. Some estimate that at least 5,000 words are required for independent reading. This is a large number for learners, but learners don’t have to be able to use all these words actively in order to understand them in a text. Also, it is often possible to get sufficient meaning from a text without understanding every single word, which we do naturally in our mother tongue. Teachers can help learners to recognise when they can just ignore a difficult word, and when they can use the context to guess the meaning of a word. But, helping learners to learn vocabulary remains a fundamental aspect of the language teacher’s job. D While learners gradually build their vocabulary, the teacher should help them to develop their reading skills by practising reading in the classroom. Choose texts that are appropriate to the learners’ age and interests, and from which the learners will be able to get some meaning. There may be a few words outside the learners’ knowledge, but not so many that the text is impossible for them to understand. Design motivating tasks that give learners practice in using various reading strategies. In this way, learners will gain the confidence to tackle more challenging texts, which will provide exposure to more language and improve their reading skills, which will encourage them to read more. This is a self-motivating reading cycle which teachers should aim to get their learners into. E So, the questions and tasks the teacher sets for the learners should be motivating. Their aim should be to develop reading skills, rather than just to test understanding. Such tasks may focus on top-down processing, i.e. using our own knowledge and experience of the world (schemata) to understand the text as a whole, to interpret the writer’s purpose and overall message. Learners may practise strategies such as predicting and skimming to do this. Other tasks may focus on bottom-up processing, i.e. looking at the words in the text to understand the meaning. Scanning, reading intensively, using cohesive devices and guessing meaning of unknown words from context are strategies which can be practised here. Both top-down and bottom-up processing are used by L1 readers to fully understand a text. When reading in their mother tongue, people usually do something with the information they’ve gained, so teachers should provide post-reading activities that replicate such authentic tasks. These often integrate some or all of the other skills: listening, speaking and writing.

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F Having decided which reading strategies to practise, the teacher should make sure that the tasks, questions and answers do not use language that is above the learners’ level. Answers can be given by ticking boxes, putting things in order, matching, etc., to avoid the learners having to formulate long answers. Also, make sure that the learners actually have to read the text in order to find the answers. Allow time for learners to compare and discuss their responses. This gives them an opportunity to explain and defend their particular answer – if they get it wrong, they may figure out the correction by themselves. The teacher should listen to these discussions, as they reveal how the learners’ reading is developing. An incorrect answer often discloses more information about a learner’s understanding than a correct one, which may have been just a lucky guess! G Once learners can read confidently in English, the teacher should encourage them to read independently. Recommend texts suitable for their age, interest and English level and perhaps ask them to review books they’ve read so that their classmates will be better equipped to choose suitable books. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD PISA Survey, 2000): ‘Reading skills … make a demonstrable difference to one’s chances in later life.’ So, your efforts to teach reading will be worthwhile. And don’t forget to set a good example by reading yourself – you will also benefit in many ways.

5.2 – Post-reading tasks Now identify which of the following reading strategies each question in Activity 5.1 gave practice in: a predicting b skimming c scanning d reading intensively e using cohesive devices f guessing meaning of unknown words from context.

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5.3 – Writing questions Now it’s your turn! Write some questions below for the text you read in Activity 5.1. Indicate which reading strategy/strategies each question practises.

Test your questions on a partner to see if they work.

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6 Planning a reading lesson Using the text(s) your trainer gives you, plan a reading lesson using this lesson plan template. Time

Teacher activity

Learner activity

Interaction

Stage aim

Pre-reading tasks

While-reading tasks

Post-reading tasks

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7 Advice on developing reading skills Below are some concerns mentioned by teachers in the staff room. What advice would you give these teachers? 1 ‘Where I work, it’s very difficult to find authentic language texts for my learners to read.’ 2 ‘Whenever I have used real English language texts for my learners, they have found them too difficult to read.’ 3 ‘My classes are too big to do pair and group work activities!’ 4 ‘There is not enough time in my curriculum to spend on silent reading.’ 5 ‘My learners always say that reading is boring!’ 6 ‘My learners panic and stop reading as soon as they meet a word they don’t understand.’ 7 ‘My learners read aloud quite well, but don’t seem to understand the meaning.’ There is some advice below, but it is all jumbled up. Can you match the correct advice to each concern? After matching the following advice to the concerns above, decide whether the advice given is good advice. Would you add anything? a ‘By dividing your class into groups, you actually have fewer units to deal with, i.e. 40 learners into eight groups results in eight units instead of 40. If the groups work well together, some of the teacher’s tasks, such as re-explaining activities and helping weaker learners, can be done by the learners.’ b ‘This is common when reading in a foreign language. You should help your learners to develop their guessing meaning of unknown words from context strategy and to use other reading strategies to get meaning and gain confidence, even if they don’t understand some of the words. Make sure you give them texts that are at the right level of challenge to help them develop confidence, i.e. not so many unknown words that they become de-motivated.’ c ‘Reading is so beneficial for both language learning and education as a whole that time should be made for it in any school curriculum. Although it may seem that learners aren’t doing much when reading in silence, if they have been set a motivating and challenging task, they will actually be very active in interpreting the text for meaning.’ d ‘Perhaps you can look on the internet for texts. Remember, texts don’t have to be articles, but any genre that your learners enjoy in their mother tongue, such as advertisements for electronic equipment. Though not 100 per cent authentic, you could make up something short, like text messages, yourself. You can use material in coursebooks too. Be careful with copyright.’ e ‘Choose reading texts of the same genre as those the learners enjoy outside the classroom, such as fashion magazines, emails to friends, articles about music, etc. Design motivating tasks to exploit the texts. Also, include authentic post-reading tasks that require the learners to do something with the information they’ve read – this will make reading more meaningful for them.’

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f ‘When reading aloud in a foreign language, learners often concentrate on pronunciation at the expense of understanding. Therefore, it is not usually a valuable task when teaching reading. Silent reading is more effective and more authentic – it’s also faster than reading aloud.’ g ‘Choose authentic texts with your particular learners’ level in mind. For lower-level learners, choose shorter texts. It is not necessary for learners to understand every word in the text to get meaning. You should devise tasks that are achievable, using a variety of reading strategies – focus on the parts of the text the learners will understand.’

Recommended Reading Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language, Christine Nuttall, Macmillan Books for teachers, 2005 – this book gives a detailed but very readable explanation of how to teach reading, with some practical activities. Developing Reading Skills, Francoise Grellet, Cambridge University Press, 1987 – despite its age, this book remains relevant with plenty of clearly explained information about how to develop reading skills, and lots of practical activities. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/reading-information-motivating-learners-read-efficiently – a series of four articles by Dave Willis from 2008, explaining four stages of a lesson which he uses successfully to motivate learners to read more efficiently and improve their language skills. D www.pisa.oecd.org – the OECD conducted a survey in 2000, which examined the reading literacy levels of teenagers in 32 countries. Read the Executive Summary of Reading for Change to find out how important it is for teachers to focus on reading in the classroom.

Additional material Activity 3.1 – What do I know? – answer sheet

G When we read in our mother tongue, we may not always read every line carefully. On the other hand, sometimes we scrutinise every single word, and even try to imagine what the writer was thinking as well as writing, in order to fully understand the message. We use these different reading strategies because we have different reasons for reading. A To illustrate this, let’s imagine that you need to find out when a certain film starts at the cinema – you might look in a newspaper. First you skim the pages, looking at headlines and perhaps pictures and familiar type settings that help you to locate the cinema advertisements. You read in this way to get the gist of what you are seeing, i.e. the overall picture, rather than specific details. E When you find the right page, you scan the advertisements looking for the title of the film you want to see. When you find the relevant advertisement, you scan it for numbers that represent the time. You don’t read other information in that advert, but only the specific information you are looking for.

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B However, sometimes you read more intensively. Let’s take a film review as an example. As cinema tickets are expensive and you can only go to the movies once in a blue moon, you read the review very thoroughly. You take more time and read it from start to finish. You try to understand the reviewer’s opinion completely, even reading between the lines in order to judge whether you can trust her/his opinion about the film. F These three different ways of getting meaning from a text, called skimming, scanning and reading intensively, serve different purposes. Below are three more strategies that we use to help us interpret the writer’s meaning when we read. D Let’s stay with the example of a film review. Before you started reading it, you probably predicted a few things to yourself, either consciously or automatically. You read the title, which may have given you a clue about the reviewer’s opinion. You looked at the still from the movie and the accompanying caption, which confirmed your belief that the film was a thriller. You already knew who the main actors were, so you expected to read something about them. You’ve read reviews before, so you knew that the reviewer would probably say what s/he enjoyed about the film, and what s/he didn’t like. This strategy of predicting, using your general knowledge and experience of the world (or schemata), helped you to tune in to the review more quickly and understand the writer more easily. H Another strategy you employed was knowledge of cohesive devices, or how ideas are linked together in a written text. For example, having read about what the reviewer enjoyed in the film, you came across the phrase ‘On the other hand …’ This signalled to you that next you would read about the things s/he didn’t like. Such devices help the reader to follow the relationship between the writer’s ideas. They are the glue, which holds the whole text together. C Finally, as you were reading the review, you came across the word ‘indicted’. Although you didn’t know what this word meant, you didn’t stop and ponder it. You didn’t reach for a dictionary to help you. You continued reading. The next couple of sentences gave you clues about the meaning of indicted. Apparently, this thing happened in a court of law and resulted in the main character going to prison. So you guessed it meant something like: being found guilty. That’s all you needed to understand the message, so you continued reading. This strategy of guessing meaning of unknown words from context is how we learn a lot of the vocabulary in our mother tongue. While most people use the above six reading strategies in their mother tongue automatically in adulthood, it seems that not many transfer the same skills to another language they are learning. Therefore, teachers should provide tasks that encourage their learners to practise these strategies when reading in English.

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1 An introduction to the skill of writing 1.1 – Gathering ideas/information You are going to write a short introduction to a teacher training book called The Skill of Writing. The book will be read by college learners in your country who are training to become EFL teachers. First, your trainer will tell you how to collect information in order to complete the table below. 1

e.g. / i.e.

2

e.g. / i.e.

3

e.g. / i.e.

4

e.g. / i.e.

5

e.g. / i.e.

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1.2 – Writing the first draft Now use the notes you collected in Activity 1.1 to write the introduction to the teacher training book called The Skill of Writing in the space below. Remember that the book will be read by college learners in your country who are training to become EFL teachers. Put the information in a logical order and add cohesive devices and more information if appropriate. You only have a short time to write this first draft – you will have time to revise it later.

1.3 – Editing Now work with a partner to edit your writing. Read each other’s work from the point of view of the intended reader, the college learner, and help each other to make changes to the order of contents, vocabulary and grammar if necessary.

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1.4 – Reflection 1 Did you enjoy doing the writing activity? Why/why not?

2 Did you find the writing activity difficult? Why/why not?

3 What language or skills did you practise when doing the activity?

4 Was it helpful to work with other participants? Why/why not?

5 What did you learn about the skill of writing?

6 Could you do an activity like this with your learners? How would you adapt it to suit them better?

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2 The process vs. the product 1 Which of these features were included in the writing you just completed in Activity 1? a the intended reader b the purpose of writing c gathering ideas d planning the writing e writing a first draft f editing the text g writing a final draft h publishing the writing The above features are all part of the writing process, which most people go through when writing something in their own language. Think about the last time you wrote an extended text – perhaps an email or a report. Did you go through this process (perhaps in a different order)? If we follow this process when writing in our own language, then we should allow learners to go through the same process when practising writing in a foreign language. It is unrealistic to expect learners to write without knowing who the reader is, or why they are writing. There should be time and stimulation to help the learners generate ideas for their writing. Also, learners need to know that the first draft can be revised and rewritten – it is very difficult, even for professional writers, to produce a perfect piece of writing in the first draft. This process-oriented approach to teaching writing is therefore more authentic than focusing on the final product only. 2 Think about writing outside the classroom and consider these questions with a partner. How do the intended reader and the reason for writing influence the level of formality we use?

Where do we get ideas and information for the content from before we write?

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Who edits the first draft?

What does the editor look for?

Who reads the final draft?

Should we use these ideas when providing writing practice for our learners?

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3 Writing activities: controlled to free 3.1 – Joined up text Rewrite the following text on the notepad below, adding spaces and punctuation.

lowerlevellearnersandthosenotusedtowritingneedmoresupportorcontrolled activitieswhenpractisingwritingintheclassroomtheteacherexplainedintermediate andadvancedlearnersandthosewithmoreexperienceofwritingneedlesssupport orfreeractivitiessheaddedthatthiswouldgivesuchlearnersthespaceto experimentwiththelanguagethemselvesandthereforetolearnbydoing

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3.2 – Ranking Your trainer will now give you descriptions of several writing activities. Rank the activities from most controlled to most free, by placing their letters on the line below.

controlled

free

3.3 – Reflection 1 Some of the writing activities in Activity 3.2 were product oriented (involved learners interacting with the final product), while others were process oriented (gave opportunities to go through one or more of the stages of the writing process). Which was which? Product-oriented activities

Process-oriented activities

2 Should teachers use a mix of product-oriented and process-oriented writing activities in their lessons? Why/why not?

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3 Could you use the writing activities in Activity 3.2 with your learners? How would you adapt them to make them more suitable? Think about your learners’ needs in terms of age and English level. Writing activities

Adaptations

d Joined up text

e Picture story

f Collaborative story

g From notes to text

h Describe and match

i Gap-fill

j Opposite postcards

k School magazine article

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4 Dealing with errors in writing 4.1 – Identifying errors a Could you do the Identifying errors pair work that you just completed, with your learners

b Would you make any changes to the activity to make it more appropriate to your learners’ needs?

c What are the objectives of doing such an activity?

d How would you follow up the activity?

Adapted from Grammar Games by Mario Rinvolucri, Cambridge University Press, 2008

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4.2 – Categorising errors Read the following errors taken from learners’ work, and identify what aspect of writing each learner has got wrong, e.g. spelling, collocation, tense, formality, etc. 1 His mother went to the market this morning and buy some vegetables. 2 She will pick up her outside bus the station. 3 The gril recieved an intresting letter that morning. 4 It was difficult for him to help the boy. He was only visiting him for a short time. 5 The family stay here during the week and goes to the beach at the weekend. 6 It was very dark; there was a heavy wind and strong rain. 7 We would like to express our best wishes in response to your getting hitched announcement. 8 The teacher said the student, was crazy. Which of the sentences are the most difficult to understand? Which errors should the teacher bring to the attention of the learner?

4.3 – Responding to learners’ writing A learner has written a text in response to this task: ‘Write a message to your English teacher explaining why you haven’t done your homework, and what you will do now.’ Three teachers have marked the learner’s work. Read what they have written, then answer the question below. Teacher A’s response

Mr Jones Dear Mr Thomas Jones, I’m did do comma mother I afraid I do not make the homework. Because I did not have time. My muther was had the whole sick so I have to buy the dinner and cook the dinner for hole family yesterday. ^ My mother better do Muther is OK now so I will make the homework today. Sorry about that. ^ Debbie, Class 4W There are too many mistakes, Debbie. Check your spelling, past tense, sentence structure and letter format. You can do better than this.

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Teacher B’s response

Dear Mr Thomas Jones, I’m ? ? mother I afraid I do not make the homework. Because I did not have time. My muther was whole sick so I have to buy the dinner and cook the dinner for hole family yesterday. mother Muther is OK now so I will make the homework today. Sorry about that. Debbie, Class 4W C+ Better than last time, but be careful with your grammar. Teacher C’s response

Dear Mr Thomas Jones, t ww sp I afraid I do not make the homework. Because I did not have time. My muther was t sp sick so I have to buy the dinner and cook the dinner for hole family yesterday. sp ww Muther is OK now so I will make the homework today. Sorry about that. Debbie, Class 4W Glad to hear your Mum is better. I look forward to receiving your homework tomorrow. Can you correct your work yourself? Which teacher has provided the best feedback? Why do you think that?

There is an example of a correction code in the Additional material section of this unit. Do you know any other effective ways to give feedback on written work?

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4.4 – Reflection

Errors show that the learner is not learning. I disagree. I think errors show that the learner is making progress.

1 Do you agree with either of these statements?

2 What changes will you make to the way you respond to your learners’ writing?

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5 Evaluating writing activities 5.1 – A checklist You will now write a checklist for evaluating writing activities you do in your classroom. Follow the writing process in order to do this, then write your final draft in the left column of the table below.

Components of a good writing activity

Course material A Satisfied?

Course material B

Adaptations required

Satisfied?

Adaptations required

5.2 – My course material You will now use your checklist to evaluate two writing activities that you use in your classroom. Your trainer will explain what to do.

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6 Reflection Think back over this workshop and: • choose five key words or phrases that will help you to remember the main points of the workshop.

• choose one of the activities to try with your learners. Explain why you chose it.

• choose one of the activities that you will not try with your learners. Explain why you chose it.

• choose one point from the workshop that you think will be most useful to tell your colleagues.

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Recommended Reading How to Teach Writing, Jeremy Harmer, Longman Books for Teachers, 2004 – a comprehensive description of why and how to teach writing, including sections on the writing process, ‘Nuts and bolts’ (spelling, handwriting, punctuation, etc.), cohesion and coherence, and responding to learners’ written work. Writing, Tricia Hedge, Resource Books for Teachers, Oxford University Press, 1988 – although an old book, this one clearly outlines the value of using the process writing approach when teaching writing, and suggests lots of activities for each stage of the process. Process Writing, Ron White and Valerie Arndt, Longman Books for Teachers, 1991 – explains the process approach to teaching writing in a clear way and provides lots of activities to develop learners’ writing skills. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/approaches-process-writing – an article by Graham Stanley from 2003, which details the what, why and how of the process writing approach, including activities for different stages. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/writing-activities – links to various motivating writing activities, compiled by Jo Budden. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/error-correction-1 – an overview of error making and correcting by Rolf Donald from 2003.

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Additional material Activity 1.2 – Writing the first draft This is one possible version of the final draft of the introduction to the teacher training book. You may have a different version, which is equally valid. Writing doesn’t come naturally, unlike speaking, so it is a skill that learners need to learn and practise. There are several other differences between writing and speaking, most notably the absence of the reader. Because the writer and the reader often don’t meet, the language needs to be clear to avoid any misunderstanding. As a result, writers have to do much more than simply form letters with a pen. A skilful writer considers the readers’ needs, the genre, the content, the best way to order the information and the appropriate tone, as well as vocabulary, grammar and cohesive devices. All these components usually mean that the writer needs time to formulate ideas, plan the writing and edit a first draft before producing a final draft. Despite, or because of, all the above, writing is very valuable for learners because it gives them time to experiment with the language and consolidate their skills.

Activity 3.1 – Joined up text – answer sheet This is one possible version of the final draft of the introduction to the teacher training book. You may have a different version, which is equally valid. ‘Lower level learners and those not used to writing need more support, or controlled activities, when practising writing in the classroom,’ the teacher explained. ‘Intermediate and advanced learners and those with more experience of writing need less support, or freer activities.’ She added that this would give such learners the space to experiment with the language and therefore to learn by doing.

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Activity 4.3 – Responding to learners’ writing – answer sheet Teachers should respond to learners’ writing as if the teacher is the intended reader – and make it clear to learners whether their message has been understood or not. Praise the learner for making any part of the meaning clear, even if the grammar is not correct. After all, communication is the main purpose of writing. Think about all aspects of writing, not just grammar, when giving feedback. Is it exciting (if it’s a story)? Is it clear (if it’s a letter)? Is it informative (if it’s an article)? How about tone? Is the genre correct? Cohesive devices? Teachers should help the learner to learn from her/his mistakes, but do not highlight every mistake as this will discourage learners from experimenting with new language, which is a necessary stage in learning. Focus on errors you know the learner can correct. Point out what/where the mistake is, then give the learner time to correct it her/himself. This effective feedback can be done in a number of ways: a Underline the mistakes you want the learner to correct. b Indicate in the margin how many mistakes there are in a certain line. The learner has to find and correct the mistakes. c Write a message to the learner at the bottom of the work, stating which parts are difficult to understand and suggesting how to make them clearer. d Write ‘dictionary’ or a grammar reference in the margin, so that the learner can go and study independently. e Highlight errors with a code that the learner understands, and which tells her/him what kind of mistake has been made, so that s/he can correct it her/himself. Here is an example, but you should devise one that is suitable for your learners.

Symbol

Description

Example

sp

spelling

This is my opinian.

ww

wrong word

It’s dark – please open the light.

t

tense

I see him yesterday.

^

something missing

She stayed in hotel.

something not necessary

I went to shopping.

wo

word order

I enjoy very much the film.

pl

plurality

I have two sister.

punc

punctuation

Although he said goodbye. He didn’t leave.

sva

subject verb agreement

There were good information.

(

)

Don’t forget to give the learner time to make the corrections or rewrite the text – and read it yourself again.

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1 What is ‘integration of skills’? 1.1 – Getting started With your partner, make as many words as you can from the letters in this word: I N T E G R A T E Write as many words as you can below; longer words as well as short ones. Bonus points for a total of 40 words. You have five minutes!



rat

green



Now change with another pair and check their work. All the words must be spelt correctly. Score one point for all short words (one, two, three or four letters); five points for longer words (five or more letters); bonus of 20 points for a total of 40 words.

1.2 – Integrate What is integration of skills? • Talk with your partner about the meaning of the word ‘integrate’. Then check your dictionary (or look at the definition your trainer puts on the board). • In language teaching, which skills do we want to integrate? • Besides the four main language skills, what other things might we need to integrate?

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2 Why do we integrate skills? 2.1 – Integrated or not? Have a look at the following activities and decide with your partner whether they combine, or integrate, at least two of the four main skills. Tick () the ones that do. Reading a newspaper. …… Having a telephone conversation with your friend. …… Delivering a speech that you have memorised. …… Chatting with your neighbour while standing in your driveway. …… Taking notes during a lecture at university. …… Taking notes for yourself while you read a chapter in your textbook. …… Listening to a song on the radio. …… Writing a report with two colleagues about a project you’ve been doing together. …… Leading a discussion in a meeting for your tennis club about when and where to have the annual picnic. …… Talking with the parents of a learner whose class work has been unsatisfactory this term. …… Compare with your partner. For the ones you have ticked, say which skills are being used. Are these all real-life activities? Do most of them involve only one skill or more than one skill?

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2.2 – Brainstorming benefits and objections to skills integration With your partner, think of reasons why it’s good to teach and practise several skills together. Write them on the left side of the table below. Reasons for integrating skills

Reasons for not integrating skills

When you were in school, you may have been taught the four skills separately, and in many schools around the world this is still normal. Can you think of any reasons why some teachers might not like integrating skills in their lessons? List them on the right side of the table above. Now compare your ideas with another pair sitting near you. Do they have any ideas that you and your partner did not think of? Do you agree with their ideas?

