a. When we speak of a TEFL context we refer to a situation where English is taught as a FOREIGN language, in a country where English is not USUALLY SPOKEN.... [Show More]
b. A TESL context refers to a situation where English language learners are living in an ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY.
Fill in the gaps in the following sentences:
a. When we speak of a TEFL context we refer to a situation where English is taught
as a f language, in a country where English is not u
sp .
b. An ESL context refers to a situation where English language learners are living in an E -sp c .
ESL = a; d; e; h
EFL = b; c; f; g
2. Decide whether the following statements apply to an ESL or an EFL context.
a. "Survival" English is an immediate goal.
b. Students are not necessarily motivated to learn English.
c. It may be difficult for teachers to get students to do homework.
d. Students are surrounded by "role models".
e. Students' mother tongues in the classroom tend to be varied.
f. Students need basic vocabulary and structures to start off with.
g. Teachers need to create strategies for motivating their students and maintaining their interest over time.
h. Teachers need to bear in mind "culture shock" and help students to adjust.
SUGGESTED ANSWER
Example 1: Catching a bus/using public transport
Example 2: Answering the telephone/calling for travel information
Example 3: Learning how to say prices/use local money
3) Imagine you are teaching in an ESL context. Write down three examples of "survival" language your students would need within the first two weeks of arriving. Use examples that are different from the ones provided in the text.
SUGGESTED ANSWER
Example 1: Hello. My name is ...
Example 2: Can you speak more slowly?
Example 3: Can I borrow a xxx?
4) It is your first class with adult beginners in an EFL context. What "classroom survival language" would you teach them? Write down three examples that are different from the ones provided in the text.
Advantages
Teaching young learners
1. Learn pronunciation easily
2. Enthusiastic
3. No preconceived ideas about language
Teaching adolescents
1. Ability for abstract thought and commitment
2. Understand the need for learning
3. Make quick progress
Teaching adults
1. Plenty of life experience to
draw on in the classroom
2. Disciplined, motivated
3. Can engage in abstract
thought
Disadvantages
Teaching young learners
1. Short attention span
2. Need lots of attention from the teacher
3. Can't grasp grammar rules
Teaching adolescents
1. Need plenty of motivation from the teacher
2. Peer opinion is important to them
3. Can challenge teacher's authority
Teaching adults
1. Can be critical of teaching
methods & activities
2. Under-confidence
Read the text again, and see if you can identify at least two of the advantages and disadvantages when teaching each age group.
Advantages Disadvantages
Teaching Young Learners
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Teaching Adolescents
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Teaching Adults
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
a. young learners?
Short, varied activities for young learners. Be prepared to be flexible and change activity if they show signs of getting bored.
b. adolescents?
Discover relevant topics to engage teens. Encourage participation and get them to respond with own thoughts and experiences. Don't confront students in front of their peers.
What are some of the practical aspects we should bear in mind when teaching
a. young learners; and
b. adolescents?
a. What is the CEF and how does it help?
CEF stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It helps by standardising levels and language one can be expected to know at a given level.
b. What are the group terms for the A1-A2, B1-B2 and C1-C2 levels described in the CEF?
A1-A2 = Basic; B1-B2 = Independent; C1-C2 = Proficient
c. Which countries outside Europe are using CEF?
Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Argentina
Answer the following questions:
a. What is the CEFR and how does it help?
b. What are the group terms for the A1-A2, B1-B2 and
C1-C2 levels described in the CEFR?
c. Which countries outside of Europe are using CEF?
a. Tell your partner about a recent current affairs event (news article or item) that you found interesting/disturbing. INDEPENDENT
b. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe what they did on their previous holiday. BASIC
c. You are having boyfriend/girlfriend problems. Read the information on your card and ask your partner for advice. INDEPENDENT
d. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to greet one another and say goodbye appropriately, depending on the time of the day. BASIC
e. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to articulate in writing a thesis topic for their research. PROFICIENT/NEAR-NATIVE
f. In your group, agree together on the order of importance of the following electrical items, with (1) being the MOST important in your lives; and (10) being the LEAST important. INDEPENDENT
g. What changes would you implement if you were President of your country? Make some notes and then tell your partner. See if you have any of the same ideas. PROFICIENT
Look at the following lesson objectives/activities. Decide what CEFR level the lesson would be appropriate for.
a. Tell your partner about a recent current affairs event (news article or item) that you found interesting/disturbing.
b. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe what they did on their previous vacation.
c. You are having boyfriend/girlfriend problems. Read the information on your card and ask your partner for advice.
d. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to greet one another and say goodbye appropriately, depending on the time of the day.
e. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to articulate in writing a thesis topic for their research.
f. In your group, agree together on the order of importance of the following electrical items, with (1) being the MOST important in your lives; and (10) being the LEAST important.
g. What changes would you implement if you were President of your country? Make some notes and then tell your partner. See if you have any of the same ideas.
a. The teacher should not necessarily assume the entire responsibility for designing and implementing a course. READINESS TO LEARN
b. Adult students are interested in being able to put into practice new learning. TIME PERSPECTIVE & ORIENTATION TO LEARNING
c. One advantage of teaching adults is being able to exploit their life knowledge. UTILISING THE LEARNER'S EXPERIENCE
d. A successful, high-profile professional may have difficulty adapting to a classroom environment. SELF-CONCEPT OF THE LEARNER
e. To a great extent, learner needs can and should dictate the content of a course. READINESS TO LEARN
f. Collaborative learning should be a feature of adult classes. READINESS TO LEARN
Match the statement below with one of the four criteria mentioned in the article above.
a. The teacher should not necessarily assume the entire responsibility for designing and implementing a course.
b. Adult students are interested in being able to put into practice new learning.
c. One advantage of teaching adults is being able to exploit their life knowledge.
d. A successful, high-profile professional may have difficulty adapting to a classroom environment.
e. To a great extent, learner needs can and should dictate the content of a course.
f. Collaborative learning should be a feature of adult classes.
a. DON'T treat adults like CHILDREN.
b. DON'T assume that adults are incapable of SELF-DIRECTED learning.
c. DO use a range of TECHNIQUES to exploit adults' prior knowledge.
d. DO bear in mind that adults want to see immediate APPLICATION of what they have learnt.
