Virtual Staffroom for EFL Teachers

Third issue of the The Tunisian English Teaching Forum

2010-05-18T20:59:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to inform our readers and the subscribers to this blog that the third issue of the The Tunisian English Teaching Forum is out.

In this issue you can read:

Testing Speaking by Adel GHARBI

Techniques to promote speaking and to enhance the oral test in the EFL classroom.

As it is Written, So it Shall be Read and Said! by Steve PEHA:

Using reading to foster kids’ acquisition of the pronunciation and grammar of English.

Teaching Speaking by Farida BEN ABDALLAH

Factors teachers need to take into account while teaching speaking.

Using Videos in the Classroom by Faten ROMDHANI:

Videos in the EFL classroom to motivate learners and deliver high-quality lessons.

Will lLanguage Labs Promote English Learning? by Zohra AMMOURI:

Thinking about the CALL labs and the ICT experience in Tunisia.

Teaching the Target Language or the Language Culture? by Fathi BOUGUERRA

Getting students to know not only another language but also the target culture.

Boundaries by Abdelhamid R'HAIEM:

A post-conference report about the third conference organised by the Department of English in ISL, Gabes

David KAPULER was our guest this month and Tarak BRAHMI had an elightening and rich conversation with David.

Also in this issue:

Bringing the news into the classroom and the lighter side..

Open publication - Free publishing - More techmology

The second issue of the Tunisian ELT Forum

2010-01-18T22:18:00.001+01:00

The second issue of The Tunisian ELT Forum has just been uploaded.
A new look and a variety of interesting articles are on the menu.

The Tunisian ELT Forum is online now!

2009-09-06T01:20:00.004+01:00

Open publication

To download the Tunisian English Teaching Forum e-magazine, to rate it, add feedback and comments, embed it on your own blog or website, share it with friends or print it, please visit our page here:The Tunisian ELT Forum

On being eclectic

2009-07-15T03:32:00.002+01:00

For a number of years, many teachers sat on what they assume is a safe ground , that of aligning with “eclecticism”. For some, it means choosing what seems adequate from the existing methods. For others, it means not only the principled use of these methods but also the need to adjust their teaching to their immediate environments as they are aware of the fact that certain methods fall short of realizing that social, cultural and other factors are determining aspects in deciding what works best for them and their students.
Eclecticism is a response to the inherent limitations of the notion of “method” because “the conception and construction of methods have been largely guided by a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach that assumes a common clientele with common goals.” Kumaravadivelu, Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language teaching (2003).
While it seemed for many a wise and cogent position, eclecticism has been criticized for being guided more by “common-sense” rather than by a principled view: "It does not offer any guidance on what basis and by what principles aspects of different methods can be selected and combined." Stern (1983). He explains that “The choice is left to the individual’s intuitive judgment and is, therefore, too broad and too vague to be satisfactory as a theory in its own right.” Stern (1992).
Henry Widdowson (1990) warns that “if by eclecticism is meant the random and expedient use of whatever technique comes most readily to hand, then it has no merit whatever”.

The first claim that eclecticism is rather based on “common-sense”, hence lending itself to vagueness and inconsistency draws on the belief that to be convincing, pedagogy needs to be governed by facts and certitudes rather than by inconsistencies and differences. Teaching and learning, however, are far from being accurate sciences: As Kumaravadivelu observes, "the success or failure of classroom instruction depends to a large extent on the unstated and unstable interaction of multiple factors such as teacher cognition, learner perception,
societal needs, cultural contexts, political exigencies, economic imperatives, and institutional constraints, all of which are inextricably interwoven."
Besides, even in his account of the three parameters of a postmethod pedagogy, namely particularity, practicality, and possibility, Kumaravadivelu notes that "inevitably, the boundaries of the particular, the practical, and the
possible are blurred."

The second criticism doesn't challenge the relevance of 'eclecticism' per se. However, it points teachers to the right direction by making it clear that to be successful, eclecticism should not be random and irresponsible. This is what Diane Larsen-Freeman (Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching) refers to as "principled eclecticism".
The point is that "eclecticism" is a fair choice if it is done properly. That is to say, it shouldn't be " an excuse not to go deeply into methodology [and] cognitive research" As Patricia Arias, a teacher from Argentina states in her reply to Scott Thornbury's article "Methods, post-method, and métodos" on teachingenglish.org.uk ( link to article )
Attentiveness to the existing theories and to their limitations, the ability to "learn to cope with competing pulls and pressures representing the content and character of professional preparation, personal beliefs, institutional constraints, learner expectations, assessment instruments, and other factors" (Kumaravadivelu, 2003) are determining aspects in shaping a good eclectic stance that is both self-conscious (aware of theories and methods) and effective (takes account of the context and “local” specificities to make sure a proper teaching and learning experience would take place).
So, eclecticism is here to stay although it may seem as a challenge to the certitude of theories. It is, in fact, a sign of teachers’ maturity and their readiness to take responsibility for what they know best, i.e., teaching.

