Towards a New Model of Classroom Instruction in FLT

1. Towards a New Model of Classroom Instruction in FLT 上海外国语大学 束定芳

2. Outline • 1. Introduction • 2. The PPP Model and its disadvantages • 3. A proposal for a new model of classroom instruction • 4. A rationale for the proposed new model • 5. Classroom instruction vs. out of class learning • 6. An experiment • 7. Summary

3. 1. Introduction 5 curriculum processes • (1) needs analysis • (2) curriculum design • (3) material development • (4) classroom instruction • (5) course evaluation

4. 2. The PPP Model and its disadvantages • What is PPP? • Presentation • Practice • Production • Disadvantages • Teacher and teaching centered • Exam oriented • Students do not have enough exposure • Students do not learn the way they are taught

5. Misconceptions about the nature of language learning • Students learn a foreign language in the order they are taught. • Language is (merely) a system of knowledge (of grammar and words). • Knowledge of language automatically translates into skills. • Classroom practice will produce language competence

6. 3. A proposal for a new model of classroom instruction The essential role of classroom instruction should be to create the conditions for the students to learn • a. cultivating and maintaining students’ strong interest; • b. providing and creating learning resources (both in and outside classroom); • c. helping the students develop learning strategies and; • d. helping the students overcome difficulties.

7. (1)Cultivating students’ interest • Teacher factors. “The great teacher inspires”. • Classroom activities (inherently interesting and rewarding, e.g. task-based) • Learning resources (varied, instructive) • Sense of accomplishments (successful completion of tasks, higher exam scores, demonstrations of what they can do with learned language)

8. (2)Providing authentic language samples • learning materials • _______________________________________ • The materials make clear the link between the classroom and the wider world. • The materials foster independent learning. • The materials focus the learner on the learning process. • The materials are readily available. • The materials can be used at more than one level of difficulty. • The materials accord with the learners’ expressed needs. • _______________________________________ • teacher talk (encouraging and communicative)

9. (3)Helping students develop learning strategies • implicitly, i.e. by giving specific instructions for the students in various learning activities, or • explicitly, i.e. by listing the various learning strategies and suggestions for applying them in learning tasks or having successful learners or specialists share with the students their own learning strategies and experiences.

10. (4）Helping students overcome difficulties in learning • idiomatic expressions • pragmatic knowledge • social cultural background knowledge • learning and communication strategies

11. 4. A rationale for the changing roles of classroom instruction • (1) The objectives of modern education • One of the most important objectives of modern education is to enable the students to pursue life-long education on their own. • School education should help the students develop the ability to learn independently. Language is a social skill that can only be learned in the process of communication. • A language can never be really learned in the classroom.

12. (2) How a language learner learns • A second language is effectively learned when the learner is highly motivated and seeks every opportunity to learn • Learning a second language is learning a new culture, and a new mode of thinking • Learning a second language is a rewarding experience

13. 我的另一个舌头 • 王蒙 • 我爱听维吾尔语。我爱讲维吾尔语。 …… 我不愿意放弃任何可以使用维吾尔语言可以提高维吾尔语言，乃至可以“显摆”自己的维吾尔语言的机会。一讲维吾尔语，我就神采飞扬，春风得意，生动活泼，诙谐机敏。一种语言并不仅仅是一种工具，而是一种文化，是一个活生生的人群，是一种生活的韵味，是一种奇妙的风光，是自然风光也是人文景观。他们还是世界真奇妙的一个组成部分，是我的一段永远难记的经历。

14. …… 真是怎么复杂怎么来呀！而它们又是那样使我倾心，使我迷恋。他们和所有的能歌善舞的维吾尔人联结在一起。 ……我欣赏维吾尔语的铿锵有力的发音，欣赏它的令人眉飞色舞的语调，欣赏它的独特的表达程序……一有空闲，我就打开收音机，收听维吾尔语广播。开始，我差不多一个字也听不懂，那也听，像欣赏音乐一样如痴如醉地欣赏它，一听就喜笑颜开，心花怒放。两个农民的小孩儿说话，我也在旁边“灌耳音”……我学维吾尔语已经快要走火入魔了。

15. 我学习着用维吾尔语来反应和思维，夜间起床解手，扶着床就说karawat，开开门的时候就说ixik，沿墙走路就说tam，小便了就说suduk，起风了就说xamal，再回到炕上便告诫自己：uhlay! Uhlay! 后来，看到打上了数的算盘或者阿拉伯数字，我会立即用维吾尔语读出来，而如果当时突然有一位汉族同志前来用汉语问我这是多少我会瞠目结舌，一瞬间茫然不知所措。

16. 我终于可以说我多了一个舌头了。和维吾尔人在一起我同样可以口若悬河滔滔不绝，也可以语言游戏，话外含音 …… 不仅多了一个舌头也多了一双耳朵，你可以舒服地听进另一种语言，领略它的全部含意、色彩、情绪……多了一双眼睛，读懂曲里拐弯由右向左横写的维吾尔文字。更多了一个头脑一颗心，获得了知识、经验、理解、信任和友谊。……这个过程充满了奇妙的经验和乐趣。《王蒙自述：我的人生哲学》人民文学出版社，2003