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3 Reasons for integration Read the paragraph below about skills integration. Walk around the room with your partner and look at the words on the wall. Use these words to complete the paragraph.

Perhaps the main reason for integrating skills in the classroom is that it is more like (1)

communication, where we have to listen and speak

at the same time, as in a conversation, or read and write at the same time, like when we are taking notes while we read. Also, although using several skills together is challenging, it is definitely more (2)

and interesting. Moreover, because the skills

are (3)

, improving in one area will usually have a

(4)

impact on other areas as well. As learners,

we develop strategies for one skill, like predicting before we read an article, but many strategies often work (5)

well with other skills too; so,

for example, we predict before we listen as well as before we read. Finally, combining the four skills in a lesson is beneficial because this type of lesson appeals to different learning (6)

and different types of learners.

Check your answers with another pair. Now do you want to add anything to your list of benefits?

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4 A ‘word cloud’ This drawing is called a word cloud (or word flower or ‘wordle’), and is made up of the key words in an article about skills integration. The size of a word indicates how frequently it appears in the article. Talk with your partner about what the important ideas in the article might be.

This word cloud was created on D www.worditout.com

If you wish to read the article that this ‘word cloud’ was based on, it is the third item in the Recommended reading list at the end of this unit.

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5 Do or don’t? Your trainer will give you some statements. In your groups, decide whether each statement is a do or a don’t. 1

ensure that every activity your learners do has a purpose.

2

use tasks and activities that are similar to things we do in real life, like talking on the phone, sending a text message or asking for help in a shop.

3

follow your syllabus or coursebook to the letter.

4

adapt and extend your coursebook to add more skills work.

5

feel that you should never focus exclusively on one skill to give your learners extra practice.

6

evaluate your coursebook to see whether all four skills are given adequate attention.

7

weave the four strands of speaking, listening, writing and reading into the ‘tapestry’ of your teaching.

8

include grammar and vocabulary as well as pronunciation and spelling in your ‘tapestry’ of teaching.

9

point out to your learners that strategies used in reading will also help them listen more effectively.

10

always start with the receptive skill first and then move to the productive skill.

After checking answers with your trainer, you can also write ‘do’ or ‘don’t’ above.

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6 The video 6.1 – Before we watch If you have a reading task and a writing task to do in the same lesson, which one would you normally do first? Why? Explain your choice to your group.

6.2 – While watching: Part one At the start of the video, you will see three questions. Your trainer will pause the video for a moment, and you should write down the questions to think about you while you watch.

Now watch the video and think about the three questions as you watch. (Write short notes in the box too if you wish.) Halfway through the lesson, your trainer will stop the video. Talk to your partner about the three questions. Can you answer them yet? What do you think is going to happen in the rest of the lesson? What skill will be focused on? Predict with your partner. When your trainer tells you to, discuss with another pair.

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6.3 – While watching: Part two Now watch the remainder of the lesson and then, in pairs, answer the three questions. Make notes below.

Your trainer will ask you to change groups. Discuss your answers to the questions with your new group. Together, consider the following questions as well: • Did this lesson surprise you? Why? • Have you ever taught a lesson like this? • Would you be willing to try something similar? Why or why not? The video you have just watched can be found at D www.youtu.be/U74Bogk8BBI and D www.youtu.be/B4-WC9KrXd0

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7 Extending a lesson on writing Look at the lesson below from a secondary school textbook intended to help learners prepare for their secondary school-leaving examination in English language. This workshop relates specifically to the ‘directed writing’ portion of the exam. Study the material together and think of ways that you could extend the lesson to include listening and speaking practice, while keeping the main focus of the lesson on writing. Spend 15 minutes and make notes below.

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Directed Writing: DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION Person Describe a kind, old relative that you were very fond of who is no longer living. Include the following points: • introduction – who the person is • some background information • marriage • character • your memories of the person • death.

Writing the composition: steps to follow Step 1 Pre-writing – Brainstorming technique: Clustering self-educated

orphan

skilful hands, mechanic

Background

still miss him

died age 87 long walks, visits to friends

grandmother

Marriage

MY GRANDFATHER

Memories

shared dinner, told interesting stories

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gave me puff on cigarette; taught me not to smoke

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friendly, funny

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Step 2 Planning a Paragraphing • Introduction: background • Marriage • Character • Memories • Conclusion b Expansion of notes • Paragraph 1: maternal grandfather – orphaned in childhood – self-educated – good with hands – auto mechanic • Paragraph 2: married grandmother – six children – poor but hardworking – hard times, but happy family • Paragraph 3: friendly, funny, loved children, laughed a lot, told good stories • Paragraph 4: took me for walks around neighbourhood, introduced me to his old friends, shared dinner with me if grandmother cooked anything special • Paragraph 5: gave me a puff on his cigarette when seven, said: “Go ahead, try it!” I coughed and coughed, never tried smoking again; maybe he planned it? • Paragraph 6: died of heart attack when he was 87 – grandmother died soon after – kindest man I’ve ever known – still miss him. Step 3 Writing Write first draft. Step 4 Editing Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Step 5 Rewrite Write final draft.

Adapted from Sukses English SPM, Angeline R. Vijayarajoo and Choy Lai Heong, Penerbit Fajar Bakti, Malaysia, 2004

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8 A mixed skills lesson Study the lesson plan and materials from the ‘onestopenglish’ website which your trainer gives you and answer the questions below: • Which skills are involved in this lesson, and about how much time is spent on each? • Besides that, what other aspects of language are focused on in this lesson? • Do you think your learners would enjoy and benefit from this lesson? Why or why not? • Could you teach this lesson in your school? If yes, what changes would you make and why? If no, why not? How could you adapt the plan and materials so that you could use it?

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9 Finding and adapting activities and lesson ideas In this activity, you are going to have a look at a number of activities and comment on them. Work in groups. TASK A Go to: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lesson-plans (Your trainer may give you a selection of already printed out lesson plans from this website.) Your task is to find lesson plans with activities that you particularly liked and which reflect the integrated-skills approach. Find at least three lesson plans. Share your findings with another group. TASK B Have a look at the coursebook you’re currently using in your teaching. Select a unit from the coursebook and adapt or extend it. You can modify or add an activity to make it a multi-skill lesson rather than a single-skill one. When you have finished, tell other group members about the changes you made to the activities and invite your colleagues to comment on them.

10 Reflection and closure • What have you learned today? What new things have you seen? • Which activities will you try out in your own classroom? • How can you take small steps toward integrating skills in your lessons?

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Recommended Reading The Practice of English Language Teaching, 4th ed., Jeremy Harmer, Longman, 2007 – a basic and comprehensive book for English teachers; Part 7 Language Skills and, in particular, Chapter 16 are particularly worth reading in connection with the topic of this workshop. Doing Task-based Teaching, Dave Willis and Jane Willis, OUP, 2007 – task-based learning is one of the most effective ways of integrating all four skills into meaningful communicative tasks; this book provides the theory behind it, examples and sample materials for teachers who are new to the task-based teaching approach. Uncovering CLIL, Peeter Mehisto, David Marsh and Maria Jesus Frigols, Macmillan, 2008 – CLIL (content and language integrated learning) is another major way of integrating the four skills; this book is an excellent reference for teachers who teach subjects like science, maths or social studies in English, as well as for anyone who wants to stay informed about developments in ELT. D www.cal.org/resources/digest/digest_pdfs/0105-oxford.pdf – ‘Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL Classroom’, Rebecca Oxford, ERIC Digest, September 2001. This short article offers a clear and convincing argument for the integration of skills. D voices.yahoo.com/an-integrated-approach-language-learning-77279.html – a short, simple, online article about integrating skills in teaching. D www.bit.ly/zunameh – a useful article for teachers on skills integration, written in the context of the Chinese school system. D www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/action-teacher-video-chemical-puppets – Teachers TV’s ‘Chemical Puppets’ is a 14-minute video of a Chemistry teacher helping her low-level science class make chemistry come alive with a puppet show about the elements and reactivity. D www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/improving-boys-literacy-in-wales-barry-comprehensive-school – also from Teachers TV, listen to a teacher talk about how she worked to improve boys’ literacy by giving them a real-life purpose to write; they wrote a news report about a dodge-ball competition at their school in which they all participated. D www.youtu.be/1KU-LaJh2qo – a video about integrating skills, with several sample lessons to look at and consider.

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1 Attention-getting signal 1.1 – Getting attention Read the following text and discuss what it means with your partner/group. When I need to get my learners to stop an activity, because I need to get their attention, I say or sometimes sing: ‘One, two, three, look at me’. By the time I’ve finished saying the phrase, my learners have stopped what they are doing and are facing me … praise is then awarded to the fastest/most attentive/ quietest group.

1.2 – Signals Discuss the following questions: • Have you got a way to get attention in your classroom? • Does your group have similar signals? • How useful are attention-getting signals? • How do learners respond to them? Write additional notes here:

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2 Reflection Reflect on the questions in the table below, and note your answers: Reflective questions

Answers

Do you have any routines that help with class management? What are they?

How do you establish a relationship with your learners?

How do you deal with disruptive learners?

How do you motivate pupils?

How does your management of the class affect any of the above mentioned points?

Find out your partner’s reflections. Are they similar to yours? Share any interesting ideas you and your partner have with the class. Further reading: D www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/teaching-large-classes.htm

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3 Issues involved in managing learners and classrooms 3.1 – Suggested management issues Available space

Pupils’ previous experiences

Space for displays

Lesson content

Lesson pace

Variety of content

The weather

Motivation of the class

Pupils’ home environment

Rules for behaviour

Outside noise

Involving pupils in decision making

Mutual respect

Natural abilities or disabilities

Processes

Fairness in class

Classroom size and furniture

A coursebook

Group dynamics/relationship within the class

Look at the issues above and separate them into two columns. Two examples are given: Factors you can control (or improve)

Factors you can’t control

Available space

The weather

Compare your list with your partner’s and explain your choices. Add any other ideas you have to each column. Now check your answers – Look at Additional material for Activity 3.1. Discuss – do you essentially agree or disagree with the answers?

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3.2 – Staging Think back to the activity you have just completed, and note the stages below:

1. Brainstorm classroom management issues in groups

Compare your stages with your partner/group.

3.3 – Discuss Discuss the following questions (thinking about staging): • What are the benefits of brainstorming before doing the task? • What are the benefits of having a list of suggested issues? • What are the benefits of comparing answers with a partner and explaining your choices?

3.4 Things to improve on Look back at the list of things you ‘can control’, and identify three things you would like to work on, to help with your classroom management in the future. Tell your partner, explaining why.

1. 2. 3.

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4 Management techniques and routines 4.1 – Situations you have seen Think about situations you have seen, potential situations or difficulties (in your own class or when observing other teachers) that can cause problems with class management.

1. Late learners

Look at your list above, and discuss what you could do with a partner.

1. Have/leave empty seats near the door

4.2 – Discussion cards Look at the cards of classroom techniques your trainer has given you. Read a card out to your group and brainstorm together all the reasons you can think of, for why it would or wouldn’t be a useful management technique with large classes.

Using an attention-getting signal

• It’s important to have everyone quiet at the same time, especially with large classes. • It’s very useful to have everyone’s concentration when you need it – When everyone is quiet, then instructions can be given/the next stage of the lesson can be started.

4.3 – Discuss Discuss the following questions: • Do you know any other techniques teachers can use? • Do you use similar techniques yourself? If not, will you try them?

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5 Classroom situations 5.1 – Why do learners act the way they do? Brainstorm together all the reasons you can think of for each of the situations below and complete the ‘possible reasons’ column. Two examples are given for you: Brief summary of situation

1 Learners are whispering in L1 and looking puzzled at the beginning of activities

Possible reasons

Possible management solutions

• not paying attention when instructions are given • instructions are long and complicated

2 Some learners finish tasks early while others are still working

3 A learner gets upset and other learners stop what they are doing and stare

4 Learners are talking to each other when you are giving instructions for the next task

5 A learner is pushing and saying horrible things to classmates during a mingle speaking

6 During a wall reading- matching exercise, some learners are copying each other

7 When learners are put into groups to play board/card games they talk a lot in L1

8 Learners are difficult to motivate in activities and are unsure of words to use or what to say

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Join another pair and talk about your reasons for each situation. Think back to the ‘Classroom management techniques’ you talked about in Activity 4. Individually make notes summarising ‘possible solutions’ in the third column of the table. Explain your ideas for ‘possible solutions’ to your partner. Now work in mixed groups. Tell them about your reasons and solutions and listen to the reasons and solutions they wrote. Are they good solutions? Do you have any suggestions or advice? Share any interesting ideas you have with the class.

5.2 – Role play Form a group. One person plays the role of the ‘teacher’ and the others the ‘learners’. Learners: Choose a situation (don’t tell the ‘teacher’). Briefly discuss the situation and what to do and then act out the roles of the learners. Teacher: Respond to the situation (using management techniques).

How effective was the ‘teacher’ at managing the situation? Change ‘teacher’ and ‘learners’ and repeat for a different situation.

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6 Self-evaluation 6.1 – Behaviour in the classroom Look at the following list and tick anything that you think you do or anything that is similar to your behaviour in the classroom. 1 Encouraging good class behaviour 2 Punishing a learner for bad behaviour 3 Being firm, kind and supportive 4 Being unfair 5 Sending learners out of class 6 Giving positive comments 7 Encouraging learners to work co-operatively in teams 8 Ridiculing a naughty learner 9 Having a ‘time-out’ chair 10 Grouping mixed ability learners together 11 Sharing decision making with pupils 12 Awarding prizes for good behaviour 13 Being strict 14 Giving whole-class punishment 15 Noticing when the pupils are being good 16 Giving negative comments 17 Displaying and valuing pupils’ work 18 Giving written tasks for misbehaviour 19 Having/using a behaviour contract 20 Holding a learner back after class to tell them about their bad behaviour 21 Holding a learner back after class to tell them about their good behaviour 22 23 24 Compare with your partner, and add any additional ideas you have to the bottom of the list.

6.2 – Discuss Look at the above list again, and discuss with your partner/group when it would be okay or appropriate to act like 4, 5, 8, 13 and 14. Join another pair and tell each other about your ideas. Was there anything interesting or surprising in your ideas? (For suggested ideas, see Additional material for Activity 6.2)

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7 Reflection In the activity you will reflect back over the workshop and make an action plan.

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Recommended Reading The Practise of English Language Teaching, Jeremy Harmer, Pearson Education Limited, 2007 – good for information regarding teachers’ language, authority, response to learners and much more. Teenagers, Gordon Lewis, OUP, 2007 – has a lot of ideas for the teen classroom, as well as information on behaviour. Engaging Tweens and Teens; A Brain-Compatible Approach to Reaching Middle and High School Students, Raleigh Philip, Corwin, 2007 – looks at teenage behaviour and provides effective techniques for management and engaging learners. D www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/teaching-large-classes – for further reading on challenges and strategies, as well as activities to use. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – lots of information, discussions and lesson ideas, as well as suggested activities to help with management. D www.schoolsworld.tv – videos you can watch online for ideas on large classes, as well as many other teaching ideas. D www.theteachersguide.com/ClassManagement.htm – contains lots of information on classroom management strategies, as well as discussion groups and lesson suggestions. D www.teachervision.fen.com/5776.html – contains lots of resources to help with classroom management. D www.proteacher.com/030000 – has a discipline management survey, tips on classroom procedures and much more. D www.onestopenglish.com/146454.article – discusses using pair and group work in ESL. This site also has information on methodology, teacher support and lots of activities and lesson plans.

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Additional material Activity 3.1 – Suggested management issues – answer sheet Issues involved with managing learners and classrooms Factors you can control (or improve)

Factors you can’t control

Available space

The weather

Space for displays

Natural abilities or disabilities

Lesson content

Pupils’ previous experience

Lesson pace

Classroom size and furniture

Variety of content

Outside noise

Motivation of the class

Pupils’ home environment

Rules for behaviour

A coursebook

Involving pupils in decision making Processes Fairness in class Mutual respect Group dynamics/relationship within the class Note: You cannot control everything in the classroom. Therefore you shouldn’t worry too much about what you cannot control. Instead, you should aim to identify areas that you can control and can improve – and try to work on these.

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Activity 4.2 – Discussion cards – answer sheet Some possible ‘positive’ suggestions for management technique cards.

Know learners’ names

You can then address them directly/get their attention quickly and when required/helps build rapport and relationships.

Display learners’ work and posters of useful classroom language

Create a language-rich classroom environment.

Use point systems for…

To help with speaking L1, to motivate and get them speaking.

Differentiate tasks and activities and have additional material available

Fast finishers/ multi-level groups.

Write instructions on the board

Help support visual learners/helps with long or stages of tasks, as learners can move at different paces and spend different amounts of time on different sections and still know what to do.

Be strict

So you can get attention when you need it.

Learners like to know when they are doing something right, not just using L2.

Wait for quiet before giving instructions

Make sure you have learners’ attention.

Praise good behaviour

Teach and encourage the use of process language, e.g. What did you put for number one? Whose turn is it?

So learners can communicate during games and activities in L2.

Be consistent and fair

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So they know what to expect and when something they do is wrong or right.

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Remind learners to speak L2 whenever possible

They can forget/get carried away in games and activities.

Use your voice, e.g. loud/soft, etc.

Give realistic time limits

Too much time and learners can get bored and distracted and too little time and they may feel too pushed and not try.

Speak in a clear voice

So all learners can hear you.

Be friendly and smile

Relax learners/be approachable.

Let learners know the aims of the lesson

Teach classroom language, e.g. Can I borrow…? How do you spell…?

Have routines

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Learners are comfortable with knowing what is coming next.

So learners have ability to use L2 whenever they can/you can remind them.

Learners know what to expect, feel secure in knowing what comes next.

Create interest/focus learners/change tempo in the lesson.

Look serious

Visual signal that you are not happy with something/ change the mood.

Give concise and staged instructions for activities

Too many may confause learners/staging instructions helps support weaker learners or non-verbal/non-auditory learners.

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Activity 5.1a – Why do learners act the way they do? Blank table Brief summary of situation

Possible reasons

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Activity 5.1b – Why do learners act the way they do? – answer sheet Suggested answers. Underlined sections in the situation column are given to show brief descriptions. Brief summary of situation

Possible reasons

Possible management solutions

1 Learners are whispering in L1 and looking puzzled at the beginning of activities

• Not paying attention when instructions are given

• Wait until you have everyone’s attention before giving instructions.

• Instructions are long and complicated

• Ask questions to check instructions • Keep instructions short and clear and use gestures and demonstrations • Pause after giving an instruction to allow for learners to absorb what you’ve said

2 Some learners finish tasks early while others are still working

• These learners are strong for the class • These learners have strong listening skills so catch instructions quicker

• Have early finisher tasks available, e.g. small worksheets with similar exercises • Give stronger learners different tasks (differentiated) • Give stronger learners more to do, e.g. write ten sentences instead of five

3 A learner gets upset and other learners stop what they are doing and stare

4 Learners are talking to each other when you are giving instructions for the next task

• They are being bullied by other members of the class

• Take them away from the group/briefly out of class, so others can get on with tasks and not stare

• Something has happened you didn’t see

• Ask the upset learner what happened?

• They are weak at listening

• Give written instructions and make this an activity, e.g. a running dictation

• They don’t understand what to do

• They are gossiping/ distracted by something else • They have seen the activity and done a similar one before, so assume they know what to do

• Make them aware you know they are talking – give them a look/gesture them to be quiet • Stop until they are quiet and then continue • Ask them concept questions about what they have to do next to check their understanding

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Brief summary of situation

Possible reasons

Possible management solutions

5 A learner is pushing and saying horrible things to classmates during a mingle speaking

• The learner wants attention

• Make the learner know you are watching them and stand near them

• The learner is unable to do/ not interested in the task and so is distracted

6 During a wall reading- matching exercise, some learners are copying each other

• Learners are having problems with reading • Learners are unsure of what to do

• Have a quick quiet word with them/if they don’t stop, ask them to return to their desk • Make a note on their worksheets of who is copying – to later check reading ability • Monitor closely to check reading ability • Stop the exercise and check instructions if many learners are involved

7 When learners are put into groups to play board/card games they talk a lot in L1

8 Learners are difficult to motivate in activities and are unsure of words to use or what to say

• Learners don’t have (process) language they need to play the games, e.g. whose turn is it?

• Teach and review process language before starting the game and praise groups for using it

• They are relaxed and therefore slip easily into L1

• Keep reminding learners

• Unsure of what to do

• Provide a model/elicit possible language needed to complete tasks

• Don’t see the task as useful or interesting

• to try to use English when they play/use point systems to help

• Demonstrate tasks clearly and check instructions before starting • Give learners details of why the task is useful • Use tasks that are challenging and that encourage co-operation and drive learners to complete them, e.g. A/B activities • Make tasks ‘game-like’ in nature to encourage participation

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Activity 6.2 – Discuss – answer sheet Care should be used with all the below suggestions – don’t be too serious. Some suggestions are: 4 Being unfair: points could be used to keep teams at a similar level. More points can be given to weaker teams for working well together/pronunciation/helping the teacher/being polite/helping peers, etc. and as long as it’s done in an open and congratulatory way and ‘game-like’ it won’t be taken too seriously. 5 Sending learners out of class: when they have been given sufficient warning and still not adapted their behaviour, e.g. two yellow cards, a red card and then out! (be careful to check there are no cultural factors related to it). Sometimes just the act of suggesting it can help, but be aware that you have to follow through on a threat if they have pushed past it or you may lose your authority. If you are sending learners out – where do they go? Do they need to talk to a member of staff or a senior teacher? Make sure they know where to go and who they need to talk to. 8 Ridiculing a (naughty) learner: in some situations it might be appropriate to get learners to provide suggestions for forfeits for when they are being naughty/misbehaving. In the first lesson or one of the first lessons, discuss behaviour and get learners to write suggestions of what naughty learners should do if they are really bad (have been told off a suggested amount of times in a lesson, e.g. three times). Collect in suggestions and put them in a box, which remains at the front of class. During lessons, write up learners names when they are being bad and, when someone has three, they have to come to the front of class, take a piece of paper from the box and complete the forfeit, e.g. stand on one leg for 30 seconds sing an English song for the class, etc. 13 Being strict: it is good to start classes with a new group being strict. You can then soften as the term progresses. It is more difficult to be fun and laid-back and then become strict later on! 14 Giving whole-class punishment: use peer pressure to help sort out management issues. Learners may be more susceptible to peers and their opinions and it could unite them as a group and help build class rapport.