References:

Diane Larsen-Freeman 2000. Techniques and principles in language teaching

Kumaravadivelu, B. 2003. Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language teaching

Scott Thornbury 2009, Methods, post-method, and métodos link

Stern, H.H. 1983. Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching

Technorati Tags: eclecticism,Kumaravadivelu,language teaching,postmethod,pedagogy,english,theory,method

A new blog is born: Check it !

2009-07-01T02:23:00.004+01:00

It is a newborn blog, small in space but big in aspirations. It is aiming at building a database where EFL teachers can collect and use a wealth of information related not only to classroom practices but also to teachers’ everyday frustrations and their strive to do well inside and outside the classroom.

Originally, this blog was intended as a subsidiary place to add notes about our fresh magazine “ The Tunisian English Teaching Forum” , but now it tries also to be a place to share and chat, to talk and listen to people who have the same interests and often issues and difficulties.

Here is the link: http://tunisian-etforum.blogspot.com/

The first issue of our magazine is coming shortly!

2009-06-30T22:05:00.002+01:00

The first issue is taking shape and will be available for download soon!

We are very excited about it!

Here is a snapshot of the cover and the first page.

Writing argumentative essays (part I)

2008-10-29T22:41:00.007+01:00

An argumentative essay is an essay in which you are going to write about a statement or "premise" with which your readers may or may not agree.
When you are writing this kind of essay your aim is to make those readers agree with your statement or premise. To persuade them to take your side, you need to support your ideas with pertinent examples and logical cases in point.

Example:

Premise: Students shouldn't wear a uniform.
Supporting statement 1: Parents will have to pay for the uniforms.
Supporting statement 2: Students feel they are not free.

Let's practice!
Think about two supporting statements to the following premises.

Premise: Killing animals for their fur or skin must be banned.
Supporting statement 1:
Supporting statement 2:
Premise: Children should be allowed to use cell phones.
Supporting statement 1:
Supporting statement 2:
Premise: Celebrities' private lives should remain private.
Supporting statement 1:
Supporting statement 2:

Possible answers

Premise: Killing animals for their fur or skin must be banned.
Supporting statement 1: It is immoral. We don't have the right to kill animals.
Supporting statement 2: We can use fibers to make synthetic products.
Premise: Children should be allowed to use cell phones.
Supporting statement 1: They can use them in case of emergencies.
Supporting statement 2: Parents know about where their kids are.
Premise: Celebrities' private lives should remain private.
Supporting statement 1: They are human beings. They need to live in peace.
Supporting statement 2: Opening their lives to the public can be disastrous.

Now, that we have our ideas jotted down we need to organize them in a paragraph by using connectives like: Firstly (used to say we are going to mention our first supporting idea/statement), moreover, furthermore, besides, in addition (to add other supporting statements) and finally (to tell the reader that it is going to be our last supporting statement).

Example:
Students shouldn't wear a uniform. Firstly, parents have to pay for uniforms.
In addition, students feel they are not free.

It is often more attention-grabbing to add specific details and illustrate our supporting statements with examples. Let us study the following example:

Students shouldn't wear a uniform. Firstly, parents have to pay for uniforms. Indeed, school uniforms can be very expensive. In addition, students feel they are not free. In fact, they feel they are not treated like free individuals who can decide about personal matters like what they choose to wear.

Let's practice!
Part One:
The following statements have one supporting statement. Add one or two other supporting statements and use connectives:

Premise: Mass media is doing nothing to help teenagers give up smoking.
Supporting statement 1: they are showing celebrities who are smoking in a positive way.
Supporting statement 2:
Premise: Vehicles using gasoline should be replaced with ecological vehicles.
Supporting statement 1: Petroleum fuels create harmful emissions like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides that pollute the environment.
Supporting statement 2:

Possible answers:

Premise: Mass media is doing nothing to help teenagers give up smoking.
Supporting statement 1: they are showing celebrities who are smoking in a positive way.
Supporting statement 2: they don't put on view strong messages that show the dangers of smoking.
Premise: Vehicles using gasoline should be replaced with ecological vehicles.
Supporting statement 1: Petroleum fuels create harmful emissions like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides that pollute the environment.
Supporting statement 2: Home refueling of electric and natural gas cars can save time and be rather cost effective.
Mass media is doing nothing to help teenagers give up smoking. Firstly, they are showing celebrities who are smoking in a positive way. Moreover, they don't put on view strong messages that show the dangers of smoking.
Vehicles using gasoline should be replaced with ecological vehicles. Firstly, Petroleum fuels create harmful emissions like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides that pollute the environment. Moreover, Home refueling of electric and natural gas cars can save time and be rather cost effective.

Part Two: Now think of some examples you can add to further illustrate or explain the following supporting statements using "indeed" and "in fact".