17. Key words for success in learning a second language: • Love (爱)，intoxicated (如痴如醉)，wonderful (奇妙)，pleasure (乐趣)（Interest and motivation） • Show off (显摆)（sense of accomplishment） • Vivid (活生生)（Contents and contexts） • Culture (文化) • Part of life (生活的一部分)（authentic） • Crazy(走火入魔) • Think and respond in the language (反应和思维)

18. (3)The different roles a foreign language teacher should play • 1. Source of expertise (46.4%)instructor, informant, presenter, input provider, actor, information provider, pedagogist2．Managing roles (35.7%)manager, organizer, director, administrator, public relations officer, arranger;3．Source of advice (53.5%)counselor, advisor, private tutor, psychologist, listener;

19.  4．Facilitator of learning (64.2%)learning facilitator, helper, guide, catalyst to group discussion, prompter, mediator;5．Sharing roles (17.8%)negotiator, participant, student, cooperator;6．Caring roles (25%)friend, sister/mother, caretaker, supporter;

20. 7．Classroom atmosphere creator (14.2%)entertainer, motivator, source of inspiration,;8．Evaluator (10.7%)9．Example of behavior and hard work (3.5%) • (Kravas-Dukas 1995)

21. (4) New trends in FLT • Task-based instruction • Process-oriented • Genuine communication • Grammar-awareness • Autonomous learning • Self-access centers • Teacher guided • Negotiated syllabus (Individualized learning) • Objectives • Learning strategies

22. Learning contracts • Learning objectives • Duration • Location • Pace • Learning strategies

23. (5)New concept FLT evaluation • Different types of tests • Placement test • Diagnostic test • Proficiency test • Achievement test • Formative vs. summative evaluation • Process-oriented evaluation

24. Process-oriented evaluation The planning process • Needs analysis • Are the needs analysis procedures effective? • Do they provide useful information for course planning? • Do they provide data on subjective and objective needs? • Can the data be translated into content?

25. Content • Are the goals and objectives derived from needs analysis? • If not, from where were they derived? • Are they appropriate for the specified groups of learners? • Do the learners think the content is appropriate? • Is the content appropriately graded? • Does it take speech processing constraints into account?

26. Implementation • Methodology • Are the materials, methods and activities consonant with the prespecified objectives? • Do the learners think the materials, methods and activities are appropriate? • Resources • Are resources adequate/appropriate? • Teacher • Are the teacher’s classroom management skills adequate?

27. Learners • Are the learning strategies of the students efficient? • Do learners attend regularly? • Do learners pay attention, apply themselves in class? • Do learners practice their skills outside the classroom? • Do the learners appear to be enjoying the course? • Is the timing of the class and the type of learning arrangement suitable for the students? • Do learners have personal problems which interfere with their learning?

28. Assessment and Evaluation • Are the assessment procedures appropriate to the prespecified objectives? • Are there opportunities for self-assessment by learners? If so, what? • Are there opportunities for learners to evaluate aspects of the course such as learning materials, methodology, learning arrangement? • Are there opportunities for self-evaluation by the teacher?

29. Classroom observation checklist • There were no cultural misunderstandings. • The class understood what was wanted at all times • All instructions were clear. • All students were interested in the lesson. • The teacher carried out comprehension checks. • Materials and learning activities were appropriate. • Every student was involved at some point. • Class atmosphere was positive. • Student groupings and sub-groupings were appropriate. • The pacing of the lesson was appropriate.

30. There was enough variety in the lesson. • The teacher did not talk too much. • Error correction and feedback was appropriate. • There was genuine communication. • There was teacher skill in organizing group work. • There was opportunity for controlled practice. • Students were enthusiastic. • General classroom management was good.

31. What teachers should not do in the classroom • do not spend too much time drilling on language items • do not explain everything • do not use the textbook only • do not dominate the class

32. 5. Classroom vs. outside class learning • （1）Language learning = classroom learning + outside class learning • （2）Classroom instruction prepares for outside class learning • （3）Outside class learning facilitates classroom learning • （4）Ways and contents of learning outside class: learning + communication，learning = communication，communication = learning

33. 6. An experiment: • Objectives • (1) To prove that students’ major difficulty in learning a foreign language is not intelligence-related; • (2)To explore the new roles for classroom instruction. • Subjects： • Two classes of Pre-Junior students and two classes of Senior 1 students of Pudong Foreign Language School

34. Duration: One year • Stages of the experiment: • 1st stage：rekindling students interest in English learning • 2nd stage：Readjusting classroom objectives( for outside class learning) • 3rd stage：Training students learning strategies Results：95% “crazy about English”

35. 7. Summary of major points of the presentation: • (1) Learning a foreign language involves learning in and outside the classroom. • (2) Learning a foreign language means more than learning about the grammar and vocabulary. • (3) A foreign language can be best learned through genuine communicative activities.

36. (4) The foreign language teacher should turn the classroom into a place where students’ interest in learning the target language is stimulated and maintained, students are maximally exposed to authentic communications in the target language, their accomplishment of learning outside class is demonstrated, their difficulties in learning outside class are solved and their ability to learn on their own is trained.

37. (5) We should no longer base our evaluation of classroom instruction on how well a teacher has explained a language item, or how much teaching material he has covered, or how many learning activities he has organized, but on how he has motivated the students, how he has taught the students to learn on their own, and on how the class contributed to the short- and long-term goal set in the teaching syllabus.

38. Thank you!