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1 Teacher centred or learner centred? Have a look at the following statements and indicate whether they represent a teacher-centred or a learnercentred approach, by ticking () the appropriate boxes below. Teacher centred

Statement

Learner centred

Well, I’m not sure

Learners depend on teacher for explanations of new vocabulary. Teacher designs activities based on the learners’ strengths, needs and interests. Teacher asks learners to read a text and then asks a number of comprehension questions in a clockwise manner. Learners practise a new grammar item through role play. Teacher uses topics of her/his own interest. Teacher presents a grammar rule and the language is produced based on the rule. The teacher asks the learners to discover a grammar rule for themselves (guided discovery). Teacher sets up project work to be completed by learners in the selfaccess centre. Learners are involved in making decisions about what is to be learned. Teacher is a facilitator of the learning process; provides direction rather than just instruction. Teacher wants learners to write a letter about a certain topic and asks learners to send their homework via email to the teacher. The teacher receives emails, corrects them and sends them back to learners via email. Learners expect teacher to correct their mistakes. Teacher encourages learners to give feedback to each other. Teacher asks learners to use a dictionary to find the meanings of new vocabulary items. Learners practise different ways of recording vocabulary and choose the way that helps them learn best. The teacher teaches learners strategies to help them find answers for themselves.

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Write down any important points your group discuss:

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2 Comparing traditional and a learner-centred classroom 2.1 – Worksheet A Read the following text about a teacher’s view on families. Your teacher will ask you some questions afterwards. I’m an English teacher working in Ukraine, and for some reason I really don’t like that classroom topic – Talk About Your Family. Perhaps it’s because everyone studied English from the same book at school. So all the students say, ‘My family consists of five members. Me, my mother, my father, my brother and my dog …’ and so on. As if all families are exactly the same. It’s such a shame, because our families are unique. All families have their stories, their dramas, their private jokes, nicknames and phrases. They’re the place where our personalities were made. How often have you heard someone with young children complain: ‘Oh no, I think I’m turning into my parents …’? The other day I found myself turning into one of my grandparents. I was trying to get my daughter (one year and eight months old) to eat her dinner and I said: ‘That’ll make your hair curl.’ Now, I don’t think that green vegetables give you curly hair, or even that curly hair is a great thing to have. It’s just a phrase I heard from my Granddad a hundred times when I was small. It had stayed in my mind, halfforgotten, until the time I could use it myself. I wonder if he heard it from his own grandparents? How many other old-fashioned phrases like this stay inside families, when the rest of the world has forgotten them? Talk about your family? ‘Well … they’re just there,’ we say. Our families are so ordinary to us that we even think they’re boring. Not a bit of it! Families are the most exotic things on earth. If you dig enough in your own family, you’re sure to come up with all the stuff you could want for a great novel. Surprising characters, dramatic or funny stories passed down for generations, or a face from the past you recognise – maybe in your own. Someone or something unique to your family. Or, as genealogists like to say: ‘Shake your family tree – and watch the nuts fall out.’ Adapted from: Collecting Things – My Grandmother’s Elephant, by Chris Wilson D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/node/259

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2.2 – Worksheet B Read the following text about collecting things. Your trainer will give you a task afterwards. My grandmother had a beautiful elephant carved out of sandalwood on her dressing table, which I secretly used to covet. I wanted it more than anything in the world. It was about the size of a football and had a cheeky smile. It was inlaid with tiny circular mirrors and mother of pearl, and had real ivory tusks and toenails. One day my sister said: ‘Oh Grandma, please can I have it?’ and, to my fury and disbelief, she just gave it to her! I immediately made two resolutions: 1 Never to speak to either of them ever again. 2 To find another elephant just like it. Ever since I have been scouring the world. I have rummaged around junk shops and antique shops all over Europe, I have been to garage sales and flea markets in America, I have hung about in Arab souks and Indian bazaars, but I have never seen anything quite the same. Along the way, however, I have acquired all sorts of other elephants and my collection has grown and grown. I have got black ebony elephants from Malawi, soap stone elephants from Zimbabwe and an exotic Congolese one carved out of bright green malachite. I have a whole family of wooden Thai elephants marching along the top of my piano – sometimes when I sit and play I could swear they are marching in time to the music. I have two very heavy, long-legged elephants which I bought in Khan el Khalili, in Cairo, which I use as bookends, and an enormous fat one from the Sudan, which I use as a coffee table. My search goes on, but it gets more and more difficult to find really good pieces. Why do people collect things? Probably many, like me, don’t set out to do so. You just acquire something, then another and another and then, once you’ve got a small collection, you just keep adding to it. I have an uncle who collects key rings – he has hundreds of them from all over the world – but he can’t remember how it started. Other people collect stamps, stones, beer cans, beer mats, match boxes, all sorts of things. For some it can become a total obsession and they will go to any lengths to get something. What is this urge to possess all these things? Adapted from: Collecting Things – My Grandmother’s Elephant, by Chris Wilson D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/node/259

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2.3 – Worksheet C Work in pairs/groups of three to identify the differences between two pictures. You will have different pictures. Do not show your picture to your partner. Talk about what the people are doing, and find at least four differences. Picture A

Picture B

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2.4 – Worksheet D Have a look at this picture. Write down three sentences based on the picture below using Present Continuous tense. What are they doing?

1.

2.

3.

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Activity 2.5 – Traditional classroom vs. learner-centred classroom Work in small groups and complete the table, comparing the traditional classroom with a learner-centred one. Fit the missing sections (given below) under the right heading. It involves the element of self-assessment

Low order thinking

Learners expected to obey and receive

Takes into account different learning styles

Teacher as a provider of information and expert in all knowledge

Teacher as adviser, manager and facilitator of learning

Content Stage

Traditional, non-learner-centred approach

Learner-centred approach

Teacher– learner relationship

Hierarchy.

Collaborative. Caring, encouraging, promoting participation, involving positive expectations.

Roles in the classroom

Teacher in multiple roles: designer, director–actor, facilitator, manager, enabler of quality learning experiences. Teacher as a distant authority. Teacher is in control of learning – its timing, pacing and contents; prescribes what, when and how students will be taught.

Teacher is standing back to let learning happen and for learners to solve problems. Learners question and analyse.

Using the coursebook

‘Teaching the coursebook’.

Teaching the learners.

Starts from the coursebook (curriculum based on the book).

Starts from learning outcomes.

Instruction style

Authoritarian. ‘Lecture based’. Often based on memorisation of facts.

It starts from the learners, builds on learners’ strengths, cares about learners’ interests. Higher order thinking.

Testing/ evaluation

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Not transparent, tests often seen as ‘punishment’.

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Authentic. Learners are involved in the selection of content.

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In-Service Teacher Development Unit 2. Learner-Centred Classroom

3 Checking what learners already know and what they have learned Work in pairs to complete the sentences below. One member of your pair will have to ‘run’ to the text, which is displayed on the wall, remember as much as s/he can and ‘run’ back to the seat to report to her/his partner. Checking what learners know ...

Checking for learning ...

Think about the techniques and ways you use for the following: • Checking what your learners already know about the topic/language focus (Why teach them what they know?) • Monitoring your learners’ progress during the activity (Whose responsibility is this? How can learners take on the role of monitoring their own progress?) • Checking what your learners have done, how much they have learned (What do they know now that they didn’t know before?) Share the activities/techniques you use in your classroom with your group members.

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4 Who does what in the classroom? Think about your teaching experience and answer the questions below. Score each question like this: 1

Never my learners –

Sometimes my learners – 2 50/50 –

3

Often my learners –

4

Always my learners –

5

Questions

Score

1 Who chooses the topics? 2 Who chooses the activities? 3 Who prepares the activities/materials? 4 Who do the students speak to? 5 Who do the students look at? 6 Who writes on the board? 7 Who cleans the board? 8 Who operates equipment? 9 Who chooses the vocabulary? 10 Who spells out new words? 11 Who checks the work? 12 Who writes/asks the comprehension questions? 13 Who gives the instructions? 14 Who gives the explanations? 15 Who answers questions asked by the students? 16 Who repeats what has been said, if the others haven’t heard? 17 Who creates the silences? 18 Who breaks the silences? 19 Who gives dictations? 20 Who tells stories? 21 Who chooses the homework? 22 Who chooses the pairs or groups? Adapted from Sheelagh Deller, Lessons from the Learner, Pilgrims-Longman, 1990

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5 Learner-centred activities In this activity you are going to have a look at a number of activities and comment on them. Work in groups. Task A Go to: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lesson-plans (Your trainer may give you a selection of already printed out lesson plans from this website). Your task is to find lesson plans with activities that you particularly liked and which reflect the learnercentred approach. Find at least three lesson plans. Share your findings with another group.

Task B Have a look at the coursebook you’re currently using in your teaching. Select a unit from the coursebook and adapt it. You can either modify an activity or add a new one, making the unit more learner centred. When you have finished, tell other group members about the changes you made to the activities and invite your colleagues to comment on them.

6 The concerns In this activity you will discuss some of their doubts about learner-centred teaching in your contexts and try to resolve these issues with practical advice from each other. Your trainer will give you instructions on how you will do this activity.

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7 Reflection and closure In this activity participants go back to the list of statements from Activity 1, and focus on the ones we all agreed were teacher centred, suggesting ways and activities of making the situation more learner centred. You will reflect on a lesson you gave or a lesson you attended as a learner and evaluate it in terms of learner centeredness. The final activity, Jumbled sentence, aims to provide closure of the session. The following diagram may help you in your work:

Making the topic more personal Checking what learners already know about this

(Context, environment)

Increasing the level of learner involvement

Selecting different methods for completing the tasks

Varying levels of difficulty for the tasks

Providing options for individual, pair work or group work

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Checking what learners have done

Deciding on timing to complete the activity

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Recommended Reading Lessons from the Learner, Sheelagh Deller, Pilgrims-Longman, 1990. From Theory to Classroom Practice, Leni Dam, Learner Autonomy, Authentik, 1995. Learner-Based Teaching, Campbell, C. & Kryszewska, H., Oxford University Press, 1992. Learner Independence, Worksheets 2, Dexter, P. & Sheerin, S. IATEFL. D www.bit.ly/zuekaqw (PDF)

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1 Defining the concept 1.1 – What is task-based learning (TBL)? • Discuss with your partner or group what you know about it. • Have you ever used it? What did you do?

1.2 – Beliefs about task-based learning Read the following beliefs about task-based learning and state whether you think they are true or false. Beliefs about task-based learning

True/false

1 Tasks in task-based learning (TBL) are used as extension activities to follow-up structure, function or vocabulary work. 2 Tasks in TBL concentrate on one structure, function or vocabulary group. 3 Language explored in TBL lessons arises from the learners’ needs, not a decision made by the teacher or the coursebook. 4 Tasks are always pieces of text. 5 Tasks in TBL are central to the learning activity. 6 When doing tasks in TBL, learners focus on the task rather than the language they’re using. 7 It’s believed that learners may learn less effectively if their minds are focused on the task rather than the language. 8 TBL is suitable for all levels of learners.

Compare your answers with a partner – don’t forget to say ‘why?’ Compare your answers with suggested answers in Additional material for Activity 1.2.

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2 Interaction, focus and lesson steps 2.1 – Maximise interaction and meaning-focused language use Read the following and discuss with a partner what it means. ‘Tasks need to maximise interaction and create opportunities for meaning-focused language use.’ Willis and Willis, 2007

Look at the following suggestions for tasks; highlight how they maximise both interaction and meaning-focused language use. Write notes for reasons why. Two examples are given:

With a partner

Brainstorm

Pair work gets learners talking to each other.

Brainstorming generates lots of ideas.

a With a partner, brainstorm all animals you can see in a zoo. Agree and list the most popular five, give reasons why you included them and be prepared to justify your decisions to others.

b Individually, read a text and match pictures to the text. Tell your partner the clues you used to help you match the pictures and prepare to tell the class.

Look again at the tasks above. Instructions for TBL (to help maximise interaction as well as focus learners) use some common verbs – what are they?

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2.2 – Complete a TBL task With a partner, brainstorm all animals you can see in a zoo. Write notes below:

Look at your notes above. Agree and list the most popular five:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Discuss the reasons behind your choices further with your partner, and prepare a short report to give to the class.

Report to the class. Look at your report/think back to your discussions and reasons. How many comparisons (… is better than …) or superlatives (… is the best.) did you use?

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2.3 – Can you remember the steps/stages? Discuss what you did for Activity 2.2. Can you remember the steps/stages? Start with stage one. The teacher or trainer introduces the question: ‘What animals can you see in a zoo?’ and asks learners to work in pairs.

2.4 – Willis Task-Based Learning Framework The following diagram shows the Willis Task-Based Learning Framework (Willis 1996):

Task cycle

Pre-task

Task

Introduction to topic and task

Language focus

Planning Report

Analysis Practice

Match the lesson plan steps/stages with the TBL task stages: TBL task stages

Lesson steps/stages

Pre-task

Task cycle

Language focus

2.5 – Comparing TBL to other teaching methodologies How s­imilar is TBL to the teaching methodology you currently use? How different is TBL to more traditional methodologies such as PPP (Presentation, Practice and Production)?

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3 Video 3.1 – Look at the lesson stages for a movie lesson Order the stages and discuss with your partner or group the aims for each stage and why you chose the order you did. Here is an example: ‘I think the first stage is ‘show a model’ because learners can see an example of the task, it gives them an idea of what is expected of them and encourages them to think about what they need to do to complete the task.’

1

Show a model

Practise

Give out scenes, discuss and stage each scene

Listen to the text

Read the text in pairs

Presentation

Think about scenes for the text in pairs

Revised practise

Focus on pronunciation: practise sentence stress

Script/write lines and prompts

Watch the video ‘Interview with the teacher’ and compare your stages to those done with the class. Do you have similar ordered stages? Why or why not? Discuss and answer the following questions: Was there any language focus in the lesson?

Why did the teacher decide to add a pronunciation stage?

What reasons did the teacher give for doing this lesson with his class?

What linguistic demands do you think the task assumes?

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3.2 – Fitting it to the framework Think again of the video lesson, and add the lesson stages (summaries) to the chart below. TBL task stages

Lesson steps/stages

Pre-task

Task cycle

Language focus

3.3 – Preparation stage Read the following questions the teacher thought about when planning his preparation stage, and predict the answers.

How can I encourage learners to work together on their scripts?

What can I do while learners are working on their scripts?

Watch the preparation stage of the lesson. Were you correct?

3.4 – Presentation Watch the presentation.

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4 Authentic tasks 4.1 – What would you do? Read the following and circle the letter that best describes what you would do. 1 If you read a newspaper article, would you … a read the whole article aloud or translate it for others? b summarise it orally for somebody? 2 After watching a movie you liked, would you … a complete a true/false task based on the movie’s plot? b discuss the plot/storyline with your friends? If your answer was b for both of the above, then you are thinking about ‘real’ or authentic task types. This is what you would do as a native speaker, so why not engage second language learners in similar tasks? Form pairs (A and B) A look at the questions below, and B look at questions for B in Additional material for Activity 4.1. Questions for A Ask your partner the questions and take notes. 1 What would you do if your colleague is not at the office, but his lawyer calls and asks you to give him some important information?

2 What would you do if you were given a credit card application?

3 What would you do if you want to watch a movie at the weekend?

4 What would you do if you have some friends coming to visit you in your town for a few days?

Compare your answers with another pair.

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5 Task analysis 5.1 – A new café Complete the following task: • Think about your school, and share with your class the facilities you have in your school. • You want to open a new café in your school grounds. In order to be successful you need to carry out a survey to find out what learners and teachers prefer. Write at least four questions for your survey. Think about food, drinks, furniture, decoration, lighting, music, etc.

• Carry out your survey – ask other members of the class your survey questions and note their answers above. • Go back to your group/partner and share your results. Prepare to present your survey results to the class. • Tell your class. • Produce a menu for your café. Include a name, slogan, prices and any other necessary information. Display your menu and vote to choose the best one. Adapted from Aurelia Garcia, Willis and Willis (2007)

5.2 – Is it a good TBL task? Willis has developed a set of question to help identify good TBL tasks. With your class, answer the following questions, thinking about ‘the new café’ activity you have just completed. 1 Does the activity engage learners’ interest?

2 Is there a primary focus on meaning?

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3 Is there an outcome?

4 Is completion a priority?

5 Does the activity relate to real world activities?

Adapted from Willis (1996)

5.3 Was interaction maximised? Draw a quick floorplan of your classroom below, with arrows from you to everyone you interacted with during ‘the new café’ task.

Compare with a partner.

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6 Adapting and modifying 6.1 – Adapting materials Look at the following example exercise taken from a teen coursebook: Global English Work in pairs to answer these questions: 1 Is global English a good thing? 2 Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of global English. Read the short texts. Are any of your points mentioned? Ravi (India) One of the consequences of global English is that some languages are disappearing. In my country there are 415 different languages, but many of these are endangered. If you want a good job, you usually have to learn English. Moira (England) My grandparents came here from Russia in 1945 and when they arrived they spoke no English. To get jobs they had to learn and I think this is part of integrating into a new country. I think it’s silly when people insist on keeping their own language when they move to a new country. Jake (USA) Global English is definitely a good thing. Communication is much easier when everyone speaks the same language. I don’t understand what the fuss is about. Nowadays you find almost everything on computers is in English, it’s used in business, travel and in medicine. Cairan (Eire) I’m 18 and I live in a small village in the west of Ireland. I speak Irish Gaelic, but many people of my age only speak English. It’s a pity because it’s part of our heritage and if we lose our language then we’ll lose part of our culture. I think there are only about 250,000 people who speak Irish Gaelic! Franz (Germany) Languages have been disappearing for thousands of years, it’s just a natural thing. For example, people in ancient Egypt used hieroglyphs but nobody uses these now. I’ve heard there are almost 7,000 languages in the world and that about half of these will disappear in the next 20 years! Well, you can’t stop progress, can you? Raul (USA) Although I live in the USA and I use English at school, my mother tongue is Spanish. My parents were immigrants from Mexico and so at home we speak Spanish. For me, language is part of my cultural identity. Taken from Inspiration2, Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2006 D www.macmillanenglish.com/inspiration

With a partner, adapt the above exercise so that it fulfills the TBL framework, maximises interaction and meaningfocused language use, as well as answers ‘yes’ to the five questions that identify a good TBL task. Take notes and be prepared to tell your classmates your decisions and reasons.

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Discuss and complete the following tables: TBL task stages

Lesson steps/stages

Pre-task

Task cycle

Language focus

1 Does the activity engage learners’ interest?

2 Is there a primary focus on meaning?

3 Is there an outcome?

4 Is completion a priority?

5 Does the activity relate to real world activities?

Share with the class.

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7 Reflection Close your eyes and think about TBL and the module you have just completed. Think of one word that describes TBL for you. After about 30 seconds, open your eyes and write your word.

Compare with a partner or the class.

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Recommended Reading Doing Task-based Teaching, Willis. D and Willis. J, Oxford University Press, 2007. A Framework for Task-Based Learning, Jane Willis, Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 1996. D www.englishraven.com/methodology.html – information on English teaching methodologies. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/a-task-based-approach – an article that looks at task-based learning and compares it to the traditional PPP approach. D www.youtu.be/T5b9gHSPiB8 – a brief video that shows tips for teachers on the task-based learning approach. D www.youtu.be/NdidE3Dl9sw – video of learners using task-based learning in a college ESL classroom. D www.onestopenglish.com/146502.article – extra reading on task-based learning. D www.willis-elt.co.uk – website dedicated to task-based learning, which has lots of ideas for teachers. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – lots of tips and articles on task-based learning, especially D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/six-types-task-tbl D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org – lots of useful articles and ideas on task-based learning.

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Additional material Activity 1.2 – Beliefs about task-based learning – answer sheet Beliefs about task-based learning False

Tasks in TBL are central, and looking at language structures, functions and vocabulary is a follow up, in language focus stage. (The Willis Task-Based Learning Framework consists of three stages: ‘Pre-task’ – introduction to topic and task; ‘Task cycle’ – task, planning and report; and ‘Language focus’ – analysis and practice.)

False

Tasks in TBL concentrate on many different structures, functions or vocabulary groups, as they are whatever learners produce or need to be able to complete the task.

True

Language explored in TBL lessons arise from the learners’ needs, as it is language they need to be able to complete the task, and therefore depends on individuals and their level.

False

Tasks can be texts, discussions, games, experiences, role plays, etc.

True

Tasks in TBL are central to the learning activity, and the focus of the lesson is the task.

True

When doing tasks in TBL, learners focus on the task rather than the language they’re using.

False

It’s believed that learners may learn more effectively if they are concentrating on completing the task rather than looking at specific language.

False

It is generally believed to be more effective with intermediate learners due to the style, and learners are thought to be able to contribute more during discussions and reporting. But if you consider small problem-solving communicative TBL tasks, then the answer is true as these can be used with all levels of learners.

Activity 2.1 – Maximise interaction and meaning-focused language use – answer sheet a With a partner, brainstorm all animals you can see in a zoo. Agree and list the most popular five, give reasons why you included them and be prepared to justify your decisions to others. • With a partner, brainstorm – Pair work gets learners talking, and brainstorming generates lots of ideas • Agree and list – learners are required to form an opinion to engage with the topic • The most popular five – a specific topic is given to make it easier to form opinions • Give reasons why you included them – learners have to have an opinion once they commit themselves • Be prepared to justify your decisions to others – once committed, they are more likely to defend their decisions b Individually read a text and match pictures to the text. Tell your partner the clues you used to help you match the pictures and prepare to tell the class. • Individually read a text and match pictures – reading for meaning to enable pictures to be correctly matched. Individual work allows/encourages learners to think for themselves and activate their own experience and knowledge • Tell your partner – promotes discussion and commist learners to the decisions they have made previously • The clues you used – talk together to justify choices and share ideas, consider another person’s opinion and compare. Confirm choices if they are similar and reinforce commitments • Prepare to tell the class – once committed, they are more likely to defend their decisions. Learners may practise and think more about what to say if they need to tell others

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Activity 2.5 – Comparing TBL to other teaching methodologies – answer sheet A useful article that looks at TBL and compares it to the traditional PPP approach: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/a-task-based-approach Essentially, PPP offers a very simplified approach to language learning. It is based upon the idea that you can present language in neat little blocks, adding from one lesson to the next, and then giving learners the opportunity to practise the language you have presented. However, research shows us that we cannot predict or guarantee what the students will learn and that, ultimately, a wide exposure to language is the best way of ensuring that students will acquire it effectively. Restricting their experience to single pieces of target language (as in PPP) is unnatural and, as such, a more TBL-styled lesson, or tasks where learners use whatever language they can in more authentic and real life activities, is more ideal. Activity 3.1 – Look at the lesson stages for a movie lesson – answer sheet Suggested answers: 1 Show a model – so learners have an idea of what is expected of them/see a similar task 2 Listen to the text – so they have a story they can adapt and add to for the play they will do 3 Read the text in pairs – to support different learning styles and so learners can look at language and ask questions, as well as use it for other stages and to increase learner contribution 4 Think about scenes for the text in groups – so learners can think about how the text can be broken up into different scenes, to share ideas and get learners into small groups for acting scenes 5 Give out scenes, discuss and stage each scene – so each group has a more manageable task to complete, so it is shorter and more focussed and so learners talk together to add to their text and think about lines they can say to turn the text into a play 6 Script/write lines and prompts – written task preparation – to encourage groups to work together to create their scene 7 Practise – to give learner time to say their lines, listen for prompts and think about actions, as well as how they say their lines and work out prompts 8 Focus on pronunciation: practise sentence stress – learners look at how they can use sentence stress to help with communication and think about this when saying their lines 9 Revised practise – to incorporate the new ideas into their lines for their scenes 10 Presentation – so that the class can see all of the play and to create motivation for the practise stages.