Possible answers:

Premise: Cell phone use should be banned while driving an automobile
Supporting statement 1: while using the cell phone, drivers tend to concentrate less on what is happening on the road. Indeed, many studies have proven that talking on a cell phone while driving results in the same accident rate as if you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.'
Supporting statement 2: if they hear bad news on the phone, drivers may get panicked.In fact, even after the conversation is over, drivers may still think about it and may forget about traffic signs or safety rules.

Part Three: Now write the whole paragraph using connectives (Firstly, moreover, besides, etc…):
Possible answers:

Cell phone use should be banned while driving an automobile. Firstly, while using the cell phone, drivers tend to concentrate less on what is happening on the road. Indeed, many studies have proven that talking on a cell phone while driving results in the same accident rate as if you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Besides, if they hear bad news on the phone, drivers may get panicked. In fact, even after the conversation is over, drivers may still think about it and may forget about traffic signs or safety rules.

It is high time for us to add a concluding statement. We use it to indicate that we are making a final statement which usually sums up all the supporting statements in a general way. We can use: In conclusion, in summary, thus, to sum up, etc…

In conclusion, banning the use of phones in automobiles can lead drivers to concentrate more on the road and it can eventually prevent them from getting distracted by phone conversations.

References: Writing Argumentative Essays: http://www.ltn.lv/~markir/essaywriting/frntpage.htm
Italki : http://www.italki.com
http://www.forandagainst.com

Essential questions: technique put to the test

2008-10-06T22:57:00.007+02:00

Today, I tried using "Essential Questions" with my classes and put this technique to the test.

The lesson was a reading activity. The text is about the queen of soul, Sade. It talks about her life and why she avoids publicity and prefers keeping a kind of privacy. I started by asking the question: Do you want to be a celebrity? Why? What is the price we pay for being one?

First, we talked about the brighter side of the story: my students said that celebrities have all the commodities and the privileges we may dream of, like being famous, being rich, being able to travel to many countries, being able to have fairy-like weddings, etc,.. I wrote down the answers on the board under the heading: Good side.Then, I asked: Can you think of any bad points? Are all celebrities happy? My students hesitated for a moment. So, I showed two pictures: one is a recent photo of Britney Spears shaving her hair, the other one is for Michael Jackson hiding his face from journalists and photographers after the trials in the American courts.

So, my students started talking about pop stars going to rehab because they have psychological problems or because they are addicted to drugs or alcohol. They also mentioned the fact that some were harassed by lunatic fans. We talked also about paparazzi and how they made Maradona loose control and almost kill one of them. I wrote these and others on the board under the heading: Bad side. Later, my students sat in groups of four and started writing about being a celebrity. They only jotted down a few more ideas and I asked them to keep them for future reference when we will write about this topic.

When we moved to the reading activity, my students were equipped with a valid background and a good range of vocabulary that they would come across in the text. It was clear that the debate we had made my students appreciate the text and they enjoyed the reading activity as a whole.

I think essential questions are great because they can involve students and provide them with a real context and a reason for learning the language as these questions led them to broaden their knowledge and awareness of current issues. However, I think it is not the only way to make students adhere more positively to the learning process.

Coming posts will talk about other compelling techniques that can be as interesting as essential questions.

Technorati Tags: teaching technique,reading,speaking,involve students,motivation,essential questions

Essential questions

2008-10-05T14:42:00.013+02:00

Question: How to make students engage in learning? How to make a unit/lesson look more relevant and more meaningful?

Answer: One of the problems faced by teachers is when the topic taught seems irrelevant or devoid of a meaningful context. The students seem indifferent because the content, at first sight, looks rather severed from their needs and backgrounds. This is often the case in our schools because teachers become more concerned with covering the whole curriculum rather than mediating a learner-oriented content.

Becoming a better teacher: eight innovations that work by Giselle O. Martin-Kniep addresses this and other problems as well in a comprehensive and thorough manner.

To make sure that students identify with the subjects that are taught and engage in the curriculum, teachers can use what Giselle calls "essential questions". These questions "allow teachers to tackle the curriculum while helping them treat it as something to be discovered and negotiated." They can help generating debates and raise the level of discourse in the classroom and can also serve as a good way to relate previously taught topics to the currently taught one.

Giselle argues that these questions have the following criteria in common:

They are universal
They are never fully answerable
The more we grow mature, the more we discover we still have more to learn about the answers
They lead to the realization that knowledge is an ongoing process and one that makes life worth living

Here are some examples by the author about what essential questions look like:

Are we really free?
What is the meaning of life?
Do we have control over our destiny?
If we are so alike, how do we explain our differences?
Can there be good without evil?
Are all cultures equally valuable?
Can you win and lose at the same time?
When is cheating not bad?
Is education essential for success in life?