Fill in the gaps in the following DO's and DON'T's for teaching adults:
a. DON'T treat adults like c .
b. DON'T assume that adults are incapable of s - d learning.
c. DO use a range of t to exploit adults' prior knowledge.
d. DO bear in mind that adults want to see immediate a of what they have learned.
Answer the following questions:
a. Why was the grammar-translation method considered easy to teach?
NO-ONE (NEITHER TEACHERS NOR STUDENTS) WERE REQUIRED TO SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND SPOKEN LANGUAGE. TEACHERS WOULD ASSIGN 'FILL IN THE BLANK' EXERCISES, OR DIRECT
STUDENTS TO TRANSLATE TEXTS.
b. What was Berlitz's belief about second language learning? How did it
influence the direct method?
BERLITZ BELIEVED THAT ADULTS COULD LEARN A LANGUAGE IN THE SAME WAY AS CHILDREN
LEARN THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. THIS MEANT THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED EXPLANATIONS OF GRAMMAR.
c. What do you understand by the term "behaviouristic approach" or
"behaviourism"?
BEHAVIOURISM REFERS TO FORMING "GOOD" LANGUAGE HABITS. THIS IS DONE THROUGH A SYSTEM OF REWARDS FOR A CORRECT RESPONSE (WHICH ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO REPEAT THE ACTION) OR WITHHOLDING REWARDS FOR AN INCORRECT RESPONSE (WHICH REPRESSES THE INCORRECT RESPONSE).
d. What belief underlies the Suggestopedia method?
SUGGESTOPEDIA IS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT IF ONE'S MIND AND BODY ARE RELAXED, THE BRAIN CAN ABSORB INFORMATION SUBCONSCIOUSLY.
e. Identify two advantages of the TPR method.
ADVANTAGE 1 - IT GETS STUDENTS OUT OF THEIR SEATS.
ADVANTAGE 2 - IN THEORY, IT TAKES THE STRESS OUT OF THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM.
f. What is PPP?
PRESENTATION, PRACTICE, PRODUCTION. THIS IS THE SHAPE A LESSON TAKES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH.
Answer the following questions:
a. Why was the Grammar-Translation method considered "easy to teach"?
b. What was Berlitz's belief about second language learning? How did it influence the Direct Method?
c. What do you understand by the term "behaviouristic approach" or "behaviourism"?
d. What belief underlies the Suggestopedia method?
e. Identify two advantages of the TPR method.
f. What is PPP?
a. If teachers understand intelligence in a broader way, they can use it to develop classroom activities directed at different ways of learning.
Application of MI theory with adult ESL learners (paragraph 1) Rather than functioning as a prescribed teaching method, curriculum, or technique, MI theory provides a way of understanding intelligence, which teachers can use as a guide for developing classroom activities that address multiple ways of learning and knowing.
b. One of the advantages of understanding MI theory for teachers is that they can motivate students to understand and benefit from their individual strengths.
Application of MI theory with adult ESL learners (paragraph 2)
By focusing on problem-solving activities that draw on multiple intelligences, these teaching strategies encourage learners to build on existing strengths and knowledge to learn new content and skills.
c. Students from more traditional cultural and educational backgrounds may initially resist MI techniques
As a guide to provide a greater variety of ways for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning. (Paragraph 1)
However, some teachers have encountered at least initial resistance to
this process of describing intelligences among students whose cultural or
educational backgrounds emphasise more traditional modes of teaching and learning.
d. MI theory can help to inform curriculum so as to accommodate different levels of language skills in the same class.
As a guide to provide a greater variety of ways for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning. (Paragraph 2)
A curriculum informed by MI theory provides a way of handling differing
language skill levels within one class - a very common situation in adult ESL classes. When multiple activities are available, more students can find ways to participate and take advantage of language acquisition opportunities. With an MI curriculum, students become aware that different people have different strengths and that each person has a substantive contribution to make
e. A practical technique for exploiting learners' different intelligences is to allow students to choose from a range of tasks, when carrying out group work or project work.
As a guide to develop lesson plans that address the full range of learner needs. (Paragraph 1)
Learners can then complete a project, individually or in groups, to demonstrate their understanding of the text. The teacher offers a choice of projects, such as descriptive writing, map drawing, illustration, creation of a dialogue or skit, making a time-line, songwriting, and retelling. The objective is not to teach to specific intelligences or to correlate intelligences with specific activities, but rather to allow learners to employ their preferred ways of processing and communicating new information.
The following sentences are paraphrases/summaries from Section 6. Locate the part of the text they refer to.
a. If teachers understand intelligence in a broader way, they can use it to develop classroom activities directed at different ways of learning.
b. One of the advantages of understanding MI theory for teachers is that they can motivate students to understand and benefit from their individual strengths.
c. Students from more traditional cultural and educational backgrounds may initially resist MI techniques.
d. MI theory can help to inform curriculum so as to accommodate different levels of language skills in the same class.
e. A practical technique for exploiting learners' different intelligences is to allow students to choose from a range of tasks, when carrying out groupwork or project work. [Show Less]