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Activity 4.1 – What would you do? Questions for B Ask your partner the questions and take notes. 1 What would you do if you were in a restaurant or café with a friend?

2 What would you do if you get a letter or e-mail from your friend?

3 What would you do if you want to go on a short break or holiday with a group of friends?

4 What would you do if you are looking at photos of your family and holidays with your friends?

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Activity 5.2 – Is it a good TBL task? – answer sheet Suggested answers for ‘the new café’: 1 Does the activity engage learners’ interest? Yes. The topic is intrinsically engaging for many learners and when doing the task learners will become engaged. Learners can easily relate to it, as the topic of food and where you eat is an everyday one. 2 Is there a primary focus on meaning? Yes. There will be focus on meaning in the survey. Writing the questions together, asking and answering questions, exchanging opinions and supporting their choices (if time is spent looking at question forms and language, then it would encourage learners to focus more on form). 3 Is there an outcome? Yes. Completing the questions for the survey, getting answers for their questions and then incorporating these ideas into the menu they produce. 4 Is completion a priority? Yes. Learners should be encouraged to complete the task and be given enough time to do so. They also need to complete the survey questions to be able to ask others. Use the feedback to help produce the menu, etc. 5 Does the activity relate to real world activities? Yes. They will be talking about an area of general interest and using vocabulary that relates to the topic. They will be talking together, asking and expressing opinions, which they would need to do in the real world, and they might take part in a survey outside the classroom.

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Activity 6.1 – Adapting materials – answer sheet Suggested answers: TBL task stages

Lesson steps/stages

Pre-task

Ask learners in a previous lesson to research ‘Global English’. Or do guided web research in class by looking at a list of teacher-suggested sites. Or whole class brainstorm on the topic. (Learners may need time to prepare as they may have little or no knowledge on the subject).

Task cycle

In pairs, list three advantages and three disadvantages to global English and give reasons for your choices (specific goal). Pairs must agree on whether Global English is good or bad (prompts more discussion and makes the goal clearer). Predict what six people from different countries said for question one, and prepare to tell another pair or the whole class, justifying your decisions. This can be written or spoken (looking at different nationalities, what they think and comparing to the answers gives the report a purpose). Or they could make a survey to check opinions about Global English.

Language focus

Vocabulary and useful phrases such as it’s a pity, the fuss about, integrating into. Or look at how speakers identify stages in their argument: ‘One of the consequences of … is …’, ‘For me …’, ‘… is definitely a … thing’, ‘I think it’s … when …’

Suggested answers for questions: 1 Does the activity engage learners’ interest?

Yes, as a language learner it is an interesting subject as it has relevance.

2 Is there a primary focus on meaning?

Yes, with the exchange of opinions and by justifying and giving reasons why.

3 Is there an outcome?

Yes, listing advantages and disadvantages. Thinking about other people and countries, their thoughts on the topic and then finding out opinions by reading.

4 Is completion a priority?

Yes. Producing a list or thinking about other countries to be able to compare to the text, and if learners are given time and encouraged to complete the activity.

5 Does the activity relate to real world activities?

Yes, learners will be talking about a relevant topic, practising everyday communication skills such as expressing opinions, giving reasons and being able to put forward an argument to defend their decisions.

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1 Knowledge and experience In groups share your experience of learning technologies using the questions below. Make notes. 1 When did you first use a computer?

2 When did computers become part of your life?

3 When did you first use computers in the classroom (as a teacher or as a student)?

4 What learning technologies do you have access to in your school?

5 Have you used learning technologies in your teaching? What did you use? How did you use it?

6 Are there any learning technologies you have access to but you don’t use? Why not?

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2 Advantages and disadvantages of learning technologies The following is a list of just some of the advantages and disadvantages of using learning technologies in class. Advantages

Disadvantages

• Interactive – it can give feedback and evaluation and, unlike a teacher, never tires of giving feedback repeatedly

• Technical issues – if technical support is not easily available, teachers may need more training, or be confident enough to ask their learners if they know how to solve the problem

• Multimedia – it provides a combination of media (text, graphics, sound, and video) in one place • IT skills acquired – students learn IT skills • Student paced – students can work through the material at their own speed • Variety = Fun! – novel and entertaining, and can add variety to courses • Presentation quality – work on the computer is often neat • Authentic – content of CD-ROMs and the Internet is often written by native speakers • Real communication – lots of ‘community’ functions on the Internet such as forums, email etc. • Storage – you can save work for future access and sharing • Motivating – for all the above reasons

• IT skills required – for software and the internet • Mixed ability and degrees of comfort with technology – both learners and teachers • Student objections – students may have had bad learning experiences in the past, they may use computers excessively in other subjects • Can seduce teachers – ‘I’ll get a coffee while they get on with it’, ‘I haven’t had time to plan a lesson – I’ll take them into the computer room’ etc. Need to be careful about technology leading pedagogy, and using technology as an easy option • Integration problems – teachers don’t use the equipment and software available • Classroom management – teachers may have to change their classroom management techniques • Accuracy of language and appropriacy of content on the internet may not always be suitable • Distraction – many internet sites have a lot of distracting advertisements, and it’s easy for learners to get lost

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3 Integrating learning technologies Compare your ideas with a sample list of questions below. • Is the learning technology stage of the lesson relevant/appropriate? (Think about aims, length of time it will take, type of resources needed, level of language etc). • Does the learning technology stage fit into the lesson as a whole? Are there pre- and post- tasks? • Does the use of the learning technology fit with the syllabus? (Not fitting a lesson around the learning technology). • How do the learners benefit from using the learning technology in the lesson? Does it motivate students or improve the learning experience? Does it help the students understand more easily? Are there any other benefits of using the resource e.g. IT skills acquired, learner autonomy enhanced? • How does the teacher benefit from using the learning technology in the lesson? Is it worth the effort? Can the materials be reused or shared with other teachers? Can another resource be more easily used instead, and be as effective? Is the resource being used because it helps achieve the aims of the lesson or because it makes life easier for the teacher?

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4 Teaching examples of learning technologies Look at the websites and activities below. Make notes under the headings for each idea.

Cubeez D www.cubeez.com (if you have the latest version of Flash plug-in, click ‘let me in’) The teacher guides students through an interactive story (click on the orange character on the home page to see this content).

Advantages of this idea:

The weather D learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/fun-games/ whats-the-weather Students complete the weataher after listening to a weather report.

Advantages of this idea:

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YouTube D www.youtu.be/zlfKdbWwruY Students watch the video as part of a lesson on countries.

Advantages of this idea:

Advantages of using YouTube in general:

Disadvantages of using YouTube in general:

Solutions:

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Wikipedia D en.wikipedia.org Students create an entry in this user-generated encyclopedia on their school.

Advantages of this idea:

Advantages of using Wikipedia in general:

Disadvantages of using Wikipedia in general:

Solutions:

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Using Word to edit a text In this activity students complete a text in Word that has had all the verbs removed.

Advantages of this idea:

Using PowerPoint to create a photo dialogue In this activity students add speech to pictures representing every day situations.

Advantages of this idea:

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Recommended Reading D www.bit.ly/zufrekh (PDF) – The Role of Technology in teaching and the classroom by Marc Prensky. D www.bit.ly/zuwaehi (PDF) – Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants by Marc Prensky. D www.ict4lt.org/en/warschauer.htm – Computer Assisted Language Learning: an Introduction by Mark Warschauer.

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1 Learners and learning Work in pairs/small groups and discuss the following statements. Think about your personal experience when you were a learner. Put a tick () if you agree with the statement or () if you disagree. 1 When I was a learner, I used to like language tests. 2 Tests have a good effect on teaching. 3 Tests motivate learners. 4 If there are no tests, learners become lazy. 5 Teachers can’t write good language tests. It’s a job for a testing expert. 6 Surprise tests are useful. 7 Learners cannot be involved in deciding the content of the test. 8 My education sufficiently prepared me for developing tests. 9 Tests are necessary. 10 Tests are the best way to measure learners’ progress.

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2 Test types Match the tests with their descriptions given below. Write down the name of the test on the lines provided: Achievement

Placement

This test is used to place learners to appropriate levels of instruction within a programme of study.

Diagnostic

Teachers use this test to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses. This test helps teachers tailor instruction to fit learners’ needs.

1

2

Teachers usually give this test at the end of a course of study. It tests the learners’ knowledge of the material that has been covered in the syllabus.

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Proficiency

Progress

This test is usually given during a course of study. It provides information about how much the learners have mastered different portions of the curriculum. 3

This test does not depend on any particular curriculum or coursebook. It measures learners’ general command of the language, regardless of all prior learning and/or acquisition. 5

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3 Task types 3.1 – Common types of tasks Have a look at the most common types of tasks used in testing. The table shows which test tasks are most suitable for testing a particular language aspect. Some tasks are missing from this list. Put the following types of tasks in the right column: Role play

Multiple choice questions

READING AND LISTENING

SPEAKING

Interview

1

Matching

Letter GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

WRITING

Multiple choice questions

3

True/false questions

Discussion

Essay

Short answer questions

Oral presentation (on a given topic)

Email

Gap filling

Gap filling

Information transfer (e.g. describing a picture)

Report

Editing

Matching

Giving information of personal nature

Notes

Ordering

4

Summary

2

Sentence completion Cloze test

In this activity we will illustrate a number of task types using a short reading text. The text: According to new research, 14 per cent of us don’t check our change. Each week, we lose $3.39 from being short-changed or losing coins. That’s $176.28 a year – enough for you and your partner to take a short day trip and have lunch in a restaurant. TASK TYPE 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs) Circle the correct answer: .

This text will probably make you a) think

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b) careless

c) cry

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TASK TYPE 2: TRUE/FALSE Decide if the following sentence is true or false. Circle the correct answer: According to the text, most people don’t check their change. True

False

TASK TYPE 3: GAP-FILL Fill in the gaps with the missing words: , 14 per cent of us don’t check our change.

According to new (1) Each week, we (2)

$3.39 from being short-changed or losing coins.

That’s $176.28 a year – enough for you and your (3)

to take

a short day trip and have lunch in a restaurant.

partner research

lose

earn

TASK TYPE 4: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS Answer the following question. Write a short answer: What does the author suggest could be done with the money we save up?

TASK TYPE 5: MATCHING Match the words with their synonyms. Write the letter on the line provided: trip

A. money

research

B. sufficient

coin

C. journey

enough

D. study

TASK TYPE 6: SENTENCE COMPLETION Complete the sentence: The author suggest that we could save more money if we

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TASK TYPE 7: ORDERING Put the sentences in the correct order. Write the number on the lines provided: That’s $176.28 a year – enough for you and your partner to take a short day trip and have lunch in a restaurant. Each week, we lose $3.39 from being short-changed or losing coins. According to new research, 14 per cent of us don’t check our change. Or Arrange the following words in order to make a famous British proverb: pennies

the

look

themselves

look

pounds

after

will

after

the

and

look

3.2 – Pros and cons of task types Task type

Advantages

Disadvantages

1 Multiplechoice questions

Very easy to mark. Good for very large classes. Can be used to test grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening.

Very difficult and time consuming to construct. Wrong options (distracters) can distract better learners. Involves a guessing element.

2 True–False questions

Easy to construct. Mostly used for testing reading and listening. Tests gist or intensive understanding well.

High guessing element: 50 per cent. Not recommended for high-stakes tests.

3 Gap-fill

Easy to construct and mark. Can be used to test a variety of areas such as vocabulary and grammar, and are very effective at testing listening for specific words/details.

In some cases there may be many possible correct answers. This can be avoided with banked gap-fill (where the list of words is supplied).

4 Short answer questions

Easy to write. Very good for checking any of the four skills, e.g. gist or intensive understanding of texts. Less useful for testing grammar and vocabulary.

Some writing is involved, if the answer is openended, making marking more difficult and subjective. It is important to have the answer key with the list of acceptable answers (can be time consuming). The focus should not be on spelling accuracy. Make sure items do not test knowledge of the world.

5 Matching

Easy to write and mark. Mostly used to test vocabulary, but effective in testing main idea in reading and listening (matching paragraphs with the main idea).

More options need to be provided to avoid doing the last item ‘by default’.

6 Sentence completion

An authentic and realistic task. Good for listening for specific information.

For reading, it tests knowledge of language.

7 Ordering

Easy to write. Good for stories (listening) and for linking of discourse.

Can be very difficult to mark. If one answer is wrong, others are too. Impractical.

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3.3 – Faulty items Work in pairs. Take a look at the following items and identify what the problems are. Example: Which one of the following is different from the others? a car b truck c aeroplane d train Comments: No criteria given; task is unclear. There could be more than one correct answer (b – flies), (c – not used to transport passengers), (d – uses rails); it is unclear what skill the item is testing.

1. Rearrange the following letters to spell English words: OELMN

NALEP

ALBET

Comments

2. Select the option closest in meaning to the word underlined: ‘Is this house worth $50,000?’ ‘I think it’s a bargain. If I had the money, I’d buy it myself.’ a Too expensive b Offered at a price advantageous to the buyer c Negotiable d Luxurious Comments

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3. Select the correct option: ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ tomorrow.

She said a she will do it

b she would do it

c to do it

d she did it

Comments

4. Complete the following sentence: He had to pay for the window

he broke yesterday.

Comments

5. Circle the correct option: The dog walked a along

the road to find his master. b lone

c alone

Comments

6. A person who designs houses is a a plumber

b builder

c architect

d designer

.

Comments

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7. The following sentences come from a paragraph in a story. Put them in the correct order. Write the number of each in the space on the right. Sentence F comes first. a This was OK for a few days. b He simply knew that his life was going to get more difficult. c But, perhaps inevitably, things didn’t stay this way… d He watched them arrive in their big, noisy car and watched them get out. e ‘Terrible!’ he thought. ‘How am I going to put up with them?’ f Alberto took one look at his new neighbours.

1

g For a few days, then, Alberto tried to ignore his new neighbours.

Comments

Notes

3.4 – Guidelines for developing tasks for reading and listening Follow the instructions your trainer dictates.

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4 Designing testing tasks (optional activities) 4.1 – Writing Have a look at the sample writing task below: a

b

The school you are attending needs to be publicised abroad. The school’s principal has asked you to come up with a few ideas. As a member of the student council, you would like to suggest publishing a brochure that contains important information about the school. Write a letter to the principal informing him about your idea.

c

d

In your letter: • suggest what to put in a brochure • describe how the brochure could benefit the school e

word limit

f You should write between 120 and 150 words. Dear Sir,

Identify the following elements of a writing task in the task given. An example has been provided for you (e). • word limit • genre • context/background • purpose of writing • content • the recipient What writing sub-skills are being assessed here? (See list on the following page.)

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4.2 – Writing: designing a writing task Based on the model given in the previous activity, design a writing task for your learners. Make sure that your task contains all the necessary elements and that it elicits two or three writing sub-skills/functions (see list below). WRITING – Language skills to be tested: • stating facts • giving and asking for information, suggestions, advice and explanation • giving instructions • describing (e.g. people, places, things) • narrating current/past/future activities • comparing and contrasting (e.g. people, places, things) • requesting • apologising • complaining • expressing gratitude and giving reasons • writing and replying to invitations • giving arguments • analysing • hypothesising Write your task here:

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4.3 – Speaking Below is a list of speaking sub-skills. In your group, discuss which types of speaking tasks would be most suitable to target these. SPEAKING – Language skills to be tested: • giving and asking for information • expressing opinion, attitude, reason, need, gratitude and apology • giving and asking for advice, directions, recommendations and instructions • making and responding to requests and invitations • describing objects, pictures, people and places • narrating and sequencing events • explaining cause and effect processes • comparing and contrasting • persuading, justifying, commenting and discussing • identifying and stating a problem; suggesting course of action • hypothesising and speculating • using cohesive devices and connectives • using appropriate register and degree of formality TASK TYPES: Role play

Information gap

Teacher asks a learner to talk about a certain topic for a set time, e.g. one or two minutes.

A learner plays one of the roles in an interaction. It can be Learner–Learner, or Teacher–Learner.

One learner has half of the information required to complete the task and the other has the other half (or pairs of learners). The two (groups) need to exchange information to complete the task.

Describing a picture

Discussion

Interview

Teacher gives a learner time to study a picture and then asks him/her to describe it. This is followed by several questions about the particular picture.

In pairs or groups, learners are asked to discuss a topic, make plans, etc.

Teacher asks a learner a series of questions.

Mini presentation on a given topic

Compare these two speaking tasks (mini presentations). TASK 1

TASK 2

Talk about the following topic for about one minute:

Talk about the following topic for about one minute:

Friends

Friends • how important they are to you • what you usually do with friends • what your best friend is like

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Now work with a partner and develop a speaking task for your learners. Think of three or four more questions that will serve as a follow-up to your topic.

You will now try out your speaking task on your colleagues. Before you do that, look at the criteria below, and briefly discuss them with your partner: • Was the ‘candidate’ able to respond appropriately, within the time given? • Were the ‘candidate’s’ ideas and opinions well structured and organised? • Was s/he fluent and able to keep a flow of language? • Did s/he use a range of grammar structures, e.g. correct tenses, word order, etc.? • Did s/he use a range of vocabulary? • Was their pronunciation accurate? • Did the ‘candidate’ understand the follow-up questions?

4.4 – Reading READING – Language skills to be tested: • finding the main idea • locating specific details • understanding explicitly/implicitly stated information • guessing meaning of unfamiliar words from context • identifying structure, content, sequence of events and procedures • following instructions • identifying ideas in the text, and relationships between them, e.g. probability, solution, cause, effect • identifying, locating, distinguishing and comparing facts, evidence, opinions, implications, definitions and hypotheses • drawing logical inferences. Adapted from Assessing Reading, Alderson, 2000, 131,295

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5 Basic principals of testing 5.1 – Principles of testing Match the testing principles with their descriptions given below. Write down the name of the principle on the lines provided:

Validity

Reliability

Practicality

Washback

Authenticity

Transparency

1 This term refers to having clear, accurate information about testing. Such information should include: what will learners be tested on, what formats will be used, when the test will take place and how much time will be allowed to complete it, and what the grading criteria are. This principle makes learners part of the testing process. 2 This term refers to the consistency of test scores. A test that follows this principle would give similar results if it were given at another time. To ensure this principle, formats, content of the questions and the length of the exam must be consistent. Circumstances in which the test is taken are also important (e.g. lighting, seating arrangements, acoustics, lack of noise, etc.). If there are more teachers marking tests, will they be giving the same mark? If this principle is followed, then the answer is: yes. 3 This term answers the following question: how much does a test measure what it says it measures? We need to test what we teach, how we teach it! A test that follows this principle accurately reflects the syllabus on which it is based, uses formats familiar to the learners and uses content that is relevant and appropriate. 4 This term answers the following question: how much do the test tasks reflect real world situations and contexts, and mirror the types of situations in which learners would use the target language? 5 This term refers to the effect of testing on teaching and learning. It can be both positive and negative. Tests must be part of learning experiences for all involved. ‘Teaching to the test’ often cannot be avoided, and it is important to ensure that the test is good, in order that this effect becomes a positive one. 6 This term refers to the resources needed to develop, administer and mark a test. These resources are: human resources (test writers, administrators, raters), material resources (rooms, equipment, paper, photocopier), time (for designing, administering, scoring, analysing and giving feedback) and finances.

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5.2 – A test on testing What principles are targeted with the following questions? The first question has been done for you. Please note: some principles will be used more than once.

Question

Answer

1 Does your test match what you have taught?

Validity

2 Do your exam tasks reflect real-life tasks? 3 Do you have all the resources you need? 4 Will your test have a positive influence on teaching and learning? 5 Does your test measure what has been taught? 6 Are the tasks in your test familiar to your learners? 7 Do your learners have the necessary information about your test? 8 Do you have enough time to grade and analyse your test? 9 If a different teacher were asked to mark the writing section of your test, would s/he give the same mark? 10 Did you ensure appropriate conditions for taking the test? 11 If your learners took the test again tomorrow, would they get the same result?

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Recommended Reading Language Assessment, Principles and Classroom Practices, H. Douglas Brown, Longman, 2004 – this book offers a wealth of practical examples to illustrate basic principles for designing assessment procedures, with focus on all four skills. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, CUP, © Council of Europe, 2001. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/evaluating-speaking-ielts-speaking-test – this article contains criteria for evaluating a speaking test. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/testing-assessment – this article lists reasons for testing and offers some alternatives to testing.

Additional material Activity 3.3 – Faulty items – answer sheet 1 Key: LEMON, PLANE, TABLE The item may be testing spelling, but is also testing intelligence (spatial) and ability to do anagrams. With this task it may be more important to make the mental leap rather than to be able to spell. The task does not specify that you need to use all five letters, so words with three or four letters need to be marked as correct (e.g. PALE, NAP, BAT). 2 Correct answer 'b' is immediately identifiable because it is so much longer than the other options; it looks like a dictionary definition; what does 'closest in meaning' mean? 3 Answers ‘a’ and 'b' are both acceptable; more than one correct option. 4 Sentence works equally well with or without the deleted word (THAT); always tell learners whether the gap is to be filled by one or more than one word, or if there is an option to leave it empty. 5 This item has only three options, making it statistically more ‘guessable’. Option ‘a’ would be correct if it weren’t for the typing error, making it incorrect. 6 Make sure that all options are grammatically correct when placed in the stem (unless you are testing grammar). In this case, determiner ‘a’ makes it impossible to fit the correct option ‘c’ into the stem. 7 There are at least two ways of ordering this paragraph: 6, 4, 7, 2, 3, 1, 5. Another possible order is 6, 3, 7, 2, 4, 1, 5. Marking these items may present another difficulty. What if the learner makes a mistake early in the sequence, but then orders everything else correctly? Should this person get the same mark as someone who has all the ordering wrong? An option is to mark wholly right or wholly wrong, but then the task involves a lot of effort in designing and answering, and it carries only one mark (making it impractical).