How can we use these questions? It depends on the topic or unit that is going to be taught. For a lesson talking about the merits of the Internet, one may start by asking the question: Is technology a foe or a friend? The question: are humans inhumane? Can provide a framework for a lesson about "crime", etc..

Side note: Do you have any comments? Please add them here.

Using technology in the classroom

2008-05-18T19:03:00.007+02:00

Why is it important to use technology in the EFL classroom?

First, technology has achieved so much in every aspect of our lives so why not try to take advantage of this remarkable tool in the field of education. Actually, it has already done. Therefore, it is not something new. Many linguists and grammarians use data from linguistic corpora today to supplement their researches or to create new books of grammar (Scott Thornberry: Natural Grammar) or dictionaries (Macmillan /Oxford) , etc.. Many teachers around the world have also used the Internet at various levels. Almost every teacher has typed a text using a word processing program, used an OHP, a laptop, a TV set, a cassette recorder, navigated the Internet to find resources and materials to enrich his learners' experience, etc...

There is a variety of interesting ways a teacher can benefit from high technology:

-Teachers can download millions of ready-to-use materials, ready-to-print worksheets/activities, thousands and thousands of PowerPoint slides, short movies, graphics, animations, sounds for immediate use in the language classroom.

-We can ask our colleagues for solutions to the problems we face on a daily basis and get feedback on our work as the Internet now serves as a big staff room.

- We can now use a variety of Multimedia CDs that have interactive and diverse content that appeals to a wider range of students, whatever their learning styles are: that is kinesthetic, tactile, visual..

-Besides some types of content is ideal for particular activities: audio material is perfect for speaking and listening. Video/ animation is perfect to demonstrate processes.etc..

-Teachers can get rid of the "dog-ate-my homework syllabus" as students can complete tasks at home and can send them 24/day.

-Technology fosters teamwork, as teachers need to work with other colleagues or experts to master how to utilize high tech.

On the other hand, students can also gain a lot from incorporating technology in the classroom. Some of the benefits include, to name a few, breakthrough from the monotony of the traditional classroom. Multimedia content is often attractive to students as it is interactive and multifaceted as it includes sounds, video, text, etc..

Students can take responsibility for their own learning as they make decisions when they browse various sites to find relevant information.

Students can have access to rich and timely content on the web everyday.

Besides, they can communicate with students from all over the world and can chat / write to them, which gives a real purpose for their interaction because they do actually use the language to communicate.

In addition to real communication, students can improve their computer skill, which prepares them for the real world of work as many jobs require computer skills and network use.

How have I personally used high tech in my classrooms?

Some of my favorite applications are Hot Potatoes, Camtasia and Flash although I am also proficient in Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. The formers, however, have an immediate relation with teaching. Hot Potatoes is an educational software created by the Research and Development team at the University of Victoria Humanities Computing and Media Center. It consists of six authoring tools: JCloze, JQuiz, JMix, JMatch, JCross and the Masher. It is designed to help teachers develop online / computerized tests, quizzes, round up lessons and activities. No or very basic programming is needed. This content can be delivered via emails, CDs, published online, used in the classroom as part of a datashow presentation, etc...

This application is perfect for including different types of content like audio, video, graphics, etc... Besides, it gives learners immediate feedback on their answers and their scores in real-time.

The second is Camtasia. It is an application designed to develop online tutorials or lessons. It records whatever you do on the desktop. Therefore, you can use it to record a whole lesson. This can be later delivered on a CD for students who were unable to attend the course or for those who want to view the lessons again. The third one is Flash. It needs some programming knowledge but it can be great in delivering rich content either on CDs or on a web site.

How often do I use High-tech in my classrooms?

I use the electronic classroom once or twice every 15 days and I make sure I vary the content. I use "hot potatoes" for round up sessions. I use the Internet to get the students to find materials relevant to lessons. I prepare PowerPoint slides from time to time and encourage my students to do so. I use the Internet to get authentic material like film reviews, charts, statistics, ready-to-print materials to further consolidate a grammatical point or a topic. I try to get my students to publish a wall poster or a classroom magazine. I used Photoshop and InDesign to design a magazine for teachers of English. I occasionally use a datashow and a laptop to present my workshops: I have already presented three workshops this year: Hot potatoes, using data shows, using network support and soon Flash.

del.icio.us Tags: high tech,technology,powerpoint,slide,datashow,internet,classroom,hot potatoes,flash,camtasia,software

Motivating young learners to do project work:

2008-05-15T19:20:00.005+02:00

One of every teacher's aspirations is to get his students involved and motivated. What is better than to see your students actively learning and having fun while they are doing it? But, how can you do it? You think you tried every possible stratagem and that just falls short. But, wait! Maybe you haven't tried these tried-and-proved tips yet:

1-Be motivated yourself and show your enthusiasm. It is a contagious disease and once your have it, your students will catch it.

2-Make sure your classroom is a cheerful environment where students feel loved and cared for.

3-Try concrete activities and get your students involved in decorating the classroom, growing and watering plants (carrots, herbs, etc...). Help them to put stickers/ labels on each plant. Kids will feel they are part of the school and will look forward for your lessons.

4-Have your students participate in a "real" project like gathering fake money to buy an imaginary house, an imaginary doll, bike, etc..

5-Some teachers use “Fun Money": They gave them to their students as a reward for being responsible, calm, doing homework, helping their friends, etc... By the end of the week, these can be exchanged for real treats.

6-Invite guests from the local charity or volunteering communities to come to your classes.

7- Use a map to walk your students to the local museum or a national park.

8- Use a camera to videotape your classroom. Use it later to give feedback and to make your students aware of their behavior. Show them which behavior is appropriate and which is not.

9-From time to time, you can invite the students' parents to attend a stage performance by your students. This not only involves parents but also gives a real sense of achievement for the kids.

Example of ideas that can be done as project work:

For these activities you will need a display board to display kids' work

Making a family tree: It can be created with the help of the kids' family: You can bring photos of your family and show them how you can create your own family tree.

Creating an alphabet book for animals or fruit, etc… with animals beginning with letter A on the A page, etc... Have your kids sit in groups. Give each group a letter or two and animals' pictures to match and glue.

Food party: Make a list of safe and simple food recipes: Kids can bring bread, cheese and tomatoes, etc... Cut the tomatoes or eggs for them as they may cut themselves. Write instructions on the board.

Role play:Prepare simple dialogues beforehand. Kids love to imitate others and to perform: Have them play the role of the teacher with simple dialogues like: “sit down”, “Stand up”, “Open your books, please”. Have their partners act what he is told to do (sits down) encourage them and let other kids do that to (applause, saying: well done! etc…)

Handicrafts: Encourage your students to

-create something for their mom, dad or a family member (help by providing examples: a flower, a ring, a small jewelry box, etc...)

-Write a card for their mom, father for their birthday, etc...

-Celebrate their friends' birthdays by creating small cards with (happy birthday to their friend, I love you, thank you, etc...)

Games: They can be very successful with young learners if you apply them suitably. For instance, hide objects to be collected and arranged together by your learners like flash cards with pictures and corresponding labels.The kids find the words and stick them next to the corresponding names.

Drawing: Students can draw their house plan with the help of the family: kitchen on the right, living room on the right.Or they may draw a map and find their way to the kindergarten

Likes and dislikes book: Prepare a sheet for each group with the names of the other kids in other group(s): Encourage them to find what their friends like or dislike.

Later, you can ask your students to prepare a book using all these sheets.You can also make them count how many love what. They can draw a kind of statistics table, etc..

Theory that works:

Often you will find yourself in a situation where your students are more excited than you want them to be. Or they may get bored when you ask them to do a particular activity.

That is a usual situation. In fact, you can even turn that to your advantage! Activities can be divided into two types: “stir” and “settle” activities: Stir activities: can make the learners involved but it can make them over-excited and restless. Settle activities: they can calm a class down but it also can be boring.

How to use these to your advantage? You can make a list of those activities that “stir” students and those that calm them down. Use them when you think they are more appropriate: copying and coloring are rather “settling” activities while competitions are rather “stirrers”. Besides, some language skills can calm your kids down (listening) while others may excite them (speaking).

References:

50 ways to motivate kids

project based learning

Teaching English in The Primary Classroom by Susan Halliwell

Technorati Tags: project work,young learners,kids,teaching,motivation

With my students

2008-05-11T18:54:00.001+02:00

May 11, 2008

Technorati Tags: group work,student,English,teacher,classroom,TEFL,Education,school

A great site for improving one's speaking skills: sharedTalk!

2008-05-10T23:55:00.001+02:00

Some friends advised me to have a look at this site.. It was a nice surprise to me! You can go there and improve your communication skills not only in English but also in many other languages. It makes you feel the world is really such a small village.. On my first day there, I talked to a sweet Russian lady, an intelligent, hard-working Brazilian student and two lovely Chinese students..We talked about the Victory Day in Russia, the Carnival in Brazil and I learned how to say "hi" in Chinese: Ni hao!

It is a wonderful place for sharing. It is simply called:

sharedtalk

N.B: Remember to be nice and open-minded! This will give you a better chance to learn and practise the language.

Enjoy it!!