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Activity 3.4 – Guidelines for developing tasks for reading and listening – answer sheet Instructions should be clear, precise and simple. They should not be more complex than the test itself. Remember: you don’t test the understanding of instructions. If they have to be complex or long, a valid option is to give them in mother tongue. Where possible, give a clear example before the start of the test, showing learners/candidates what needs to be done and how. Questions/tasks should not give unfair advantage to individuals with special subject knowledge or background knowledge. Test tasks should be as similar as possible to the real-world communicative use of language. In multiple-choice items, there should be only one correct answer. In multiple-choice items, the options should be of equal length and of similar difficulty. In multiple-choice items, make sure that there are no ‘obviously wrong’ options. All options need to be ‘possible’, but only one correct. In matching items, there should always be more answers than questions, to prevent candidates from being able to answer the last question by process of elimination. For reading and listening comprehension tests, it should not be possible to answer reading or listening questions correctly without the written or spoken text. Questions must follow the text sequence and must be spread evenly throughout the text (i.e. not focusing on just one or two paragraphs of the text). Avoid humorous questions: they may cause learners to either not take the exam seriously or become confused. Write questions that measure what learners know, not what they do not know.

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1 Onion rings reflection Think about a lesson you have taught: what was good about it? Was there anything that didn’t go well? Keep a ‘picture’ of the lesson in your mind. • Form ‘Onion rings’; your trainer will explain how to do this.

Your trainer will give you a topic. • Speak with the participant opposite you about the topic until your trainer tells you to move on to make another pair with another participant to speak about another topic. If you are not sure how to respond to the topic just say ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘I don’t know.’

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2 The reflective cycle 2.1 – Gibb’s reflective cycle The process involved in reflective practice is often called ‘the reflective cycle.’ There are different variations of this, but Gibb’s Reflective Cycle¹ below provides a useful framework for teacher reflection.

Description What happened?

Feelings What were you thinking and feeling?

Action plan If it arose again what would you do?

Evaluation What was good and bad about the experience?

Conclusion What else could you have done?

Analysis What sense can you make of the situation?

¹Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods, G.Gibbs (Oxford Further Education Unit 1988).

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2.2 – Reflective cycle – teaching context Work in groups. Discuss each of the stages in the cycle. Using the examples given as a guide, complete the table below with your ideas on how the stages relate to a teaching context.

Description

Describe a task, activity, stage of a lesson, materials used, text book, number, level and age group of learners. How did the learners react/behave?

Feelings

Evaluation

What parts of the lesson worked – how do you know? What didn’t work – how do you know? What was helpful for your learners? What was unhelpful for your learners?

Analysis

Conclusion

Action plan

Select reflective tools to help you to explore the issue, solve the problem and make decisions on what and how to change. State your goals and decide how you will proceed and how you will know you have achieved your goals.

3 Reflection Your trainer will give you a Post-it note. • Look at the statements about the reflective cycle on the board and think about which one most closely reflects how you feel, write it on the Post-it and stick it on yourself. • If none of the statements reflect how you feel, write your own.

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• Move around the room and find others who have chosen the same statement as you. Form a group. • If you have written your own, find others who have also written their own. Form groups. • With your group, give feedback to the whole class on your reasons for choosing your statement, or explain your own statement.

4 Reflective tools Match the reflective tools to their descriptors. Two examples have been completed. Reflective tools

Descriptors

Classroom action research

Colleagues teach classes in pairs so that they can explore and reflect on issues together.

Reading and research

Colleagues visit each other’s classes to learn from and give each other constructive feedback on aspects of teaching.

Reflective lesson plan

A place where teachers write down what happens in their classes, reflect, plan what to do and evaluate the action they took.

Reflective diary/journal

Teachers ask learners for their ideas on the lesson – ask for suggestions on what they think could be included/improved/changed.

Self-evaluation checklist

Make audio or video recordings of lessons to provide a ‘record’ of what happened in class and use them as a basis for reflection.

Learner feedback

Explore questions about classroom experiences, issues or challenges, examine aspects of teaching and learning and try out ideas to change and improve.

Peer observation

ELT publications, periodicals, websites.

Record lessons

A list of best practice classroom techniques, approaches, methods, learner groupings, etc. which the teacher ticks to see which ones were used in a lesson. Teacher then reflects on how helpful they were or reasons why others weren’t chosen.

Team teaching

Share experiences, ideas and problems with a colleague. Offer advice, support and suggestions.

Buddy support

Build in points for reflection in the lesson plan. Notes are made on the points during the lesson and reflected on following the lesson.

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5 The reflective cycle in practice 5.1 – Sample reflection Here are some reflections from a teacher about a lesson she has just taught. Read the teacher’s reflections then discuss the questions which follow. Description Where? School. Classroom size is large and comfortable, desks and chairs are easy to move. Who? 40 16 year-olds. What? English class, Speaking practice lesson. Topic in text book – discuss pros and cons of home computers. We practised some language first by completing written exercises in the book. Learners were divided into six groups. The task was to discuss the topic and prepare a presentation on their ideas for comparison/further discussion. It began well, but after about ten minutes, they started speaking in L1, ignoring the task and shouting across the room. I stopped the activity and asked them to write their answers instead. Feelings During the lesson I felt frustrated and angry. I wanted to punish them for their behaviour which I could not understand as I thought the topic would interest them. After the lesson I felt a bit annoyed with myself for giving them the writing – it was supposed to be a speaking lesson. I also felt I should have made an attempt to understand why their behaviour changed. Evaluation The lead-in exercises were completed quickly and efficiently. However, the discussion and presentation did not work. The class lost interest and even when they did speak in English they did not use the language we had practised in the lead-in. Analysis I did not achieve my lesson objectives – learners did not demonstrate ability to weigh up pros and cons, nor present their views to their classmates. The topic was maybe too heavy for a Friday afternoon. Learners were tired. Perhaps I should have given them more support, done some speaking work before the task. The lead-in exercises were perhaps not enough to stimulate discussion. Perhaps my timing was also wrong. Making the learners do writing instead of speaking did not help them to develop their speaking skills. Conclusion The class may need ‘training’ in group work. I made an assumption that the topic would be of interest to learners, but I could have checked this and altered it if they had not been interested. Other approaches may have been more motivating on a Friday afternoon, e.g. questionnaires and surveys. Action plan Explore ideas through reading; discussing with colleagues how to adapt the text book, how to motivate teenage learners and how to make speaking practice meaningful. I will set up peer observation to get some feedback on how the new ideas work. I will also ask my learners for feedback on anything new we do in class. After a month I will review my action plan.

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5.2 – Questions for discussion • The teacher says she didn’t achieve her lesson objectives – what do you think she was trying to achieve? • The teacher says she felt ‘frustrated’, ‘angry’ and ‘annoyed’. Have you ever felt like this about a lesson? What happened to cause these feelings? • What were the consequences for her learners? • Can you add any suggestions for how she could have taught the lesson differently? • The teacher says she will ‘review’ in a month’s time. What do you think the reasons for this are?

6 Reflective interview Think about an experience or incident in a lesson you have taught recently. This could be something you have had difficulty with, found challenging, or something you feel you would like to change. Alternatively, it could be something interesting, surprising or humorous. Now work with a partner. Interview each other using the stages in the reflective cycle to ask and answer questions about the lesson. Use the table below to note any suggestions your partner has or any ideas which you discuss.

Description

Feelings

Evaluation

Analysis

Conclusion

Action plan

Now decide on an action plan: • What new idea from this activity will you try out in your lessons? • When will you try it? • Who will you try it with? • How will you decide if it has been successful or not? Reflection: • What do you think of working together in this way? • How can sharing experiences and ideas help you to develop?

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7 Reflective game How to play Place your counters on the square marked ‘start’. To begin, all players throw one dice; the player with the highest number takes the first turn. From ‘start’, the first player throws both dices and moves to the corresponding number on the game sheet. The player reads out the instruction on the square. Speaking should take only one minute – interrupt if anyone goes over. The first player to finish is the winner, but play continues until all players reach the finish.

1 START

2

8

9

10

Talk about something you enjoyed in this workshop

Take the short cut

Miss one turn

Talk about something you found interesting or surprising

3

7

11

Talk about the advantages of reflection

Talk about an aspect of teaching you want to develop

Talk about a reflective tool you want to try

4

5

6

12

Miss one turn

Talk about something new you learnt today

Ask another player to talk about the reflective cycle

Take an extra turn

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Recommended Reading D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/transform/teachers/teacher-development-tools/reflective-practice D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/reflective-teaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice For more information on continuing professional development, visit the British Council website: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teacher-development Invite participants to join discussion forums at D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/community

24 END

15

16

17

23

Say how what you learnt will change your practice

Say how you will incorporate a reflective approach

Move back 1 space

Talk about reflection for learners

14

18

22

Ask the player on your left how they feel about the onion rings activity

Ask any player what the most important thing in the workshop was

Say how you would use this game with a class

13

19

20

21

Talk about the benefits of reflection

Move 1 space ahead

Ask the player on your right to talk about reflective tools

What will you tell your colleagues about reflection

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1 Professional development 1.1 – Lifelong learning In your group select a secretary. Discuss the phrase Lifelong learning and work out a definition. Make note below.

How does the phrase Lifelong learning make you feel and what kind of connotation does it have, for example, positive/negative, or active/passive, etc? Select three buzz words you would ascribe to the phrase. Present your definitions and buzz words to the whole group.

1.2 – Continuing professional development In your group discuss the following questions. Make notes in the space below if necessary. • How can teachers fit learning and development into their day-to-day working lives? • How can teachers use their everyday classroom experience to help improve professional skills? • How can teachers share learning and development with colleagues? • What can teachers do to keep up to date with the latest teaching ideas? • Is there anything you have tried that you would recommend?

Feed back to the whole group and compare experiences.

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2 Development tools Work in small groups. Your trainer will give you a set of cards. Match development tools with their descriptors. Compare your answers with the Additional material – Activity 2 – Development tools – answer sheet. Individually, answer the following questions. Make notes in the space below. • How many of these tools were you already familiar with? • Have you tried any? What did you use them for? Were they useful? Why/why not? • Can you think of how you might use them in your teaching/learning practice?

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3 Portfolio – Introduction 3.1 – Purposes and benefits Work in small groups and add your ideas to the list below. Rank all ideas in order of importance and value (1 – the most important). helps you to plan your development facilitates refective practice provides a framework for lifelong learning enhances teaching has a positive impact on your learners helps keep you motivated provides a system for recording and documenting important areas of your work gives you a platform for exploring teaching helps you to develop your English language skills helps you to identify where you can go for the support you need provides a basis for review

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3.2 – Advantages and disadvantages In your groups identify advantages and disadvantages of a paper-based and an e-portfolio. List them in the grid below. Paper portfolio

E-portfolio

Advantages

Disadvantages

Change groups and share your findings with new participants. Then answer the question: Which portfolio has more advantages?

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4 Portfolio – Content and structure 4.1 – Items to include Compare your list with a sample list below. Select items which you would add to your list and justify your choice. Make a more extensive list and be ready to share it with other groups. • Attendance certificates from workshops, conferences or seminars • Example lesson • Feedback from supervisors, mentors or peers plans • Letters/notes from learners • Letters/notes from parents • Materials you have created • Observation reports • Professional development plan • Programmes/handouts from workshops, seminars or conferences that you have participated in • Qualifications • Thoughts following observations • Thoughts about aspects of your teaching practice • Thoughts on learning diary • Thoughts on materials you have read/research carried out • Thoughts on training sessions you have attended • Reviews of development plans • Reviews of lesson plans and activities • Samples of learners’ work and your feedback to them • Syllabuses – the school’s or one you have created • Plans for training sessions delivered by you • Record of guidance you have given to a colleague

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4.2 – Structure After you have agreed on the page names/sections/blocks, write them in the first row of the grid below (one for each column). Note: the number of columns will depend on the number of page names. Add columns as appropriate. Sort out the items you listed in Activity 4.1 into proper columns. Some items may fall under more than one category. You will use this template for building your e-portfolio later.

Resources

Page name

materials you have created

Content

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4.3 – Career profile In your group examine a Career profile template below and then discuss the following questions. • How relevant are the profile sections to your context? • Which of them would you use as they are? Why? • Which of them would you not use? Why? • Which sections would you adapt to make them more relevant to your context? How would you adapt them? Name

Years of experience

• Qualifcations

• Levels and age ranges taught.

• Degrees, teaching certifcates, etc.

• Types of courses.

• School/current job.

• Previous schools.

• Levels, age groups, main responsibilities. Training and development

Trainer experience

• Workshops, seminars, conferences attended.

• Development delivered to others, presentations at conferences, mentoring activities.

Memberships

Skills and strengths

• Teaching associations, unions, special interest groups.

• Language knowledge, using drama in the classroom, developing learners’ reading abilities, IT skills.

Achievements

Teaching approach and philosophy

• Materials created, syllabus development, contributions to staffroom/school, solutions to diffcult situations.

• Task-based, communicative, eclectic, refective, traditional.

Aspirations

Interests

• Improve pronunciation teaching.

• Vocabulary teaching.

• Develop a lesson using IT.

• How learners learn.

• Create a picture bank.

• Assessment.

• Mentor another teacher.

• Syllabus development.

• Write an article for a teaching publication.

• Reading skills.

• Beliefs about teaching and learning.

• Culture. Line manager/supervisor/mentor

Buddy

• What support can you expect from them? Will they see your portfolio?

• A colleague you can share experiences, ideas, and development with.

Share your findings with other groups.

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4.4 – E-portfolios Follow the links below and explore teacher professional e-portfolios. Make notes in the space provided and share your findings with other participants. 1 D sites.google.com/site/stephanieladner – Stephanie Ladner

2 D www.eduportfolio.org/3160 – Danielle E. Van Patter

3 D www.durak.org/kathy/portfolio – Kathleen Fischer

4 D www.dianadell.com – Diana Abernathy Dell

5 D www2.yk.psu.edu/sites/scs15/my-teaching-portfolio – Suzanne C. Shaffer

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5 Self-evaluation and development 5.1 – Self-evaluation checklist With your partner complete the checklist to find out what you know, what you can do, what you need to find out and what you would like to explore. Put a tick () in the boxes next to the things you feel most confident about, a cross () for things you feel you don’t know enough about and a question mark ( ?) next to the ones you aren’t sure about, or know a little bit about. There are blank boxes at the bottom of each section. You can use these to add in any other areas that are important to you. Classroom management: I know how to create and maintain a positive learning environment I monitor and modify my approach in response to learner feedback, reaction and progress. I use a range of techniques for dealing with disruptive learners. I know how to arrange classroom furniture to facilitate different types of tasks. I know how to set up activities effectively and make smooth transitions between lesson stages. I understand and use classroom dynamics effectively to motivate learners. I give clear instructions and explanations. Learners: I understand the concepts involved in motivation and apply my knowledge in teaching I fnd out about my learners’ needs and interests and I build this into my planning. I am knowledgeable about learning styles and individual learner differences and how to plan for these. I plan my lessons to refect the different cognitive processes involved in learning. I encourage my learners to refect on their learning. I encourage learners to become independent and build learner training and strategies into lessons. Methodology: I am familiar with different teaching approaches and am able to select the most appropriate approach for achieving learning outcomes I have a range of techniques to encourage participation and stimulate discussion. I know how to use a range of resources, materials and technology to create positive learning experiences. I use different assessment tools to assess learners and provide them with constructive feedback. I have an effective system for recording learners’ work and performance. I use a range of correction techniques for different types of classroom activities. I use English throughout the lesson.

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Syllabus and lesson planning: I am able to plan lessons and develop courses effectively I know how to select and discard items from the textbook based on relevance to my learners. I know how to vary lesson plan components for different types of lesson objectives. I can design materials and activities that meet my learners’ needs and interests. I know how and where to locate teaching resources. My planning takes into consideration potential learning problems and ways of dealing with these. I plan my lessons to ensure balance and variety. My own development: I select the continuing professional development tools relevant for me I use a range of tools to help me to assess and refect on my teaching. I know how and where to fnd out about research on teaching and learning. I regularly consult publications, colleagues and research to support my development as a teacher. I know where to fnd out about workshops, seminars and conferences relevant to my context. I am familiar with the different ways in which I can continue to develop professionally. Reflect on the usefulness of the activity and share your ideas with the whole group.

5.2 – Development plan Look at your range of ticks, question marks and crosses. The crosses and question marks indicate areas to explore and develop. Consider these areas and with your colleagues think about how you could develop them. Draw up a development plan using the template below. Ask your partner to review and comment on your plan. Development area

Motivation.

Focus

Differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Goals

To improve my learners’ motivation.

Rationale – why I want to develop this

My learners often seem uninterested in learning and only seem interested in getting through tests. They have poor learning skills. I want to try to promote more active involvement and enjoyment of learning.

Action/tools

Research subject through reading, discussing with colleagues, seeking feedback from learners, classroom action research. Try out ideas from research. Get involved in peer observation.

Estimated time needed

Continuing throughout one term.

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Development area

Classroom management.

Focus

Lesson stages.

Goals

Link stages more effectively and make smoother transitions.

Rationale – why I want to develop this

I feel my lessons can seem disjointed and my learners confused about what I am asking them to do.

Action/tools

Research publications. Conduct classroom action research. Record practice in learning diary and refect on what when right/wrong. Ask colleague to observe this point and provide feedback. Ask learners to say how they feel at different stages.

Estimated time needed

One month.

6 Creating an e-portfolio Explore the web tools below and choose the one you like best. Start creating your professional e-portfolio. D www.wix.com D www.wordpress.com D www.edublogs.org D www.wikispaces.com

Recommended Reading D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/transform/teachers/teacher-development-tools/createdevelopment-portfolio – create your development portfolio. D www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/ePortfolio.htm – Professional ePortfolios in Education. D www.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/portfolios – Deliberations.

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Additional material Activity 2 – Development tools – answer sheet Tool

Classroom action research

Descriptor A discovery process where teachers explore aspects of classroom teaching or learning, solve problems or ask questions about everyday work. It can be done alone or with a colleague or group of colleagues. The aim is to improve or enhance your teaching and/or your students’ learning: • gather information • discuss, analyse, reflect • implement changes.

Learning diary

A place where you write down, reflect on and review what happens during your classroom practice. It can help you to explore your experiences, identify problems/ issues, set goals and plan.

Peer observation

Watch colleagues teach. The focus can be on a selected aspect of teaching or on a particular type of lesson, a problem or an approach. Invite a colleague to your class and ask them to observe and give feedback on an area you are interested in developing or experimenting with.

Team teaching

Arrange to teach classes with a colleague so that you can reflect on and explore issues together and decide what changes to implement.

Learner feedback

Engage learners – discuss teaching and learning with them. Design questionnaires asking for feedback on your lessons. Ask for their suggestions on what could be included/improved/changed.

Reading and research

TEFL publications, periodicals, websites. See resources.

Buddy

Participate in co-operative development. Share experiences, problems and development with a colleague.

Development plan

A document that sets out your goals, how you will achieve them, how you will review them, and how much time it will take.

Mentor

Case study

Seek advice and guidance from a more experienced colleague. Invite him or her to observe your lessons and give you feedback. Become a mentor yourself and keep a diary reflecting on your experiences. Do some research with one of your learners, or a group of your learners. Investigate their learning experiences to fnd out how to help them to learn better.

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1 Learners and learning 1.1 – Experience of learning a language Discuss the following questions: • What experience do you have of learning a language? How was it? • How old were you? • Did you like your teacher? What was he or she like? You may wish to put your answers below:

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1.2 – Learners of different ages Tell your partner/group what experience you have teaching each age of learner: kids, teenagers, adults. Listen to your partner/group – do you have similar experiences? Make notes if necessary. Your trainer will give you cards with comments made about learners. Work together to match the comments to the most appropriate age of learner in the table. Kids

Teens

Adults

Comment:

Have you got any additional comments? Does your partner or group have similar ideas?

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1.3 – Teenagers Now look at the comments you have for ‘Teenagers’ – How do these affect how they learn? Share your ideas, and write any notes you have below:

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2 Learner behaviour 2.1 – Learners’ motivation With a partner, brainstorm as many factors that you can think of what can affect learners’ behaviour. For example:

Exams and grades Parents

How and why do these factors affect behaviour? Now look at the list of factors and suggested reasons in Additional material for Activity 2.1 – are they the same as yours? Read the following Extrinsic motivation: refers to motivation that comes from outside an individual. The motivating factors are external, or outside, such as rewards. These rewards provide satisfaction and pleasure. The pleasure they anticipate from some external reward can continue to be a motivator even when the task to be done holds little or no interest. The possibility of a reward will be enough to keep the learner motivated in order for him or her to put forth the effort to do well on a task. Intrinsic motivation: refers to motivation that comes from inside an individual rather than from any external or outside reward. The motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from the task itself or from the sense of satisfaction in completing or even working on a task. Learners who are intrinsically motivated want to learn for the sake of learning. This doesn’t mean, however, that a person will not seek rewards. It just means that if the assignment does not interest them, the possibility of a reward is not enough to maintain their motivation to put any effort into the project. Now, mark each factor in Additional material for Activity 2.1: Intrinsic (I) or Extrinsic (E) Discuss with your group or class: What effect can a teacher have on Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation of a learner?

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2.2 – Teaching teenagers Were you motivated at school when you were a teenager? What were your interests? Are they the same today as for your learners? If you had to describe yourself when you were a teenager in five words, what would they be?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Compare with your partner or group.

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3 Classroom atmosphere 3.1 – Building relationships How do you help build effective relationships with your teenage learners? And how do you maintain a good (positive and safe) classroom atmosphere? Brainstorm together all the things you can think of. For example:

Plan and be well organised Be enthusiastic about topics and activities

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3.2 – Classroom strategies How difficult is it to set up? Discuss the strategies below, then write ‘D’ next to any that are difficult to set up in your classroom and ‘ND’ next to any that aren’t difficult to set up. Finally, tick () those that you do regularly in the ‘Do it?’ column. Strategy

D/ND

Do it?

1 Know the learners’ names. 2 Design/adapt materials so they are at the learners’ level. 3 Listen to learners’ views and opinions, and respond to what they say. 4 Ask learners who don’t volunteer responses or put their hand up, for answers. 5 Ask learners to respond with their own thoughts or experiences of a subject/topic. 6 Ask learners what activities they like and try to incorporate them into lessons. 7 Let learners know what they will be learning at the start of each lesson. 8 Teach everyday interesting subjects/topics that learners can react to. 9 Give constructive criticism or correction that is appropriate. 10 Establish class rules and routines that all learners are aware of. 11 Re-group learners regularly. 12 Assign seating for learners. 13 Use authentic materials. 14 Use humour. Tell each other about your opinions: If you said it was difficult to set up – why? And if you thought it wasn’t difficult – why not? Share with your group what you do and tell them about the reasons behind your methods (your ideas and techniques).