Poetry in the classroom

2008-05-05T06:27:00.011+02:00

Using Poetry in the classroom is not something you want to miss. There are various reasons to preach teaching poetry: First of all, believe it or not: kids and students love it. They love rhymes and the music inherent in poems. Besides, I think poetry lessons can make students love the language as they are encouraged to use it creatively. Moreover, it urges students to learn more vocabulary as they look for words that would rhyme with other words.
This can be also used to consolidate the recognition of the stress in words..
I used to avoid teaching poetry at first, to be honest, because I thought students will not be involved and they won't love it. Then, I read a few articles about teaching poetry and wanted to try it myself. The results were more than reassuring. My students are pre-intermediate learners so I avoided going into much detail: we talked only about rhymes. I asked some of my students to provide any words that they can think of in English. The others tried to find words that rhyme with them. Then we wrote down the words on small seperate cards. I asked my students to put them in groups: some words belong to the School group. Other words belong to the Food group,etc..Then I told my students that this is how poems are written basically. I asked them to write a simple poem about one of the groups using the rhyming words provided.. I did not talk about scansion or difficult stuff..I think this is what they need for the time being..The result was more than satisfying.. I also encouraged my students to be creative as to the presentation: I showed some examples i printed from the net.. Some wrote their poem on a piece of cloth..Others on a paper shaped as a green leaf,etc..
So, I am not going to miss any opportunity to use poems in my classes!
For great links on how to teach poetry:
http://www.netaxs.com/katz/teachers.htm
http://pdfs.voya.com/VO/YA2/VOYA200404PoetryContagious.pdf

NB: This entry was originally posted in http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/
Here is the link : http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/polls/poetry-classroom#comment-423

Portfolios: why should I have one?

2008-05-04T09:27:00.007+02:00

Portfolios have been around for decades. Therefore, the idea is not a new one. What is new, however, is the new ways technology makes available for us to have well-organised, large-scale, easily accessible portfolios in a variety of affordable means.
However, let us start with what a portfolio is and why we even need one in the first place.
A teaching portfolio is

"is a collection of materials that document a professor's teaching goals,
strengths, and accomplishments.
It contains self-generated material (e.g., a
teaching philosophy statement; representative syllabi, instructional objectives,
handouts, assignments, and tests; descriptions of educational innovations and
evaluations of their effectiveness; textbooks and education-related papers
published; instructional software developed; teaching workshops and seminars
presented or attended).
· teaching products (e.g., graded assignments,
tests, and reports; scores on standardized tests; student publications or
presentations on course-related work).
· information generated by others
(e.g., summaries of student, alumni, and peer evaluations; honors and awards;
reference letters). Some items may be mandated, others may be included at the
professor's option."

(from www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/teachfolio.html )
For more details on what to include in a portfolio and for the steps to compile one, here is a short and snappy article: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/teachfolio.html
Keeping a portfolio is beneficial for many reasons: First, it is the best way for a teacher to evaluate and trace his progress as a teacher. Besides, it can serve as a basis for promotions in your career or evidence of your achievements if you consider looking for a better opportunity in other places. A teacher can also use his portfolio as a reference or guide to come back to to solve some problems: If you have a problem motivating your students, you can go back and find materials, activities, ideas you used before. Your portfolio can also serve as a valuable guide for new teachers to follow.
Keeping a portfolio is quite easy. You can have drawers or folders to keep your files if you are "old school" or you can type, scan and store your files in your computer. Always remember to keep a back-up copy of your portfolio. You can trust a computer as much you can trust a wolf beside a lamb.
You can also download software specifically designed for creating resumes and portfolios: http://www.aurbach.com/Toot/index.html
NB: it might, however, not work properly if you are using Windows XP or later.
So do you keep a portfolio? Do you think it is important to have one? What do you keep in a portfolio?
I am keen on knowing about what you think!

References: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Columns/Portfolios.html
http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/teachfolio.html

What does a new EFL teacher need to start his/her career successfully?

2008-04-25T19:56:00.007+02:00

A teacher needs not only a requisite knowledge of how the English language works and how to teach the four skills: reading, speaking, writing, and listening(The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer is one of the most comprehensive books in the subject) but also a suitable awareness of the various teaching methods and principles that are or were employed.
For a practical synopsis of these trends and methodologies as well as an explanation of how they are applied in the classroom, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching by Diane Larsen-Freeman is an established reference.

A teacher's job involves much more than just preparing a lesson plan. This is only part of what a teacher has to do on a daily basis. If you are endeavoring to become successful, you need to be an expert on how to manage your students and keep them focused and motivated, on how to deal with problem students, on how to get along with your colleagues, the school administration, the parents, etc...
Although some of these skills come with time and experience, one interesting book that tries to provide answers to all the matters mentioned above and more is
The Unauthorized Teacher’s Survival Guide by Jack Warner and Clyde Bryan, with Diane Warner
It is a must-read for every wannabe successful teacher.
In coming posts, I will write about some of the tips that the book offers to us. However, to fully take advantage of the book, consider buying it. It is worth every penny!
That is, in my view, a great place to start with. I do not claim that other books are less important or less comprehensive. I really hope other colleagues will suggest their own list of good references and tips.

How to encourage beginners to use English while sitting in groups?

2008-04-19T20:32:00.008+02:00

This is inspired by Victoria's comment on a previous post.