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3.3 – Role play (whole class) We are now going to look at different techniques for some of the strategies and then compare and discuss. If you wish to take any notes, write them here:

3.4 – Role play (small groups) Form a group. One person plays the role of the ‘teacher’ and the others the ‘learners’. Teacher: Choose a demonstration card, read it and then act out the role of the ‘teacher’. Learners: Respond to the situation, acting out the roles of ‘learners’. Change ‘teacher’ and ‘learners’ and repeat for a different demonstration card. When you complete the role play for both cards, discuss with your group which you preferred and why.

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4 Asking for feedback 4.1 – Feedback forms Choose one of the feedback forms below, and complete it for the last activity you did or an activity you have done in this session. Feedback Form A What did you learn in the activity? Do you think you learnt enough language in the activity? What did you like and what didn’t you like about the activity? What was the best part of the activity? Did you learn anything new? Do you like being tested on your knowledge after doing an activity? How can you learn more when doing activities?

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Feedback Form B Very useful

Fairly useful

OK

Not very useful

Not at all useful

How useful did you find the activity?

1

2

3

4

5

How useful did you find the grouping/ seating arrangements?

1

2

3

4

5

A great deal

Quite a lot

A bit

Not very much

Very little

How much help did you get from your group or partner?

1

2

3

4

5

How much help did you get from your teacher?

1

2

3

4

5

How much time did you have to do the activity?

1

2

3

4

5

How much language practice did you get out of the activity?

1

2

3

4

5

Very easy

Fairly easy

OK

Not very easy

Very difficult

1

2

3

4

5

How easy did you find the activity? Other comments:

What was the aim of the activity?

4.2 – Discuss the following questions • How useful was the feedback form? • Do you ever ask your teenage learners for feedback? What for? How often? • Will you use these forms to get feedback from your learners? If not, why not? • Would you adapt them before you used them? What would you change?

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5 Personalise and distance learner input 5.1 – Brief theory Complete the text:

Many teachers

that by asking teenage learners for personal information, they will be

more

and motivated to take part in activities. Why then is it that during such tasks,

learners

little and seem disinterested? Maybe we should consider that learners

have little to

because they are limited by their age, lifestyles and the amount of

experiences they’ve had, and as such have feel comfortable giving

to talk about, or that some learners don’t information in front of their classmates. Why not ask learners to

take on roles of other people or characters that have had different experiences and allow them to distance themselves from the activity? By doing so, learners are

restricted by their own lifestyles

and can contribute to activities more

.

5.2 – Personal or distant input? Look at the following tasks/activities. Think back to your own experience. Write each activity in the table below, depending on the type of input you/your learners provide. (Your answer should depend on your own experience and opinion – write your first choice!) Brainstorming

Interviews

Presentations

One minute speaking on topics

Role plays Dictations

Personal ‘input’

Board games

Storytelling using picture prompts Poems

Discussions

Distant ‘input’

Explain your opinions to your group.

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5.3 – Discuss Why is it important to think about whether an activity asks learners for personal or distant input?

6 Personalising and distancing activities 6.1 – Interviewers Form a group. One person in the group is the ‘interviewee’. The ‘interviewee’ must answer questions asked by the rest of the group: the ‘interviewers’. These questions must be written, so you need pencils and pieces of paper. Arrange desks/chairs similar to below and start the task.

‘Interviewee’

‘Interviewers’

Discuss the following questions with your group: • Did the activity require personal or distant input? • How could the activity be done for distant input? Or personal input? • How could you change the input for the activity once it has started? For example, if you start distant how could you move towards personalising it? Or, if you start personal, how could you ‘step back’ and distance input from learners? Write any ideas you have below:

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6.2 – Analysing tasks Work in groups. Look at the tasks in Additional material for 6.2a – Analysing tasks. Group A = Task 1 Group B = Task 2 Look at your task, discuss with your group and complete the following table: Name of task

What makes it this type?

How can it be changed?

Type of task (personal or distant)

Join another group and share your ideas – extra notes can be added to the table below: Name of task

What makes it this type?

How can it be changed?

Type of task (personal or distant)

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7 Reflection 7.1 – A–Z of motivation Form a pair. Can you think of one word for each letter of the alphabet related to motivating teenagers?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

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N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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Recommended Reading Teenagers, Gordon Lewis, OUP, 2007 – background reading, as well as lots of useful activities to use with teenagers of all levels. Learning Teaching, J. Scrivener, Macmillan Heinemann, 1994 – a guidebook for English Language teachers – discusses teenagers and their behaviour, as well as teaching skills and methodology for all levels of learners. Classroom Observation Tasks, Ruth Wajnryb, CUP, 1992 – tasks that can be used to look at motivation in the classroom. Personal Thoughts on Teaching and Learning, Carl R. Rogers, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 3, 1957 – an article that looks at teaching teenagers. Engaging Tweens and Teens; A Brain-Compatible Approach to Reaching Middle and High School Students, Raleigh Philip, Corwin, 2007 – looks at teenage behaviour and provides effective techniques for management and engaging learners. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/motivating-teenagers – an article that discusses how teachers can aim to improve the motivation levels of teenage learners. D www.bit.ly/zucvopt – response to a blog that discuss reasons behind teenage behaviour. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/search/node/motivation – a variety of articles on motivation from the British Council website. D www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/Student_Motivatation.html – an article that looks at motivation and how it is affected. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/language-assistant/teaching-tips/motivating-students – advice and support for motivating teenagers. D www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/firstwords/fw41.html – a useful article on monitoring and evaluating feedback.

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Additional material Activity 2.1 – Learners’ motivation – answer sheet • Exams and grades

• Class goals

• Parents

• Amount of control on lesson content/activities

• Peer pressure

• ‘Face’ (how they’re perceived by others)

• Relationships

• Self-esteem

• Gender/gender ratio

• Age (younger and older teens)

• Class contract

• Time of day

Suggested reasons for why and how factors can affect behaviour: Exams and grades: certain schools, parents and teachers, as well as cultures, can place a lot of emphasis on the results of tests. As such, these can have a large role to play in learner motivation or can place a lot of stress on learners who may think certain activities aren’t useful to do in class because they are not in exam format – why waste time in ‘game-style’ activities when tests are near. Parents: learners can be assisted by parents and encouraged or, alternatively, their parents may think languages are not important, and may provide little support at home with homework and building confidence. Peer pressure: dependent on culture as well as the age of the learner. If placed next to ‘funny’ or ‘talkative’ learners, others may also become distracted – equally this can also assist when other learners are motivated and keen, it can be used to create a more productive atmosphere – models or goals to aim for (to be as good as person A). ‘Face’ (how they are perceived in the classroom by others): if learners are keen and motivated they may be teased by other learners. Correcting learners in front of their peers can be embarrassing and care should be taken over how and when this is done. This can also be affected by age and gender – as they become more self-aware and aware of the opposite sex. Self-esteem: – this can also be affected by correction techniques, as well as how much praise is given when they contribute in class and take part in activities and book work – no one likes to be continuously told they aren’t good at something! You must also remember to give praise for the small things as well – interaction with others, sharing, taking turns, etc. as this has an effect on classroom dynamics and group/pair work. Relationships (between learners as well as the teacher): team or pair work could be difficult to set up between opposite genders, and between groups of ‘friends’. Learners may also be less inclined to speak if the teacher is listening – they need to be familiar with the teacher monitoring regularly and closely and therefore become more accustomed to it. Gender ratio: as learners develop, both genders go through a lot of hormonal and physical changes. Awareness of their body and how they look, awareness of the opposite sex, how they interact with adults – are a few areas that can affect how they act in class. Gender ratio may also affect class motivation. A higher ratio of one gender may be more difficult due to socialising and the minority gender may feel more self-conscious or isolated. Age: younger and older teens, young teens being similar to kids and old teens like adults – younger learners may be less self-conscience and teaching may need to be more game-like and activities changed regularly to keep interest, while with older learners the opposite may be true. More in-depth analysis of language is possible with older teens – maybe not so with younger learners, who have difficulty with abstract concepts.

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Amount of control on lesson content/activities: if given the opportunity to choose topics and activity types, motivation can change for the better. Learners are more likely to talk about things they are interested in, and have more to say. They may also be more inclined to ask about, extend and try to remember vocabulary related to such topics. Class goals: especially if the whole class is held accountable for not completing tasks/taking part fully in lessons or homework – with punishments given to the whole class for class goals not met! Care should be taken that peer pressure doesn’t turn into bullying. These can be agreed and set up with contribution from the whole class and teacher – so it comes from all members and is not just teacher controlled. Class contracts: similar to class goals, contracts can be agreed upon in the first few lessons. Learners are aware of what is expected of them and they can also have input into what is expected of the teacher, e.g. if all learners complete tasks to a high standard they will be rewarded with ‘game’ activities they like, etc. It can be displayed on the wall of the classroom so it can be referred to when needed. Time of day: if the lesson is at the end of the day, they may be less likely to concentrate due to tiredness. If it’s just before lunch, they may have low motivation due to hunger. After lunch or sports, they may be more excited or have more energy. In the morning, they may be difficult to motivate, again, due to tiredness. Activity 3.1 – Building relationships – answer sheet Suggested reasons: • Familiarise yourself with learners and be approachable; this helps when building rapport. Encourage and listen to your learners – they too have views and opinions – and allow learners to be honest and not feel nervous or worried about what they say or do, and hopefully they will be more likely to take risks with language. Try to see things from their point of view and be yourself. • As mentioned by Jim Scrivener (Learning Teaching; A guidebook for English Language Teachers, Macmillan Heinemann, 1994): ‘in order to improve the quality of our own relationship in the classroom … we need to look closely at what we really want for our learners, how we really feel about them.’ • Rogers (1957) outlined three attitudinal qualities that a teacher (or, in his words, ‘a facilitator’) should have to assist the learning process. They are empathy (seeing things from the learners’ viewpoint), authenticity (being yourself) and acceptance (of learners’ ideas and opinions).

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Activity 3.4 – Role play (small groups)

a You are the ‘teacher’. Tell your ‘learners’ the following: ‘Today we are going to be talking about pets. First, we will think about what pets we already know and look at language to describe pets, how we care for them and their advantages and disadvantages. Secondly, we will discuss future pets we’d like to have using the second conditional for hypothetical future situations. And finally, we’ll read a short text describing what I’d do if I had my ideal pet, and then write our own text. Any questions?’ (Answer any questions asked)

b You are the ‘teacher’. Write the following on the board/piece of paper on the wall as you tell your ‘learners’: ‘1. Listening – my pet 2. Vocabulary – describing pets, their actions, etc. 3. Speaking/ discussion – If I had a … I’d … 4. Reading – model for writing 5. Writing – short text Any questions?’ (Answer any questions asked)

c You are the ‘teacher’. Put your ‘learners’ into small groups and ask them to think of things they have heard or read recently in the news: ‘Tell your group any news you read – from the newspaper or internet.’ After one minute, stop them and elicit some of their suggestions: ‘What did you talk about?’ Tell ‘learners’ to put up their hand if they are interested in any of the following topics – and dictate any news topics you know or read out the following (write down the topics most of them put their hand up for): ‘Football Sports or Olympic events Movies Film stars Travel and places to visit.’ Tell ‘learners’ you now have a note of what they like for future lessons.

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d You are the ‘teacher’. Put your ‘learners’ into small groups and ask them to think of topics they would like to discuss in future classes: ‘With your group, think of topics you’d like to talk about in class.’ After one minute, stop them and elicit some of their suggestions. Tell them to talk together again and make a list of five topics: ‘Together, choose your five favourite topics, and write them down.’ Write useful language on the board/piece of paper on the wall for them to use when they are talking: ‘I think … because …’ ‘I’d really like to talk about …’ ‘What about …? It’s ...’ Elicit each group’s topics and reasons – encourage them to use the useful language.

e You are the ‘teacher’. Put your ‘learners’ into small groups and ask them to think of things they can/can’t do in the classroom: ‘Together with your group, talk about what you can and can’t do in the classroom.’ After one minute, stop them and elicit some of their suggestions for both can and can’t: ‘Okay, so what can you do?’ Tell them to write a set of class rules in their notebooks – they should think of at least three for ‘we can’, and three for ‘we can’t’ (alternatively, you could use must/mustn’t or should, etc.).

f You are the ‘teacher’. Put your ‘learners’ into small groups and ask them to think of things they are not allowed to do in the classroom: ‘Together with your group, talk about what you can and can’t do in the classroom.’ After one minute, stop them and elicit some of their suggestions: ‘What did you talk about?’ Tell ‘learners’ to open their notebooks and write what you say. ‘Our class rules: 1. You have to turn off your mobile phone during class time. 2. You must come to class on time.’ Ask ‘learners’: ‘Anything else?’ and ask them to dictate their rules to the class. Tell others they should listen and write any good suggestions they hear.

Activity 5.1 – Brief theory – answer sheet Suggested answers Many teachers think/believe/assume that by asking teenage learners for personal information, they will be more interested/willing and motivated to take part in activities. Why, then, is it during such tasks, learners give/produce/say/contribute little and seem disinterested? Maybe we should consider that learners have little to say/contribute/give because they are limited by their age, lifestyles and the amount of experiences they’ve had and, as such, have nothing/little to talk about, or that some learners don’t feel comfortable giving personal/private information in front of their classmates. Why not ask learners to take on roles of other people or characters that have had different experiences and allow them to distance themselves from the activity? By doing so, learners are less/not restricted by their own lifestyles and can contribute to activities more readily/freely.

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Activity 5.2 – Personal or distant input? – answer sheet Suggested answers: Activity

Personal

Distant

Brainstorming

If criticism is given by other learners/ not all learners are taking part/speed is slow.

If the activity is quick/learners are throwing out opinions and aware that every possible answer is okay.

Interviews

If asking questions about individual learners and their opinions and thoughts.

If learners are taking on the role of someone else and giving the other role’s opinions and thoughts.

Board games

Depends on the nature of the game, e.g. practising the past by asking questions such as ‘what time did you wake up yesterday?’, etc./asking opinions/interaction within groups.

What the learners say is more or less planned, depending on the game.

Presentations

Delivery of opinion/standing in front of the class to present.

Simple facts/use of PowerPoint or visuals (audience focus more on these than the speaker).

Storytelling using picture prompts

Relate pictures directly to personal experience, etc.

Use the picture to prompt creativity and control the language instead of letting it come directly from the learner.

Role plays

Standing in front of the class/ incorporating extra skills such as timing, body language or gesture, etc.

If learners are taking on the role of someone else and ‘hiding behind’ a character (therefore closing off their own inhibitions).

Dictations

Due to accent, communication and reading ability, etc.

Reading and writing what someone else has produced.

Poems

If writing or giving opinions after reading.

Reading other people’s.

Discussions

Opinion based and a setting to express these.

Expressing/giving feedback on other people’s or group’s opinions, e.g. talking in pairs or small groups first and then having a discussion.

One-minute topic speaking

If the activity is opinion based/large groups or mixed sex groups due to embarrassment or ‘face’.

If they have found other people’s opinions on a topic and are talking about them.

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Activity 6.1 – Interviewers – answer sheet Suggested answers: Did the activity require personal or distant input? Personal questions would ask about things like: their family, likes and dislikes, the last time they did something, experiences, etc. Whereas distant questions would ask about things like: general knowledge such as capitals, maths questions, facts about other people, news, etc. How could the activity be done for distant input? Or personal input? Distant – telling the ‘interviewee’ to be someone else/take on the role of another person, e.g. a pop star or film star from their country and answer the questions as if they were them. Personal – where they answer questions about themselves. How could you change the input for the activity once it has started? To make it more distant – If learners are hesitant to give answers or if questions asked become too personal, then you could pause the activity and tell the ‘interviewee’ they are now someone else – and provide the name of a famous person. Tell them to now answer the questions but from the perspective of their new role. Alternatively, you could tell them they are now older – and they have to answer questions from the perspective of an older person. To make it more personal – if questions are more general knowledge based, you could guide the activity and tell ‘interviewers’ to think of questions to find out something about the ‘interviewees’ when they were younger, e.g. what was their favourite movie when they were six years old, favourite food, etc – this provides some distance still because of the distance in time, it’s about their past and not now. Questions can be made more personal by increasing the age so it’s nearer to how old they are now.

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Activity 6.2a – Analysing tasks

Task 1 Dialogue cards 1 Put/draw a picture of a person on the board, then elicit from learners and write on the board who they are, how old they are, what they’re like, what they like doing in their free time, and build up information about the person together. 2 Put/draw another picture on the board and ask: ‘So who’s this?’ Add information using the same questions above. 3 Ask learners ‘what is their relationship?’ and ‘where are they?’ and elicit a suggestion for each. 4 Together with the class, build up a dialogue (a few lines each) between the two people in the place. 5 Ask a confident learner to come up to the board and act out the part of one of the people while you play the other part. Adapt yourself to the character (voice, posture and actions) and demonstrate the dialogue with the learner. 6 Pair learners and give them a picture (of two people in any situation from a magazine, newspaper, etc.). Tell them to create information about the people and a short dialogue. 7 Ask them to practise taking on the role of the people in the picture and reading their dialogue. Monitor and help, and give learners time to practise their roles. 8 Learners could act out their situations for the class or in small groups. Note: Don’t spend too much time on steps 1 to 4; you could act both roles for step 5; in step 8 learners could do their acting in small groups and the best can be displayed to the whole class.

Task 2 Talking topics 1 Ask learners who they speak to everyday and elicit suggestions (e.g. friends, parents). 2 Ask one learner who they’ve spoken to today and what they spoke about – elicit topics and write them up onto the board – continue around the class until you have several topics boarded (e.g. food, gossip, sport, fashion, TV and movies). 3 Pair learners. 4 Assign each pair with points/put point cards on their desk/paper on their desk with points written on it, etc. 5 Tell pairs to choose a topic and talk to each other for two minutes. You will remove points: 1. if they stop talking before the two minutes is up 2. if they speak L1 3. if they are silent for long periods. 6 Check that they have chosen a topic and then start the clock. 7 When the first person finishes, repeat with another topic for the second person. Note: You could change partners and do it again. It may be better to do towards the end of a lesson so learners are already warmed into the class and speaking L2. You could also board suggestions for language to use.

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Activity 6.2b – Analysing tasks – answer sheet

*

These are suggested answers. Read and tick those you agree with, put a star ( ideas and put a question mark (?) if you are not sure about something.

) beside those that are new

Name of task

What makes it this type?

How can it be changed?

Talking topics

Personal – Learners only have a limited amount of time to speak and may therefore find it easier to speak from experience about likes and dislikes and their opinions on topics.

Distant – Learners can’t use the pronoun/word ‘I’. Learners take on the role of a cartoon character or famous person that they like or know about, and talk about topics from their point of view.

Personal (possibly distant)

Distant – more knowledgeable learners may remember facts about topics and talk about these.

Name of task

What makes it this type?

How can it be changed?

Dialogue/situation cards

Learners use a picture prompt to create characters and write a dialogue. Ideas are guided by the pictures and so semicontrolled, and dialogues are thought to be ‘make believe’ and untrue.

Personal – Learners think of a personal story of themselves and family, e.g. their last holiday, and draw their own picture prompt. They then create a dialogue from it.

Type of task (personal or distant)

Type of task (personal or distant) Distant

Personal – Learners talk about themselves, their friends or family and answer the questions giving information about them for the different topics.

Learners use the picture and think about happy memories/past memories and experiences and tell each other their stories or dialogues from similar situations. Learners look at the picture and have to talk about their own experience of it and try to put their ideas together to make a story/dialogue based on their experiences to show to the class.

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1 Reflections on mixed ability 1.1 – Mutual dictation text Your trainer will give you a text. Work with your partner to complete it. Peer check.

1.2 – True or false? Read the following statements and mark them true (T) or false (F). Statement

T or F

1 Mixed ability classes are impossible to teach. 2 Placement testing solves the problems of mixed ability classes. 3 In a small school you are more likely to have more mixed ability classes. 4 Some pupils can be really good at one skill but very weak at another. 5 A pupil’s level of confidence is a good determiner of their ability. 6 Learning styles can play a role in learners’ ability. 7 Self-access centres solve the problems of mixed ability classes. 8 Experienced teachers are probably the best resource for tips on dealing with mixed ability groups. 9 In monolingual classes, using L1 can be an effective strategy to cope with mixed ability classes; however, in multilingual groups this is not possible. 10 These days teachers have many more options for ways of dealing with mixed ability classes because of IT.

1.3 – Discuss Now work with your group. Do they agree or disagree? Talk about the statements and come to a general agreement.

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2 Mixed ability classes and their challenges Your trainer will assign you one or more of the questions below. With your group, brainstorm possible answers and write bullet points on your flipchart paper. 1 Who is the learner as an individual? What could conceivably be different about learners that could contribute to mixed ability classes?

2 What are the main reasons for mixed ability classes?

3 What are the teaching challenges of mixed ability classes?

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3 Solutions 3.1 – Coping strategies This is the complete text. Check your order. Here are some tried and tested coping strategies. At the end of this activity you will also be able to note your peers’ strategies from the flipcharts. Experienced teachers are the best resource for tips on dealing with mixed ability groups. 1 Vary teaching approaches and techniques to help facilitate learning for a wide variety of learners and learners’ needs and abilities. This variation can include: • wide variety of content – even if the language is not challenging the stronger learners will be interested in the content • variety of tasks, topics and texts. The more variety, the more chance that this will happen. 2 Encourage independent learning: • teach learning strategies – this will help the different types of learners and give them more strategies to use in both the classroom and in real life • give learners some responsibility for their own learning – give them tasks to do at home, on the computer, in the self-access centre or in the library. 3 Think carefully about classroom management techniques: • use different classroom interaction patterns for different kinds of tasks • use collaboration – get learners to peer teach. 4 Think carefully about task development: • have different levels of instructions for tasks – instructions can be compulsory and optional – tell the class that they all must do a minimum amount of the task and the rest is optional (i.e. to be completed by learners who can, have time, want to do it and understand it) • develop activities and materials that will cater to different learning styles • grade tasks so that all of the learners will be involved according to their abilities and skills • use open-ended tasks and cues – they allow for a variety of responses • incorporate choice into activities and what to do with them – individualise them so that learners can choose what and how to do • personalise tasks – develop tasks that make learners use their own personal experience, opinions and ideas.

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3.2 – Reflection task Think about the task you have just done. Do you think it would be a suitable task for a mixed ability group? Give your reasons.

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3.3 – Tasks for mixed ability classes The ten tasks below are based on the reading. • Y  our runner will give you task types. Decide which task type describes which activity and write it in the space at the top of the task description. • In your groups, do tasks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9. • E  valuate the tasks for mixed ability classes – are they easy or difficult? Do they allow for different abilities? Make a note of what you decide. 1 Read the whole passage. Then choose the correct words from the box below to complete the passage. more

topics

variation

interested

teachers

Here are some tried and tested coping strategies. Also make a note of any strategies that your peers tell you. Experienced (1)

are the best resource for tips on dealing

with mixed ability groups. 1 Vary teaching approaches and techniques to help facilitate learning for a wide variety of learners and learners needs and abilities. This (2)

can include:

• wide variety of content – even if the language is not challenging the stronger learners will be (3)

in the content

• variety of tasks, (4)

and texts. The more variety, the (5)

chance that this will happen.

2 Make a poster based on the reading and the tips.

3 Use your dictionary to complete the next tasks: • find the meaning of ‘cue’, ‘compensate’, ‘compulsory’ and ‘cater’, and write a sentence using each word • in the passage, find two transitive, two intransitive and two verbs that can be both • in the passage, find two irregular plurals • in the passage, find three adjectives with four or more syllables. Now develop a task similar to the above for the other learners.

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4 Read the whole passage. and then state if the statements are true or false. a There are four categories of tips. b Tip one emphasises variety. c Tip two mentions three places outside the classroom for pupils to work. d Teachers can give individualised attention to everyone. e Open-ended tasks have limited responses.

5 Underline all the verbs in the passage. Circle all the plurals.

6 Read the passage and then decide which of the four options are correct. 1 Encourage independent learning: • teach learning strategies (e.g. dictionary skills, vocabulary recording methods) – this will help the (1)

types of learners and give them more strategies to use in both the

classroom and in real life • give learners some (2)

for their own learning – give them tasks to do at home,

on the computer, in the self-access centre or in the library. 2 Think carefully about classroom management techniques: • use different (3)

interaction patterns for different kinds of tasks

• use collaboration: get learners to peer teach – teachers cannot give individualised attention to everyone (4) 1. (a) different

peer teaching can compensate for this.

(b) all (c) lot (d) differ

2. (a) responsible (b) help (c) responsibility (d) helpful 3. (a) school (b) homework (c) pair work

(d) classroom

4. (a) and (b) but (c) so (d) in spite of

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7 Divide the text into four more or less equal parts. Divide the class into four. Each group has part of the text. There are 12 questions to answer. Each group can only answer three. Groups work together to find the answers that they can answer, and answer them. Then they re-group (with one learner from each of the old groups) and share information.

8 There are 12 questions on the wall around the room. Work in groups. Decide on a runner. Your runner runs to the wall, reads a question, runs back to the group, the group reads the passage and answers the question. The runner continues until all the questions have been answered.

9 Read the whole passage and then answer the questions. a Why is it important to vary the task topic and text? b What are dictionary skills an example of? c What is peer teaching an example of? d What are open-ended tasks and cues? e Can you think of a time when you have been exposed to each of the above?

10 There are four main tips. In your groups, decide which of the four tips are the most important for dealing with mixed ability classes, then rank the individual pieces of advice in each. Add the solutions from the flipcharts that were not covered by the reading.

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4 Classroom management When your group finishes, check your answers with the table below. Add in one more activity or task for each. Interaction pattern/mix

Description of pattern/mix

Suitable activities and tasks

Similar-ability pairs

Such pairs should do tasks where each role is interchangeable and at the same level of difficulty.

Information gaps, two-way questionnaires, dialogues, role plays, mutual dictation, picture difference tasks where both speak, two-way interviews, pelmanism, picture description (write instructions for other pairs).

Mixed-ability pairs

Such pairs need unequal tasks, either in terms of length of time for each, amount of effort needed for each or level of difficulty for each.

A story dictated by one and transcribed by the other, an interview in which one asks and one answers, role plays with one larger role and one smaller, a piece of writing illustrated by the weaker learner, picture difference tasks where one describes and the other listens.

Similar-ability groups

Groups can be different sizes. Consider gender, culture and age issues when grouping. Such groups can work on tasks where everyone can contribute equally.

Puzzles and problem solving, survival task, sequencing, ranking and process writing, planning tasks (e.g. plan a holiday) role plays (with equal parts), pelmanism, discussion, debates, taboo, just a minute, storytelling using prompt cards or picture cards (writing or speaking).

Mixed-ability groups

Such groups need activities that don't require equal language abilities for participation.

Board games, reading races, jigsaw tasks, making lists, making posters and arts or crafts, TV/radio headlines or front page (with different tasks), pyramid discussion, simulations (with roles that are at different ability levels).

Individuals

Selected individuals much higher or much lower than the rest of the class may be given independent tasks to work on.

Setting up a bank of activities for learners at different levels within level is a good idea. These can be either photocopies from supplementary books or tasks developed by the stronger learners in previous classes or generic tasks to go with newspapers/magazines/TV news, etc. Word and grammar bags for each class to be added to and exploited. Extensive reading.

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5 Grading your instructions 5.1 – Giving instructions Instructions can also have a large impact on classroom management, and when you have mixed ability classes you need to ensure the weakest learners understand your instructions. In pairs, write five important things to remember when giving instructions.

Compare with another pair. Were your ideas similar?

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5.2 – Rules for instructions Unjumble these six statements about giving instructions: being followed instructions are check

listening learners are sure make

consistent be

simple and instructions short keep

better is telling showing than

learners understand check

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5.3 – Instructions checklist Match the statements in Activity 5.2 to the further advice below to complete this checklist: 1 Use pictures/the handouts or worksheets/gestures/demonstrations

2 Don’t say anything that isn’t really necessary/relevant Monitor your own language level – grade the items of vocabulary/the structures you choose to use, to suit the lowest level learner in your class Find the most logical order of instructions and stage them Don’t give too much information at the one time Avoid echoing (repeating) what learners say to you Be clear, unambiguous and as succinct as possible

3 Keep to the same ‘signals’ – e.g. ‘OK, listen.’ ‘Right’ Teach ‘classroom language’ if necessary

4 Be firm but polite Use your voice and changes in volume, stress and pitch/intonation to signal to learners

5 Don’t ask questions like ‘Do you understand?’ Demonstrate a task with a strong/confident learner Ask questions that check the instructions and nominate learners for a response. For difficult instructions nominate stronger learners first and move on to weaker learners, asking the same or similar questions Elicit examples rather than give

6 Monitor quickly to check that everyone’s doing what you want and how you want Then monitor a little more slowly around the room, helping and noting errors for feedback at the end of the task, where appropriate

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5.4 – Checking understanding Match the statements in Activity 5.2 to the further advice below to complete this checklist: A. Learners complete a gap-fill activity. There are 20 gaps in the text and there are 20 words provided in a list below the text. They need to look at the list of words provided and choose one word for each gap from this list. They should not use the same word in more than one gap. 1 Where are the words you need for the gaps? (Under the text) 2 How many words do you need to write in each gap? (One) 3 Are you writing or reading? (Both) 4 Can you use the same word in more than one gap? (No)

B. Learners are given five questions to discuss together in a group. Everyone should make a note of the answer(s) they agree on for each of the questions. They have ten minutes to go through the questions. 1 How many questions do you have? (Five) 2 Do you need to agree with each other? (Yes) 3 Do you make notes about your answers or write the answers out in full sentences? (Write notes) 4 How long do you have to do this? (ten minutes)

C. Learners are given a set of cards, each showing a picture of furniture. There are a number of different rooms listed on the board. They need to match two picture cards with one of the rooms written on the board. They then need to work in groups and name the furniture that is depicted on each of the pairs of cards and list what else they would find in that room. 1 What can you see on these cards? (Furniture) 2 What can you see on the board? (A list of different rooms) 3 How many cards do you match with each room? (Two) 4 Do you need to write down the name of the furniture? (We don’t know) 5 What do you need to do then? (Talk in groups and name the different types of furniture and what else we’d find in each room) Your trainer will give you some coursebook tasks. Make notes of the key instructions you would have to give the learners and at least three questions you would ask to check they understand. Try the instructions with your partner and then use the checklist to discuss your performance.

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6 Supported personalised learning In a mixed ability classroom it is very important for a teacher to be able to suggest ways to help develop their learners’ language ability in as individual and personal a way as possible. Below are some resources that can provide these kinds of activities. Tick the ones (or similar ones) that your learners already have access to. Then work with a partner and decide on the level of importance of each of these to your learners. Do not worry about money. Tick ()

Package

Order of importance

Package 1 Graded readers ranging from very simple to advanced, with multiple copies to enable learners to borrow them. Downloaded worksheets and ten tape recorders so that learners can listen and read at the same time. • E.g. Penguin Reader: Fly Away Home • Downloaded worksheet from Penguin website • Fly Away Home DVD Package 2 One computer and a printer for learners to use. It will have a word processor and an internet connection to download worksheets, lesson plans and other supplementary materials such as ideas for warmers. • E.g. Downloaded games, warmers and fillers from D www.onestopenglish.com Package 3 Skills practice books, cassettes that go with the books, two tape recorders to use in class and blank cassettes to enable learners to record their speaking activities. • E.g. Speaking Extra, Mark Gammidge, CUP, 2004 • Reading Extra, Liz Driscoll, CUP, 2004 • Listening Extra, Miles Craven, CUP, 2004 • Reading Games, Jill and Charles Hadfield, Nelson, 1995 Package 4 Videos/DVDs and a TV with video recorder/DVD player. You can select up to ten videos or DVDs (these could be films to accompany the graded readers or ELT materials) • E.g. Longman catalogue for examples of video • KELTIC catalogue for examples of videos • A YL video and accompanying book Package 5 A range of language practice books from elementary to advanced. The range could include a class set of 25 books of each of the following: • E.g. How English Works • English Vocabulary in Use

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Package

Tick ()

Order of importance

Package 6 15 computers with ELT CD-ROMs and software for learners to use in class. • E.g. VIVALEXICO – ‘HEXLEX’ – board games CD-ROM, Isobel Fletcher de Tellez • Quercus Media Limited – ‘Hi’ – CD-ROM for Young Learners, Charles Hyde • Camden College of English – ‘English Language Cultural Experience’ – Course, Stuart Rubenstein, Greta Grinfield, Sally McCrae, Emma Fisher • Macmillan Education – ‘Bugs’ – Multimedia course, Carol Read, Ana Soberon, Maria Toth, Elisenda Papiol, Sarah Meadows and Philippa Dunning • Oxford University Press – ‘The Internet and Young Learners’ – Interactive book and internet-based activities, Gordon Lewis • Cambridge University Press – ‘face2face Elementary’ CD-ROM and Audio CD, Sue Ullstein • Thomson ELT – ‘IELTS Express intermediate’ – Multimedia coursebook, Richard Hallows, Martin Lisboa and Mark Unwin Package 7 A range of resource books with games. Ready-made board games of your choice, such as ten snakes and ladders boards, dice and markers. • E.g. Timesaver Games edited by Jane Myles. Mary Glasgow Magazines, Scholastic, 2000 • Heinemann Children’s games by Maria Toth, Heinemann, 1995 • Grammar Games and Activities for Teachers, Peter Watcyn – Jones, Penguin, 1995 • Laminated board games – a range, e.g. Snakes and ladders, Talk for minute, Pictures differences. • Board games, e.g. Scrabble, Honeycomb hike Package 8 A range of teacher resource books. All photocopiable, ranging from elementary to advanced and from adult to young learner. A small photocopier. • E.g. The resourceful English teacher, Jonathan Chandler and Mark Stone, DELTA Publishing, 1999 • Grammar Activities 1 Intermediate, Will Forsyth and Sue Lavender, Macmillan Heinemann, 1994 • Trouble with Prepositions, Articles, Nouns and Word Order? David Bolton and Noel Goodey, 2001 • Timesaver Vocabulary Activities (Elementary), Mary Glasgow Magazines, Scholastic, 2001 • Pronunciation Games, Mark Hancock, CUP, 2000

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7 Putting it into practice Work with your group and make a note of the different ways you could adapt the coursebook activity you have chosen for a mixed ability group. Write them below:

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8 Reflection Think back over the workshop about the tasks that you participated in – the strategies, techniques and activities that were discussed. Finish the prompts below:

I most enjoyed I want to practise I am going to try out

in one of my classes.

I now think mixed ability classes Now tell your partner what you decided.

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Recommended Reading Teaching Large Multilevel Classes, Natalie Hess, Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers, 2001 – contains over 100 activities for teachers who work with large multi-level groups. 50 Mixed Ability Grammar Lessons, Jane Rollason, Scholastic Inc. London, 2005 – this book contains three graded levels of activity around different grammar structures. Levels covered span elementary to intermediate. It can be used for revision or further practice. D www.onestopenglish.com – the website has a huge mixed ability section. Some examples are below: D www.onestopenglish.com/teenagers/methodology/mixed-ability-teens – Teenagers: Teaching Mixed Ability Teens – this gives lot of tips for dealing with mixed ability classes. D www.onestopenglish.com/146768.article – this looks at activities where learners can work at their level. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – this website has a lot of information on mixed ability classes. Some examples are below: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/language-assistant/teaching-tips/adapting-materials-mixed-abilityclasses – this provides activities in the four skills and some tips for classroom management, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-mixed-ability-classes-1 – this deals with the following strategies: discussion and needs analysis, learner self-awareness and work groupings, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-mixed-ability-classes-2 – this deals with the following strategies: range of tasks, extra work and homework, learner nomination, and error correction.

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Additional material Activity 1.2 – True or false? – answer sheet 1 False Mixed ability classes are possible to teach. Most teachers probably teach mixed ability classes more often than not. There are techniques, strategies and activities that can be used to make mixed ability classes much easier to teach and this workshop will focus on these. 2 False Placement testing solves some of the problems of mixed ability classes. A good placement test will test learners’ ability across skills and language. However, it is not foolproof and cannot be, as different learners have strengths and weaknesses in different areas and a test will only give you a rough approximation of their ability. 3 True In a small school you are much more likely to have more clearly defined mixed ability classes because there are fewer levels that learners can be slotted into. If a school only has one pre-intermediate level, then all pre-intermediate learners will need to go into it regardless of whether they are very weak pre-intermediates or very strong pre-intermediates. 4 True Some pupils can be really good at one skill but very weak at another. This can be true, especially if school systems have emphasised one skill over another. For example, more emphasis placed on reading and writing for exam purposes than speaking and listening will tend to produce learners who have much better reading and writing abilities that listening and speaking abilities. 5 False A pupil’s level of confidence is not a good determiner of their ability. It may mean that their speaking ability is generally stronger in that they can find many more strategies to communicate and repair communication, but it does not generally mean that other skills are any better. 6 True Learning styles can play a role in a learner’s ability. A learner who has a visual learning style will benefit from being in a classroom with a teacher who takes this learning style into consideration when planning classes. 7 False It is true that self-access centres solve some of the problems of mixed ability classes in that they do provide for more individualised learning; it is not true that they solve all of the problems as the teacher will still have to deal with all the learners in the class at the same time for most of the time. In addition, not all schools have access to self-access centres so it is not an option for all teachers. 8 True Experienced teachers are probably the best resource for tips on dealing with mixed ability groups. The more experience you have with mixed ability groups, the more you develop strategies and techniques to deal with them and the more activities you will have up your sleeve to draw on. Therefore, it is a very good idea to hold personal development sessions in schools where inexperienced and experienced teachers can exchange notes on mixed ability groups. 9 True/False It is true that in monolingual classes, using L1 can be an effective strategy to cope with mixed ability classes (e.g. highlighting and recording differences between L1 and English is useful). It is also true that in multilingual groups, the smaller groups who share a language can use their L1 effectively (e.g. for peer tutoring). 10 True It is true that currently teachers have many more options for ways of dealing with mixed ability classes because of IT. However, as with self-access centres, they are not options for all teachers.

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Activity 2 – Mixed ability classes and their challenges – answer sheet 1 Who is the learner as an individual? What could conceivably be different about learners that could contribute to mixed ability classes? Possible factors: personality; learning styles; gende;, age; language proficiency level; level of motivation; study habits; educational background; learning strategies; reasons for learning; speeds of working and learning; preferences for classroom methodology; memory; world knowledge; degrees of application and distraction; boredom thresholds. 2 What are the main reasons for mixed ability classes? Possible reasons: small school produces classes of lot of abilities; some schools lump all learners of the same age together regardless of ability; inaccurate placement tests; accurate placement tests but doesn’t test all skills equally; schools sometimes keep groups together because it is administratively easier than dividing them up according to level; schools sometimes keep groups together despite level mixes because there is not the right level of class at that time for the learners. 3 What are the teaching challenges of mixed ability classes? Possible problems: discipline can be problematic; the good learners could dominate; it is difficult to meet all of the learners’ needs or interests; the materials are not suitable for all as mostly they are assigned for one kind of learners; the tasks and activities doesn’t fit all of the learners; it is difficult to meet all of the learning styles learners have, and there are early finishers and late learners; maintaining interest across all learners; it is difficult to get everyone participating in the class; the marking load can be higher in mixed ability classes; it is difficult to monitor the progress of all the learners as they are so individually different. Activity 3.3 – Tasks for mixed ability classes – answer sheet 1 Gap-fill Read the whole passage. Then choose the correct words from the box below to complete the passage. more

topics

variation

interested

teachers

Here are some tried and tested coping strategies. Also make a note of any strategies that your peers tell you. Experienced (1)

are the best resource for tips on dealing

with mixed ability groups. 1 Vary teaching approaches and techniques to help facilitate learning for a wide variety of learners and learners needs and abilities. This (2)

can include:

• wide variety of content – even if the language is not challenging the stronger learners will be (3) • variety of tasks, (4)

in the content and texts. The more variety, the (5)

chance that this will happen. Comment: Not that difficult because there are five spaces and five words. Therefore, they are being given help. To make this more difficult, you would only need to add another two or three extra words to the box.

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2 Visualisation Make a poster based on the reading and the tips. Comment: This caters for all levels as well, as it is a discussion task and then a designing task so learners who are good at doing different things can contribute. However, it does require that they understand the tips so is quite challenging from the comprehension point of view. It also caters for learners with a visual learning style.

3 Dictionary skills Use your dictionary to complete the next tasks: • find the meaning of ‘cue’, ‘compensate’, ‘compulsory’ and ‘cater’, and write a sentence using each word • in the passage, find two transitive, two intransitive and two verbs that can be both • in the passage, find two irregular plurals • in the passage, find three adjectives with four or more syllables. Now develop a task similar to the above for the other learners. Comment: This is a typical add-on/extension task for the early finishers. Tasks like this can be made as long or as short as the teacher thinks necessary. The final task here is very useful for the teacher as it helps her/him in the future with designing similar tasks.

4. Simplified comprehension test Read the whole passage. and then state if the statements are true or false. a There are four categories of tips. b Tip one emphasises variety. c Tip two mentions three places outside the classroom for pupils to work. d Teachers can give individualised attention to everyone. e Open-ended tasks have limited responses. Comment: Not as difficult because they only have two options so have a 50 per cent chance of being correct, even without understanding anything. The statements are quite easy to find, as they are mostly taken unadapted from the text.

5. Word identification Underline all the verbs in the passage. Circle all the plurals. Comment: This is the easiest of all the tasks. It requires only a working knowledge of verbs and plurals. It is doable by all learners.

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6. Multiple choice Read the passage and then decide which of the four options are correct. 1 Encourage independent learning: • teach learning strategies (e.g. dictionary skills, vocabulary recording methods) – this will help the (1)

types of learners and give them more strategies to use in both the

classroom and in real life • give learners some (2)

for their own learning – give them tasks to do at home,

on the computer, in the self-access centre or in the library. 2 Think carefully about classroom management techniques: • use different (3)

interaction patterns for different kinds of tasks

• use collaboration: get learners to peer teach – teachers cannot give individualised attention to everyone (4) 1. (a) different

peer teaching can compensate for this.

(b) all (c) lot (d) differ

2. (a) responsible (b) help (c) responsibility (d) helpful 3. (a) school (b) homework (c) pair work

(d) classroom

4. (a) and (b) but (c) so (d) in spite of Comment: Relatively easy as they have a 25 per cent chance of being correct and don’t have to do much with the text.

7 Jigsaw reading Divide the text into four more or less equal parts. Divide the class into four. Each group has part of the text. There are 12 questions to answer. Each group can only answer three. Groups work together to find the answers that they can answer, and answer them. Then they re-group (with one learner from each of the old groups) and share information. Comment: This caters for all levels as it involves a lot of collaborative work. Therefore, even if the initial groups are very mixed ability, by the time they re-group they should all have the information and therefore can all participate fully in the re-grouping task.

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8 Reading race There are 12 questions on the wall around the room. Work in groups. Decide on a runner. Your runner runs to the wall, reads a question, runs back to the group, the group reads the passage and answers the question. The runner continues until all the questions have been answered. Comment: This caters for all levels as the runner is doing the simplest task (i.e. dictating) and could be the weakest in the group. To answer the questions requires group collaboration, therefore they should all have the correct answers by the end of the task.

9 Direct comprehension questions Read the whole passage and then answer the questions. a Why is it important to vary the task topic and text? b What are dictionary skills an example of? c What is peer teaching an example of? d What are open-ended tasks and cues? e Can you think of a time when you have been exposed to each of the above? Comment: Quite difficult, as learners need to understand the text to fully answer the questions. There is also an extension question as a final question, which is both personalised and variable in length. It could take a long time to do or it could be cut short without penalty.

10 Ranking There are four main tips. In your groups, decide which of the four tips are the most important for dealing with mixed ability classes, then rank the individual pieces of advice in each. Comment: Although this looks easy as groups could easily just number them one to four without much discussion, it is meant to be discussed fully and meant to promote considerable speaking. It could also be the basis of a pyramid task for the whole task. It can promote a lot of speaking; however, weaker learners may sit back and allow stronger learners to dominate. The pyramid adaptation makes it more likely that the weaker learners are forced to participate.

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1 Culture in education Read the following reasons for including culture in the education system. Tick () the ones that you agree with. Tick ()

Statement

1 ‘Culture’ is one of the objectives in my syllabus.

2 Exploring other cultures is one way of helping to understand your own.

3 Foreign literature is part of our school curriculum. Studying foreign culture helps us to better understand the literature.

4 Cultural diversity is part of our everyday life. We should therefore make an attempt to understand different cultures and appreciate them.

5 By exploring culture we can get rid of discriminatory attitudes and behaviour, and promote open mindedness.

6 My learners find other cultures very interesting.

7 My learners are going to work in the global marketplace. Therefore, they need to be exposed to different cultures.

8 Culture clash is one cause of conflict. Being aware of different cultures helps us to reduce the potential for conflict.

9 Authentic materials in English reflect their culture. I want my learners to be exposed to authentic materials, therefore it helps if they understand the culture it comes out of.

10 I have so many different cultures represented in my classroom it is impossible to ignore culture.

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2 Culture in society Look at the pairs of pictures. Each pair represents two interpretations of a topic. The visuals are called ‘East meets West’.