Students should be encouraged to use English not only to do a task but also to interact with one another while they are doing the task. This is a real opportunity for the students to use the language for a real purpose. We mustn’t throw it away.
"Social skills such as acknowledging another's contribution, asking others to contribute, and keeping the conversation calm need to be explicitly taught." (Section on Cooperative Learning)
Diane Larsen-Freeman's Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching

If you are teaching beginners, the interaction has not to be complicated. You can limit it to some very basic social skills. You can actually start by doing a pre-group work activity. Just bear in mind that learning to work in groups usually stretches over a quite long period. Therefore, you can teach your students one or two things at a time.
Example activity:
Step1:
For instance, you can start by teaching them how to ask for their turn if they are playing a language game or doing something together. Think of unchallenging phrases like:" Now, it is my turn", "is it your turn?", "who is next?",etc…
You can start by asking how your students say it in their language. Then you provide the equivalent in English. You can write the expressions on the board and have your students repeat after you.
Step2:
Next, you can teach them how to encourage each other during an activity or when they finish it. Think of expressions like "Nice Job!", "Excellent", "that's good", "Well done", "Perfect!" etc...
Step 3: sitting in groups
After that, you can ask your students to sit in groups and give them flash cards with the expressions in step1. Some of the flash cards will have the words in English written on them. The others will have the words in the students' native language or pictures/illustrations, etc...
Explain that the students have to match the phrases in English with those in their language. Make it clear that they should encourage each other using words from step two.
To encourage this behavior and make them refrain from using their native language, you may tell your students they will only get points if they use English.
Keep a checklist/ form (grading/points) and go from one group to another to make sure they do use English.
Remember that you can model this by encouraging your students in English when you go from one group to the other. By habitually doing this, your students are more predisposed to learn it.

The dynamics of group work

2008-04-17T07:34:00.012+02:00

Problem: Whenever I assign a group work activity, the classroom turns into a disorderly panic-stricken place. How do you manage to control yours?

Answer:That is a typical question about a classic situation. In fact, many teachers find it difficult to have power over students working in groups. The good news, however, is that controlling group works is feasible as long as you follow the right steps. Here is a straightforward sketch of these steps. It is only meant to serve as a hands-on guide about dealing with group work. To learn more about the rationale behind cooperative learning, its dynamics, and the various activities that teachers can apply in their classrooms, there is a list of recognized references for you to consider (below).

Step 1-Before starting
Before starting a group work activity, we should make sure our students are aware of the benefits of working together and relate this to real life: we can start by telling a relevant story or a local proverb. Group work is a kind of social interaction. Therefore, we have to make sure our students can communicate with each other in English. Relevant questions that are going to build the students' interactive skills include:
What do you think of...?
Do you think that...?
Why is it important to....?
Do you agree that....?
What is your opinion concerning....?
Do you share his opinion?
These questions are only examples. What students will need depends on the task in question and their level.

Step 2-Assigning Roles
For our task to be successful, we have to make sure that nobody is left out of the group and that everyone will have a simple defined role: many teachers have come up with different names for those roles but they are basically the same. Here are a few:
Note Taker or Secretary
Presenter ,Spokesman or Reporter
Timekeeper
Idea Generator
Noise Watcher
Speech Organizer
One can use these or invent her/his own roles. Nevertheless, we should always make sure that the roles do more or less fit the members' personality and level and that they are not similar. Asking the shyest person in the group to be the spokesman may not always the best bet.

Step 3- Tolerating Some Degree of Noise
Noise is not always supposed to be negative. In fact, it can be tolerated as long as it is kept to a low level. If it interferes with and annoys the other groups, one group is said to be "negatively" noisy.The noise will be there inevitably. But it has to be controlled and kept to a minimum. One good way to reduce noise is to ask one of the members to be the noise-watcher. The student will keep eye contact with the teacher and tell the group if they are exceeding the permitted limits. Some teachers keep a whistle to signal the level of noise is too high. Keeping colored cards to draw attention to the level of noise is also another conceivable option. A red card means the group is too noisy.

Step Four- Less Interference is Better
While the groups work, we should try to keep our presence as imperceptible as possible. Interfere a lot and you will make the groups less concentrated on their task. Interfere less and they are more productive. Does this mean we just sit down and "let the kids play"? No, the teacher has to go from group to group, listening, helping, giving feedback and making sure they are not loosing interest or ignoring the activity. We may want to be unobtrusive because we want to make the students take responsibility for their own learning, interact using English, and try to solve their problems by themselves. We may want to be there, however, in case they began to loose focus, they need more clarification, or have problems that they cannot resolve by themselves.

Step Five- Time management
It is important to set a time limit. We ought to make sure the task is feasible within that time limit. Doing a group task that will never be presented to the class because the bell rang is as detrimental as doing nothing at all. So we must let it be clear that the students have to finish in time. When they finish, the reporters will "report" their work to the rest of the class. After that, we can thank the groups for their efforts and make them see the worth of their cooperation. This will encourage them to make more effort and enjoy it when you decide to do more Cooperative Learning later.