1

8

15

2

9

16

3

10

17

4

11

18

5

12

19

6

13

20

7

14

21

Source: Ost trifft West (East meets West), Liu Yang, 2007

Work in small groups. Your trainer will allocate some pairs of pictures and some topics to you. 1 Match the picture and topic 2 Discuss which is the closest to your own culture

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3 Culture in the classroom

My learners laugh every time they see a foreign name.

3.1 – Differences in classroom scenarios Watch the DVD of a teacher with her class in Brazil. As you watch, note down anything that is different from your typical classroom scenario.

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3.2 – Same or different? Read the following statements about teacher and learner behaviour in different classrooms. Are they the same or different to your classroom? Can you add any more examples?

Statement

Same (S) or different (D)?

1 The teacher pats the learners on the head when she is pleased with them.

2 Learners sit on the floor with the soles of their feet showing.

3 Learners burp noisily after their break-time snack.

4 The new learner called the teacher by her first name.

5 The new learner shook his head every time he meant ‘yes’.

6 Learners do not reply immediately to the teachers’ questions. They wait a little.

7 One learner felt very uncomfortable when everyone squeezed into the van to go to the sports ground.

8 The learners looked horrified when the new learner spoke about her dog sleeping on the same bed as her.

9

10

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4 Culture: a definition 4.1 – Defining culture Work in groups. You have two minutes to work together. • Brainstorm what the term ‘culture’ means to your group. Write the group definition in the box. • Culture is often divided into three areas. Discuss this with your group, decide on three areas and write them in the box.

Definition

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Three areas

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4.2 – Three areas of culture Typically, ‘culture’ is divided into three areas. Unjumble the letters in the words and write them as headings in the table below. Were they the same as the ones you predicted? (1) dousrcpt

1

(2) sdiae

(3) sahrveibuo

2

3

In the speech bubble below there are examples of the three different categories. Write these under the correct heading and add any others that you can think of.

beliefs dress art

literature habits

artefacts institutions language

myths and legends values

food and drink

customs way of life

leisure music and dance

non-verbal communication entertainment

This information is adapted from Cultural Awareness in theResource Books for Teachers, Barry Tomalin and Susan Stempleski, 1993, Alan Maley editor OUP, Oxford, p.7. The division taken from Cross-cultural Understanding, Gail Robinson, New York Prentice Hall, 1985

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5 Products 5.1 – Brainstorm Work in small groups. Brainstorm products of a culture you are familiar with but is not your own. Write them below:

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5.2 – Cultural products Your trainer will hang A3 posters with categories of cultural products around the room. Walk around the room, look at each category and think of products for these categories from Scottish culture. Draw products or write their names on relevant posters. Record your answers in the grid below. Product category

Scottish culture

Product category

national dress

food

capital

famous building

special day

sport

musical instrument

flower

favourite drink

dance

Scottish culture

5.3 – Discuss Now work in groups. Discuss and note cultural products in these categories for your culture. Product category

Product category

My culture

national dress

food

capital

famous building

special day

sport

musical instrument

flower

favourite drink

dance

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My culture

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6 Ideas 6.1 – Compare different cultures Activities can be developed to help learners explore different cultures and to compare different cultures. Do the activity below on your own. Then compare your answers.

Tradition

Same or different to own culture

If different, how?

1 Brides wear white.

2 A ‘hen night’ is when all the bride’s female friends get together before the wedding. 3 The best man keeps the wedding ring for the groom.

4 A piece of cake is sent to the guests after the wedding. 5 Guests tie cans to the car the couple leave the wedding party in.

This activity was based on number one of the next activity. Your trainer will allocate one description in the next activity to your group.

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6.2 – Cultural ideas Read the description. Develop a learner task with the materials.

1 Write a series of five statements describing a cultural habit in your country, e.g. wedding customs; ages for important firsts; attitude to cars; youth entertainment, etc. The learner task is to say whether in their culture the ideas are the same or different and, if it’s different, say how.

2 Write five generalisations about your culture. Make some true and some false. The learner task is to decide which are true and which are false, and provide evidence for their decisions.

3 Use one section of newspaper classified ads, e.g. entertainment, cars, houses, jobs. The learner task is to determine what these ads reveal about the culture they come from.

4 Write five statements containing highly controversial ideas. These can be on any topic of interest to the learners. The learner task is to discuss each of the statements in groups. If anyone in the group disagrees with anything in the statement, the group has to reword the statement until everyone agrees with it.

5 Write five statements about a fictitious country. Each statement must contain an ethnocentric idea in it, e.g. ‘In my country the men are more handsome than in your country.’ The learner task is to decide what the ethnocentric idea is and then to rewrite it to make it not ethnocentric, e.g. 'My country has many handsome men.'

6 Select five educational problems. The learner task is in groups to rank them from most to least serious, say why and then provide at least one solution for each. This ranking task could be adapted to lots of different topics (e.g. economics, global, environmental).

Adapted from Cultural Awareness, Barry Tomalin and Susan Stempleski OUP, 1993

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7 Behaviour 7.1 – Video tasks You are going to watch a video of an event in the life of a culture. Your trainer will tell you which task to do. Video task 1 Work together and answer these questions. 1 What is the event? 2 Who is taking part? 3 What are they wearing? 4 Where is it? 5 What is happening? 6 What time of year is it? 7 What has happened before the event? 8 What will typically happen after the event? Now think about the event happening in your culture. Think about what it would be like. Answer the same questions. Adaptation of a task from Cultural Awareness, Tomalin, 1993, 2.7, p.47

Video task 2 Work together and answer these questions. Watch the behaviour of two or three of the people in the video closely. 1 Who is taking part? 2 What are they wearing? 3 Do they stand close to each other or apart from each other? 4 What topics do they talk about? 5 What gestures do they use and what do they mean? 6 Do people introduce themselves or do they wait to be introduced? 7 Are there any examples of cultural products in the video? What are they? 8 Is there any behaviour in the video which is different from how it would be in your culture? What conclusions can you draw about the culture from the video? Adaptation of a task from Cultural Awareness, Tomalin, 1993, 4.10, p.102

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Video task 3 Take a blank page and draw a line down the middle of it. At the top of one side, write ‘the same’; at the top of the other side, write ‘different’. Watch the video. Find a minimum of three things in the video that are the same in your culture and a minimum of three things that are different. Make notes under the columns. Now compare with the rest of the group. Add any other differences and similarities that they found. Adaptation of a task from Cultural Awareness, Tomalin, 1993, 3.10, p.77

7.2 – Evaluation of tasks Work together and make some notes on the task you completed in the correct column below. Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

1 Describe your activity in one sentence

2 Did you learn anything new about the culture in the video? If so, what?

3 What would be a suitable follow-up task?

4 Would you use it with a class? Why/why not?

7.3 – Describe your task In your new group, describe your task. Then listen to the descriptions of the other tasks and make notes above.

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8 Reflection on learning Think back over the session. Make a short note of the following: • the most important learning point from the session • one activity that you will definitely try out with your classes and why • one activity that you will not try out with your classes and why.

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Recommended Reading Culture in Our Classrooms, Gill Johnson and Mario Rinvolucri, Delta Teacher Development Series. Delta Publishing: Surrey, 2010 – this gives a definition of culture and then provides practical communicative activities for both learners and teachers. Cultural Awareness: Resource Books for Teachers, Barry Tomalin and Susan Stempleski, OUP: Oxford, 1993 – this provides a wealth of activities for use in the classroom. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk – this website has a lot of articles on culture. See some examples below: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/culture – articles on culture, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/culture-fifth-language-skill – Barry Tomalin on why culture should be thought of as a fifth language skill (important to refugees and businessmen), 29 September 2008. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/making-culture-happen-english-language-classroom – Barry Tomalin raises questions about how to deal with culture in classroom, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/resources/audio-bank/the-role-culture-english-languageteaching – teachers from around the world talking about the role of culture in ELT, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/intercultural-learning-1 – introductory article, October 2003, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/intercultural-learning-2 – provides practical guidance for the classroom and references to follow up on, October 2003, D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/sitcoms-a-tool-elt – August 2009, suggests using sitcoms as source of culture. D www.onestopenglish.com – has a lot of articles on culture. There is a culture section that provides lots of classroom activities where the focus is culture. D www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/uk-cultural-orientation – the UK Cultural Orientation and English Language Training (CO-ELT): Giving Refugees a Head Start on Life in the UK – this project started in 2006 and combines culture and language. D www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/11_16/site/citizenship.shtml – this is the BBC’s schools’ citizenship website, which has games, activities and resources for classroom use.

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Additional material Activity 2 – Culture in society – answer sheet

1

17

How people position themselves at a party

The life of the senior

10

18

Noise in the restaurant

The time they shower

11

19

Definition of punctuality

Their non-alcoholic drink preference

The relationship between weather and mood

4

12

20

Social network

Holiday activity

Leadership

5

13

21

How anger is shown

Standard of beauty

How they eat

6

14

22

How people queue

Problem-solving approach

Approach to children

7

15

23

Size of the individual's ego

Their three meals every day

Approach to new things

Complexity of self-expression 2 Lifestyle: Independent vs. dependent 3

8 What a street on Sunday looks like

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9

16 Evolution of transportation

24 How German and Chinese people see one another

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Activity 4.2 – Three areas of culture – answer sheet

1 products

2 ideas

3 behabiours

• myths and legends

• beliefs

• habits

• music and dance

• institutions

• dress

• literature

• values

• food and drink

• art

• customs

• entertainment

• leisure

• artefacts

• entertainment

• language

• way of life • non-verbal communication

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1 Attitudes to PBL You will see discussion cards posted on the walls. In small groups, visit each card and discuss the statement. Decide which statement you relate to the most and be ready to discuss your experiences with your group. What is the general attitude to project work in your group? Make a list of the concerns that were mentioned during the discussion and suggest possible solutions. Concerns

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Solutions

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2 Exploring the main features of PBL 2.1 – Important features of PBL The words below are main features of PBL. With your partner, discuss why they are important. What other features are important in PBL? Make a list and write them on the lines below the word cloud.

confidence purpose self.esteem autonomy challenging motivating integration of skills process content.learning co.operative real life responsibility learner centred product stimulating sharing 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Now compare your ideas with a new partner.

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2.2 – Reading Read the text below and check if any of the features on your list are mentioned.

Exploring the main features of project work Project work focuses on content learning rather than on specific language targets. Real-world subject matter and topics of interest to learners can become central to projects. Though the teacher plays a major role in offering support and guidance throughout the process, project work is learner centred. Project work is co-operative rather than competitive. Learners can work on their own, in small groups, or as a class to complete a project and can share resources, ideas and expertise along the way. Project work leads to the authentic integration of skills and processing of information from varied sources, mirroring reallife tasks. It culminates in an end product (e.g. an oral presentation, a poster session, a bulletin board display, a stage performance, video film, audio recording, etc.) that can be shared with others, giving the project a real purpose. Colleagues and other learners may be invited to share in the end product. The value of the project, however, lies not just in the final product but also in the process of working towards the end point. Thus project work has both a process and a product orientation and provides learners with opportunities to focus on fluency and accuracy at different project work stages. There may also be some kind of formal or informal evaluation and feedback on what learners have produced. In addition, it is potentially motivating, stimulating and challenging. It usually results in building learner confidence, self-esteem and autonomy, as well as improving learners’ language skills, content learning and cognitive abilities. Each project has three main stages: 1 The planning stage: in conjunction with their teacher, learners discuss the scope and content of their project. 2 The implementation/carrying out the project stage: at this stage learners carry out the tasks in order to achieve their objective. It may involve working outside the classroom or not, depending on the nature of the project. 3 The third stage is reviewing and monitoring: learners and teacher will have discussion and feedback sessions, both during and after project. After you have read the text, discuss the following with you partner/group: • Think about project work you have done in class. Discuss which of the points above have been main features in your experiences with project work. • Did you disagree with any of the points made in the text? Which ones? • Has the text introduced you to any new ideas about PBL?

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2.3 – Functional and language skills in PBL You have assigned the following project on ‘Climate Change’ to your class. The aim of the project is to create a radio programme based on an interview with the Minister of Environment. The tasks include: • establishing the reasons for climate change and their effects • stipulating the changes that need to be implemented • assigning the responsibilities to the selected parties • formulating the interview questions and answers • recording the radio programme with the interview on mobile phones or computers • developing a task to be completed by learners in other groups when listening to the radio programme. With a partner or in a small group, brainstorm the functional and language skills that would be learnt and used in this project. List them below. For example:

question forms explaining cause and effect

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3 Types of projects 3.1 – Matching Match the types of projects with their descriptions given below. Write down the name of the project. Magazine

Webquest

A play

Lists

Information brochure

a In this project learners are provided with links to internet resources, and follow instructions to develop a final product. b This project allows learners to choose their top five favourites within a given subject, which they then present to the class.

c In this project learners create a script and a set, put together a cast and rehearse their production.

d This is a project which culminates in an informative leaflet on a particular topic.

e This project is based on articles, letters and pictures about culture, travel, wildlife or music, etc.

With a partner, think of other types of projects you could use with your learners and list them below.

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3.2 – PBL and the curriculum Look at the project types below. In what way could activities for these types of project fit into the curriculum? Add suggestions for your project types too. Next, think about the subject matter of the project and suggest how this could be cross-curricular. Project type

Activity

Magazine

e.g. Writing a short story

Curriculum

Cross-curricular

Narrative writing

History or Geography: a travel log of a historical landmark

Webquest A play Lists Information brochure

3.3 – PBL outside the classroom What are the advantages of taking PBL outside the classroom? Look at the project types above and think about different ways you could include activities outside the classroom to enhance the project and the learning process. For example, learners are writing an article on the effects of war. They prepare interview questions and go to an old people’s home to interview people who remember the war.

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4 Making a project effective Let’s look at the project ‘Climate Change’ once again. You have assigned the following project on ‘Climate Change’ to your class. The aim of the project is to create a radio programme based on an interview with the Minister of Environment. The tasks include: • establishing the reasons for climate change and their effects • stipulating the changes that need to be implemented • assigning the responsibilities to the selected parties • formulating the interview questions and answers • recording the radio programme with the interview on mobile phones or computers • developing a task to be completed by learners in other groups when listening to the radio programme. What factors could contribute to the success of this project? Close your eyes and think of as many examples as you can. List the factors below. For example: Timing. What makes a project successful?

Why?

Timing

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Look at your list. Why are these factors important? Discuss with your partner and write your reasons under 'Why?' in the table. For example: Timing – learners need to stay focused on the task; stronger learners should be given tasks to do if they finish before others in the class; if a project is too long without a clear aim in each lesson, learners become bored and lose interest. Share your ideas with your new group and write up a list incorporating the ideas of each group. Both the teacher and the learners contribute to the smooth running of a project and a successful outcome. Look at the list below. Decide which points are the teacher's responsibility and which are the learners’. Write them under the headings in the table below. Choice of topic Rules

Resources

Timing

Clear instructions Individual roles

Teacher's responsibility

Group make-up

End product: written or spoken Use of L1

Noise

Inside or outside the class

Learners’ responsibility

Planning

Both

Compare your table with your partner's. Which points are different? Discuss the reasons for your choices.

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5 Evaluating projects 5.1 – Project outlines Look at the project outlines below. Which projects can you use with your classes? With a partner, compare your choices and discuss your reasons for choosing the projects. 1 Theatre Turning a classic fairy tale into a play Choose a fairy tale; for example, Hansel and Gretel or Cinderella • Write a script • Choose the cast • Create a set and props • Perform the play Options to consider: • Change the ending – make it dramatic, ironic, humorous or scandalous • Use characters from several fairy tales and create a new story • Choose traditional stories, for example Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

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2 Magazine Create an online magazine Learners create an online magazine and post it on a Wiki D www.wikispaces.com • Develop news articles • Develop recreation articles on a range of topics: sports, celebrities, wildlife, education • Write letters to the editor • Create a theme page with recipes or tips Variations on magazine type: gossip, music, sports Options to consider: • The magazine can be posted on the school website • The magazine can presented in poster form I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

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3 Lists Top five favourites Choose a subject • List the top five • Give reasons and examples • Present to the class Possible subjects: • TV – celebrities, shows, films, adverts , documentaries • music – singers, bands, videos, lyrics, covers • books – authors, literary genres, poets, playwrights • food – TV shows, recipe, restaurants, foods • history – discoveries, points in history, inventions, great leaders • art – artists, paintings, sculptures, architects, buildings, genres • technology – computer games, websites, gadgets Presentations can include: readings of excerpts; poems; display of items with descriptions and explanations; presentation on contributions made to society; description of effectiveness of products, etc. I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

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4 Brochure Creating an information brochure Choose a subject • Research the subject • Create the brochure • Present the brochure Possible ideas for brochures and flyers: • Health awareness • Tourist information • Current or up-and-coming films • Instruction brochure for library membership • School rules • Road safety • etc. I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

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5 Exchange project – eTwinning eTwinning – connecting classrooms Find a partner school in your country or abroad • Choose a subject • Create a task • Send the task to the partner school • Evaluate the task returned • Complete the task from the partner school • Share results with your class Ideas are endless, but here is an example taken from the British Council, Connecting classrooms: Eating is believing • Choose a food item native to your country • Think of five questions that would help a person guess what it is • Send your questions to your partner school • Choose a recipe from your country that uses this ingredient. Write up the recipe, explain why it’s popular and appealing, describe its nutritional content and take some authentic pictures of the food • Send all this to the partner school and ask them to evaluate the recipe presentations. Ask them to prepare the recipe, send pictures, reviews and ratings of the dish • Present the results to your class I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

Recommended sites D www.britishcouncil.org/learning-connecting-classrooms D www.etwinning.net D schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org D media.iearn.org

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6 Webquest Webquest To prepare webquest: • Choose a subject • Create links to research subject • Give instructions to complete the task • Learners present to the class Here’s an example of a webquest: Living in the UK – Webquest 1 Can you label the different countries of the United Kingdom on the map below? Do you know the names of their capital cities?

2 What words/phrases do you associate with each of these countries? Make a list below. Work with a partner, go to D learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/uk-culture/climate-and-geography

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Find the answers to these questions about the different UK countries as quickly as you can: 1 Which UK country has bilingual road signs? 2 What is the name of the architect who designed many famous buildings in Glasgow? 3 In which UK country is there a town with one of the longest place names in the world? 4 What English national icons in Manchester are mentioned? 5 What is ‘great craic’? 6 Which sport is very important in Welsh culture? 7 Which UK country has about 790 islands off its coast? 8 Which UK country has a border with another European country? 9 Who is the patron Saint of England? 10 What national icons of Scotland are mentioned? 11 What are Eisteddfodau? 12 Where are Van Morrison and the band Ash from? 13 What is Wales’ most famous building? 14 Which UK country has the least distinct cultural identity? 15 Where does one of the world’s biggest arts festivals take place? 16 In which UK country are the Mountains of Mourne? With a partner, create a travel brochure for one of the countries. Mention local sites and places of interest, and include information on accommodation for visitors. Use the links below to help you: D www.uksearchindex.com D www.places-to-visit.co.uk D www.visiting-britain.com Taken and adapted from: D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lesson-plans/living-uk

For more project-based examples, go to D www.webquest.org I can/can’t use this project with my class because …

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5.2 – Problems and solutions Look back at the project outlines you chose. With your partner, discuss any problems you think could arise during the planning, organisation and delivery of the projects. Write them in the list below. Next, think about solutions for your concerns, and write them under solutions. Problems

Solutions

Discuss your findings with your new group.

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5.3 – Over to you Choose one of the project’s outlines you would like to use in class. Think of a suitable subject and develop the project so that it is ready for use with your learners. List the tasks that you will include in the project. Also, referring back to Activity 4, address the points that you listed in relation to your new project.

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Recommended Reading Project Work, Diana Fried Booth, Oxford University Press, 1986. Imaginative Projects, Wicks. M, Cambridge University Press, 2000. D www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/uk-publishers/oup/introduction-project-work

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Additional material Activity 2.1 – Important features of PBL – answer sheet

autonomy

Learners can choose roles that are most suitable for themselves; they can decide the content of the project; they can work at their own pace to a certain extent; they can decide which resources to use and who to ask for help.

challenging

Projects can take learners to places they have never been. It is possible to allow learners to map out their path, thus making the ‘journey’ more challenging.

content-learning or CLIL

Learners learn all kinds of subjects through the medium of English, such as history, geography, anthropology, etc.

co-operative

Learners learn through working together, and helping each other.

integration of skills

Besides reading, writing, listening and speaking, PBL integrates many ‘life’ skills, such as finding information, seeking help, presenting a product, etc.

learner centred

Once the project is on its way, the teacher becomes a facilitator and a source of help if necessary. A project can be constructed in such a way that allows the learner to make many decisions about what they do and how they do it.

motivating

The work learners are producing depends on their individual involvement, ideas and creativity.

process/product

There is much to be gained from the stages involved in PBL – it is a very active process from which numerous skills are learned. The end product is a presentation of hard collaborative work and a display of the learners’ individuality.

purpose

Individual roles, teamwork and an end product all give the learner a sense of purpose – these are all pieces that make up a puzzle.

real life

Projects can be based on authentic tasks, subjects that learners talk about in L1. Relevance increases motivation and active learning.

responsibility

Learners have to assume responsibility for their roles and what they are expected to do in order to ensure a successful outcome.

self-esteem/ confidence

PBL is ideal for heterogeneous groups and weaker learners feel that their contribution is essential, giving them a sense of responsibility.

sharing

Project work encourages the learner to share information, resources and ideas.

stimulating

Learners can choose the content and the format of the project and can thus explore and work on the project in a way that interests them.

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In-Service Teacher Development Elective Units  Coursebook  4. Project-Based Learning

Activity 3.2 – PBL and the curriculum – answer sheet Project type

Activity

Curriculum

Cross-curricular

Magazine

Writing a short story

Narrative writing

History: Travel log of visit to Hadrian’s Wall

Webquest

Selecting information from a text

Skimming and scanning skills

History: King Henry the 8th and the war with France

A play

Selecting the cast

Character analysis

English Literature: A Shakespeare play

Lists

Writing up the presentation

Use of comparative and superlative forms

Geography: Global populations

Information brochure

Giving advice

Use of modal verbs

Religious Education: How to behave in religious establishments (church, synagogue, mosque, etc.)

e-Twinning

Setting a task for e-partners

Use of imperative

Citizenship: Making your own news report

Poster project

Giving a presentation of the final product

Oral fluency skills

Maths: Recording and presenting data

In-Service Teacher Development Elective Units  Coursebook  4. Project-Based Learning

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Навчальне видання О. Я. Коваленко, О. П. Шаленко

Післядипломна педагогічна освіта вчителів іноземних мов

Відповідальний за випуск - О. Я. Коваленко, О. П. Шаленко

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