Step Six: Fair grading
Fair grading is a major concern for teachers especially when using Cooperative Learning. How can we decide whether all the members worked evenly during a group activity? What should we really grade, the students' work as a whole or their individual contribution to the group work? Generally, group work should not only be about the product. It is also about the process. We shouldn't only grade the product because it may not reflect the members' contributions to the group. We have to make sure to include a kind of peer assessment form using a simple point system. The students are required to assess the involvement of their peers but they may also be asked to assess themselves. This will help the teacher to decide whether the grades are consistent later. Having our own group assessment form with the names of the groups and the members and assigning points as we go from group to group will also help us get a more accurate grading system. This, added to the product itself, will make a good basis for a fair grade.

References:
Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching by Diane Larsen-Freeman (Second Edition)
(For a short and snappy explanation of what Cooperative Learning is about + a practical example)
Cooperative Learning: Resources for Teachers by Spencer Kagan
Cooperative Learning (Second Edition) By R. Slavin
A Guidebook for Cooperative Learning by D. Dishon and P. W. O'Leary

Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, "Commonly Asked Questions about Teaching Collaborative Activities

From the Internet:
http://www.eric.ed.gov/

Teaching Writing: a practical example

2008-04-14T19:36:00.010+02:00

To get it started, I am going to talk about a writing activity I taught a month ago. First, I am going to give you an idea about the class I teach.
Number of students: 33.
Age: from 11 to 14.
English sessions per week: 5.
Session: 50 minutes.
Years learning English: 4.
English taught as: second language

Book: The World through English II
Topic: Write a letter to a local newspaper about pollution in your city.

This activity feeds sensibly on a previous reading activity. In a previous session, students read a letter to a local newspaper about the changes that may take place in Takuana Island. The writer of the letter informs the newspaper's readers that the claims about the changes (building new factories, airports, cutting down the rainforests, etc...) being harmful to the island are rather unfounded.
The fact that the writing activity comes after a reading activity is central. The reading activity serves as a model for the students to follow. Besides, it provides them with the active vocabulary that will be used afterwards.
First, I referred my students to the layout of the letter in the reading activity. We discussed the difference between a formal and informal letter. I quickly remarked that they do not only differ in terms of content but also in terms of layout. I asked my students where the various parts of the letter are:
Where is the address of the sender?
Where do we place the date?
How do we open a letter?
How do we close it?
Next, I presented a few conjunctions to my students (while, when, because, whereas, although, though). I presented their use and asked my students to work in pairs to put some sentences I wrote on the board together.
Later, I asked my students to sit in mixed-ability groups of four and fives. (The dynamics of group work will be discussed in another post).
I gave my students envelopes. In every envelope, I enclosed a letter that was cut into pieces (address on a small piece/ date on another /Dear Sir/Madam /Yours Truly/etc...). I asked them to put the pieces together.

Then, we proceeded to talk about the content. I used a few visuals about the manifestations of pollution: factories/ sea pollution /dead animals / cars and traffic jams, etc...
I asked my students to comment on those visuals: I wrote their words on the board. This served as a brainstorming session. Then, I draw a circle in the middle of the board. I asked my students about the topic. I wrote "pollution in my city" inside the circle. I drew three rectangles: causes – consequences – suggestions. I asked the students to write ideas under each rectangle. When they came up with a list of words under each heading, I asked them to work individually to try to write their first draft of the letter. I remarked that they do not have to care too much about grammatical mistakes at this stage.
Next, the students were asked to consider the content, organize their ideas, use the appropriate conjunctions, change words, etc... I asked them to use the Proofreading Checklist. (I will also come back to this in a coming post).
After that, students handled their papers to their partners to check for grammar, punctuation mistakes, if any.
As a last step before writing the final draft, I checked and explained some common mistakes.
After finishing the activity, I made sure we listened to some of the letters. Some of letters were also published later in the classroom's magazine of English.

EFL teachers staffroom!

2008-04-14T19:27:00.007+02:00

Have you ever struggled with an activity and wondered how it could be taught? Maybe you have browsed the internet only to find that the mass of downloadable lesson plans just doesn't meet your specific needs. It would even have made you lose time trying to find a more or less similar activity. Do not worry! Many of us have been there, too.
This is exactly where the idea behind this blog came from. If one of us has difficulties or is out of ideas on how a specific activity or a lesson should be taught, she/he can post it here. We can discuss it together and come up with a variety of creative and feasible suggestions, hopefully!
Therefore, this blog will not concern itself too much about theory, though a little background information will not do any harm as long as it is there to support our ideas rather than overshadow them. This blog's primary purpose is to make available concrete ideas for teachers on how specific lessons or activities may be approached.